Arkansas Academy of Computing Inducts 12 Members

The Arkansas Academy of Computing, an honorary academy associated with the University of Arkansas, held its sixth annual banquet April 15 in Fayetteville.

The Arkansas Academy of Computing was established in 2006 to recognize those individuals who have made a significant contribution to the computing industry in Arkansas. The academy inducted the following individuals:

• Tracy Black, J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. – Black, a graduate of the computer science program at University of Arkansas, joined J.B. Hunt in 1988 and is currently senior vice president of information technology. Black was named one of Computerworld’s Premier 100 IT leaders in 2007.
• Kent Burnett, Dillards – (2006) - Burnett is the senior vice president of information technology and e-commerce for Dillard's Inc. in Little Rock. He is a native of Arkansas and an engineering graduate of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. He has been with Dillard's for over 30 years and provided leadership in both technology and store operations.
• Gary Cooper, Tyson Foods – Cooper is a long time employee of Tyson Foods and is currently senior vice president and chief information officer. In recent years, he has helped lead Tyson through some of its greatest periods of growth and led the implementation of a major SAP project.  
• Matt Dozier, EAST Initiative – Dozier is president and chief executive officer of the EAST Initiative, an Arkansas-based, nationally recognized organization active in 200 high schools in eight states. EAST students are exposed to open-ended problem solving in projects involving collaborations, high technology and community service. 
• Ken Mangold, J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. – Mangold joined J.B. Hunt in 1994 and is currently senior vice president of information services. Ken is a board member of the University of Arkansas RFID Research Center and active in industry-university research collaborations.
• Joseph McDoniel, Systematics – Arkansas-born Joseph McDoniel’s 47-year career in information technology began with North American Aviation as a part of the Gemini/Apollo project and included National Bank of Detroit, a railroad in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, his own software business, Systematics Inc., Digital Insight (now part of Intuit) and years as a senior consulting manager.
• Charlie McMurtry, Hewlett Packard – (2008) – After a 30-plus-year career with NCR, Wal-Mart, and Dell, McMurtry is the senior vice president of application development and support for Hewlett Packard. He is a recognized expert in global applications development, data management enterprise data warehousing, CRM and e-commerce.
• Allison Nicholas, Acxiom Corp. – Nicholas has provided over 20 years of service to computing in Arkansas in organizing university relations, university recruiting, computing support for high schools through the EAST Initiative, and for launching many computing careers in Arkansas.
• Gary Norcross, FIS – An Arkansas native and graduate of the University of Arkansas, Norcross is the chief operating officer of FIS. Highly respected throughout the financial technical industry, he has played a critical role in his company's growth from its origins with Systematics, its transformation to Alltel Information Services Inc. and the subsequent acquisition by FIS to its current market-leading position of over $5 billion in annual revenue and 32,000 employees.
• Joe Rarey, Teradata – In his 30-plus years in an information technology career, Rarey has worked with Xerox, Martin Marietta and has been with NCR/Teradata since 1986. He is a Teradata managing partner and team leader for the company's relationship with Wal-Mart. He is a recognized expert with Data Warehouse and Decision Support and was active in the initial implementation of Teradata-based data warehouse and Retail Link at Wal-Mart in the early 1990s.
• Randy Salley, Hewlett Packard – Salley is currently a vice president at Hewlett-Packard and a former vice president at Wal-Mart, where he worked for over 25 years in applications development for merchandising, replenishment and distribution, providing key development leadership in the 1990s and 2000s. He is an industry expert in Supply Chain Systems and Global standards. 

The Arkansas Academy of Computing includes many computing industry pioneers whose long-term dedication and effort developed the computing industry in Arkansas and created employment for thousands of Arkansans.

The academy’s purpose includes the promotion of the pursuit of technical education for Arkansas students. Toward that end the academy provides scholarships, and in 2011 awarded 14 scholarships to students majoring in computer science, computer engineering or information systems at the following institutions: University of Arkansas, Fayetteville; University of Arkansas at Little Rock; University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff; University of Central Arkansas; and Arkansas Tech University.