Staff Senate Announces Scholarship Recipients

The University of Arkansas Staff Senate is pleased to announce the five recipients of the 2012-13 Staff Senate Endowed Scholarships.

This year’s recipients and scholarship names are: Sarah O’Brien, the Susan Imes Yell Scholarship; Julie Stagner, the Rick A. Haley Memorial Scholarship; and Phyllis Todd, the Barbara G. Taylor Scholarship. Two additional general Staff Senate Scholarships were granted to Melinda Sue Dunlap and Aria Andrus.

Of the five recipients, three are seeking human resources development degrees, one is seeking an apparel studies degree and one will earn a Master of Education in educational technology.

The recipients will be presented with certificates Thursday, Aug. 9, during the regularly scheduled Staff Senate meeting.

“My congratulations to the 2012-2013 scholarship recipients,” said Jeremy Battjes, Staff Senate Chair. “It’s exciting to be able to provide these educational opportunities for the staff.  I’m thrilled at the ambitiousness of former and current senators to develop a scholarship program for staff at the University of Arkansas.”

The Staff Senate Scholarship was started in 2000 with just enough funds for one scholarship. In 2008, the Staff Senate began to campaign for a scholarship endowment, and due to the overwhelming support, the scholarship reached its $25,000 endowment level in 2010. In celebration of the Staff Senate’s hard work and success, Chancellor G. David Gearhart matched the endowment with private gift dollars from the Chancellor’s Society Fund, bringing the account to $50,000.

“The scholarship committee had some tough decisions to make this year,” said Michele Payne, scholarship committee chair. “The application pool is proof of the versatility, dedication and talent of our staff. We feel confident these scholarships will help ease some of the financial burden of the recipients as they pursue their degrees.”

The Staff Senate annually awards at least three need-based scholarships — the Rick A. Haley Memorial Scholarship, the Barbara G. Taylor Scholarship and the Susan Imes Yell Scholarship. Since the program’s commencement, 61 Staff Senate Scholarships have been awarded with a value totaling more than $20,000.

The need-based scholarships were created to promote and encourage staff development through higher education in undergraduate and graduate studies. Applicants must be 100 percent appointed, full-time University of Arkansas, Fayetteville staff employees for at least one year prior to the scholarship deadline and demonstrate financial need. Additional criteria are listed on the website at http://staffsenate.uark.edu/45.php.

The Staff Senate is an employee group on the University of Arkansas campus whose primary function is to work with university administrators to address staff concerns related to the quality of work life on campus. The Staff Senate represents nearly 3,600 employees on the Fayetteville campus.

Further information may be found on the Staff Senate website. Questions may be referred to Michele Payne, Staff Senate Scholarship Committee chair, at payne@uark.edu or 479-575-4436.