FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Seven students have been elected to serve on the Honors Student Board for 2017-18 in the U of A's Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.

Members assist in academic initiatives, recruitment, professional and leadership development, and networking activities.

The 2017-18 board includes:

• Sam Harris, chair — agricultural economics and agribusiness, Damascus
• Colson Tester, vice chair — agricultural economics and agribusiness, Clinton
• Amy Frank, secretary — animal science, Hackett
• Courtney Cooper, director of student relations — horticulture, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• Abby Ratton, director of communications — agricultural economics and agribusiness, Newport
• Darynne Dahlem, events director — animal science, Fort Smith
• Mersady Redding, honors mentor liaison — animal science, and human nutrition and hospitality innovation with a dietetics concentration, Marshall

"Joining the Honors Student Board has allowed me to have a say in how the program develops in the future while creating more opportunities for student success for the entire college," said Harris. "As chair, I plan to engage the student body, specifically members of the Honors Program, in more interactions so we can better meet the needs of all students. I believe students are the biggest asset our college has when connecting with alumni and donors, and the board could play a role in coordinating those interactions in the future."

"The board has provided opportunities for students to network, organize a mentor program, recognize outstanding students and faculty, and promote professional development and research," said Tester. "One of the activities that stands out to me is the addition of honors classes throughout the college so students don't have to take cross-departmental classes not relevant to their degree and research. The board serves a crucial role in our college and I look forward to helping continue that role."

The Bumpers College Honors Board is a registered student organization providing a student voice to the honors program. The board supports the program and director Leslie Edgar, assistant dean for student programs.

"It is a pleasure and honor to work with some of our brightest and most engaged students through the Honors Student Board," said Edgar. "These students have been and will continue to be instrumental in the goals and directions of the Bumpers College honors program. I want to publically thank and congratulate our past and current board members for their dedication and service."

The 2016-17 group included Will Pohlman, chair, animal science; Sam Goll, vice chair and honors mentor liaison, agricultural economics and agribusiness; Harris, awards committee chair, agricultural economics and agribusiness; Luke Lane, director of communications, agricultural economics and agribusiness; Tester, events director, agricultural economics and agribusiness; and Amy Frank, events director, animal science.

About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences: Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.