FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Alumni Association will host its 74th annual Alumni Awards Celebration at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19, at the Fayetteville Town Center.

This year's celebration honors the accomplishments of 13 alumni, faculty and friends and includes recipients in seven award categories.

Citation of Distinguished Alumni

The Citation of Distinguished Alumni recognizes exceptional professional and personal achievement and extraordinary distinction in a chosen field. The 2018 awardees are:

• Sam Alley B.S.C.E. ’79: chair and CEO of VCC.
• Steve L. Anderson B.Arch. ’76, B. A. ’76: president of the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation.
• L. Lee Johns Lane B.S. ’62, M.S.O.R. ’74, Ph.D. ’76.: vice president/co-owner (retired) of Autek Systems Corporation.

Sam Alley

Steve L. Anderson

L. Lee Johns Lane

Andrew J. Lucas Alumni Service Award

The Andrew J. Lucas Alumni Service Award acknowledges significant contribution of time and energy on behalf of the University and the Alumni Association. The two awardees are:

• Lee Bodenhamer B.S.B.A ’57, M.B.A. ’61: president (retired) of Centennial Consulting Company.
• John C. Reap B.S.B.A. ’70: president/CEO (retired) of Town North Bank, N.A.

Community Service Award

The Community Service Award recognizes unselfish and extensive service by alumni to their community and to humankind. An alumni couple from Fayetteville will share this award, they are:

• Dr. Morriss M. Henry J.D. ’71, owner of Henry Eye Clinic.
• Ann Henry B.A. ’61, M.A. ’64, J.D. ’71, associate professor (retired) of the University of Arkansas Walton College of Business.

Young Alumni Award

The Young Alumni Award recognizes exceptional achievements in career, public service and/or volunteer activities that bring honor to the University of Arkansas. The honoree for 2018 is:

• Anna Reed Phillips B.S.E. ’04, co-founder and director of development for Bridge2Rwanda.

Honorary Alumni Award

The Honorary Alumni Award is presented to non-alumni who have served, promoted, developed and loved the University of Arkansas in the tradition of an Arkansas graduate. This year the association pays tribute to:

• The Honorable Howard W. Brill, University Professor and Vincent Foster Professor of Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility at the University of Arkansas School of Law.

Lee Bodenhamer

John C. Reap

Morris and Ann Henry

Anna Reed Phillips

Howard Brill

Faculty Distinguished Achievement Awards

The Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award recognizes exceptional faculty members for teaching, research and service.

For achievement in service the association honors:

• Kevin Hall, professor in the Department of Civil Engineering and the Hicks Endowed Professor of Infrastructure Engineering in the College of Engineering.

For achievement in research the awardee is:

• Min Zou, professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering in the College of Engineering.

The rising teaching award will be bestowed upon:

• Sean P. Connors, associate professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in the College of Education and Health Professions.

Charles and Nadine Baum Faculty Teaching Award

The Charles and Nadine Baum Faculty Teaching Award recognizes outstanding teaching and is designated for a faculty member whose status is full, University or Distinguished Professor. The 2018 awardee is:

• Suresh Kumar Thallapuranam, professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.

Kevin Hall

Min Zou

Sean Connors

Suresh Thallapuranam

Awards Celebration

Registration for the 2018 Alumni Awards Celebration will be available online beginning Aug. 1; watch www.arkansasalumni.org/awards for more information. Tables and sponsorships are available. For more information on tickets and sponsorships, contact Deb Euculano at alumniawards@arkansasalumni.org or call 479-575-2292.

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.