FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Donna K. Graham, director of employer relations for U of A's Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, has been named to the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal's Forty Under 40 class.

This is the 24th class, which recognizes professionals making their mark in the local business community.

Graham, who earned her bachelor's degree from the apparel merchandising and product development program in Bumpers College, serves as a liaison between the college and industries who hire graduates and students for full-time positions, internships and job shadowing opportunities.

Graham is the only U of A representative on this year's list.

This year's Forty Under 40 luncheon has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, a virtual celebration is set for Aug. 17 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at avad3, a media production company in Lowell.

NWA Business Journal editor Paul Gatling and Talk Business & Politics editor-in-chief Roby Brock are hosting the live event, with viewing options for co-workers, friends and family to participate with and watch.

Honorees live and work in the six-county coverage area of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Sebastian and Crawford counties. They were nominated by their peers in all industries.

In addition to Graham, Bumpers College graduate Matthew Fryar is also on the Forty Under 40 list. Fryar, a partner with Crouch, Harwell, Fryar & Ferner, is a two-time U of A graduate. He earned his bachelor's degree in agricultural communications in 2006 and his Juris Doctor degree from the School of Law in 2009.

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. For more information about Bumpers College, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter at @BumpersCollege and Instagram at BumpersCollege.

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 2.7 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.