Kvamme Retires After Two Decades of Supporting Environmental Dynamics; Reception Thursday

Jo Ann Kvamme wears many hats in her role as assistant director of the Environmental Dynamics (ENDY) program. 

"I am the recruiter, greeter, cheerleader, fixer, facilitator and sometimes confidant to the students, applicants and alumni," she said. "Together we figure out what each student needs, how we can get it, and find the path to graduation."  

After more than 20 years of serving as a beacon of guidance and inspiration for her students, Kvamme will retire from her role in the ENDY program. A retirement reception will be held from 2-3 p.m. April 25 in the Graduate Lounge of Gearhart Hall, celebrating her longstanding career at the university. Those attending can RSVP by contacting Cassie Franklin at cfrankli@uark.edu. 

Before she embarked on what would become a career at the Graduate School and International Education, the Ohio native grew up seeing firsthand the importance of higher education. As the daughter of an educator, pursuing her own path in academics was a no-brainer for her. She received her bachelor's degree in anthropology from Youngstown State University and began graduate work at Colorado State University, where she eventually met her future husband and shifted her direction. Kvamme worked as a contract archaeologist while he completed his Ph.D. at University of California, Santa Barbara. They then moved to various locations around and outside of the U.S., including Denver, Tucson, Boston, the Netherlands, England and Slovenia before they finally settled down in Fayetteville in 1998.  

Once in Fayetteville, Kvamme was approached by the first director of the ENDY program, Dr. Allen McCartney, and asked if she would take over the facilitator role with Dr. Steve Boss as the new director. Through her joint efforts with Boss and, later, Dr. Peter Ungar, the program we see today was shaped. Kvamme takes pride in the monumental strides that the program has taken since its establishment in 1998.  

"I will be eternally grateful to Dr. McCartney for his belief in me and the great career this became," Kvamme said. 

Having been the first interdisciplinary program created on campus, ENDY has been breaking down barriers between departments and colleges since Kvamme started. Today, the program helps fund up to 40 students, assisted by Kvamme's commitment and collaboration with other departments and faculty across campus.  

"We work out all sorts of arrangements that are mutually beneficial so we can increase our numbers and be of service to others on campus," Kvamme said. "Originally, we could not have students outside of arts and sciences, and we now have students with advisers and funding in most of the colleges and welcome students and advisers from all. This has made us a stronger program with much more depth." 

Furthermore, Kvamme and Boss were instrumental in forming a partnership with Fort Valley State University's (FVSU) 3-2 program offering students from FVSU the opportunity to gain a second B.S. in two years in either geosciences or engineering. This also included hosting the M-SEA summer program that introduces rising high school juniors from underrepresented populations to STEM fields, ultimately offering them scholarships to FVSU and partner schools like the U of A. She and Boss also established strong ties to the National Association of Black Geoscientists and, through NSF grants, assist students in attending the annual meetings since 2009. 

She also played a significant role in introducing the new Environmental Resiliency (ENRE) online program at the U of A in collaboration with Ungar, Director of Landscape Architecture and ENRE Director Ken McCown and Global Campus.  

"Jo Ann has been the heart and soul of ENDY. Her passion for projects, from DEI initiatives to the new ENRE program, and her steadfast and dogged determination have been fundamental to the success of our program," Ungar said. "To me, though, her most important contribution has been her direct work with our students to support their success. She really and truly cares about our students, and that's the most important thing." 

Kvamme's passion for her work stems from her unwavering desire to uplift students.  

"We are the service industry behind them, supporting, guiding, encouraging and helping them find their way through university rules and paperwork," she said. "The most important role we have is to believe in the students. I feel it has been an important part of my job to assist students in seeing what I see in them and to encourage belief in themselves."