Students Celebrate Remarkable Success at State and National Awards Reception

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As the end of the academic year closes, so does the end of the nation’s competitive awards cycle in higher education. Over 300 U of A students received nationally competitive scholarships, fellowships, grants and internships during the 2023-24 academic year, for a total of nearly $1.5 million in award funding.

The Office of the Provost and the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards held their annual state and national awards reception in the Jim and Joyce Faulkner Performing Arts Center on April 18 to celebrate the students. 

The event highlighted student and mentor successes with congratulatory remarks from Terry Martin, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, and Suzanne McCray, vice provost for enrollment and dean of admissions and nationally competitive awards. Martin and Suresh Thallapuranam, director of the Office of Undergraduate Research, were also on hand to present individual awards to students and to their mentors.

Amelia Southern Uribe, Udall Scholar (2023) and Truman Scholarship Finalist (2024), spoke on behalf of the student recipients to thank the many who supported their efforts. 

“Celebrating our students’ amazing accomplishments is a highlight of the academic year,” said Martin. “Our students compete at the very highest levels.  These talented and ambitious students are successful with the help of dedicated faculty mentors as well as the support they receive from their departments and colleges. This event recognizes both the student and the critical support they receive.”

These awards at the state, regional and national levels were earned based on academic achievement, research, leadership and community engagement.

A number of students received individual awards across the year, including well-known national and international scholarships like the Goldwater, Gilman, Fulbright, NOAA Hollings, and Critical Language Scholarships, and fellowships such as the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education Fellowship. There were also finalists for the Truman and Luce scholarships. In addition, a host of U of A students competed successfully on various academic team efforts and received competitive internships nationwide. 

A small cohort of faculty and staff members received the annual Office of Nationally Competitive Awards Gold Medal for their significant support of students as they applied for national and international opportunities. One department and one community partner are also chosen for their contributions to student research or engagement.

“This has been a great year for students reaching high and achieving at the national and international levels, but students do not do it alone,” said McCray. “The Gold Medal awards recognize faculty and staff members who go well beyond the requirements of their positions in their support of students who are competing for these awards. We want to recognize the departmental and community support these students receive as well. It is a great team.”

GOLD MEDALS

2024 Faculty Gold Medals

• Casandra Cox – assistant professor, Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences
• Ed Clausen – University Professor, College of Engineering
• Page Dobbs – associate professor, College of Education and Health Professions
• Rogelio Garcia Contreras – teaching assistant professor, Walton College of Business
• Woodrow Shew – associate professor, Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences
• Christian Tipsmark – associate professor, Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences

2024 Staff Gold Medals

• Louise Hancox, senior director of career innovation, Honors College
• Mary Skinner, director of student activities, Office of Student Activities

2024 Departmental Gold Medal – Department of Mathematical Sciences

2024 Community Partner Gold Medal – Volunteer Action Center

Faculty, staff, and departments can only receive the gold medal once. A full list of past Gold Medal Award recipients is available on the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards web page.

Special recognition also goes to the faculty and staff mentors recognized by students as key support, to the department and colleges, and to the additional members of the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards staff including Hannah Carothers, graduate assistant; Matt Halbert, assistant director; Drew Schultz, graduate assistant; and Emily Wright, senior associate director, as well as generous support from other offices, programs and academic colleges including the Office of the Provost, the Office of Study Abroad and International Exchange, the Graduate School and International Education, the Office of Undergraduate Research, and the Honors College.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.