Kayla Twyford, a graduate of U of A's Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, has been named coordinator of undergraduate student recruiting of the college.

Twyford, who began her new role April 7, earned her bachelor's degree in human development and family sciences in Bumpers College's School of Human Environmental Sciences.

In her position, Twyford is the initial contact for prospective students interested in a Bumpers College undergraduate major. She develops and manages a pool of prospective students, and plans and implements recruitment strategies utilizing market research and ongoing trend analysis to set goals and monitor progress. She also creates initiatives to promote and encourage interest from prospective students throughout the state, plans and represents the university and college at recruitment events on and off campus, designs and coordinates events on behalf of the college and serves as a liaison to the Office of Admissions.

"I am very excited that Kayla is rejoining the Bumpers Family," Associate Dean Lona Robertson says. "Her background as a Bumpers alumna and her work experiences are a perfect fit for this position."  

Twyford also manages the college's ambassadors, a group of students who work on-campus and off-campus events; represent the college to prospective students, parents and alumni; and serve as examples of what it means to be a Bumpers College student.

"I am super excited to be back working in the Bumpers Family," Twyford says. "One thing that drew me to Bumpers College as a student was the family feel because I was worried about getting lost in the crowd coming from a small town in Arkansas. I am excited to help other students find their home within the Bumpers Family."

Since 2022, she has been working as a senior admissions counselor in U of A's Office of Admissions. In that role, she recruited students by developing alumni networks. She also visited high schools, colleges and networking events; arranged and led campus tours; and initiated campaigns to introduce new students to the university. She reviewed prospective student applications, woked with other admissions counselors and colleges across campus, planned recruiting events (including Razorback Connections, Headed to the Hill and Conseulor Connections), supervised interns and assisted in planning and implementing New Student Orientation.

"I want potential students to know that there is always a place for them in Bumpers College, and the amount of support they will receive is unmatched, as our professors and staff truly do care about each student who walks in the doors," Twyford says. "Everyone wants to make sure that they are successful in achieving their goals."

Before returning to campus, she was a senior registered behavioral technician at Sageway Behavioral Health for a year. She implemented client programming in one-on-one settings, provided service across settings, and collected and monitored data and analysis.

From 2017-21, Twyford worked as a lead teacher at U of A's Jean Tyson Child Development Student Center, which is housed in Bumpers College. She helped develop predictable routines to support children and families, collaboratively designed and implemented developmentally appropriate emergent and play-based curriculum, modeled for and mentored new teachers and U of A students and aides, and followed Arkansas Early Learning and National Accreditation for the Education of Young Children standards and licensing requirements.

The JTCDSC cares for children in the Fayetteville area from eight weeks to 5 years, serves as the lab school for students at the U of A in a variety of education programs and serves as a place of research for university faculty, graduate students, undergraduates and educators. The center cares for 150 children and their families and hosts up to 150 students annually.

Twyford, who is from Flippin, is currently pursuing a master's degree in higher education.

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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: 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 $3 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 and Economic Development News.