Bumpers College Names Senior Scholars, Outstanding Departmental Students

Thirty students were named Senior Scholars for 2025-26, and each department in U of A's Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences has named its outstanding students for the year.

Seventeen students are First-Ranked Senior Scholars, signifying a 4.0 grade point average with all coursework completed at the U of A, and 13 are Senior Scholars, signifying students with the highest GPA (also all 4.0s) with at least half of their coursework completed at the U of A.

First-Ranked Senior Scholars

• Henry Mikel Acuff, agricultural business
• Abigail Rains Barker, animal science
• Kenna Baysinger, food science
• Charlotte Ruth Cleckler, human nutrition and dietetics
• Sofia Crosier, human nutrition and dietetics
• Audrey Felton Dykes, animal science
• Samantha Edwards, food, nutrition and health
• Andie Katelyn Forbes, environmental, soil and water science
• Cason Frisby, food science
• Adison Declerk Halbert, human development and family sciences
• Dason Lemuel Hensley, agricultural education, communications and technology
• Gweneth Keith-Powell, environmental, soil and water science
• Lauren Pruitt, environmental, soil and water science
• Sophia Grace Roussel, apparel merchandising and product development
• Wyatt Edward Scherer, animal science
• Kaeleigh Grace Stroud, apparel merchandising and product development
• Jorie Mae Wright, agricultural business

Senior Scholars

• Dallis Noel Beverlin, agricultural education, communications and technology
• Grace Carroum, human nutrition and dietetics
• Caroline Madisyn Cash, agricultural business
• Acey Fahr, animal science
• David Christopher Frawley, agricultural education, communications and technology
• Rachel Griffith, human nutrition and dietetics
• Katie Kasserman, animal science
• Harlynn Reese Lester, apparel merchandising and product development
• Samuel Roark Lowry, human development and family sciences
• Susan Richey, human development and family sciences
• Sydney Talley, environmental, soil and water science
• Sydney Ann Terry, human nutrition and dietetics
• Elizabeth Tynes, apparel merchandising and product development

Departmental Outstanding Students

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness

Chet Hudgens, senior
Tyler Blazzard, M.S.

Agricultural Education, Communications and Technology

Joshua Uptigrove, senior
Molly McKettrick, M.S.
Marcus Martin, Ph.D.

Animal Science

Kate Henderson, senior
Jacy Riddle, M.S.
Robin Cheek, Ph.D.

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences

Andie Forbes, senior
Jonathan Brye, M.S.

Entomology and Plant Pathology

Soumya Unnikrishnan, M.S.
Devi Balakrishnan, Ph.D.

Food Science

Cason Frisby, senior
Saydul Safwa, M.S.
Sumanjot Kaur, Ph.D.

Horticulture

Rylee Brown, senior
Claire Plassmeyer, M.S.
Alexander Silva, Ph.D.

Poultry Science

Allie Bowerman, senior
Emily Green, M.S.
Blake Nelson, Ph.D.

School of Human Environmental Sciences

Rachel Griffith (human nutrition & dietetics), senior
Elizabeth Amoako (human development & family sciences), M.S.

They were recognized at a reception on April 23 at the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences.

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 Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and X 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 $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 and Economic Development News.