University of Central Arkansas College of Business alumni Robert and Lauren Redfern have created an endowment to provide continuing education, training and professional development for faculty members in the college’s Department of Accounting.
The Robert and Lauren Redfern Family Faculty Enhancement Endowment will be distributed annually and be used for faculty expenses including continuing education, travel, research, and professional conferences.
“It is not uncommon for our faculty members to pay out of their own pocket for research expenditures to attend conferences and other expenses related to their professional development,” said Michael B. Hargis, Ph.D., dean of the UCA College of Business. “This generous gift from the Redfern family relieves some of that burden for faculty in our Department of Accounting and provides them with more opportunities to seek professional development.”
Robert and Lauren Redfern and their son, Spencer, have accounting degrees from the UCA College of Business. Because of their deep connection to the university and college, Robert Redfern said he and his family wanted to give back to a program that meant so much to them.
“Everything we’ve accomplished professionally goes back to the education we received there,” he said. “We love our school, we love the accounting department, and we wanted to do what we could to give back. We thought this would be a great way to promote the program and draw in more students.”
Robert and Lauren Redfern both work at the family-owned firm, Robert R. Redfern & Co., which has offices in Danville and Atkins.
“God has blessed our family immensely and we want to show our gratitude to Him by sharing with others,” said Lauren Redfern.
Robert Redfern is a certified public accountant and served a five-year term, which ended in August, on the Arkansas State Board of Public Accountancy. He is also an 11-year member of the Danville Public School District Board of Education. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Arkansas Society of Certified Public Accountants, Chambers Bank Board of Directors and Danville Lions Club.
Lauren Redfern is the firm’s office manager and accountant. She works with many of the Danville individual and small business clients regarding their bookkeeping and payroll, as well as managing the firm’s day-to-day operations. The Redferns have four children: Jenny, Clay, Spencer, and Nicholas.
The UCA College of Business is the fastest-growing college at the University of Central Arkansas with more than 1,650 undergraduate students and 150 graduate students. It offers 13 baccalaureate degrees, two master’s and one graduate certificate across four academic departments and houses the state’s only insurance and risk management program. The UCA College of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Visit uca.edu/business for more.