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Insurance Industry Leader Turned Faculty Member Brings Experience to Classroom, Leads UCA Center for Insurance & Risk Management

Ivan Hudson, Director of the UCA Center for Insurance & Risk Management and Lecturer, joined the College of Business faculty in fall 2023. In this interview, he shares his insights about his first semester, his advice for students, and his vision for what’s ahead in 2024.

Give us some highlights of your experience in the business environment from before you joined the UCA College of Business Faculty.

I got my career start with the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce. In November of 2008 I went to work for the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation as Program Associate. At this time in 2008, two-thirds of Arkansas voted to pass the Lottery legislation. Fast Forward to October of 2009 when I joined the start-up management team at the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery. Over the three and a half year period that I was there, I served in a number of capacities, including Procurement Director and Internal Operations Director. I’ll completed my MBA while there, and when I finished my MBA program at UALR December 2012, I launched the Ivan Hudson Agency as my entry into the insurance industry. In March 2014, I secured my Series 6 and Series 63 designations to help set me apart in the industry.

Networking has always been important to me. My personal and professional mantra is “You can network or not work, but you can’t do both.” That really speaks to my core value of building relationships. Solid meaningful relationships, will take you places that even education and other resources can’t.

Career Facts about Director Hudson:

  • December 2012- Received MBA from UALR
  • December 2012 – Launched the Ivan Hudson Agency
  • 2017-2018 – President of Rotary Club of West Little Rock
  • President, National African-American Insurance Association – Arkansas Chapter
  • Independent Insurance Agents of Arkansas, Education Foundation, Board of Directors
  • Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, National Diversity Council
  • NAREB National Insurance Committee (NNIC) Member

How did you hear about this position at UCA and what led you to focus your time in the classroom?
Although the insurance industry is robust and dynamic, it also is relatively small. When networking and getting involved in industry associations, I made meaningful connections that landed me at events on UCA’s campus. After learning more about the Insurance & Risk Management program, I connected with UCA’s EFIRM department and maintained ongoing communication. Once I learned that my predecessor had re-entered the industry and the Director role was vacant, I actually put on my thinking cap to see if I could help identify a strong candidate for the search committee to consider. The more I looked at the qualifications, I realized that I had the skillset and experiences that would provide unique perspective in the classroom. I was at a cross-section in my career where I decided the best use of my time was to leverage my experiences to invest in students.

Why did you choose the Insurance field as your subject of work?
The subject actually chose me. After working in economic development, private philanthropy government administration, I made a career transition December of 2012. I was fascinated by insurance and financial services after identifying there were huge gaps with consumer access and education around very basic principles. I launched an insurance agency and became an active professional in the industry by getting involved with various industry organizations. Insurance is a lot more technical than people realize, so I would spend a lot of time educating my clients. It’s the same energy and commitment to education that I bring when teaching in the classroom.

What about your job now teaching brings you the most joy?
I am thrilled about engaging with my fellow faculty members to bring real-time experiences to students that they would not get from lectures or just reading a text book. Part of my role requires me to serve as the Faculty Advisor for the the student organization dedicated to students pursing insurance and risk management, actuarial science and related degrees – Gamma Iota Sigma. Pouring into students and seeing their level of interest and understanding evolve is very rewarding.

Fall was your first semester here. What was your favorite part or memory from the semester?
My favorite part of the fall semester was hearing and seeing the students perspective evolve regarding various insurance topics and applications. Having a front row seat to students have “light bulb” moments and witnessing their level of understanding and interest grow was absolutely fascinating. There were even a few students that changed their major to Insurance & Risk Management.

What tips or advice would you give to new, current, or prospective business students?
I would encourage students to keep an open mind to the myriad of careers that await them by obtaining a degree from UCA COB. The business climate can be very fast-paced and dynamic and simultaneously, very rewarding!

I’m a huge advocate for our Insurance & Risk Management program, because it is the only one of its kind in the state of Arkansas. If a student decides not to pursue Insurance & Risk Management as a major, it is still available as a consideration for a minor. Our institution and the College of Business specifically, is a primary source for local, regional and even national employers looking for top talent, no matter the major/minor. Business students have access to internship and real-time experiences that could lead to fascinating job and career paths.

After moving to the classroom, how do you envision 2024 being different for you ? What new goals and perspectives do you have going into this new year?
For 2024 and beyond, I believe it is important to continue highlighting the value of UCA’s Insurance program as the only one of its kind in Arkansas. There are lots of real-time changes in the insurance and financial services marketplaces that dictate future job and career opportunities that await our students. To that end, I would like to facilitate additional opportunities for industry leaders and professionals to engage with and inspire students in our program, and especially students that actively participate in Gamma Iota Sigma. The Alpha Psi Chapter housed here at UCA is the campus RSO geared towards networking and leadership development opportunities for students in insurance and risk-related fields. Personally, I plan to learn more about the UCA campus community and the at-large Conway community.

Aside from his duties as the Director of Center for Insurance & Risk Management at UCA, Hudson can be found this semester teaching in the classroom: one “Introduction to Insurance” course, one “Risk and Insurance” course, and two Insurance Practicum courses as well as an online “Risk and Insurance” course. He also is the sponsor for the Gamma Iota Sigma registered student organization on campus.

Posted in: COB News, EFIRM, Featured News, Gamma Iota Sigma, Insurance and Risk Management program on February 5, 2024 Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

December ’23 Grad Claire Coon Reflects on Time at UCA, Looks Forward to Launching Full-Time Career in 2024

Claire Gunter Coon

Major: Logistics & Supply Chain Management, Minor: Economics
Graduated December 2023

Activities:
• COB Student Ambassador, 2 years
• President of BASCOM – Bears Advancing Supply Chain & Operations Management
• Peer Notetaker with the Disability Resource Center
• Rising Star Faculty-Student Mentor Program
• ACRE reading group for 2 semesters
• ACRE Undergraduate Research Fellow 2023
• 8 month operations internship

Why did you choose your major?
My initial attraction to the business world was and still is the direct, real world applications of the field. From my first two classes in business, microeconomics and the global environment of business, I was able to take things out of class and straight away use them to better understand everyday events in my life.

After doing some research, I decided that within business, logistics and supply chain management sounded like a good fit for me as I’ve always been a person concerned with the execution and rationale behind operations, large or small. After taking my two core economics classes, I decided economics was something I couldn’t leave behind, so I added it as a minor. I believe it is a great pairing for my major and regardless, it is a beneficial subject for any person to have a working knowledge of in order to be a better citizen.

What are you doing in 2024 after your graduation from UCA?
Starting in January I will be working full time as a real estate agent for Homeward Realty here in Conway. This new year I look forward to serving Conway and the greater Central Arkansas region as a real estate agent by applying skills and knowledge I’ve acquired during my time at the UCA College of Business (COB).

What are some things you will remember most about your time at UCA?
The UCA COB, its faculty, and supporters have done so much for me, and I know the impact they have had on me will not soon be forgotten after I graduate. They have supported me while I found a field that genuinely piqued my interest, helped me learn about and get started in that field, and I trust they will always be there for me even as I represent them as a UCA COB alumna. I strongly desire for other students, no matter their background, to receive the support I feel. This kind of support is empowering, and when someone is empowered by such a positive force, good is created not only in their life, but also in the communities around them.

It was exciting to walk across the stage at graduation & super sweet to reflect back on all the memories made over the last three and a half years. I’m thankful for the support of my family, friends, & professors who helped me reach this point.

See some of Claire’s last work published in the Log Cabin Democrat, written in Dr. McGarrity’s Modern Political Economy class.

Posted in: COB News, Featured News, Marketing & Management on January 3, 2024 Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Accounting Professor Dr. Ryan Cating Impacts Through Teaching and Research

In this interview, Dr. Ryan Cating, the UCA Assistant Professor of Accounting known for his love of bow ties, shares why he chose to teach accounting for his life’s work and his research on the effects of local newspapers on firms’ information environments.

Why did you choose the subject you teach?
I grew up in a family of CPAs as my father and two uncles all worked as accountants at one time or another. Being surrounded by conversation that centered on different types of businesses intrigued me and led me to the college of business. Initially not wanting to follow in my family’s footsteps, I began my academic career studying finance. However, I realized that I wanted a deeper understanding of the source material that I was employing to evaluate the performance and valuation of companies. I switched my major to accounting and have never looked back.

After earning his BS and MPAcc in Louisiana, Dr. Cating likes to celebrate LA traditions such as Mardi Gras with the UCA Accounting department.

What about your job brings you the most joy?
I get the most joy interacting with students in the classroom to get them excited about accounting and succeeding on the CPA exam as a direct result of my course as they begin their careers.

What tips or advice do you have for students?
Always seek to have an open dialogue with professors outside of class, regardless of your major (but especially in your major). The more interaction and knowledge that professors have with and about you, the more they can help you connect with potential employers both before and after graduation.

Share about your recent research and its importance.
I collaborated with Kristian D. Allee and Caleb Rawson, both from the University of Arkansas, on an article published in Review of Accounting Studies in October 2023. In our article, “No news is bad news: local news intensity and firms’ information environments,” we examine the effects of local newspapers on firms’ information environments. With newspaper employment dropping precipitously in the last few decades, we posit that these changes will harm local firms’ information environments. In this study, we ask whether the intensity of local newspapers relative to the local economy (i.e., local news intensity) influences the information available about local publicly traded firms in the capital markets.

[Added note for context: Public companies are required to disclose information to help potential investors and other outside entities analyze the health of the company and understand risks to the company’s financial performance or other issues, such as the impact of the company’s business on communities.]

Consistent with local news improving information environments, we find that volatility, spreads, and illiquidity increase as local newspaper intensity declines and that this is associated with firms’ importance in their local economy. We further find that for firms that are more important in their community, or have busy analysts, less local newspaper intensity is associated with significantly lower analyst accuracy and higher forecast dispersion. This is consistent with local newspapers improving information environments, even for sophisticated and likely remote information intermediaries. We also investigate how stakeholders respond to declines in local news and find that managers increase the amount of forward-looking disclosures while analysts increase coverage.

These results provide insights into the methods by which stakeholders attempt to improve firms’ information environments when local news coverage fades.

In Spring 2024, Dr. Cating can be found teaching undergraduate Auditing in person and online and the graduate Seminar in Case Studies in Accounting.

Dr. Cating welcomes guest speakers such as the Arkansas Legislative Audit (ALA), a group that works to prevent fraud and other crimes, to help students understand the many opportunities available and to help them network with potential employers.

Posted in: Accounting, COB News, Featured News, _Research on December 19, 2023 Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Student Spotlight: Matt Moix

Matt Moix, Junior
Major: Logistics & Supply Chain Management (LSCM)
Minor: Honors Interdisciplinary Studies

Involved on campus:
Student Orientation Staff (SOS)
Student Government Association – COB Rep.
COB Student Ambassador
UCA Relay for Life
Bears Advancing Supply Chain and Operations Management (BASCOM)

Why did you choose your major?
I chose LSCM because I love problem-solving and efficiency. These are both important in LSCM, and the supply chain as a whole is an exciting concept to me. I enjoy the process of moving goods in all phases, and I’d like to help manage a supply chain as a career.

What do you want to do after graduation?
I plan to use my degree to go on and become a supply chain manager, likely in the areas of demand planning or production planning. I am also interested in transportation logistics and transportation safety, so I could see myself fulfilling a role in one of those areas.

Have you done an internship?
Yes – I chose a supply chain internship at Tyson Foods because it aligned well with what I want to do in my career and it helped me learn which areas of supply chain I enjoy working in more than others. I learned about demand planning/forecasting, production planning, production scheduling, and product fulfillment for Tyson’s poultry business unit. I also learned many of the systems that they use, such as SAP, IBP, and Palantir.

How do you think it will be helpful to your career?
This internship taught me so much about the industry and real-world day-to-day supply chain operations. It also provided many new connections to professionals in the field and allowed me to grow in my own knowledge and add value in the work I was doing.

What would you say to other students considering an internship?
DO IT! Even if it results in a negative experience, you have learned what you don’t want to do in your career, which is still very valuable. There is a good chance that you could have the opportunity to use the connections you make to move to a different, more enjoyable role in the same company.

Has a volunteer position helped you to gain skills?
I’ve served in many volunteer positions on campus, and they have helped me build crucial skills that carry over into my coursework and professional life. I have become more confident in myself and while speaking in front of a group, I have improved my communication and teamwork skills, and I have developed better organization and time management skills, among many others.

What tips or advice would you give to new, current, or prospective business students?
The environment of the College of Business is unlike anything I have experienced. The professors see you are more than a name on a roster, and my relationships with my professors have opened opportunities for me going forward. Your experience in college is exactly what you make of it! Invest your time in your coursework as well as your relationships with friends, classmates, and professors. Branch out and join organizations that do great work on campus and meet new friends along the way. There is so much potential for personal growth that won’t be realized until you put yourself out there!

Posted in: COB News, Featured News, Marketing & Management, _Internships and Part-time, _RSOs, _Volunteer on December 12, 2023

UCA Insurance Program Awarded Grant from Spencer Educational Foundation

The University of Central Arkansas Insurance and Risk Management program has been awarded a grant from the Spencer Educational Foundation, supporting a key Experiential Learning opportunity for students.

The funds were given to support the 2024 Risk Manager on Campus. For this event, a Risk Management and Insurance Professional is brought to the UCA College of Business for class visits, campus-wide lectures, panel discussions, meetings with student organizations such as Gamma Iota Sigma, and meals with faculty and other IRM community professionals. This is a valuable opportunity to allow students to network and learn from the visiting Risk Manager.

For 24 years, Spencer’s Risk Manager on Campus (RMOC) Program has offered this rewarding educational experience for students and a chance to give back to the profession. Spencer’s Risk Manager on Campus program offers grants to universities and colleges in the United States and Canada to host a practicing Risk Manager on its campus for a 1–3-day residency.

The Spencer Foundation has supported the Risk Manager on Campus program for years, most recently bringing Bailey Pipkin in 2023 and Mr. Lance Ewing in 2022.

Posted in: COB News, EFIRM, Featured News, Gamma Iota Sigma, grant, Insurance and Risk Management program, Risk Manager on Campus, Spencer Educational Foundation, _Grants on November 28, 2023

Marketing Students Learn & Serve Community During Project for Arkansas PBS

Marketing Professor Dr. Benjamin Garner‘s Advanced Selling class recently participated in a service-learning project that required students to practice their cold-calling skills for Arkansas PBS.

Students called PBS donors and asked them to participate in a phone survey to help PBS improve their programming. Students input survey responses into an Excel file and worked through a list of names, similar to what one might do in a sales development role.

“Some students find it challenging at first, but with more practice they gain confidence and improve their skills,” said Dr. Garner.

Academic service-learning integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities. Students who take service-learning courses gain real world experience while also helping their community.

Service-learning gives UCA students an opportunity to jump start their path to life-long community engagement, while learning directly from experienced people. This opportunity would not exist without the help, support, and cooperation of our community partner, Arkansas PBS. Learn how to become a UCA Service-Learning Partner.

Posted in: COB News, Featured News, Marketing & Management, _Service Learning, _Volunteer on November 27, 2023 Tagged: , , ,

COB Students Earn Awards at Arkansas Student Congress

On November 12-14, three COB students participated at Arkansas Student Congress, sponsored by the Arkansas Communication and Theater Arts Association. Because this is an activity that involves policymaking, Dr. Anthony McMullen, Associate Professor of Business Law and sponsor of the debate team, encourages business students to participate.

Dr. Anthony McMullen in shown is the photo along with the participating students:

Karlie Holland (front left): Received an award for excellent in caucus and was recognized as the best delegate for UCA. In addition, her bill, short titled: “A bill recommending to the Arkansas General Assembly to require sex education be required in secondary education systems,” received an award for best bill in the Senate. It passed the Senate, but unfortunately did not pass in the House.

Michael Isaac (back center): Received an award for excellent in caucus and excellent in committee.

Rebecca Pool (front right): Her bill, short titled: “A bill recommending to the U.S. Congress that protects consumers in all states from purchasing previously totaled vehicles from flooding with washed titles,” received an award for third best bill in the Senate. In addition, it passed both houses, making it a Law of Congress. In addition, it has received attention from the Arkansas Times.

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Posted in: COB News, Featured News, _Awards, _Competition, _RSOs on November 17, 2023 Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

Economics Professor Kalulu Impacts Through Teaching & Research

Dr. Mavuto Kalulu, Assistant Professor of Economics in the UCA EFIRM Department, shares why he chose to study economics, why he chooses to teach, and details about his research in Sub-Saharan Africa, the poorest region in the world. Dr. Kalulu is also a Scholar affiliated with the Arkansas Center for Research in Economics (ACRE).

Why did you choose economics?
A teacher in high school explained to me that studying economics would equip me with skills to be able to understand the complex world. Life is full of choices because we have scarce resources. Economics provides the principles and tools to be able to understand why individuals, governments and businesses make the choices they make.

Teaching economics affords me the opportunity to contribute to other peoples lives by instilling in them some real-life skills that they need in their day-to-day lives.

What about your job brings you the most joy?
The joy comes from seeing my students perform to the best of their ability. It takes discipline to be successful in class. Discipline to show up in class and engage. Discipline to do all the homework on time and discipline to study for the exams. I am happy when my students realize that sooner than later.

With regards to research, I enjoy being able to work with other faculty from various disciplines. For the research I am presenting on the 27th, I am working in collaboration with Dr. Rania Al-Bawwab from the EFIRM Department and Dr. Yeil Know from the department of Mathematics.

What tips or advice would you give to new, current, or prospective business students?
My advice to all students includes:
1. Engage your professors more in class as well as during office hours. Ask questions when you don’t understand. It shouldn’t take extra points for you to schedule a meeting for office hours.
2. Engage your fellow students more. There are students from different backgrounds and cultures and engaging them will enrich your experience of different cultures. I deliberately assign group activities to facilitate peer to peer engagement. You can also form study groups to discuss the materials.
3. It is important not to procrastinate on your homework and assignments. I try to make the homework and assignments due the same day and time all throughout the semester to make it easier to remember the deadlines.

Your research: Describe what you studied or what problem you wanted to solve.
Sub-Saharan Africa remains the poorest region in the world. Despite being rich in natural resources including mineral reserves, the exploitation of the resources has not resulted in improved living standards in the region. Research shows that weak economic, political and legal institutions are a major contributor to why Sub Saharan Africa remains poor. Weak institutions encourage corruption and vice versa. When democracy swept through Africa in the early 1990s, people were hopeful that democracy would foster stronger institutions which would in turn encourage economic growth in the region. Three decades later, Sub Saharan Africa remains poor and is the most corrupt region in the word according to the 2022 Transparency International Report. Did democracy help or it did not?

Why did you choose this research topic?
In my conversations with some of my friends from other African countries, it is apparent that there is a perception that democracy has not yet yielded the economic benefits people were expecting. One of the possible reasons is that public corruption persists, in some cases worse than it was under autocratic rule. To my knowledge, no one has formally investigated whether the problem stems from the type of transition from autocratic regimes to democratic regimes can explain the difference in the corruption experiences in the different Sub-Saharan African countries after the switch to democratic regimes. Answering the question will help inform on how to improve governance in sub-Saharan Africa and hence improve the well-being of the people living in the area. In addition, some countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have experienced military coups. This research can also inform on the process of returning to democracy.

What have you learned from doing this research?
Our initial analysis revealed no significant pattern on the experience of Sub-Saharan African countries with regards to corruption before and after transitioning from autocracy to democracy. Further analysis that considers that there are many other factors that can influence the level of corruption reveals that democracy and institutions matter. Improving the institutions, especially the economic institutions can help Sub-Saharan African countries curb corruption and hence improve the livelihood of the residents in this region. Our next step in the process is to select some of the countries and investigate further to establish causation rather than just an association.

What do you hope others will learn or gain from your research?
The hope is that through this research others will gain a better understanding of the experience of Sub-Saharan African countries before and after transitioning from autocratic rule to democratic rule. We hope that others will get a deeper insight into the level of corruption in Sub-Saharan African countries and hopefully interest them into wanting to contribute to research on ways to reduce the level of corruption in the region to better the livelihood of the residents in the region.

Dr. Kalulu is presenting his research on October 27 at 12:30pm in COB Room 206 for any who want to see him speak about his research in person. He can also be found in the classroom this fall teaching Global Environment of Business and Intermediate Macroeconomics. Students can register for his as the professor teaching those same classes in spring 2024, and in summer 2024, he is set to teach Modern Political Economy and Global Environment of Business.

Dr. Kalulu has been researching this topic for years. See Dr. Kalulu speak about “Economic Freedom of the World” to a group of Arkansas educators at a Teaching Free Enterprise in Arkansas workshop in fall 2018.

Posted in: COB News, EFIRM, Featured News, _Research on October 23, 2023

CISA Lecturer Susan Shaw Offers Data Project Course in Spring 2024, Plans to Take Students to Competition Again

Award-winning CISA Lecturer Susan Shaw has led the annual IT Careers Camp for years, but last spring, she began a new course that brought students to the Business Analytics Competition at Manhattan College in New York City. Known for her excellence in teaching and service, Shaw shares here why she chose to teach and her tips for new, current, or prospective business students.

NOTE: If you’re interested in joining the project mentioned below in spring 2024, ask your advisor about the CISA 4V71 Project Course. You can also talk with Lecturer Shaw. Registration for spring 2024 begins at the end of October.

Why did you choose to teach Computer Information Systems & Analytics?
CISA was just the perfect fit for me! Looking back over my years of experience in the industry and academia, I realized that every aspect of my professional career had been centered around computers and data. When I began teaching in the CISA department, I felt like I was able to blend the two in order to give students first-hand experience that they can relate to in the classroom.

What about your job brings you the most joy?
I absolutely love working with students! I made the transition into teaching because I loved teaching others. My hope is that in some small way, I can motivate students and help them determine what career path they were meant to be on!

What tips or advice would you give to new, current, or prospective business students?
My advice to students is to choose a major and focus on the area best suited to their interests. By choosing a major, you increase your employer hireability and your income potential!

Tell us about the Business Analytics Competition at Manhattan College.
In the spring semester of 2023, seven students participated in a project course to prepare for the Business Analytics Competition at Manhattan College, May 22-24, 2023. This was the first year that UCA attended the competition. The students signed up for the project course and competition, not knowing exactly what would be involved. They were divided into two teams to complete the projects; within the teams, they selected their roles (Project Manager, Research Manager(s), and Data Visualization Manager). Students received the competition dataset on February 1.

For Phase I of the competition, students were asked to complete a series of tasks: they identified the problem, collected and prepped data, developed a model, and answered research questions related to their data and models. They then created a poster that presented their team’s ideas, methodology, and conclusions based on the data analysis. The poster was submitted on May 1.

The students traveled to Manhattan College, where they presented their posters to industry professionals and professors from 23 schools. During Phase II of the competition, the students were given a new dataset and asked to find a similarity to the first dataset and create a presentation within a matter of hours. While we did not receive any awards, the students did an outstanding job on their projects and represented UCA and the College of Business extremely well! This was a great experiential learning opportunity for the students!

CISA Lecturer I Susan Shaw has earned awards in excellence in service (2022) and excellence in teaching (2023). If you want to catch her in the classroom, plan to take one of her courses next spring: Business Computing, Advanced Spreadsheet Applications, or the CISA 4V71 Project Course that will take students to a case competition.

You may also catch her at the annual IT Careers Camp next summer held for high school students to get hands-on experience with life on campus, activities in the MakerSpace and with making robots, as well as mentorship from IT professors and professionals.

Posted in: CISA, COB News, Featured News, _Competition on October 6, 2023

Jane Grigsby Arthurs Accounting Lab Established in University of Central Arkansas College of Business

pictured above: UCA Accounting Department Chair, Dr. Stephanie Watson (left), UCA College of Business Dean, Dr. Michael Hargis, Jane’s husband Mr. Bill Athurs, and UCA President, Dr. Houston Davis, celebrate the newly dedicated Jane Grigsby Arthurs Accounting Lab

The University of Central Arkansas (UCA) College of Business has dedicated its Accounting Lab in memory of Jane Grigsby Arthurs, a devoted educator and alumni of UCA. Arthurs gave 35 years of her life to teaching Business Education.

The Accounting Lab helps engage and equip UCA students who are taking accounting classes with hands-on accounting activities and through tutoring both in-person and online. The lab is dedicated to the memory of Jane Grigsby Arthurs (Feb. 12, 1942 to June 25, 2023) who earned her BSE in Business Education at Arkansas State Teachers College, now known as UCA.

“Jane Arthurs was my high school accounting teacher, and she set me on the path to my career. I learned a lot from her, not just about the field I would eventually go into, but about what it meant to be a teacher,” said Dr. Stephanie Watson, UCA Accounting Department Chair and Professor of Accounting.

“I will never be able to thank Jane enough for what she did for me, and I am honored that Jane will continue to make a difference here in UCA Accounting in the years to come,” added Watson.

A “Dedicated Bear” at UCA, Jane became a lifetime member of the Alumni Association and both the Doyne and President’s Society. She and her husband Bill previously established the “William H. and Jane Grigsby Arthurs Scholarship” for a deserving business education student.

“As educators, we look for pathways to help our students identify their goals and pursue their dreams. It is clear that Jane was incredibly effective in doing that. We thank Jane Arthurs and her husband Bill for this wonderful gift and for investing in our students in a way that will affect every student in this College,” said Dr. Michael Hargis, Dean of the UCA College of Business and Professor of Management.

When he spoke at the dedication, her husband Bill said, “Jane was a special person. She was a great educator. She loved teaching, loved her students, and loved ASTC [now known as UCA].”

The plaque (pictured at right) with Arthurs’ photo is posted in the UCA Accounting lab and reads, “Arthurs’ legacy of teaching and service continues to impact business leaders near and far, but her support is especially known at her beloved Little Rock Hall High School and her alma mater, the Arkansas State Teachers College, now known as the University of Central Arkansas.”

Established in 1969, the UCA College of Business offers 21 undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificates to equip current and future business professionals to meet the changing business environment. The AACSB-accredited program offers a thorough business education as well as opportunities for hands-on experience and industry networking.

Jane’s husband Bill along with family friends

Posted in: Accounting, COB News, Featured News on September 28, 2023 Tagged: , , , ,