1980
Slaton Fry
After graduating from UCA in 1980, Slaton spent a short time with Phillips Petroleum and then returned to graduate school at the University of Arkansas and completed a Ph.D. in Physical Organic Chemistry under Dr. Norbert Pienta in 1985. He then worked for Halliburton Services and finally Eastman Chemical in Batesville, AR for 16 years before leaving to work for UAMS Arkansas BioVentures biotechnology incubator and to return to school for an MBA at UALR. He also worked for Safe Foods Corporation as the Director of Operations. Slaton returned to Batesville and currently works for FutureFuels (formerly Eastman).
He married Diann Curiel in 1984 and they have two children, Evan and Elise
David Purkiss
David went to graduate school at Texas Tech University and is currently the instrumentation specialist in the Chemistry Department there. His primary responsibility is the operation and upkeep on NMR spectrometers used in the department.
Randy Solomon
Randy received his masters degree from UALR. He currently works in environmental chemistry in the Dallas, TX area where he lives with his wife and three sons.
Randy Tucker
Randal (Randy) Tucker, graduated in 1980 and then worked for Phillips Petroleum in Bartlesville, OK for a short while before returning to the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in 1982 in order to pursue a PhD in Chemistry. He did his research on snake venom components and the venom of the Brown Recluse spider. He received his PhD in Chemistry with specialization in Biochemistry and then went to the LSU Eye Center in New Orleans for postdoctoral training. He returned to Arkansas where he worked for the Arkansas Department of Health and the Arkansas State Crime Lab as a mass spectroscopists in the areas of environmental chemistry and toxicology. He helped to establish the first forensic DNA laboratory while at the Arkansas State Crime Lab after receiving training at Life Codes in Stamford, Connecticut, Applied Biosystems in San Franscisco, and Promega, in Madison, Wisconsin. He now works for the US Food and Drug Administration in Jefferson Arkansas where he uses both high and low resolution mass spectroscopic techniques for the analysis of ultra trace levels of chlorinated organic toxins in foods. You can contact Randy at randaltucker@gmail.com and viceroy@arkansas.net .
1981
Craig Cummins
Craig received an MD from UAMS and is currently a family practice physician in the
Bannister-Lieblong Clinic in Conway.
Teresa Madley
I am the Chemistry Superintendent over the Chemistry department at Arkansas Nuclear ONe. There are 31 in the department including Supervisors, Specialists and Chemists. I have been at ANO for 24 years. I began work at ANO in 1981 as a Chemist two weeks after graduating from UCA with a B.S. in Chemistry. I have also held the positions of Chemistry Specialist and Site Human Performance Lead at ANO. I have two children, Lauren (age 21) and Justin (age 18). Lauren is a senior at Arkansas Tech University and Justin will be a freshman at ATU in the fall 2005. My daughter is majoring in pre-med and music and my son plans to major in biology.
Dan Meatheny
Dan is employed at Entergy, Arkansas Nuclear One. He originally chose the job because it was close to his girl friend and has been there ever since. He and his girl friend, Kim, are now married and and have one son, Kyle. They recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary with a trip to Egypt and Kenya. At Nuclear One Dan is in charge of the steam generators. Specifically he tests for possible breakdown in the Inconel tubing with which they are plumbed and which are under 2250 psi of pressure.
Ray Schichtl
After graduate school at GIT (UALR) Ray got a job with an electronics manufacturing firm in Maumelle. Ray currently lives in Conway.
Jim Whitaker
Jim attended graduated school in chemistry at the University of Oregon.
Mark Woods
Mark started his career as a research chemist with Phillps Petroleum Company in 1980. He worked in Phillips’ Research and Development Division until 1989 on a variety of technologies from solar cells to chemicals to plastics. In 1990 Mark moved to management and became Global Quality Assurance Manager for Phillip’s Ryton® plastic resin and Operation Director of Plastics Technical Center. In 1995, Mark became the commercial manager for Phillips’ Ethylene Business and participated in the merger of the Chevron and Phillips chemical businesses in 2000. Mark was responsible for $2 billion in annual sales as the Ethylene Director which was about 30% of Chevron Phillips Chemical Companies annual revenue.
Mark left Chevron Phillips Chemical Company in January of 2003 to become Director of Business Development for Old World Industries. Old World is best known for its consumer products such as PEAK® antifreeze, Mr. Clean® Windshield wash & wiper blades, and Splitfire® sparkplugs. He is currently Executive Vice President of a subsidiary, Ventum Energy, which was formed in late 2004 to reduce the exposure of Old World to the volatility of energy costs.
Mark and his wife, Denise, have been married for almost 20 years and have three sons, Stephen (17), Daniel (15), and Philip (13). They live just north of Houston in Spring, TX. The boys keep Denise on the run making sure they get to all their activities and stay up on their school work. The boys enjoy sports and music. Stephen is #1 and Daniel is #8 on the high school golf team and Philip is 1st chair violin in the junior high orchestra. Mark enjoys golfing, hunting and fishing with the family.
1982
Ray Black
Ray went to law school and currently practices in Little Rock.
Gary Gibson
Gary worked at the crime lab for a time, then went to pharmacy school.
John Gilliom
After receiving an M.S. in mathematics from Ohio State University John attended seminary and is currently involved in work with his church.
Bob Lashlee
Bob has received a degree in engineering and is currently retired from the air force. He currently resides in Colorado and works as a private consultant for the aerospace industry.
Brad Lemay
Brad went to medical school at UAMS
Danny Reese
Danny completed medical school at UAMS on a Navy scholarship. After several years as a navy physician during which he completed a residency in anesthesiology Danny joined the faculty at the University of Kentucky medical school where he served as Chief of Staff. He is currently employed full-time at the VA Hospital in Lexington.
1983
Cathy Bates
Cathy completed a degree program in Physical Therapy and she currently resides in Conway.
Gary Skiles
Gary did graduated work in chemistry at the University of Dallas and currently works in industry in the Dallas area.
Lessie Spurrier
Lessie is an owner of a private testing laboratory in Little Rock.
Tim Tipton
Michael Woods
Michael practices obstetrics in Conway.
1984
Randall Black
Randall graduated first in his medical school class and currently practices medicine in northwest Arkansas.
Clark Davis
I graduated with a PhD in synthetic organic chemistry from Texas A&M in 1989 working under Kenn Harding. My employment history has included stints with Ciba Specialty Chemicals, Union Carbide and I am now working for Dow Chemical following the Union Carbide-Dow merger. My wife Karen and I recently relocated to the San Francisco area when I took a position with Dow Agrosciences in their Pittsburg California facility.
Larry Eoff
Larry completed his Ph.D. in physical organic chemistry at the University of Arkansas under Dr. Norbert Pienta in 1989. He has been employed by Halliburton Energy Services in Duncan, OK for 15 years (with two years in Houston with a chemical company from 1994-96). “Work at Halliburton has been very good and has allowed me travel all over the world, which I have really enjoyed.” Larry and his wife, Jessica, two sons, Jeremy (15) and Jared (12). He stays active, playing softball in the summers and more recently playing golf, which Jessica has taken up also. . You can contact Larry at Larry’s e-mail
Michael Joaquin Jessup
Joaquin went to med school at UAMS and then did a residency in Wichita, Kansas. He is currently practicing ob-gyn in Cape Girardeau, MO
Deanna King Hopson
Deanna received her M.D. degree from UAMS in 1988 and completed residency in Family Medicine at the AHEC Fort Smith Residency Program. She worked in the ER of Howard Memorial Hospital at Nashville, AR and later at a rural clinic in Stephens, AR . She was a Faculty Physician at the AHEC South Arkansas Family Medicine Residency Program for 7 years in El Dorado, AR. Since December 2004, she has been serving uninsured patients at the Interfaith Clinic in El Dorado. Deanna and her husband, Rodney, have four children, Audra Claire, Benjamin, Nicole, and Hannah.
Luke Setzler
Luke lives in Conway and is an air traffic controller at the Little Rock Airport.
Bill Williams
Bill attended medical school at the University of Mississippi from 1985-'89. Following graduation, He did an Ob-Gyn residency at the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa from 1989-'93. He moved to Searcy in July 1993 and continues his practice there.
Bill married Ruth Taylor, a 1985 graduate from the UCA Dept. of Physicial Therapy. Bill and Ruth have five children: Benjamin, Meredith, Stephanie, Emma, and Daniel.
1985
Tom Anderson
Tom completed a Juris Doctorate with honors at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock's William H. Bowen School of Law in 1995. He entered the Arkansas Air National Guard shortly after graduation from UCA and in October, 2008 was appointed as commander of the 188th Fighter Wing stationed in Fort Smith. The 188th recently changed from Lockeed Martin F-16 fighters to Fairchild-Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II ground attack and close air support aircraft. The 188th is scheduled to be deployed to Afgahanistan in 2010.
Hoang Bui
Hoang attended medical school at UAMS.
Laura Donaldson
Laura taught in the Mayflower and Conway public schools. She and her family currently live in Alaska.
Kelli Rutledge
Kelli accepted a position in sales with Waters Associates.
Gary Sherwood
Gary and his brother, Edwin currently operate the emergency medicine for White County Hospital in Searcy.
Steve Wampler
Steve attended medical school at UAMS.
1986
Troy Harpole
Brooks Lawrence
Brooks received his M.D. degree from UAMS in 1990 and did a residency in family practice at the US Air Force Regional Hospital at Eglin AFB in Florida. After serving in the US Air Force from 1990 to 96 he returned to Conway where he currently has a private practice as a family physician.
He is married to his high school sweetheart, Pam Berry, and they have four children: Benjamin, Caleb, Anna, and Elizabeth.
Joe Massey
Joe is married to Karen Buddenberg (B.S. ’86). He received M.S.and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Arkansas in agronomy, specializing in the environmental chemistry of pesticides. From 1995 to 2000, He worked as a research chemist at DuPont Crop Protection in Wilmington, DE. and is currently an associate professor at Mississippi State University (20% teaching, 80% research). He teaches graduate-level courses in Herbicide Physiology & Biochemistry and the Environmental Fate of Herbicides and serve as the program coordinator for MSU’s Environmental Science program which involves teaching Introduction to Environmental Science to undergraduates. His research investigates the environmental fates of pesticides, emphasizing water-quality issues. Karen works as a CPA at a local hospital.
Mike Miller
Jerry Palmer
Jerry received an M.S. in analytical chemistry from the University of Alabama and is currently employed at Arkansas Eastman in Batesville.
Maria Skinner
Lisa Sparkman
Lisa worked at the Arkansas State Crime Lab in a variety of capacities including trace analysis.
1987
Marc Anderson
Marc graduated from pharmacy school in 1990. He served in the Arkansas Air National Guard from 1990-98 where he was an F-16 fighter pilor from 1993-98. Marc currently lives in Conway where he is a pharmacist for Kroger.
Marc and his wife, Jill, have two children, Mallory and Madeline.
Gary Fuller
Steve McKim
Steve completed his Ph.D. degree in chemistry at the University of Kansas and currently is on the faculty at Central State University in Oklahoma.
Alao Serifat
1988
Mona Churchwell
Mona went to work for NCTR in Pine Bluff.
Terri Claiborne
Cindy Gierach
Cindy attended medical school at UAMS.
Donna Short
Donna has a position in pharmaceutical sales in Memphis.
Mike Stage
Mike worked for the Arkansas State Plant Board for 3 years after graduating from UCA. He went to the State Crime lab for 5 years, then came back to the plant board where he is currently employed.
1989
Anders Amelin
Anders returned to Sweden.
Shelly Catlett Bradley
Shelly worked at UCA as manager of the chemistry storeroom for several years. She is currently director of laboratories at Hendrix. Shelly was featured in Chemical and Engineering News (June 28, 2010, pp. 14-20) in an article that highlights CPT's emphasis on safety in its new (2008) guidelines. The article includes a picture and interview of Shelly as well as a summary of how Hendrix College has incorporated safety into their chemistry curriculum. The article can be found at http://pubs.acs.org/cen/coverstory/88/8826cover.html.
Shelly gave a talk at the spring, 2010 ACS meeting in a division of Chemical Health and Safety (CHAS) symposium about what she is doing at Hendrix to comply with the new safety guidelines. As a result she was invited to submit a paper for a special issue of the CHAS journal highlighting undergraduate safety sometime in the winter of 2010.
Brian Clark
Brian completed a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry at the University of Tennessee in 1995. He was chosen the top graduating analytical student. He went to work at Alcon Laboratories (world's largest ophthalmic pharmaceutical company). Where he was promoted to the level of Assistant Director of Analytical Development. In 2006 became the Director of Analytical Sciences with United Therapeutics (Biopharmaceutical company), located in Research Triangle Park, NC.
Brian is married (wife's name is Summer) and they have a son, Matthew. His wife is attending Duke University in their Masters program in Nursing. Eventually she will be a pediatric nurse.
Sandra Coles
Sandra began her career in the QA lab of ConAgra Frozen Foods in Batesville. She was responsible for nutritional testing of finished food products and ingredients as well as quality control testing for the on-site chicken feed mill. She was promoted to Senior Chemist and made was responsible for coordinating the pesticide testing and wastewater analysis programs in the lab. In 2001, Sandra left ConAgra and went to work for Entergy, Incorporated as the Chemistry Supervisor at the Independence Plant in Newark, Arkansas. In May of 2005, Sandra moved to The Woodlands, Texas to work in the Environmental Services group for Entergy Fossil. In her role there, she serves as the Federal Issues Lead for Water Media and is the Water Lead for Texas Environmental Support. Her job includes working with the Water Leads from Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana Environmental Support offices to coordinate NPDES permitting and compliance and Toxic Release Inventory reporting for 29 fossil fueled power plants and 2 hydroelectric dams.
Brad Griffin
Tony Jones
Louis Poposki
Louis is employed by the Arkansas State Department of Health.