UCA Accounting held the 11th annual Fear the Strike on Monday, November 10, 2025. Eight firms bowled with UCA accounting students: Frost, Fair, Hudson Cisne, Hogan Taylor, Forvis Mazars, Landmark, Bell, and Rasco Winter Thomas. Team Frost had the highest team score and won the bowling pin trophy. On top of the fun and networking, $1000 will also be donated to Haven Conway.
On June 2, 2025, at the FBLA Collegiate National Leadership Conference held in Dallas, Texas, senior accounting major Kaddie Bailey was elected to serve as the 2025-2026 Vice President of Development on the FBLA Collegiate National Officer Team.
Currently, Kaddie serves as the FBLA Collegiate President at the University of Central Arkansas, where Kaddie leads with a passion for service, education, and empowering others. In this new role, Kaddie is responsible for advancing FBLA’s mission via their platforms by expanding financial literacy initiatives, strengthening national partnerships, and creating innovative opportunities for fundraising and growth.
Colin Williams, VP of Operations; Kaia Dolor, VP of Communications; Jonathan Nevenhoven, President; Meri Mikoyan, Executive VP; Kaddie Bailey, VP of Financial Development; (not pictured – Brianna Le, VP of Membership).
Kaddie says, “As Vice President of Development, I am excited to collaborate with my fellow national officers to create resources, build opportunities, and ensure that FBLA Collegiate continues to equip students nationwide for leadership, professional success, and lifelong impact.”
As a National officer, Kaddie will be involved in the planning and production of two conferences: the Career Connections Conference in November in Des Moines, Iowa, and the FBLA Collegiate National Leadership Conference, which will be held in Las Vegas next year.
Kaddie will lead professional development workshops with current members at these events, as well as travel to different chapters and states. Kaddie will also be working to promote financial literacy awareness and accessibility at the national level via their platform and the officers’ joint Program of Work.
Members of Girls Who Code at UCA brought their tech skills to the big stage on September 13 at Tinkerfest 2025, hosted by the Museum of Discovery in Little Rock. The event drew hundreds of curious minds from across the state for a full day of hands-on STEM fun – think robots, rockets, coding games, and more!
Our UCA students ran interactive coding stations designed especially for K-6 participants, helping young kids (and their parents!) explore the basics of programming in a fun, friendly setting. It was a great opportunity to inspire future tech leaders and show that coding isn’t just for computer science majors – it’s for everyone.
Girls Who Code at UCA is open to all students and all majors. Big shoutout to our COB students who helped out! Bridging business and tech has never looked better!
Please help us celebrate and congratulate UCA’s Theta Lambda Chapter of Beta Alpha Psi for their first-place win at the Annual (international) Conference in San Antonio this weekend.
They competed in the Best Practices category “Impacting Your Profession,” presenting the game show “The Major is Right,” developed by the faculty advisors and many members of the chapter.
With 10 regional winners competing in this category, UCA came out on top! Several schools and the American Institute of Public Accounting have requested the game to be used to promote accounting as a great major and a great career. Lucas Hayes, Rebecca Gaither, and Izzy Saettele were the presenters of the project that brought home the win!
Also, while in San Antonio,
Pat Moon, Marshall Moon, and SMIF Students
To add to the success of its students, the inaugural investment of the Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF) was started in a course taught by Dr. Mike Casey. The students in the spring 2025 class selected and invested in the fund’s first portfolio, which is currently up more than 17% as of early fall 2025.
In the Student Managed Investment Fund Class, students manage a portfolio of stocks drawn from each major industry sector. Students decide which stocks to keep, which to sell, and which to add to the portfolio. Students research the financial prospects of companies by examining their financial data and by evaluating how companies will be affected by current events. This class provides excellent training for students who plan to seek jobs as wealth managers.
Experts were regularly invited to share successful advice with the spring students:
UPDATE: As of November 2025, the portfolio shows a total gain of 25%. Stay updated on the fund’s performance here.
Drew Gainor and SMIF Students
As a non-traditional student, wife, and work-from-home mom of six, I bring over 20 years of experience working as an accountant for small businesses. I’ve always had a passion for numbers and math, but over time, I’ve become increasingly fascinated by business strategies and what drives success. Through my experience working in the back office of various companies, I’ve come to realize just how crucial business planning and strategy are for any organization.
Now that I have graduated, I hope to secure a remote job where I can grow with a company and contribute to its success. I plan to apply the knowledge and experience I’ve gained to make a meaningful impact. Additionally, I am excited to continue brainstorming business ideas and hope to start my own business in the future.
The UCA COB program is an excellent opportunity! My advice to fellow students is to put in 150%, work hard, and take advantage of networking opportunities while in the program. These are lessons I learned in the workforce before returning to school. A strong work ethic and the right connections can make all the difference in your career. The impressions you make and the relationships you build in the COB program could prove invaluable down the road.
Crystal with COB Associate Dean, Dr. Laci Lyons
Jane pictured with Dean Mike Casey receiving her award for College of Business Outstanding Student of the Year
I chose my major because I was inspired by my dad and my oldest sister, Denise. Growing up, I saw how passionate they were about their work in this field, and they became my role models. Their influence, combined with my own love for working with data and statistics, made this the perfect path for me.
After graduation, I hope to build a career in my field where I can apply my academic knowledge in a professional setting and contribute to meaningful work. I want to work in a company that not only cares about earning profits, but also cares about its shareholders and other ethical concerns within the community.
I’m deeply grateful to those who supported me throughout this experience. College isn’t easy, especially when we’re juggling full-time studies, part-time jobs, and the challenges of adulting. It’s important to work hard for what you want, but don’t forget to prioritize your emotional well-being. Remember, you’re not alone—reach out for support because we’re all on this journey together.
Jane received the President’s Medallion from President Houston Davis upon graduation
The COB Bulletin shares news and highlights from the recent success of our students, alumni, faculty, and staff.
Our new Dean, Dr. Tim Bisping (pictured at right), was selected. He will begin on July 1, 2025, and has more than 30 years of experience in higher education, including as a professor and department Chair at our College of Business years ago; Dr. Bisping comes to us from the Nelson Rusche College of Business at Stephen F. Austin State University, where he has led initiatives to enhance academic excellence, foster faculty and staff development, and support student achievement. We are thrilled to welcome him as our Dean.
UCA’s Beta Alpha Psi competition team (Rebecca Gaither, Carson Griffin, Jane Nim, Helen Sokha) presented at the Beta Alpha Psi Dallas Mid-Year Conference. Their project won the Deloitte Best Practices competition in the Impacting Your Profession category, and they will compete again at the annual meeting in August in San Antonio. The group is supported by faculty sponsors Dr. Connie McKnight and Dr. Ashley Phillips.
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield experts “took over” our College of Business to share their experience with students. They spoke about the jobs they do, the many opportunities available to students, and the skills those opportunities require. The BCBS representatives also spent their lunch networking with COB faculty and students. (Pictured from BCBS – from L to R: Ben McVay, Emily Shadell, David Martin, Trey Hankins, and Logynn Gambles; not pictured: Jason Carter)
Accounting majors participated in the Volunteer Income Tax (VITA) program at United Way of Central Arkansas under the leadership of Dr. Ashley Phillips. They prepared 414 returns, saving the community over $75,000 in tax preparation fees and returning over $440,000 to community members through federal and state tax refunds.
Jason Brown (student), Dr. K. Michael Casey, and Dr. Mark McMurtrey worked together on “Fintechs and Banking: A Note on Neobank Risks” for publication in the Journal of Accounting and Finance.
UCA’s Center for Insurance Director, Ivan Hudson, accompanied three UCA insurance majors to the Gamma Iota Sigma 2025 Regional Conference Series in Ft. Worth, Texas.
Arkansas Center for Research in Economics Undergraduate Research Fellows–Veronica Bertolusso, David Tooley, and Perla Zapata–presented their faculty-mentored papers at the 2025 Society of Business, Industry and Economics (SOBIE) Conference in San Destin, Florida. Perla Zapata earned a student research award (for the second year in a row) and also won the Wesco Student Research award at the conference.
Arkansas PBS partnered with Dr. Benjamin Garner‘s Content Marketing students to create 13 published blogs. Dr. Garner’s students also produced marketing videos for 9 community clients.The Arkansas Insurance Hall of Fame has announced its 2025 class of distinguished inductees. Six new Arkansans will be honored at the 2025 Induction Banquet on Thursday, October 16, 2025, at the Thomas C. Courtway Student Recreation Center on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas.
The six 2025 Arkansas Insurance Hall of Fame inductees are:
– Sharon Allen (1944 – 2021) of Little Rock
– Kelley Erstine of Conway
– James D. Lewis of Little Rock
– Robert (Bob) L. Shoptaw of Little Rock
– Tim White of Little Rock
– William (Bill) H. L. Woodyard, III (1945 – 2014) of Little Rock
* Sharon Allen (1944 – 2021)
from Little Rock, AR
former President and Chief Operating Officer, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Kelley Erstine from Conway, AR
CEO, Independent Insurance Agents of Arkansas
James D. Lewis, RHU, REBC from Little Rock, AR
(retired) President, Lewis Marketing Group, Inc.
Independent Consultant for Mountaire Corporation
Robert (Bob) L. Shoptaw, BA, MBA
from Little Rock, AR
(retired) President and CEO, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Tim White, CIC from Little Rock, AR
Executive Vice President, Brown & Brown of Arkansas
* William (Bill) H. L. Woodyard, III (1945 – 2014)
from Little Rock, AR
former Partner – Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard, P.L.L.C.
*posthumous
The Arkansas Insurance Hall of Fame was created in 2015 to identify and honor distinguished insurance industry professionals with strong ties to Arkansas who exemplify innovation, social responsibility, leadership and professional excellence; have made broad encompassing and lasting contributions to advance the role of insurance in society; and have significantly impacted the lives of many Arkansans.
Table sponsorships and various levels of recognition in support of the 2025 inductees are available through September 26, 2025, and can be found on the Hall of Fame website at: www.arinsurancehof.org.
The University of Central Arkansas (UCA) College of Business partners with the Arkansas Insurance Hall of Fame to create and nurture a nationally recognized undergraduate degree program in insurance and risk management. Scholarships are awarded to students annually through the Arkansas Insurance Hall of Fame Scholarship.
The Arkansas Insurance Hall of Fame seeks to remind the public of the important role the insurance industry plays in securing the well-being of both individuals and businesses, to inspire the next generation of leadership to reach these high levels of accomplishment, and to encourage young Arkansans to consider careers in the insurance industry.
Learn more about the Arkansas Insurance Hall of Fame on its website www.arinsurancehof.org.
1. Look at the courses offered this summer (Summer I starts June 2, and Summer 2 starts July 7).
2. Talk to your advisor about what classes you should take this summer.
3. Learn more: uca.edu/summer
