Up Close

A look at faculty, staff, students, and alumni.

Up Close with Drew A. Gainor

As a UCA student, standing out is exactly what he did. Gainor was involved in a variety of campus groups including Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity, the Student Orientation Staff, Association of Future Alumni and the Student Government Association. He also took part in many of the activities the university afforded.

Up Close with Mike Bunting

On any given day, a television, bookcase, couch, washing machine and several racks of clothes could be found in the space—and it’s all because Bunting runs a ministry of sorts right out of his home. Bunting, a Conway native who retired as a skilled trades helper at the University of Central Arkansas Physical Plant in 2014, has collected and distributed donated items of all kinds for well over a decade for the elderly, low-income and others in need.

Up Close with Jennifer Moore

After graduating in 1986, Jennifer Moore came back to UCA in 1994 to teach in the Department of Occupational Therapy and became chair of the department in 2015. Within a few years of her employment at UCA, she identified a way to bridge her professional knowledge with her work with students and give back to the community.

Up Close with Malcolm Pennington

Pennington has reached members of the University of Central Arkansas campus community through performing pieces on bullying, gang violence and self-esteem. His skills have even caught the attention of UCA’s College of Education, which invited him to recite his poem “School Politics” that explores how teachers must inspire students in order to bring out the best in them.