The UCA Magazine has been, and continues to be, a collection of amazing stories about the work and accomplishments of our students, faculty, alumni, and university friends. When we launched the public phase of our historic capital campaign, UCA Now, we thought it was fitting to focus storytelling through the lens of the campaign’s four pillars: Success, Culture, Wellness, and Excellence.
Now that we have successfully reached and exceeded our campaign goal and completed UCA Now ahead of schedule, we take time to further emphasize the campaign pillars with stories of individuals, families, alumni, and university friends who all embody the essence of each area of the campaign.
Starting with Success, we learn about alumni such as Tyler ’14 and Caitlyn ’13 Rodgers who have continuously donated their time and funding since graduating. Gary Bunn ’88 has supported the institution through two scholarships, and Sue Voegele ’62 remains connected through UCA athletics.
KATV morning anchor Ryan Houston ’10 was not only the emcee for the grand opening of the Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts, but he also shares his experiences as a UCA student. His story and the Windgate Center opening are the focus of the Culture section.
Wellness is focused on the Integrated Health Sciences Building with alumni Sandy Quillen ’77 and Elizabeth Blankenship ’75. These dedicated individuals and their support are responsible for scholarships, simulation centers within our health teaching facilities, and much more.
One dimension of UCA’s celebration of Excellence is reflected through the Arkansas Insurance Hall of Fame. UCA Magazine highlights some of the inductees, our faculty and staff in the College of Business, and we learn about a $100,000 gift from Karen Yezzi to support scholarships for insurance and risk management majors.
At the time we announced the completion of UCA Now, we also were excited to introduce UCA Commitment, a new initiative that provides a pathway to a debt-free degree for thousands of Arkansans. This issue tells you more about the impact this program will have on Arkansas students and families for years to come.
Those are only a few highlights of this entire issue of UCA Magazine. We hope you enjoy reading this issue. We wish you health and joy this holiday season, and we look forward to seeing you again in 2024.
Go Bears!
Dr. Houston D. Davis
President