Dr. Clay Arnold, Chair of the Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies presented distinguished alumni awards to Dakisha Wesley and Dexter Pearson during a reception hosted by the department in Buffalo Alumni Hall on Thursday, September 12, 2024. Several alumni, faculty, students, and other guests attending the reception were welcomed by Dr. Michael Hargis, UCA Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs. A graduate of the University of Central Arkansas in May 2000 with a BS degree in Public Administration, Dakisha Wesley is currently the Assistant County Manager in Buncombe County, North Carolina. Dexter Pearson graduated from UCA in May 2001 with a BS degree in Public Administration, and he is currently a Business Relationship Strategist and Real Estate Developer with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington DC. During the reception, faculty members spoke about the department’s three academic programs, including political science (BA/BS), public administration (BPA), and international studies (BA). Faculty members also gave updates on the department’s undergraduate scholarly journal, The UCA Journal of Government, Public Service, and International Relations (which recently published its first volume of undergraduate student research) and the department’s Student Experiential Learning Fund (SELF).
