UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS STUDENTS CELEBRATE BEST ACADEMIC YEAR YET

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Over the past 12 months, more than 30 University of Arkansas students have won scholarships and awards in the nation’s most prestigious academic competitions.

The accomplishments of these students have positioned the U of A alongside the nation’s top private institutions and have distinguished the 1998-99 school year as the University’s best academic year to date.

"Only seven institutions nation-wide had two Truman Scholars this year. Only a dozen had three Goldwater Scholars. When you compare how many universities had both, the University of Arkansas is in very elite company — Harvard, Radcliffe, Columbia and Duke," said UA Chancellor John A. White.

White’s comments refer to the achievements of Angie Maxwell from Baton Rouge, La., and Megan Ceronsky of Arden Hills, Minn. — winners of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship — as well as Michael Berumen of Fort Smith, James McCarley of Hot Springs and Elizabeth Dunn of Maben, Miss., who qualified as Barry Goldwater Scholars.

But the University’s academic triumphs extend far beyond these five students. During the past year, numerous students from each college have distinguished themselves in national scholarship and academic competitions.

Other fellowship recipients include Nicole Reed of Bakersfield, Calif., as a Morris K. Udall Scholar, Angie Maxwell as a finalist in the Johns Hopkins’ Policy Institute essay contest and David Bruckner of Rogers as a James Madison Fellow. In addition, Katrina Vandenberg won a Fulbright Fellowship for translation, and ten students across campus earned grants from the National Science Foundation.

According to Chancellor White, these students not only are bettering themselves through their commitment to education, but they are improving the University.

"In a university community, the aptitude of students shapes the standard for academic quality just as certainly as the abilities of the faculty," White said. "Through their scholastic achievements, this year’s students have broadcast to the nation that the University of Arkansas is an institution dedicated to academic performance of the highest order."

The recent record clearly reflects an outstanding pool of students. But academic prowess is not the only key to victory in scholarship competition, said Dr. Suzanne McCray, director of the University’s new Office of Post-Graduate Fellowships. Rather, the secret to this year’s success has been to combine native intelligence with competitive strategy.

To that end, the UA Office of Post-Graduate Fellowships offers a central location where students from every college can find information and applications for scholarship opportunities. In addition, the office coordinates faculty and staff to create scholarship committees that support and advise each student during the application process. These committees review student essays and conduct mock interviews to prepare each applicant for the scholarship competition.

"The committees offer guidance - a lot of support and invaluable advice," said McCray. "But ultimately the students decide what to include and what to amend. We make suggestions, but it’s their application, their representation of who they are."

The rigors of the application process better prepare UA students for academic competition and therefore increase the chance of their success. In fact, Arkansas has made such a leap in scholarship success that it has caught the attention of scholarship representatives across the nation.

Mary Tolar, associate executive secretary for the Truman Scholarship Foundation, has been impressed by the University of Arkansas’ scholarship record. The U of A stands out among state institutions, she said, surpassed only by Kansas State University.

"The only determinant for success in scholarship competitions is the importance that a university places on academic achievement," said Tolar. "The University of Arkansas obviously makes this a high priority."

Other awards - for both individuals and groups of students - have confirmed the prestige of UA programs and rewarded the talents of UA students.

For the second consecutive year, the UA Creative Writing program has won a grant from the Truman Capote Literary Trust to fund two $9,000 fellowships for its fiction writers. Such continued support marks the UA program as one of the best writing schools in the nation.

Erin Royston, a third-year student at the UA Law School, received a $25,000 award from the West Group - designers of WestMate Research Software. Her essay comparing two legal database systems for their efficiency in research beat out applicants from Harvard and Yale to earn the top prize.

Brian King, a Ph.D. candidate in the department of Educational Leadership, Counseling & Foundations, won the dissertation of the year award from the national Council for the Study of Community Colleges. His research suggests ways for community colleges to improve their chance of funding through elections for a bond issue or tax increase.

In addition to individual achievement, many students found national recognition through teamwork. The University classics team took second place at the national Eta Sigma Phi convention. Last April, UA seniors Amy Drake of Rogers, Ildiko Csiki-Stone and Jamie Wilson of Tulsa, Okla., won honorable mentions in the USA Today All-Academic Team competition - identifying them among the top 100 students in the country.

The UA Odyssey of the Mind team built an 8-inch tall balsa wood structure that supported nearly 400 pounds and earned third place in the world finals competition. And a team consisting of three students from the department of computer science and computer engineering won international acclaim among the top 20 finalists of a worldwide programming competition.

According to McCray, such widespread success is laying a foundation of academic integrity that will support the University for years to come.

"We’re providing a rich academic atmosphere here, creating a community where ideas can be shared and explored," she said. "Every time the Chancellor talks about the University’s accomplishments, he is spreading the word to future students - letting them know that this type of academic environment exists within their own state.

"The more people who know about it, the more students will come here and add to the atmosphere of learning, making it a better educational environment for everyone involved."

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