Campaign Gifts Advance Arkansas Students and Entrepreneurship Efforts

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Alumni Greg and Hannah Lee

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – University of Arkansas alumni Greg and Hannah Lee of Fayetteville are supporting first generation college students from Arkansas and entrepreneurship efforts at the U of A with two gifts totaling $150,000. The Greg W. and Hannah Lee Advance Arkansas Endowed Scholarship will be created with $50,000, and another $100,000 will support the Brewer Family Entrepreneurship Hub. Their contributions count toward Campaign Arkansas and impact the university’s efforts to advance student success and provide an innovative and collaborative environment for students, faculty and staff.

“The Lees have been tireless supporters of the Sam M. Walton College of Business and the University of Arkansas with their time and financial commitment to our success,” said Matt Waller, dean of the Walton College and the Sam M. Walton Leadership Chair. “Their continuing support of the Walton College serves as an example to all of Arkansas of the commitments made by our alumni and others to help students get a great education and for new businesses to take root and grow.”

Both Greg and Hannah Lee grew up in Arkansas and were first-generation college students, so supporting Advance Arkansas was an obvious choice for them.

“When we learned about these scholarships and their intended purpose, we knew we wanted to be involved,” Greg Lee said. “The university has been a central part of our lives, and we want others to have the opportunities we had.”

The scholarship gives preference to students enrolled in the Walton College and students who attended high school in the Mississippi Delta region of Arkansas.

“It’s a bigger reach for students in the Delta who want to attend the U of A,” Lee said. “It’s also a target-rich environment for the university. The U of A is the university that stands out for the entire state, and Hannah and I want it to be representative of the state.”

As with all Advance Arkansas scholarships, the spending amount generated by the Lees’ endowment will be matched by the university and double the award given to the student.

“The match demonstrates the university’s commitment to make this happen,” Lee said.

The Lees’ $100,000 contribution to the Brewer Family Entrepreneurship Hub will name the living room in the facility. The Brewer Hub is an interdisciplinary collaboration venue, co-working space and training center for new and early stage entrepreneurs in Northwest Arkansas, as well as students, faculty and alumni. Students from the university will have the opportunity to learn about topics such as design thinking, accounting and legal issues in the real world, and experts will be invited to hold office hours so students can seek advice.

Greg Lee is the retired chief administrative officer and international president of Tyson Foods Inc. He serves on the Campaign Arkansas Steering Committee, Arkansas Alumni Association Board of Directors and the Walton College Dean’s Executive Advisory Board. He is also co-chair of the Walton College campaign committee. Hannah Lee is a member of the Women’s Giving Circle. The Lees are life members of the Arkansas Alumni Association, members of the Chancellor’s Society and Towers of Old Main and are recognized as Thoroughreds for their 24 years of consecutive giving to the U of A.

About Campaign Arkansas: Campaign Arkansas is the ongoing capital campaign for the University of Arkansas to raise private gift support for the university’s academic mission and other key priorities. The campaign’s goal is to raise $1 billion to support academic and need-based scholarships, technology enhancements, new and renovated facilities, undergraduate, graduate and faculty research, study abroad opportunities and other innovative programs. The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in a wide spectrum of disciplines as it works to fulfill its public land-grant mission to serve Arkansas and beyond as a partner, resource and catalyst.

About the Sam M. Walton College of Business: The Sam M. Walton College of Business is a nationally and internationally recognized leader in business education and research. Since its founding at the University of Arkansas in 1926, the Walton College has grown to become the state's premier college of business – as well as a nationally competitive business school. The Walton College is ranked 26th among public business colleges by U.S. News & World Report, which ranks the supply chain management/logistics specialty 14th among public business colleges.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.