Faculty Members Recognized With Outstanding Distinctions

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Top row from left: Jack Cothren, John Delery, Sharon Foster and Varun Grover; Middle row: Thomas Hayes, Donald M. Johnson, Mohja Kahf and Brinck Kerr; Bottom row: Jill Lens, Barry Bryan, Janine Parry and Samantha Robinson.

U of A faculty received outstanding distinctions in 2021 as newly appointed University Professors and endowed position holders. These distinctions were effective starting with the 2021-22 academic year.

“At the U of A, our distinguished faculty are among the best in the nation,” said interim Provost Terry Martin. “We are thankful for their dedication and the passion with which they pursue knowledge in their fields, teach our students and promote the overall success of our campus community. I am pleased to celebrate the success of our honorees, and I am deeply grateful to the many benefactors who have partnered with us to support the good work of our faculty.” 

The following honorees were promoted with the distinction of University Professor or appointed to an endowed position.

BARRY BRYAN
Barry Bryan is the Nolan E. Williams Teaching Professor of Accounting in the William Dillard Department of Accounting in the Sam M. Walton College of Business. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration from the U of A and a doctorate from Texas A&M University. Bryan joined the U of A in 2020. 

JACK COTHREN
Jack Cothren is the director of the Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies and the Leica Geosystems Chair in Geospatial Imaging. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the U.S. Air Force Academy and a Master of Science and doctorate in Geodetic Science and Surveying from Ohio State University. Cothren is a professor of geography in the Department of Geosciences in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences and has been with the U of A since 2002.

JOHN DELERY
John Delery is the Charles C. Fichtner Endowed Faculty Chair and the Department Chair of Management for the Sam M. Walton College of Business. He holds a Bachelor of Psychology from Tulane University and a Master of Psychology from Memphis State University and a doctorate in human resource management and organizational behavior from Texas A&M University. Delery is also holder of the Raymond F. Orr Chair in Management and served as director of the Walton College Honors Program from 2015-2020. He has been with the U of A since 1992.

SHARON FOSTER
Sharon Foster is the Sidney Parker Davis Jr. Professor of Business and Commercial Law for the School of Law. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of California and a Juris Doctor degree in law from Loyola Marymount University and a Master of Laws in international commercial law. She joined the U of A in 2000. 

VARUN GROVER
Varun Grover holds the George M. & Boyce W. Billingsley Endowed Chair in Information Systems and is Distinguished Professor in the Sam M. Walton College of Business. In 2022 he was ranked as 23rd among the top 1,000 business and management scientists in the world by research.com. A Stanford University study ranked him sixth out of 17,971 authors based on research impact. He serves as senior editor for numerous professional journals in information systems. Grover is an AIS Fellow and has received the prestigious AIS LEO Award for his lifetime achievements.

THOMAS HAYES
Thomas Hayes is the BKD, LLP Lecturer for the William Dillard Department of Accounting in the Sam M. Walton College of Business. He earned a doctorate in accounting from the University of North Texas and joined the U of A in 2018.

DONALD M. JOHNSON
Donald M. Johnson has been named a University Professor in the Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Technology in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. He holds a Bachelor of Science in general agriculture and a Master of Arts in agricultural education from Western Kentucky University and a doctorate in agricultural education with cognate in agricultural systems technology from the University of Missouri. He is co-director of the Wally Cordes Teaching and Faculty Support Center. Johnson has been with the U of A since 1993. 

MOHJA KAHF
Mojha Kahf is the holder of the James E. & Ellen Wadley Roper Professorship in English in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. She is a professor in the Department of English, the Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies Program and the Middle East Studies Program. Kahf earned a doctorate in comparative literature from Rutgers and has been with the U of A since 1995. 

BRINCK KERR
Brinck Kerr has been named a University Professor in the Department of Political Science in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Austin and a doctorate from Texas A&M University. He is the director of the Public Policy Ph.D. Program and has been with the U of A since 1994. 

JILL LENS
Jill Lens is the Robert A. Leflar Professor of Law and the associate dean for research and faculty development for the School of Law. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science and liberal arts from the University of Wisconsin. She received her Juris Doctor degree in law from the University of Iowa College of Law. She joined the faculty at the U of A in 2018.

JANINE PARRY
Janine Parry has been named a University Professor in the Department of Political Science in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Western Washington University and a Master of Arts and doctorate in Political Science from Washington State University. Parry is the the director of the annual Arkansas Poll. She has been with the U of A since 1998. 

SAMANTHA ROBINSON
Samantha Robinson is the holder of the Julia A. Hicks Endowed Professorship in Mathematics in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics, a Master of Science in statistics and a doctorate in education statistics and research methods from the U of A. Robinson is a teaching associate professor and the director of data science initiatives and has been with the U of A since 2015. 

“Heartfelt congratulations go to each of these outstanding faculty members. Our mission to teach and discover and serve always begins in the classroom, and our faculty always lead the way with distinction,” said Interim Chancellor Charles Robinson. “I am excited to follow the outstanding work of our newest University Professors and endowed position appointees.” 

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.