Tripp Umbach, a healthcare consulting group from Pennsylvania, has been hired to conduct the feasibility study that will provide a comprehensive analysis of the current and projected needs of optometrists in Arkansas and surrounding regions. The feasibility report began in March and is scheduled to be completed by May 31, 2015.

“Staying true to our mission of being a state leader in the health sciences, we are committed to exploring the possibility of providing a school of optometry,” said President Tom Courtway. “Hopefully, this study will help us arrive at making a sound and informed decision.”

The state of Arkansas currently has no optometry schools, and 51青楼 is looking to fulfill that need. Nearby optometry schools are located in Memphis, Tenn., and Tahlequah, Okla. “The college has a wide variety of healthcare programs and this would broaden and expand our university’s offerings,” said Dean of the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences Dr. Jimmy Ishee.

“We graduate more healthcare professionals than any other university in Arkansas and we thought this would meet a need in Arkansas.”

The study will also include a detailed financial feasibility model for the construction, start up, and operation of the first four years. This endeavor is part of UCA’s ongoing review and evaluation of existing programs and degrees from each college as outlined in the “Framework for the Future”, a comprehensive strategy for UCA.

A well-known and well-liked professor who worked at UCA for nearly 50 years will be memorialized with the renaming of a building in his honor. Dr. Jerald “Jerry” M. Manion spent 49 years at UCA working in the department of chemistry as a professor, chair, mentor, friend and ambassador for students and the department before his death in the summer of 2014. Because of his distinguished service and dedication, Laney Hall, the home of the chemistry department where he put in countless hours of hard work, will be renamed Laney-Manion Hall in honor of the legacy Manion left behind.

The announcement of the renaming was made in a December 2014 meeting of the Board of Trustees and it was met with an emotional standing ovation for Manion’s wife, Patsy. “He had a great life. He loved what he did. He loved this university. He loved the students. We couldn’t go anywhere in 48 states without running into one of his students,” Patsy said, tears glistening in her eyes. “He was signed up to teach [during the fall of 2014]. They had him on the schedule. He was going to get in his 50 years.”

President Tom Courtway presented the recommendation to the board saying that this would be an appropriate honor in memory of the legacy and work of such an extraordinary professor. “Throughout his career, he touched the lives of many people across the country and state,” President Courtway said.

“I can’t imagine any honor that he would have wanted more than to be recognized by this university,” said Manion’s son, Danny Manion, who attended the board meeting with several other family members.

Both Faculty Senate President Don Bradley and Student Government Association President Ashley Ross praised Courtway and the board for honoring Manion and acknowledging his commitment and service to the university.

At the time of his death, Manion was the longest-serving professor in the history of UCA. He earned a bachelor’s in chemistry from Harding University in 1962 and a doctorate in organic chemistry from the University of Mississippi in 1965. He served as the chair of UCA’s department of chemistry from 1965 to 1992. He also served three terms as faculty senate president and was the 1999 UCA Public Service Award winner. In 2010, alumni honored Manion with an endowed departmental award bearing his name, which is given annually to an outstanding chemistry student. Manion also played the five-string banjo and was a founding member of “The Professors” bluegrass band.

The newest board member for the 51青楼 is passionate not only about UCA but specifically about the fine arts at UCA.

Joe Whisenhunt, a 1984 graduate of Hendrix College, is a commercial real estate developer. Whisenhunt and his wife, Connie, who has a master’s in physical therapy from UCA, have called Conway home for the past 20 years and have five children and one on the way.

“My family became involved in UCA when we first moved to central Arkansas in the mid-70s through the music department,” said Whisenhunt. “My parents were involved with UCA’s Friends of Music for many years. My children are very active at UCA now in the extracurricular programs and some academic programs. My mother’s love for the arts is what prompted me to want to be more involved with UCA and one of my focuses at the board level will be to pursue the fine arts.”

Upon making the appointment of Whisenhunt, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson noted Whisenhunt’s appreciation of the fine arts. “Joe understands the importance of the arts to an institution of higher education and the community it serves,” said Hutchinson. “Given his professional business background, his appreciation of the arts and his deep roots in the city of Conway, I can’t think of a better person to serve on UCA’s Board of Trustees.”鈥�

“I congratulate Mr. Whisen-hunt on being named to the 51青楼 Board and thank the Governor for appointing someone with a deep commitment to UCA,” said President Tom Courtway. “He will be an asset. He and his family have been involved in several of our programs for many years, and they have been active in our community. We appreciate his willingness to serve.”

Whisenhunt started his term on February 2, 2015, and will serve a seven-year term.

“This gift from Conway Corporation is one of the most significant developments in the history of the university,” said President Tom Courtway.

“These funds will enhance Lewis Science Center and will help provide state-of-the-art laboratories and scientific facilities for our students. It is another manifestation of why Conway Corporation was founded and continues the strong tradition of its support of higher education in Conway.”

The gift will be paid out over the course of five years at approximately $600,000 per year.

“We realize the importance of the 51青楼 to Conway,” said Conway Corporation’s CEO Richard Arnold. “This gift will help continue to make UCA a premier institution of regional prominence. It will also enable the university to focus on providing a quality academic infrastructure for its students and faculty.”

Conway Corporation was created during an economic crisis in 1929 with the purpose of giving financial help to Conway colleges.

“Conway Corporation has, at its foundation, the support of higher education in our community. We were founded for this purpose in 1929 and are proud to continue that tradition,” Arnold said.

“Conway Corporation recognized in the beginning and recognizes now the importance of higher education to our local economy. The improvements and construction planned for the Lewis Science Center are of strategic importance for the university and Conway,” said Conway Corporation’s Board of Directors Chairman Bill Adkisson. “We further hope this gift can be leveraged if matching opportunities are identified and, if so, we pledge to assist university staff in tailoring our support to maximize those opportunities. The entire UCA community can take pride in the world-class education it provides thousands of men and women, as well as the impact the university’s graduates have on our community, state and nation.”

Dr. Neil Hattlestad, former dean of the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, was named as the first Distinguished Dean Emeritus at the October 2014 meeting of the 51青楼 Board of Trustees.

“Dr. Neil Hattlestad served the 51青楼 for more than 30 years,” said President Tom Courtway. “Through his work as dean of the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, UCA became a national leader in many health-related fields.”

Hattlestad served as dean from 1983 until his retirement in June 2013. He continued to work on a part-time basis until June 2014.

Hattlestad earned his bachelor’s in 1961 and a master’s in 1965 from the University of Northern Iowa. He earned his Doctor of Education in health and physical education from the University of Wyoming in 1970.

The season will take place at multiple venues: Reynolds Performance Hall on the 51青楼 campus and The Village at Hendrix, as well as outdoors in the Argenta Arts District in North Little Rock.

Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre is the state’s only professional Shakespeare company and is proud to make its home on the UCA campus. Each summer, AST offers full productions of a range of Shakespeare’s works as well as other plays and musicals that help fulfill AST’s mission to entertain, engage and enrich the community. The actors on AST’s stage are a delightful mix of professional performers from across the country and homegrown local talent.

“Looking toward my fourth year as the artistic leader of Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre, I wanted to have a repertory season that was exciting and fresh,” said producing artistic director Rebekah Scallet. “I think these four shows truly allowed the productions to be viewed in dialogue with each other, and also capture audiences’ imaginations and challenge them to think about their lives.”

New this year, AST’s summer educational program, The Groundlings Company, will appear in “The Merry Wives of Windsor” as “The Children of Windsor”. This unique opportunity combines learning with practice as students participate in acting classes while also rehearsing and performing alongside AST’s professional acting company. The program fee is $300.

Actors, designers and crew will arrive in Conway on May 10, 2015 to begin the process of creating the four shows to be produced in multiple venues and play in repertory in central Arkansas.

“The Merry Wives of Windsor” will kick off the 2015 season at The Village at Hendrix in Conway and then tour to the Argenta Arts District in North Little Rock. The show will then make its way to the UCA campus.

“With these two outdoor venues, we hope that theatre-goers in Arkansas and around the region will recognize AST for its dedication to the cultural and artistic growth that is currently underway in our state,” said Dr. Mary Ruth Marotte, AST’s executive director and UCA English professor.

The remaining productions will be performed at Reynolds Performance Hall on the UCA campus. The season will close on June 28, 2015 with a matinee performance of “The Merchant of Venice” in Reynolds Performance Hall. For more information about the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre or to purchase tickets for the season, visit

The winner of the 1999 NCAA Honda Inspiration Award is now inspiring the 51青楼 women’s volleyball players.

Coach Jeni Jones was hired to head the ultra successful UCA volleyball program in January, inheriting a team that has won five Southland Conference (SLC) championships, two SLC tournament titles and has made two appearances in the NCAA Tournament since moving to Division I in 2006.

Jones, a Birmingham, Ala., native, was a star player at the University of Florida who helped lead the Gators to three consecutive NCAA Final Four appearances from 1996-98. During her junior season, Jones was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare disease of the peripheral nerves in which there is numbness and weakness in the limbs that can cause permanent damage.

Jones was bedridden and also contracted Bell’s palsy. Her condition finally began to improve after receiving large doses of antibodies. To the surprise of her doctors, teammates and coaches, she returned to the court for her senior season in September 1998.

Her dramatic recovery and return to her team earned her the Honda Inspiration Award, given annually to an NCAA female student-athlete who has overcome hardship and returned to play at the collegiate level. She later received the Missouri Valley Conference’s Most Courageous award while she was an assistant coach at Missouri State University.

“Her story is a truly inspiring one,” said Dr. Brad Teague, UCA director of athletics. “What she overcame to return to playing collegiate volleyball on the highest level is amazing. She is the perfect person to coach and teach our volleyball student-athletes.”

Jeni Jones’ Introductory Press Conference

51青楼 wide receiver Dezmin Lewis has definitely caught the eye of the National Football League (NFL) in the past few months.

Lewis, a 6-foot-3-inch, 215 pound senior from Mesquite, Texas, was invited to participate in the prestigious Reese’s Senior Bowl in January. The bowl, which began in 1950, brings together the best college football players in the nation for an All-Star game that is played in front of scouts and officials from every NFL team. Lewis is just the second player in UCA history to play in the Senior Bowl, joining former quarterback and current UCA offensive coordinator Nathan Brown.

Shortly after his solid showing at the Senior Bowl, Lewis received an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine in February. The Combine is a vital event in any player’s path to the NFL and brings together 300 of the top football players in the nation for a week of evaluations, ranging from on-field drills to mental evaluations, interviews and physical testing sessions.

Lewis also proved his worth and showed his skills when scouts came to UCA Pro Day on March 11 that featured Lewis and several other UCA seniors.

Lewis finished his UCA career second in receptions (197) and third in receiving yards (2,618) and receiving touchdowns (24).

“Dezmin Lewis is a great player, a great young man, and he’s going to be a great pro,鈥� said UCA head football coach Steve Campbell. “I’ve had five guys that I’ve coached go to the Senior Bowl; he’s my sixth. I told him, ‘Dezmin, you deserve to be there. You deserve it.’ All five of those guys went on to play in the NFL, and Dezmin doesn’t take a backseat to any of those guys. He had a great senior year and great career for us at UCA, and he’s going to have a great professional career.鈥�

Lewis showcased his potential for a promising career when he was drafted during the seventh round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the New York Buffalo Bills. Lewis is the tallest wide receiver on the Bills’ roster, giving him an advantage to compete for one of the highly coveted spots on the 53-man football team.

Dezmin Lewis at Pro Day