It was an "all Hendrix" family wedding when Julie Alford wed Stephen Routon at Greene Chapel on June 7, 2008. From left: Margo Morton Alford '05, Brian Alford '02, Jan Roseberry Alford '75, Sarah Alford '11, David Alford '73, Julie Alford Routon '04, Stephen Routon '04, David Routon '07, Ree Gandy Routon '76 and Steve Routon '76.
Find your old friends through the new Hendrix Alumni Directory!
November 17, 2009 Update
‘60
Dr. Joe G. Hollyfield, was the inaugural recipient in March 2009 of the Llura and Gordon Gund Professorship in Ophthalmology Research at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. Joe recently developed a new animal model for age-related macular degeneration that was published in February 2008 in Nature Medicine, which is being used as a platform for preclinical testing of drugs designed to prevent this disease. He received the Proctor Medal and delivered the Proctor Lecture at the annual meeting in May 2009 of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO).
‘86
Carolyn Ellis is the CFO of Document Capture Technologies, INC., a publicly traded company specializing in scanner and scanner related technologies. She and her husband Rob Winkelman live in San Diego, CA with their 4 year old daughter Grace.
‘98
Shawn J. Johnson was recommended to President Obama by United Senators Blanche L. Lincoln and Mark Pryor for a presidential appointment as United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas.
‘99
Prof. J. Aaron Christopher teaches accounting at California Baptist University in Riverside, CA and is pursuing his PhD at Claremont Graduate University.
‘01
Ashley Goodson lives and New York City and loves it. Goodson has completed 4 marathons, 4 half-marathons, and 3 triathlons in the past 12 months and plans to run the NYC marathon in 2010. She recently celebrated her 30th birthday in Ireland with U2 in Dublin.
Cody Hopkins and his wife Andrea visited Manhattan where they received the Glynwood Harvest Wave of the Future Award. While visiting, the two enjoyed exploring the city’s local food scene.
‘03
Emily Cheek is curating an exhibition of paintings by Hendrix Professor Matthew Lopas. Matthew Lopas: Panoramic Interiors was shown at the McKinney Avenue Contemporary in Dallas, TX from Sept. 5 until Oct. 10.
Laura Leigh Hampton recently left the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in Benton County and moved to Fayetteville to become the Senior Manager for the Employment Law Counsel at R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.
Aaron Strong is entering his second year as a resident at Children’s Hospital in Little Rock.
‘04
Anna Patterson Strong is a graduate student at The Clinton School of Public Service.
October 23, 2009 Update
'52
Rev. Frank A. Jones received the Governor’s Award for the Arts for his story telling to both youths and adults alike. The entire Jones family was present at the award ceremony: Sue Osment Jones ’50, Rock Jones ’80, Brick Jones ’82, and Pebble Jones Sutherland ’85. Rev. Jones spends his free time giving bible lectures at his church as well as teaching in the Course of Study School at Hendrix for second-career pastors.
'64
R. Duane Stephens received the W. Z. Hickman award for Historic Preservation in recognition for his commitment to historic preservation efforts in Independence, Mo. through advocacy, education and outreach, and philanthropy. Stephens also retired in June 2009 from his position as Associate Pastor at First Presbyterian Church after 42 years of service.
W. Christopher Barrier, a member of Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates and Woodyard, P.L.L.C. of Little Rock, has been recognized as a leader in real estate by the 2008 Chambers USA Guide. Recently an article authored by Barrier titled “Flag on the Play!” was published in the Arkansas Bar Association Quarterly journal on penalties in real estate transactions and litigation.
'65
Claude Fulton and his wife Karen retired after 22 years of owning Fulton Press.
'73
Elsie A. McKee traveled to Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Germany, Lebanon, Australia, and New Zealand to lecture on the 500th anniversary of John Calvin’s birth.
'76
Mark Denman was re-elected to his fourth term on Nassau Bay City Council with no opposition. In August, Denman was elected Vice Chairman of the US Rice Millers Association, a trade organization that represents the US rice milling industry and works to promote increased rice consumption of American grown rice.
'68
Vickie Witt Dunn started a new job as Assessment Supervisor and Pre K director for Fayette County Schools in Somerville, Tenn. after 31 years of service as a high school counselor.
'01
Kate Matlock will finish her Masters in Design Studies at Central Saint Martins, London, in December. Matlock’s graduation exhibition at the Truman Brewery will display the artifacts iterated throughout her research of how digital presence can strengthen trust in offline relationships.
'03
Chris Daily completed his PhD in Chinese Religions at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Daily was elected as a permanent Fellow of the Roy Asiatic Society and was awarded a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Chinese Religions by the British Academy.
'06
Eric Bell was recently promoted to Assistant Vice President at the Citi Private Bank. Bell has also begun his MBA at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.
September 30, 2009 update
'75
Charles Feild was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health in the United Kingdom.
'76
Debi Johnston Barnes was recently appointed as Co-Chairman of the 2010 Technology Task Force Committee of the International Spa Association. Barnes is the owner of Turtle Cove Spa at Mountain Harbor Resort.
'84
Sylvia McDaniel Hoke is a proud Hendrix alumna and parent. Her daughter Sarah Hoke ’09 is in Hendrix’s Master’s of Accounting program and her son Joseph Hoke ’11 is a history major.
'86
P. Luevonda Ross received the 2009 Professor of the Year award from the Student Bar Association and the Mock Trail Coach of the Year Award from the Black Law Students Association at Faulkner University Jones School of Law in Montgomery, Ala.
'87
Todd and Terry Holt recently moved to Hot Springs from Jonesboro. Todd was promoted to the Regional Executive of the South Central Regional Office for Blue Cross Blue Shield.
'92
Ruth Eyres joined the Easter Seals Arkansas Outreach Staff in January 2009. Ruth serves as a special education consultant providing student specific technical assistance for teachers throughout Arkansas.
'93
E.B. “Chip” Chiles IV was recognized in “The Best Lawyers in America 2010” in the areas of Appellate Law, Bet-the-Company Litigation and Commercial Litigation. Chiles is a member of Quattlebaum, Grooms, Tull & Burrow PLLC. “The Best Lawyers in America” bases its listings on a year-long survey of the legal profession in which attorneys nationwide rate the top practitioners in their specialties in their jurisdictions.
'96
JoAnna Holt is working on her Master’s in Counseling at the University of Arkansas and will graduate in May 2010.
'98
Jamey Campbell started working at the Volunteer State Community College in Gellatin, Ten. in June 2009 as the Coordinator of Student Activities. The 2009-2010 session will be Campbell’s 10th academic year as a Student Affairs professional.
'03
Laura Leigh Hampton left the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in Benton County and moved to Fayetteville to become the Senior Manager for the Employment Law Counsel at R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.
'05
Mark Schwartz graduated from thee University of Arkansas in May 2009 with a Master’s Degree in History.
September 2, 2009 update
Scroll down for items submitted before May 1
'76
Dr. David Thigpen has been selected to the Henderson State University’s Reddie Hall of Honor. He has coached at various institutions and is currently the Associate Athletic Director for Henderson.
'82
Bert Griggs now lives in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. not far from the beach and enjoys the San Diego climate with his son and wife. Griggs helps develop and fund healthcare service technology companies in radiology, chronic pain management, and orthopedics.
'87
Karen Johnston Nicks and husband Michael celebrated the graduation of their son Zachary Taylor Nicks from Conway High School in May 2009.
Dr. George L Morrisey, Jr is enjoying life with his two children, Patrick, 12, and Allison, 10. His wife Carolyn is working on her masters of nursing science with an emphasis on nursing administration.
'91
Glen Hooks works as Regional Director (Eastern U.S.) for the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign, helping organize campaigns to stop coal-fired power plants and move the U.S. toward clean energy solutions. He has also recently been appointed to the Little Rock Sustainability Commission and is the Vice-President of the Arkansas Local Foods Initiative.
'96
Matt House was named the first recipient of the Judith Ryan Gray Outstanding Young Lawyer Award by the Arkansas Bar Association at its June 2009 annual convention in Hot Springs.
'00
Charter Morris moved to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan with his wife Elza in August 2008. They both work for American University of Central Asia. His wife teaches journalism, and he is the Director of International Recruitment, which has allowed him to see Korea, China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. The couple plans to live in Kyrgyzstan for a couple of years and teach their new son to speak Russian and Kyrgyz before moving back to the U.S.
Mary Katherine Razer-Parson was awarded "Arkansas Biology Teacher of the Year" by the National Association of Biology Teachers.
'01
Jennifer Birkman was voted Teacher of the Year at Gadsden Elementary in Savannah, Ga.
'04
Jera Rae Houghtaling received a Master of Laws degree in Agricultural and Food Law in May 2009 from the University of Arkansas School of Law. Houghtaling has been accepted to the Master of Arts (Ph.D. track) program in Philosophy at the University of Arkansas and will focus on Philosophy of Religion. She has also been granted a Teaching Assistantship for the 2009-2010 academic year.
'05
Darby Grace Beranek graduated with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Pharmacy in May 2009. Beranek currently works as a pharmacist at Market Place Pharmacy in Little Rock, Arkansas.
May 7, 2009 update
'40
Caralyn Collins Woodruff and her husband Jay had 3 children and 2 grandchildren. The family now has eight great-grandchildren to add to their family tree.
'43
Marie Stapleton Claude of Charlottesville, Va., was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in May 2008. After 25 sessions of chemo-therapy without significant side effects, she was pronounced all-clear by her doctor in December. After excellent test results in February 2009, the doctor told her: "You make me look good!" Hendrix produces strong graduates!
Mary Evelyn Markham Ellis of Memphis, Tenn., is proud of her two grandsons, Ted Lester and Jay Lester, who both made Phi Beta Kappa.
'47
Sam R. Adkisson was named Alumnus of the Year by the Washington University Dental Alumni Society in September 2008. He was also designated Professor Emeritus by the University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston in March 2009.
'49
Bob McCuistion and his wife Sue are heavily involved in Stephen Ministry, Grief Ministry, O.S.L., Walk to Emmaus, and grandparenting (22 so far). They attended their sixtieth reunion in 2009.
'51
James T. Clemons, retired clergy of the Arkansas Conference and a native of Wynne, has been awarded a service medal from the U.S. Public Health Service for his leadership in bringing about the first conference on Suicide and Senior Living Communities. The award was made at the conference held at Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg, Md., by A. Kathryn Power, Director of the Center for Mental Health Services, an agency of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services.
'54
Dobbs Franks of Melbourne, Australia, will conduct performances of Mozart's Don Giovanni in Tokyo on Sept. 27 and 30. The Tokyo Philharmonic will be in the pit, and the cast will consist of Japanese, Chinese and Anglo Saxon singers singing in Italian with Japanese surtitles.
'58
Senator Ruth Reed Whitaker is proud of her granddaughter Emily who is a National Merit Scholar and will graduate from Fayetteville High School.
'59
Dr. John and Joallen Logan Moose celebrated their 50 year reunion at Hendrix in April and now look forward to their 50th wedding anniversary in June.
'61
Charles Tadlock was recently elected to the Sheridan School Board after a career as a teacher, coach and administrator.
'66
Richard Carvell of Jonesboro retired on July 1, 2008, from the department of radio-television at Arkansas State University after 37 years of service to ASU. He was department chair for 19 years and also served as news director, operations manager and station manager for the university's radio station, KASU, and won numerous state and regional awards for his radio station work. Before joining the ASU staff, he served four years as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force, including one year in Vietnam. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his service in Vietnam. He currently is serving as chair of the Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry of the Arkansas Conference of the United Methodist Church. He and his wife, Sue, raised five sons and have three granddaughters.
'68
Anne Wallace Crighton of Middleton, Tenn., is president of the Board of Directors of the Hardeman County Chamber of Commerce, president of the Board of Directors of the UCA Alumni Association and a member of the Bolivar-Hardeman County Library Board of Trustees.
'69
Phillip E. Parker of Wichita, Kan., will be on sabbatical at Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi (Mexico) for the spring semester 2010, working on Ehresmann connections and quasisprays.
'70
Deborah Clement Raessler of Lynchburg, Va., is president of the Virginia State P.E.O. Chapter for 2008-2009.
'71
Charles Archer of Niles, Mich., ran in the 113th Boston Marathon on April 20. It was his first Boston Marathon and 17th total. It was a cold windy day for a run but a fun experience none the less.
Nell Meadows Doyle retired at the end of May 2009 after 21 years as associate director of the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation of Hendrix College. She will move during the summer to live in the Ozarks with partner Patrick Thompson.
Cynthia Webb Grossi retired on March 31, 2009, after 28 years with the U.S. Postal Service.
Gary L. Ingram of Fort Worth, Texas, was recently selected as one of Fort Worth, Texas magazine's "Top Attorneys." Ingram is a partner at Jackson Walker LLP and is statewide chair of the Labor and Employment section for the firm. He is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law.
Cliff Morgan has retired after over 35 years with the public library system in Memphis, Tenn., and plans to return to Warren for retirement.
'73
Dr. Clif Christopher of Maumelle published his second book titled Not Your Parents’ Offering Plate with Abingdon Press.
'75
Neal Robbins of Dover plans to put two novels on the market in 2009. The novels, titled Ilat and Najamah's Gifts to Dousaures, are both set in the ancient Middle East. In addition to fiction writing, he is also involved with a number of online paleontology groups and created DinosaurDomain.
'78
Beth Posey-Leonhard is the plant manager for Evergreen Solar in Midland, Mich. The plant is scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2009, and her family will be moving to Midland this summer.
'80
Dr. Alfred Gordon Jr. of Fayetteville is serving in his 15th year as the chief medical officer for University of Arkansas Athletics and in his sixth year as the medical director for the program of graduate studies in athletic training at the University of Arkansas. He also practices as a primary care physician in Fayetteville.
Jeanne Loveless Seewald has been named managing partner of southwest Florida for the law firm Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP and has been appointed to the firm's board of directors. Jeanne practices law in Naples, Fla., in the areas of business and intellectual property
'82
Colonel LeAnne Pittman Burch of Monticello is currently stationed in Kabul, Afghanistan, with the Combined Security Transition Command.
’84
Sylvia Colleen McDaniel Hoke is looking forward to seeing her daughter become a third-generation Hendrix Alum in May. When Sara Hoke ’09 graduates, she will join her grandfather, Bobby Joe McDaniel ’55, her mother Sylvia and her father Wallace Scott Hoke ’83.
Nancy Womack Mitchell of Cave City was chosen as the Employee of the Month for April 2009 in the Inpatient Rehab Unit at White River Medical Center in Batesville. In April 2008, Nancy received the Outstanding Student Service Award at the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville, and in May she graduated cum laude. She received the Outstanding Academic Achievement Award and was Valedictorian of her LPN Pinning in July 2008. This summer Nancy will serve as a preceptor for an LPN student. She is looking forward to her daughter, Sara Mitchell '10, returning home in June after spending a semester studying abroad in Vaxjo, Sweden.
'85
Dr. Susan Russell is the chair of the department of theatre arts at Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Penn.
'86
Major Lee Zimmerman retired from the U.S. Army on Sept. 1 after more than 21 years of service. His last assignment was as commander of the Little Rock Military Entrance Processing Station. Lee, his wife Kim, and son Christopher live in North Little Rock. He is now the coordinator of military family assistance centers for the state of Arkansas, overseeing 16 family assistance centers across the state.
'87
Mary Smith Taylor is an English as a second language specialist in the Fayetteville Public School System.
'89
Jason V. Terk is serving as legislative chair for the Texas Pediatric Society where he coordinates and supports public policy advocacy and legislation for pediatric health issues. The main focus of his advocacy efforts is in the area of supporting vaccine coverage to prevent outbreaks of disease.
'90
Mark Dalrymple of Leechburg, Pa., has recently published the second edition of Learn Objective-C on the Macintosh with Apress.
Eric Francis (www.DogtownWriter.com) has recently added Kumi Bradshaw, a business consultant in the Bahamas, and the River Town Project, a Little Rock publication, as journalism clients; and the North Little Rock Police Department as a grant-writing client.
'91
Melissa “Missy” McAdams-Huffman is enrolled at Volunteer State Community College where she hopes to be accepted into the physical therapist assistant program which will begin this summer. See New Marriages.
'92
Mark Barr has been awarded a writing residency for the month of October at Blue Mountain Center, a working community of writers, artists, activists and musicians in the heart of the Adirondacks in upstate New York. The Center exists to provide a peaceful and comfortable environment in which guests are able to work free from the distractions and demands of normal daily life. Residents are chosen by an Admissions Committee of accomplished authors and artists. The committee is particularly interested in fine work which evinces social and ecological concern and is aimed at a general audience.
'93
Wendy R. Anderson of Washington, D.C., worked on the South Asia policy team of President Barack Obama's presidential campaign.
Dan Clanton of Lincoln, Neb., is assistant professor of religious studies at Doane College in Crete, Neb. His new book, titled Daring, Disreputable, and Devout: Interpreting the Hebrew Bible's Women in the Arts and Music, has just been published by T&T Clark. He has also recently published an article titled “‘From Biblical Times to Lyrical Rhymes’: The Assertion of Jewish Identity in Music as Cultural Resistance,” in Studies in Jewish Civilization 19: “I Will Sing and Make Music”: Jewish Music and Musicians Throughout the Ages. In March, he presented a paper titled “Images of Jesus in the Elseworlds of American Popular Culture,” at the Rocky Mountain/Great Plains Regional American Academy of Religion/Society of Biblical Literature Meeting in Denver.
Jason Burke Murphy completed his doctorate in philosophy in October 2008 at Saint Louis University. His dissertation covered the role played by political commitments in promoting deliberation.
Raymond Chad Pifer was recently promoted to general counsel and senior vice president of FiberLight, LLC, headquartered in Atlanta, Ga.
'94
Quanda McIntosh Collins of Fort Worth, Texas, graduated from Concordia University Texas on December 6, 2008 with a master’s degree in education administration with a curriculum and instruction focus.
Jason Cornwell has been married for five years and has one son, River Lee Cornwell, who turned 3 in April. He also owns and runs a casting/production company in Los Angeles (www.CornwellCasting.com).
'96
Mike Hillis is an emergency physician at St. Edward Mercy Hospital in Fort Smith. He is living in Alma with his wife Jennifer and two sons Avery and Thomas.
Stacey Parker relocated to Newport Beach, Calif. In October 2008, she accepted a position as a retail planner with Vans, a division of VF Outdoor, Inc. Additionally, Stacey completed her RYT Yoga Alliance 200-hour yoga teacher training in March 2008.
'97
Margie Alsbrook published an article on FDA regulation of biotech foods in the fall 2008 issue of the Drake Journal of Agricultural Law.
David Felio of Conway earned his GIAC (Global Information Assurance Certification) Security Essentials Certification, scoring a 96% on the exam. His score prompted an invitation to join the SANS/GIAC Advisory Board and the SANS Mentor Program. His write-up of security initiatives won the Excellence Award for "Innovation in protecting the privacy and integrity of citizen information" from the National Electronic Commerce Coordinating Council. See New Children.
Chester Pidduck had two solo roles with San Francisco Opera in 2008. In 2009 he will be soloist with San Francisco Symphony. Classical Singer magazine wrote an article focusing on Pidduck in their March 2009 issue.
Shelly Laine-Bryant Thannum moved to Collierville, Tenn., and is now an Anesthesiologist for MAG (Medical Anesthesia Group) and the Methodist Hospital System in Memphis. See Marriages.
'98
Colter McCorkindale of Brooklyn, N.Y., has taken a position as a web project manager at American Express Interactive in New York City.
'99
Kevin Brannon of Jersey City, N.J., will graduate with a master’s degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism on May 20, 2009.
Susan Todd Krafft has a new position as the director of the Western Arkansas Service Center of the American Red Cross in Fort Smith.
'01
Cortney Higgins graduated with her doctorate in civil and environmental engineering and engineering and public policy from Carnegie Mellon University in August 2007. She relocated to Washington, D.C., where she works at the Office of Management and Budget.
Elena Antonieta Reyes-Lovins of Sherwood earned her National Board Certification as an early adolescence/English language arts teacher.
'02
Lawrence Dunn graduated with his doctorate in physics from the University of Texas at Austin in December 2008. He was awarded the 2008 Ben Streetman Prize by the UT College of Engineering, "Recognizing Outstanding Research by a Graduate Student in Electronic and Photonic Materials and Devices."
Vanessa Norton recently returned to Little Rock from New York City and is working as the executive director of the Historic Preservation Alliance of Arkansas, a statewide nonprofit organization focused on preserving Arkansas' architectural and cultural resources.
'03
Corey Beaugh has been accepted into graduate school at the University of Wyoming in Laramie after working for two years as a hydrologist for the State of Arizona. He received a graduate assistantship working on a water quality mapping project on the Greybull River and will be working toward a master of science in rangeland ecology and watershed management. He also plans to do plenty of fishing.
Jennifer Burkett has been accepted to the University of Southern Mississippi's doctoral program in literature where she has also accepted a teaching assistantship. She will begin studies in the fall of 2009. Burkett has taught at Henderson State University and the University of Central Arkansas.
James Horey earned a doctorate in computer science from the University of New Mexico in 2008. Dr. Horey was honored with the 2008 Outstanding Graduate Award from the UNM department of computer science and delivered an address at the fall 2008 School of Engineering commencement ceremony. Dr. Horey has accepted a postdoctoral research position at the Renaissance Computing Institute in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Dr. Aaron Strong graduated from the University of Arkansas for Medical Science in May 2008 and is now at Children’s Hospital in Little Rock doing a pediatric residency.
'04
Carrie Misenheimer completed her master’s degree in education: reading literacy specialist at Northside High School in Fort Smith.
James Wright received a “Teacher of the Year” award from Hillcrest High School in Dallas, Texas.
'05
Bonnie Steinruck Faitak was recently accepted into the master in teaching social studies program at Columbia University Teachers College and began taking classes in May 2009.
'07
Russ Montgomery is completing a master’s degree in health policy at Johns Hopkins University and working full-time as a project manager at the Center for Medical Technology Policy, a non-profit organization that is creating new pathways through which new medical breakthroughs reach patients, both domestically and around the world.
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