UA receives multiple gifts toward scholarship campaign

The University of Arkansas recently received $300,000 in pledges and gifts from multiple donors. Proceeds will go to the UA’s Land of Opportunity Scholarship campaign and support various university programs.

The scholarship campaign is a three-year initiative to expand educational access for students from all 75 Arkansas counties, improve graduation rates, and increase engagement with businesses statewide.

Mena-based Union Bank recently committed $75,000 to the campaign. The bank has branches in Franklin, Johnson, Logan, Polk, Pope and Scott counties.

UA alumni Ben and Janet (Herget) Hyneman of Jonesboro recently committed to $50,000 to the campaign. Ben is the chairman of Southern Pioneer Insurance Co. and of Hyneman and Associates Inc. He’s a former member and past chair of the UA Board of Trustees. He was appointed to the board in 2008 and served until 2018.

Janet has served on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the University Libraries since its inception in 2020. She’s a former board member of the Jonesboro chapter of the Arkansas Alumni Association.

A group of alumni who are former UA student leaders recently established the Associated Student Government Land of Opportunity Scholarship with a $25,000 gift. Funded by former ASG officers, most contributions come from former presidents. Contributor Gene McKissic was the UA’s first Black student body president. Other contributors included former ASG presidents Michael Dodd, Carter Ford and Nate Looney.

In addition to the scholarship campaign, Springdale-based meat producer Tyson Foods Inc. gave $100,000 to support transfer students pursuing poultry science degrees through the UA’s 3+1 Poultry Science Transfer Program, allowing students to complete their senior year at the UA after three years at partner institutions.

Also, the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the UA received $50,000 from alumnus Joe Hays and Patricia Hays to support the Student Business Incubator through the college’s Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The gift will help strengthen a program built to give student entrepreneurs the tools and momentum to test ideas, build businesses and gain experience before they graduate. Joe is a 2002 recipient of the Entrepreneur of the Year by the Walton College.