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Submitted by: Lesley Graybeal, lgraybeal@uca.edu on 07/21/2026

The Graduate School will hold two commencement ceremonies on Saturday, August 8th at 9am and 12pm in Reynolds Performance Hall, and the university relies on the support of employees across campus to ensure that this event goes smoothly! If you would like to assist with August Commencement ceremonies as a volunteer, please see the information below and sign up here: https://uca.givepulse.com/event/894400

More information about which graduates will attend each ceremony and their ticketing process is available at /commencement/.

Attire for volunteers is business casual (no jeans or athletic wear). Please wear your ÿÈÕ´óÈüÍøÕ¾ name badge if you have one. If you do not have one, a commencement volunteer name tag will be provided for you. Duties include passing out programs, scanning tickets, welcoming visitors, giving directions, assisting with accessible and reserved seating, answering questions, and assisting graduates, faculty and visitors.

Volunteers will need to report to Brewer-Hegeman Conference Center Room 101 to check in at their shift start time, which is 1 hour and 30 minutes before the ceremony. Some volunteers will be dismissed 30 minutes after the start of the ceremony, and others will be asked to stay until the ceremony concludes (expected ceremony time is 1 hour and 30 minutes). Please pay attention to your shift end time when signing up.

ÿÈÕ´óÈüÍøÕ¾ employees may choose to receive Staff Senate volunteer time (reported and tracked through HR leave banks) or flex time, if approved by their supervisor.

Thank you for assisting with this important campus celebration and momentous occasion in the lives of our students! We appreciate you helping ensure that we have a safe and enjoyable event!

For more information, contact Dr. Lesley Graybeal at lgraybeal@uca.edu.

Submitted by: Kristen Oitker, koitker1@uca.edu on 07/20/2026

Kick off the 2026 fall sports season at ÿÈÕ´óÈüÍøÕ¾ Purple Passion on Tuesday, Aug. 4, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the ÿÈÕ´óÈüÍøÕ¾ Outdoor Practice Field.
This free, community-wide celebration features food samples from local restaurants, a community pep rally, and fun for all ages. Meet ÿÈÕ´óÈüÍøÕ¾ student-athletes and coaches, collect autographs on a limited-edition poster, and grab the fall sports schedule.
The evening wraps up with the crowning of the new Tailgate Champion and the awarding of the 2026 Purple Passion Spirit Stick.

Submitted by: Stephanie McBrayer, smcbrayer@uca.edu on 07/20/2026

University of Central Arkansas ( ÿÈÕ´óÈüÍøÕ¾) students and alumnae achieved success at the recent Miss Arkansas scholarship competition, taking home a combined $26,750 in scholarships alongside major titles, interview awards, and preliminary honors. Representing both current undergraduate, graduate, and alumni communities, six ÿÈÕ´óÈüÍøÕ¾ Bears demonstrated excellence across academic, talent, and service categories on the state stage.

Graduate student Jada Simpson (Miss Greater Jacksonville) placed as 4th Runner-Up to Miss Arkansas, securing an $8,000 scholarship. Simpson also swept multiple preliminary phases, capturing the Preliminary Evening Gown and Preliminary Onstage Conversation awards, as well as the Marty Walker Education Professions Interview award, totaling $11,500.

Current Miss ÿÈÕ´óÈüÍøÕ¾, Ana Brandon, earned $6,000 in scholarships. Her vocal talent and communication skills earned her the Fine Arts Professions Interview award, Preliminary Talent award, and Non-Finalist Vocal honors. Brandon was also recognized for her community service with the Service Above Self award.

Two ÿÈÕ´óÈüÍøÕ¾ representatives secured coveted Top 15 placements, each earning $2,000: Gabrielle Russell (Miss Petit Jean Valley), an accounting student, also won the Marketplace Interview for Accounting and the Ebony Mitchell Mentoring Matters award. Riley Strube (Miss Lights of the Delta), a ÿÈÕ´óÈüÍøÕ¾ alumna, added to her Top 15 finish by winning the Claudia Raffo Enhance Arkansas award and the Ebony Mitchell Mentoring Matters award.

Rounding out the university’s exceptional representation, current student Ava Walker (Miss Greater Hot Springs) was voted Miss Congeniality by her peers and received the Service Above Self award. Alumna Tori Kiser (Miss City of Colleges / Miss ÿÈÕ´óÈüÍøÕ¾ 2025) was honored with the Dreamer Award.

The success at the state level underscores ÿÈÕ´óÈüÍøվ’s commitment to fostering strong student leaders who excel in academics, public speaking, performing arts, and community advocacy. The thousands of dollars in scholarship tuition earned by these women will directly support their continuing educational journeys at ÿÈÕ´óÈüÍøÕ¾ and beyond.

 

Submitted by: Shelly Vangsnes, shellyv@uca.edu on 07/15/2026

As you are cleaning out your office or shopping for school supplies, please keep the ÿÈÕ´óÈüÍøÕ¾ Cub Supply Cave in mind. We can accept gently-used 3-ring binders as well as other school supplies such as notebook paper, pens, pencils, highlighters, spiral notebooks, new Scantrons, and new Bluebooks.

We invite you to support this initiative through donations.

Your support will make a meaningful difference in the day-to-day success of our students. Thank you for helping us create a campus environment where all students have the tools they need to thrive.

* More information about the Cub Supply Cave *

This spring, Student Success Services launched a new initiative to support our students, the Cub Supply Cave, for the upcoming fall term. The Cub Supply Cave, located in the Student Success & Veterans Resource Center.

Through our work with students, we have seen firsthand how financial challenges can impact academic performance. For some, the lack of basic school supplies can become an unexpected barrier to success. The Cub Supply Cave is designed to help remove that barrier and empower students to stay focused on their academic goals.

Email shellyv@uca.edu if you have items that need to be picked up from your building or donations may be dropped off at the Student Success and Veterans Resource Center.

 

Submitted by: Trasha Gossett, tgossett@uca.edu on 07/15/2026

Congratulations to Megan Hammond for successfully defending her dissertation, Identity Development in Individuals Receiving an Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Diagnosis in Early Adulthood: A Qualitative Analysis.