Photo: The management team for Duffield Gravel Company includes (from left) David Duffield, Luke Duffield, Matt Duffield and Peyton Duffield.

Duffield Gravel Company of Russellville, which has partnered with ����vlog���� on the new Wilson Athletic Complex as well as other recent facility projects, will receive the University’s 2024 Community Champion Award.

The award will be presented during the Ozarks Awards Ceremony, scheduled for Friday, Oct. 18, as part of the University’s Homecoming 2024 ceremonies.

The Community Champion Award was created in 2019 and is given to an individual or company that has worked “cohesively with ����vlog���� to move the University and community forward together.” The recipient is selected by the University administration.

Duffield Gravel Company was founded by Ronnie Duffield in 1971 with one location and four employees. Fifty-four years later it has grown into the third generation of Duffields with six quarries and 65 employees in five counties.  In addition to the quarry operations, Luke and David Duffield own and operate Blackstone Construction, a heavy highway asphalt paving company with plants in Russellville, Plumerville and Mena, as well as utilities division and Mobley Concrete Company with ready mix plants in Russellville, Dardanelle, Morrilton, Searcy, Newport and Harrisburg.

Matt Duffield owns and operates Big River Materials, a sand and topsoil operation in Russellville. Peyton Duffield has recently rejoined the company after obtaining a civil engineering degree from University of Alabama and Eleanor Duffield could join the team after graduation from the University of Arkansas School of Law.

The company has partnered with the University on numerous University facility projects, including the Wilson Athletic Complex, the strength and conditioning center, and parking and roadways near the athletic facilities. In addition, the company has donated numerous hours and equipment to the University on these and other projects.

The connection between the Duffield family and ����vlog���� goes back to 1958 when Ronnie Duffield came to the college on a basketball scholarship. Although he didn’t stay, the college made an impact on him. In the late 1980s, his nephew, Roger Kendrick, led U of O to the NAIA national men’s basketball tournament and became the first family member to graduate from the University.

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The J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation of Tulsa, Okla., has made a $1.5 million gift to ����vlog���� to create an endowed scholarship fund for students.

The gift was made in conjunction with the Mabee Foundation’s 75^th anniversary. The scholarship will support full-time students who come from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Missouri or Kansas and who have a minimum 3.0 grade point average.  

The Mabee Foundation has supported U of O since the 1950s when it provided funds for the University’s Mabee Gymnasium. The foundation has also supported the University’s Mabee Administration Building, Mabee Residence Hall and Wilson Science Center.

“We are extremely grateful to the Mabee Foundation for investing in the success of Ozarks students through the creation of the J.E. and L.E. Mabee Endowed Scholarship Fund,” said University President Richard Dunsworth. “For more than 60 years, the Mabee Foundation has blessed this University through an impressive legacy of philanthropy and collaboration and this scholarship is another testament of the foundation’s desire to enrich the lives of others. ����vlog���� has a proud and rich history of serving disadvantaged and first generation college students and scholarships like these allow us to continue our mission of preparing students who come from diverse economic backgrounds. The Mabee scholarship endowment will help remove financial barriers for students, facilitate on-time graduation, and assist in reducing student debt burden.”

The scholarships will be worth at least $10,000 annually and will be awarded to as many as seven students “who demonstrate the characteristics associated with John and Lottie Mabee, such as a strong work ethic, volunteerism, generosity, integrity, honesty, humility and charity.”

The Mabee Foundation was formed in 1948 by Missouri natives and Oklahoma residents John and Lottie Mabee. John, who did not complete high school, and Lottie were hard workers, innovative entrepreneurs and shrewd investors. Starting with nothing, they built an impressive business and were gracious and generous as they shared their financial blessings with others through various forms of philanthropy. John and Lottie, who had no children, formed the Foundation in 1948 and ultimately both left the bulk of their estates to the Foundation.

Since its formation in 1948, the Mabee Foundation has made grants totaling over $1.5 billion. Limited to capital expenditures and the purchase of major medical equipment, the Mabee Foundation exclusively funds projects located in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas.

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����vlog���� has received a grant for $28,000 for a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system to support faculty and student involvement in research.

The grant was made possible by the Arkansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program and the National Institutes of Health National Institute of General Medical Sciences. The award is part of a consortium agreement between U of O and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

The lead professors on the proposal included Dr. Derek Warren, assistant professor of biology; Dr. Christie L. Sampson, assistant professor of biology; and Dr. Befrika S. Murdianti, associate professor of chemistry.

Warren said the liquid chromatography system will provide the University with access to similar resources of a much larger research institution. He said the equipment is a basic tool for many research areas in cell physiology and chemistry as well as basic metabolomics, and will fit in nicely in the University’s new Wilson Science Center, which opened last year.

“We are excited for the addition of a state of the art HPLC-UV system to the new Wilson Science Center,” Warren said. “Overall, the goal is to enhance our students’ competitiveness for graduate/professional programs and jobs post-graduation by improving access to on-campus research opportunities. Currently, we have plans to use the system in student research projects in the biology, chemistry, and heath science projects such as assessing microplastics contamination in aquatic ecosystems around Arkansas and characterizing how diet and environment alter gut microflora fermentation. The versatile system will be a great addition to Ozarks’ science programs and will be used by our students and faculty for years to come.”

Warren said the HPLC system will allow U of O students to learn such research skills as “amino acid analysis, fatty acid extraction and profiling, and quantification of basic metabolites and environmental toxins.”

Sampson’s research interests include quantifying the spread and potential threat of microplastics in freshwater aquatic food webs.

“Chromatography plays a critical and diverse role in the study of microplastics,” Sampson said. “Allowing students access to the HPLC will help prepare those interested in the growing field of microplastic research. I plan to provide research opportunities to students replicating the studies I am conducting in northern Canada here in Arkansas, particularly microplastic sorption studies analyzing organic contaminant concentrations.”

The Arkansas INBRE is funded by a grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences under the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Program of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The IDeA program was established for the purpose of broadening the geographic distribution of NIH funding for biomedical and behavioral research. Currently NIGMS supports INBRE programs in 23 states and Puerto Rico.

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Photo: The management team for Horn and Son Construction includes (from left) Chris Smith, property manager; Amie Hughes, office manager; Kenny Colvin, job superintendent; and owners Brianna and Travis Horn.

Horn and Son Construction of Clarksville, which has partnered with ����vlog���� on several recent facility projects, will receive the University’s 2022 Community Champion Award.

The award will be presented during the Ozarks Awards Ceremony, scheduled for Friday, Oct. 21, as a part of the University’s Homecoming 2022 ceremonies.

The Community Champion Award was created in 2019 and is given to an individual or company that has worked “cohesively with ����vlog���� to move the University and community forward together.” The recipient is selected by the University administration.

Horn and Son Construction was established in 2001 by the late Jack Horn and his son, Travis, and is owned today by Travis and Brianna Horn. 

The company has partnered with the University on numerous University facility projects, including the strength and conditioning center, renovations of the athletic offices and the current construction of a downtown restaurant and tap room project. The company has also donated numerous hours and equipment to the University on these and other projects.

Horn and Son Construction is also a corporate sponsor in the Aerie Club, the University’s athletic booster club.

“We enjoy our partnership with the University and are proud to be a part of its growth and progress,” Travis Horn said. “The University is a great asset to this community and has had a tremendous impact in both Clarksville and Johnson County in recent years. We’re happy to help in any way we can and we’re truly honored to receive this award.”

Both Travis and Brianna are life-long residents of Lamar.  A graduate of Arkansas Tech and a former football standout for the Wonder Boys, Travis serves as president of the Clarksville Rotary Club, is a volunteer firefighter in Johnson County, and previously served on the Lamar School Board. Brianna volunteers with the Lamar athletic program. The Horns have two children, daughter Taylor (16) and son Levi (15).

The management team for Horn and Son Construction also includes Kenny Colvin, job superintendent; Amie Hughes, office manager; and Chris Smith, property manager.

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����vlog���� has received a $5.3 million gift from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation for its new science center project.

The gift will go toward the current $18.6 million renovation and addition to the Thomas and Frances Wilson Science Center, the single largest capital construction project in University history. Construction began on the facility in January and is expected to be completed for the beginning of classes in January 2022.

“This project will meet the demands of record student enrollments, improve aging classrooms and laboratories, enhance community partnerships through technology and research, and advance the career opportunities of graduates in our area while keeping student costs down,” said University President Richard Dunsworth, J.D. “The Wilson Science Center will enable students from varying economic and educational backgrounds to connect and learn through top quality science programs and exceptional facilities. We are so thankful for the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation’s support and investment in the lives of students and for continuing the transformational legacy of Sam and Helen Walton at ����vlog����.”

The science center project includes a complete renovation of the existing 29,000-square-foot facility, which was built in 1969, as well as an 18,000-square-foot addition on the west side.

The Walton gift is part of the University’s Climb Higher Campaign, that concluded earlier this month. The most ambitious and successful fund-raising campaign in the University’s 185-year history raised a total of $73.2 million for student scholarships, academic programs and campus facilities. 

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����vlog���� will receive a nearly $1 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to establish a program that will support pastors of rural and minority-serving Presbyterian Churches throughout Arkansas.

The grant is part of Lilly Endowment’s Thriving in Ministry, an initiative that supports a variety of religious organizations across the nation as they create or strengthen programs that help pastors build relationships with experienced clergy who can serve as mentors and guide them through key leadership challenges in congregational ministry. 

The $997,322 grant will help the University establish the Arkansas Presbytery Thriving in Ministry Consortium program on campus. The program’s purpose is to “help pastors thrive in congregational leadership and thus enhance the vitality of the congregation they serve.” 

The program will be launched during the summer of 2021 and will be designed to assist and support rural pastors in areas such as launching new churches, serving communities of color, and serving small membership churches. The funding includes a new program director position who will serve as the “pastor to the pastors.”

University President Richard Dunsworth said the Thriving in Ministry program is a natural fit for the University, which has been affiliated with the Presbyterian Church since its establishment in 1834 in Cane Hill, Arkansas.

“Today, ����vlog���� is in a position of responsibility and obligation of Christian service to step into this place of need within the Presbytery and provide a leadership role back to the Presbytery that will build bridges and foster pastoral development,” Dunsworth said. “This program is designed to support leadership and change-management programs to enable pastors to learn how to develop their own personal leadership and networking skills.”

Dunsworth said the new program stems from a planning grant that Lilly Endowment made to ����vlog���� earlier this year through Lilly Endowment’s Thriving in Ministry initiative. Thriving in Ministry is part of Lilly Endowment’s grantmaking to strengthen pastoral leadership in Christian congregations in the United States.

The planning grant led to a series of focus groups conducted by the University this past summer with pastors from around the state.

“Pastors serving rural congregations and minority communities describe an almost unfathomable set of demands on their time, intellect and faith,” Dunsworth said. “The amazingly talented and committed women and men who occupy the pulpits of our rural and minority-serving churches are under-resourced, tired and in need of personal and professional support. With a Thriving in Ministry grant, together, we will create a supportive foundation and network to renew the faith of pastors, and ultimately strengthen the congregations that ����vlog���� owes so much.”

Dunsworth said University’s long relationship with the Presbyterian Church and programs such as the University’s Struthers Pastoral Study Leave Program places the University in a strong position to provide a leadership role in this initiative.

The Struthers Pastoral Study Leave was established at U of O in 2005 by the late Rev. Dr. James R. Struthers of Stillwater, Okla., a long-time member of the University’s Board of Trustees. The program has brought more than 30 Presbyterian pastors to the U of O campus for personal and professional development in the past 15 years.

“We believe we are uniquely positioned to establish a Thriving in Ministry program and support these pastors,” Dunsworth said. “We have the experience and the confidence of pastors to create space for them to explore their gifts, develop new meaningful relationships and learn to manage competing demands on their increasingly scare time.”

Dunsworth said the University will begin the search for a program director in January.

Lilly Endowment is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly & Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, the Endowment is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion. The Endowment maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and its home state, Indiana. Its grantmaking in religion focuses on supporting efforts to strengthen the leadership and vitality of Christian congregations throughout the country and to increase the public’s understanding of the role of religion in public life.

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����vlog���� has received a $500,000 grant from the Sunderland Foundation of Overland Park, Kan., for the University’s new science center project.

The gift is part of the University’s Climb Higher Campaign that recently surpassed the $68 million mark, significantly exceeding the campaign’s initial goal of $55 million. The campaign will conclude on April 14, 2021.

The Sunderland gift will go toward an $18.6 million renovation and addition to the University’s science center. The University has raised $17.5 million for the project to date.

“We are honored to have a new partnership with the Sunderland Foundation,” said Lori McBee, vice president for advancement and alumni engagement. “This investment will develop the careers of students from diverse economic and educational backgrounds, improve the environmental and health demands of society, enhance community partnerships through technology and research, and advance the career opportunities of graduates in Arkansas while keeping student costs down.  It’s exciting to move forward with them.”

The science center project will add 18,000 square feet to the current facility for the University’s natural and health science programs, including biology, environmental sciences, chemistry, health sciences, physics and psychology. The complete renovation to the existing building, which was built in 1969, will include state-of-art classrooms and laboratories as well as new dedicated research areas.

Construction is expected to begin in the spring on what will be the single largest capital construction project in the University’s 186-year history.

The Sunderland Foundation was established in 1945 by Lester T. Sunderland, who served as President of the Ash Grove Cement Company for 33 years as a highly respected leader in the cement industry. Since its inception, the Foundation, which continues to be led by Lester T. Sunderland’s descendants, has focused on supporting construction projects, awarding grants to nonprofits in the Kansas City region and other markets traditionally served by the Ash Grove Cement Company.  Grants are awarded in western Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Arkansas, western Iowa, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Utah and Montana.

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Niece was president of Ozarks for 16 years – from 1997 to 2013 – and served as a director on the Bentonville, Arkansas-based Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation (WFCSF) from 1997 to 2019. Niece and his wife, Sherée, are retired and living in Hot Springs Village.

In its December board meeting, the foundation approved the gift to the University to honor Niece’s 22 years of service to the foundation and to “preserve the lasting impact that he has made for hundreds of students from the U.S. and around the world.”

A majority of the gift – $500,000 – will go into the Dr. Rick and Sherée Niece Endowment for Student Enrichment fund, which provides competitive grants to students in support of their research, creative projects, and professional preparation through internships and study abroad. The remaining $25,000 will be invested in the Lewis H. and Dortha J. Geyer Niece Scholarship Endowment Fund, named in honor of Niece’s parents and provided for students majoring in performing arts and communications.

Jim Walton, past chairman of the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation, said, “Dr. Niece’s vision, generosity and sense of service made a lasting impact for the University, our state and the field of education, as well as for our family. He and my mother, Helen Walton, worked closely and shared a commitment to creating access to opportunity through education for students in Arkansas and across the world.”

Under Niece’s leadership, the private, Presbyterian-affiliated University saw student enrollment increase by 20 percent, the endowment grow by more than 200 percent, and the number of full-time faculty increase from 28 to 48. The University also raised nearly $150 million during Niece’s tenure and added several new facilities, including four apartment-style residence halls, the Walker Hall teacher education and communications center, the Rogers Conference Center and the Mabee Student Fitness Center.

Niece was named president emeritus by the University in 2013.

“We are excited and humbled that the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation would choose to honor Dr. Niece’s service in this special way,” said Ozarks President Richard Dunsworth. “He and Sherée certainly left an indelible mark on Ozarks through their work, and these gifts to the endowments they established will build on their efforts to change students’ lives for generations to come.”

Niece, who was vice president of the WFCSF for several years, said it was an honor to serve on the board of a foundation whose mission includes the support of higher education.

“I have served on a number of boards during my lifetime, and the 22 years as a member and vice president of the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation were the most memorable and rewarding,” Niece said. “The foundation’s generosity has done so much for so many. I am especially proud of our generous gifts to several Arkansas universities for academic programs and student needs.”

The Nieces established three endowed programs at Ozarks, including the two endowments that will benefit from the Walton gift.

“Sherée and I are eternally grateful to the Walton family and the foundation for touching our lives, once again, in such a moving and significant manner,” Niece said. “Our association with the Waltons is an honor beyond compare.”

The foundation was established by the family of Walmart founder Sam Walton and his wife, Helen Walton, who had a 50-year association with Ozarks. That connection started in 1956 when she sent her son, Rob, to a Presbyterian Church summer camp that was being held on campus. Helen Walton was first elected to the University’s Board of Trustees in 1975 and was elected honorary lifetime chair of the board in 1985.

Helen Walton spoke of her long-time connection with Ozarks during a campus talk in the late 1990s.

“Forty years ago when I brought my son Rob down here to go to camp, I was amazed at the friendliness of the faculty who were greeting everybody and the students who were there to help in any way they could to get us settled into places,” she said. “There was something about this campus that simply caught me. At the time, I said to myself, ‘There’s something about it. It’s a very special place.’ I think part of that was that I knew it was a place where so many young people were going to get an education they probably would never have received had they not come here.

“Then I learned that it was a mission school for the Presbyterian Church. Maybe that was part of what made it so special. There was that sense of mission, that sense of helping those who really needed help. This school has always played an important role in advancing the Church’s emphasis on education and personal enlightenment. It holds a special place in my heart because of its work to build the character of, and improve the quality of life, for many young people.”

Niece gave the eulogy at Helen Walton’s funeral in 2007.

“Mrs. Walton was an amazing woman and about as common a lady as you’ll ever meet,” Niece said in his eulogy. “I feel sadness now, but knowing that her influence will continue to touch generation after generation of students is a good feeling.”

Niece was named the University’s 24th president in July of 1997. Only former presidents F.R. Earle (1858-1891) and Dr. Wiley Lin Hurie (1923-1949) served longer tenures than Niece in the University’s 186-year history.

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