From Razorback Olympians to distinguished lecturers to the mystery of Planet X, 2016 has been a record breaking year for the University of Arkansas. As the year is coming to an end, we look back on nine memorable moments from 2016 (in no particular order).
1. Record Breaking Year #UARK20
2016 was record-breaking in many ways, including welcoming our largest freshmen class ever to campus! Thanks for a fun semester #UARK20.
2. We went #AllinforArkansas
All in for Arkansas was a fun and fast-paced online fundraising event to celebrate the 145th birthday of the U of A and make a big, big difference by raising $100K in a day.
3. Graduation Records #UARK16
A record number of graduates – more than 4,200 – “walked” during Spring 2016 Commencement ceremonies at the University of Arkansas. More than 1,800 University of Arkansas students graduated this fall.
4. Continued Recognition of the Outstanding Achievements from our Students and Alumni
- Joseph Weishaar, a 2013 graduate of the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, had the winning design out of the 350 submissions to the international competition commissioned by the United States WWI Centennial Commission.
- Engineering Graduate Student Developing Heated Pavement System for Airfield Runways
- UA student’s moss art installations growing around Fayetteville
- Kirsten Blowers, a UARK interior design graduate and owner of the local boutique Riffraff, was named on Forbes’ 30 under 30 list as one of the most promising retail entrepreneurs in the country.
5. Fayetteville’s Recognition #BestCollegeTown
Fayetteville is routinely considered among the nation’s finest college towns, and the surrounding Northwest Arkansas region is regularly ranked one of the best places to live in the U.S., and 2016 was no different.
- Best Affordable Place to Live by U.S. News & World Report
- Best College Town in the SEC by Livability.com
- #3 Best Place to Live in America by U.S. News
- #4 Best College Town by Livability.com
- #5 Best College Town by MSN
- One of the South’s Best College Towns by Southern Living
6. Joseph E. Steinmetz Becomes UARK’s Sixth Chancellor
In 2016, we welcomed a new chancellor to the #UARK campus. Chancellor Joe Steinmetz spent 5 days traveling Arkansas by bus to get to know his new state better, and shared his vision for the University of Arkansas during the investiture ceremony.
7. Celebrating 70 Years of the Fulbright Program #Fulbright70 #IntlHogs
This year we celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Fulbright Program started by our own J. William Fulbright College of Arts & Sciences namesake, Senator J. William Fulbright. “Fulbright, a former U of A president, was inspired by his own study abroad experience and started the program in 1946 while serving Arkansas as U.S. Senator. The Fulbright Program has fostered mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the world through innovative and inclusive educational opportunities.”
In November, the Fulbright Scholars at the University of Arkansas (FSUA) sponsored the Fulbright Friendsgiving Forum in celebration of International Education Week and the 70th Anniversary of Fulbright program.
8. U of A Senior Savvy Shields Crowned Miss America #CrownSavvy
In September, an art major at the University of Arkansas, Savvy Shields, was crowned Miss America 2017! Since winning the crown, she has taken a year off from school to embark on a national speaking tour about her platform, Eat Better, Live Better, and act as the official National Goodwill Ambassador for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
9. Razorback Olympians Win FOUR Medals #Rio2016 #IntlHogs
Eighteen current and former Razorbacks competed in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro this August, bringing home two gold and two silver medals.
Omar McLeod “sprinted to a gold medal time of 13.05 seconds during his Olympic debut” in the 110-meter hurdle competition.
Taylor Ellis-Watson was the “fourth Razorback in program history to win an Olympic gold medal and the first to do so in the 4-x-400 relay.”
“One of the greatest collegiate vaulters in NCAA history, Sandi Morris took her prestige to new heights, earning a silver medal in Rio de Janeiro to cap her Olympic debut in phenomenal fashion.”
Veronica Campbell-Brown, who became the first Razorback women’s Olympic gold medalist in school history at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, added to her medal collection in Rio, winning a “silver medal as part of the Jamaican 4×400-meter relay team, her eighth Olympic medal overall.”
Read the top news stories published by the University of Arkansas during 2016 here.
