The 2024 Alumni Award recipients are, above from left: Nackaman Williams and Curtis Ivery. Bottom: Judd Seminson, Jennifer Ash, Jordan Glenn.
The College of Education and Health Professions will name the 2024 Alumni Award recipients and recognize them at an evening gala on March 8th.
The winners are Nackaman Williams, Curtis L. Ivery, Judd Seminson, Jennifer Ash, and Jordan Glenn.
Dean Kate Mamiseishvili said: “These five graduates represent some of the brightest talent in the fields of education and health, and I can't wait to highlight their outstanding careers.” “Each is making a big difference through innovative thinking and creativity, leading by example, and transforming lives with genuine care.”
Distinguished Service Award
nackaman williams He is the Director of Special Projects for the Walton Family Foundation (WFF), where he oversees major grants and other funding organizations and serves as a senior advisor in the Office of the Executive Director. Williams currently serves on the boards of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, Arkansas Food Systems, Camp War Eagle, the Arvest Foundation, and the Fayetteville University Campus Foundation. He is the only member of the Spring Creek Food Hub and he is also a member of the staff of the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation.
Mr. Williams has been with WFF since December 1996. He has held several higher education positions, including Director of the PK Young School of Developmental Research at the University of Florida and Associate Dean and Director of Minority Education Services at the University of Florida College of Education. A. He served on the Arkansas State Board of Education for seven years, two of which he served as chairman. He also served on the Southern Regional School Board, where he served a four-year term, and on the Arkansas Charter School Advisory Board, where he served a five-year term. Williams earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from Ouachita Baptist University and his doctorate in education specialist and educational administration from the University of Washington.
Williams has received numerous awards over the years, including the Martin Luther King Jr. Faculty Award and the Martin Luther King Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award. He is also a member of the Arkansas Charter School Hall of Fame. Williams is a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. He is married to Angela Seawood Williams, and they have two adult sons, Nackaman Williams II and Nathan Williams, and three grandchildren.
Excellence in Career Award in Education
Curtis L. IveryPresident of the Wayne County Community College District (WCCCD), he is a national thought leader, educator, columnist, author, scholar, and equity advocate. Under his leadership, he transformed WCCCD into the state's largest urban multi-campus community college district.
Ivery brings together key leaders from academia, community, business, and government in a series of national roundtables and conferences to develop strategies to expand educational equity and economic mobility locally and nationally. I'm here. He has been an invited signatory on numerous U.S. Supreme Court amicus briefs focused on education and economic equity, and led the creation of the university's Urban Summit Series. Prior to becoming president of WCCCD, he served as vice president for instruction and acting provost at the Mountain View College of the Dallas County Community College District, serving more than 85,000 students. He also served as Secretary and CEO of the Arkansas Department of Human Services, managing more than 3,000 employees and an annual budget of more than $1 billion. He was the first African American and the youngest person to be appointed to the Governor's Cabinet of Arkansas.
Ivery has received numerous awards throughout his career, including being named the inaugural CEO of the Year by the American Association of Community Colleges in 2022 and Michiganian of the Year by the American Association of Community Colleges. detroit news Ivery has written nearly 20 books and contributed numerous articles for publication.
Excellence in Career Award in the Health Field
judd seminson He brings more than 24 years of significant medical experience to his role as chief executive officer of a community clinic that is the linchpin of primary care and community connections in northwest Arkansas. From her beginnings as a registered nurse to her career evolution as an advanced practice nurse specializing in family practice, Seminson's leadership is deeply rooted in a rich clinical background that combines empathy and strategic vision. I am.
A native of Arkansas, Seminson earned a bachelor's degree in nursing from U of A and a master's degree in nursing from the University of Cincinnati. Complementing her clinical expertise, Western earned a master's degree in business administration with a concentration in healthcare management from Governors University.
Prior to running the community clinic as CEO, Seminson led an orthopedic and sports medicine practice with an emphasis on operational and strategic growth. His return to the community clinic in 2018 marked the beginning of a transformational journey. Initially he assumed the role of Associate Medical Director in 2019, and in January 2020 he assumed the important position of CEO.
Despite severe environmental challenges, Mr. Seminson's leadership has propelled the community clinic toward operational growth and expanded service offerings.
Seminson oversees a dynamic leadership team committed to transforming the community clinic into an organization that provides excellent, accessible, and comprehensive care. At the heart of this mission is a commitment to patient-centered services, embodying Seminson's vision for innovative and accessible health care.
Emerging Leaders in Education Award
jennifer ash Director of the National Center for Rural Education Research Network (NCRERN) at Harvard University's Center for Education Policy Research (CEPR). In her role as NCRERN director, she strives to ensure rural school districts fulfill the center's mission of leveraging data and evidence to improve student outcomes.
Prior to joining CEPR, he worked as an education researcher at Abt Associates, where he held leadership roles in research into programs designed to promote college admissions and success. Previously, she served as Managing Director of the Office of Educational Policy at the U of A, where she managed the production of research reports, policy briefs, and blog posts on educational policy issues in Arkansas.
While at the University of Arkansas, she held several positions focused on rural education, including leading research for the El Dorado, Arkansas-based University Scholarship Program and serving on the Arkansas Teachers Selection Committee. I participated in the project. Ash is a former middle school language arts teacher and earned her Ph.D. She holds a doctorate in education policy from the Department of Educational Reform.
Emerging Leaders in Health Award
After receiving his Ph.D. at University A.Jordan Glenn He was an assistant professor at Louisiana Tech University. From there, he began his career in health tech, joining Omada Health and leveraging his expertise in exercise, nutrition, and aging to focus on improving conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Ta.
As Neurotrack's chief scientific officer, he is currently focused directly on Alzheimer's disease, working to improve the way health systems handle the assessment and subsequent intervention of people at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. .
At Neurotrack, Glenn leads the scientific pipeline and provides input on the company's products, business development and partnership strategy. He is the author of over 90 scientific publications and the principal investigator of his DC-MARVEL project, the first study to investigate the impact of fully remote digital health coaching on the risk of Alzheimer's disease. .
About the College of Education and Health Professions: The six academic departments in the College of Education and Health Professions prepare students for a variety of careers in education and health professions. In addition to its longstanding role of preparing educators and educational leaders, the university also trains nurses, speech-language pathologists, public health professionals, recreation and sports professionals, counselors, occupational therapists, athletic trainers, and exercise scientists. I am training.
