The University of Arkansas[1] recently received more than $175,000 to establish an endowed scholarship and support various campus initiatives.
The Women’s Giving Circle[2] at the University of Arkansas has awarded $125,000 through its 2025 Voting Day on Sept. 12 to support nine projects and invest in its Women’s Giving Circle Land of Opportunity Scholarship Endowment.
For more than two decades, the Women’s Giving Circle has provided more than $2 million in grants to support over 170 campus and community initiatives. This is the 23rd year of funding for the Women’s Giving Circle, which has “a mission to advance scholarship and research, strengthen the well-being of women and children, and foster outreach across Arkansas,” according to a news release.
“It is an honor and a privilege to serve with a circle of women who are deeply committed to the advancement of U of A programs, research and student experience,” said Charlotte Downs, president of the Women’s Giving Circle. “To be able to celebrate the surpassing of $2 million in grant funding awarded is not only a momentous milestone, but it also exemplifies the magnitude of what this group of philanthropic women can achieve en masse.”
The awards this year support student success, health and wellness, the arts, civic engagement and educational equity across Arkansas. Following are the awards.
- Investigating estrogen as a hormonal regulator of cold-induced secretory activity in beige adipose tissue — $20,000
- Developing a heart-on-a-chip to study cardiovascular disease, biological sex differences, and aging in adults — $20,000
- Women’s health and wellbeing in Arkansas: A multi-platform reporting initiative — $19,800
- Civic education weeks programming — $15,000
- Tools for teaching: equipping future educators with hands-on skills — $14,089
- AAC camp: adventures in communication — $12,004
- Garvan’s outdoor adventure academy — $ 12,000
- UA student chamber music tour — $6,050
- Honoring Arkansas women authors — $5,175
The UA also received a $50,000 gift from Arkansas design firm Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects[3] to establish the Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects Endowed Scholarship in Design Excellence for students in the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design.
In addition to the gift that established the endowed scholarship, Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects also gave $2,000 to allow the scholarship to be given for the 2025-26 academic year. The first recipient, Paige Savoy, is an interior architecture and design student. Her scholarship was announced at the Fay Jones School’s spring student recognition ceremony in April.
“Polk Stanley Wilcox, as an alumni-led practice, is an integral member of the Fay Jones School’s family,” said Peter MacKeith, dean of the school. “Their generosity to our students and to the overall vitality of the school is reflective of the ethos of the firm. Arkansas-centered, nationally recognized, their commitment to the quality of their professional work and the education of Fay Jones School students is an exemplary legacy for our graduates. On behalf of the school, I am deeply grateful to the PSW leadership for this meaningful scholarship for our students.”
The new scholarship emphasizes design excellence, “a hallmark of the firm,” according to a news release. It also allows recipients to work a minimum of one summer in a paid internship at the firm’s offices in Little Rock or Fayetteville.
“It’s an expensive venture to go to school for five years,” said David Porter, principal and CEO of Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects. “We want to be able to focus on students who have need, but also students who are exhibiting those talents to create inspiring and excellent design, and give them the opportunities to get a little extra boost so they never feel like there’s a moment that they can’t pursue their career.”
Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects was founded in 1977 by school alumni Tommy Polk, Joe Stanley and Jeff Shannon. The company’s professional staff includes 42 architects and interior designers, 80% of whom are UA Fay Jones School graduates. The firm’s nine partners are all UA graduates.
The firm designed the recently opened Alice L. Walton School of Medicine in Bentonville. New York-based firm OSD: Office of Strategy + Design designed the school’s surrounding landscape and outdoor spaces, including the rooftop park.
Related
References
- ^ University of Arkansas (www.uark.edu)
- ^ Women’s Giving Circle (womens-giving-circle.uark.edu)
- ^ Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects (www.polkstanleywilcox.com)