Arkansas Alumni Association Honors the Class of 2018 Seniors of Significance

Group photo of seniors of significance 2018

The Arkansas Alumni Association honored its fourth class of Seniors of Significance during a reception at the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House on Dec. 1. A total of 71 graduating seniors, commemorating the university's founding date of 1871, were recognized. During the reception, the Seniors of Significance received a special gold honor cord to wear during graduation.

The 71 students were selected from more than 600 nominations and represent each University of Arkansas undergraduate academic college. These Seniors of Significance were selected based on their academic achievements, leadership skills and extracurricular campus and/or community activities.

Industrial Engineering Seniors of Significance

Photo of Rachel HolmerRachel Holmer is an industrial engineering student with a Spanish minor she completed while studying abroad in Madrid, Spain the summer after her first year. She is currently serving as vice president for Alpha Pi Mu, the industrial engineering honor society. While at the university, Rachel has worked with the Engineering Student Council, Alpha Pi Mu, and Tau Beta Pi. Besides her coursework, Rachel has been involved in research all four years of college, contributing to several different projects. Through her involvement in research, she has been able to travel to exciting places to present research at conferences, from Anaheim, CA to Delhi, India. In April 2017, she received the Undergraduate Research Award, awarded to one student in the department by faculty vote for contributions to departmental research efforts. To fund her senior thesis, Rachel was awarded a State Undergraduate Research Fellowship. She is working to build a predictive model for HPV infection risk in young adult females. In May of 2017, she received the UPS Scholarship for Minority Students, a nationally competitive scholarship awarded by the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers. The past two summers Rachel has interned with the Walmart Logistics Engineering team in Fort Worth, TX and New Braunfels, TX. Rachel makes it a priority to volunteer weekly for Potter’s House Academy, a community program aimed at improving K-12 students’ performance in school through authentic relationships and tutoring. On being chosen as a Senior of Significance, Rachel commented, “It is an incredible honor to be recognized as a Senior of Significance. My four years at the University of Arkansas have shaped how I see myself, the world, and those around me. I cannot imagine a better community for students to come to learn and grow as individuals. I can only hope the impact of my contributions come close to the impact the university has had on me.”

Photo of Grace McGeeGrace McGee is an industrial engineering student minoring in finance and is proud to be a Razorback. She was quick to get involved on campus as a first-year student, becoming a member of the Chi Omega Fraternity, joining The Wells Project RSO, and participating in undergraduate engineering research, ending the year with the Outstanding First-Year Student Award from the First-Year Engineering Program. Grace spent the following summer serving as a R.O.C.K. Camp Mentor in Ponca, Arkansas for extended first-year student orientation which she credits as one of her most valuable experiences at the University.  Determined to be involved within the College of Engineering, Grace became the Vice President of the industrial engineering honor society Alpha Pi Mu, the University Relations Coordinator of Society of Women Engineers, and a Peer Mentor for the First-Year Engineering Program. Her campus and community involvement continued as she served as the Community Service Director and later Sustainability Chair for Chi Omega, the Campus Relations Chairman for The Wells Project, a Visual Director Volunteer for the Production Team at New Life Church Fayetteville, and an Honors College Student Ambassador. As a senior, she is the current Alpha Pi Mu President, a member of the Honors College Advisory Council Service Committee, the Product Development Manager of Society of Women Engineers, and a Student Engagement Coordinator for the Volunteer Action Center. Off campus, Grace enjoys volunteering weekly at The Salvation Army as a meal server where she feels a part of the Fayetteville community. During the summer months, Grace has been fortunate enough to work for John Deere as a Reliability Engineer (2016) and for Cummins as a Supplier Quality Improvement Engineer (2017) and participate in a study abroad program to Cape Town, South Africa (2017). After graduating in May 2018, Grace will complete another internship with Cummins as a Project Engineer. The following fall semester, Grace will be working for a nonprofit in Galway, Ireland before continuing in her engineering career in early 2019 as a proud alumna of the Department of Industrial Engineering. After learning of her selection as a Senior of Significance, Grace remarked, “It is an honor to be learning from the faculty, staff, and students who make up this campus and an honor to add to the history of this University. Over the past four years, I have been surrounded by Razorbacks who have challenged me to think deeply, work diligently, cheer wildly, and live passionately. I will forever be grateful for my time at the University of Arkansas.”

The full Newswire story can be found here.

 

January 17, 2018