Bill Seay visits Honors College

Bill Seay, Southern State College ('60) in Nelson Hall

The Honors College was graced by a visit by SSC (now SAU) grad Bill Seay: he graduated in 1960. He came to Magnolia from Lake Hamilton High School. He earned his PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison under Harry Harlow. From Wisconsin he went to LSU where he worked 40 years until his retirement.

I first crossed paths with him at LSU where I graduated with my PhD in 1978. Interestingly, from there I too went to Wisconsin but to Milwaukee, not Madison. From Milwaukee I came to SAU in 1980 and have been here since. I still have a few years to go before I make my 40 years here, God willing.

Another similarity between us is that Seay was the first Dean of the LSU Honors College. Here I am the second director of the SAU Honors College.

Seay was in town on family business and we arranged for a short visit. We ate at the Caf and then walked over to the Honors Office and Lounge in Nelson Hall. We spent a lot of time talking about how much had changed at SAU while how much had remained the same.

Seay's high school graduation class numbered 27 students. He speculated that had he attended LSU or Arkansas back then he would not have had the same career. He spoke of the hours he had spent in Calvin Wetzig's office trying to conquer the mysteries of calculus. There is a similarity between then and now. SAU faculty still spend much time face-to-face with their students. At another school (both then and now) students might be lucky to see a grad assistant instead.

Seay said SSC prepared him for the rigors of the University of Wisconsin. The time he spent here polished him sufficiently enough to succeed at one of the top (then and now) psychology graduate programs in the world.

I noted that SAU was still fulfilling the same role but that time had taken us from high school classes of 27 to classes of 600. It has also taken us from students who knew little beyond their immediate environment to students who were now world wide travelers, on the virtual web at least. Still, SAU and the Honors College continue to serve as a gentle incubator to our students preparing them for the wider world beyond.

I showed Seay the PhotoShopped picture of last year's graduating class (we had to resort to such trickery because of rain; students graduated in two separate ceremonies). He asked what those graduates were doing now. All of them, I told him, were either in graduate school, professional school, or taking the first steps in their chosen careers.

We had had a good visit. I was nice to connect again. I'm sure the same kind of meetings will be taking place between Honors College graduates in the future. I hope they remember how they were when they first showed up at our gates and how much being at SAU helped them become what they became.

Taylor Mills awarded an REU at North Carolina State University

Taylor Mills

Congratulations are in order for SAU Honors College student Taylor Mills. She has been awarded an NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) grant from North Carolina State University's Summer Research Experience in Integrative Molecular Plant Systems.

The grant provides the following benefits:

Stipend: A stipend of $5000 from May 26-Aug 1, for 40 hours of research per week as well as your participation in other activities.

Room: Covers the cost of on-campus housing if you choose to stay in the provided campus apartments (highly recommended).

Board: Students will receive $100 per week to help defray meal expenses.

Travel Expenses:

We will book and pay for your flight if you choose to fly to NC State University (for out-of-state participants). You will be responsible for other travel costs including baggage fees and transportation to/from airport.

Way to go Taylor

2013 Honors Poster: Honors 2 + 2

For its 2013-14 poster the SAU Honors College chose to highlight its Honors 2 + 2 program which seeks to create articulation pathways between nearby two-year colleges and SAU. Thus far SAU Tech and the College of the Ouachitas have signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs). Soon, we hope to ink more MOUs with Cossatot Community College and South Arkansas Community College. Each school will have its own Honors Program with an equivalent first course, Honors Seminar. That course will provide all honors students with the same introduction to honors while also teaching them how to study and manage their time.

The Honors 2 + 2 program will allow junior level transfer students to join the SAU Honors College and to transfer their honors hours earned at their two-year colleges.

Taylor McNeel visits South Africa

 

 Taylor McNeel poses with two South Africans while visiting their farm

(Thanks to the generosity of a donor, Taylor and many other students had the opportunity to travel to further their education. The Honors College appreciates the efforts of Jeanie Bismark, Josh Kee, and everyone else at the SAU Foundation. Without them this educational experience would have been impossible-Ed K.)

Last June, I was elected as the 2013-2014 Arkansas FFA State President that gave me the opportunity to travel to South Africa for ten days in January with 74 other State FFA Officers from around the United States.  Before the trip I believed that South Africa lacked modern technology, that belief was shattered during my visit; South Africa is a very modern country, much like America.  

We visited many farms and other agricultural sectors.   The farms included a 10,000 head crocodile farm, where these massive animals were raised solely for their hide – which runs about seven dollars per square centimeter.  The largest farm was a 42,000 acre row crop farm owned by a first generation farmer.  Also on our agenda was a visit to Senwes, an agricultural company that provides co-ops, insurance, accounting, farm equipment, seeds, and logistics. Other places we visited included a dairy, a cattle ranch, vegetable farms, a market, a 25,000 cattle feedlot, grain silos, packaging and processing facilities, and a private game lodge.  Everywhere we went, the people were so hospitable, welcoming us into their homes, feeding us, and sharing their experiences. We learned some of the issues facing South African farmers, including the lack of suitable agricultural land and water scarcity. The entire county has only seven lakes.

We were also exposed to the economic and social issues.  The unemployment rate in South Africa is around 22% with a huge gap between the rich and poor.  This really hit home when we visited a ‘shanty town’ – small, one-room homes lacking plumbing, water, and electricity with poverty and an unemployment rate in these areas of 80%.  Traveling abroad has encouraged me to understand better our world and to learn how other cultures vary from ours. Travel taught me things that will help me later when I look to a career in agriculture.