The Southern Arkansas University Alumni Association, Inc., will honor nine outstanding SAU alumni during the annual Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 4, 2023.
The Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Dr. Kathleen Mallory (posthumous); Dr. John Cotton and Janet Poppleton will be recognized as the Distinguished Golden Muleriders; Rhonda Rhynes, Joey Baker, Allen Loe, and Eric Cowling will receive the Distinguished Alumni Award; Rickey Burnell and Isaac Woods will be honored as Distinguished Young Alumni.
Tickets may be purchased online at www.saualumni.com/alumnidinner or by calling the Alumni Office at (870) 235-4079. Individual tickets are $20, or a table with eight seats can be purchased for $160.
Dr. Kathleen Mallory – Lifetime Achievement Award (posthumous) Dr. Mallory was one of the first two black students to attend classes at Southern State College while she was teaching at Carver School in Stephens, AR. Dr. Mallory graduated from Philander Smith College in 1955 and earned her master's degree from the University of Arkansas in 1957. While teaching at SSC, she completed a doctoral degree at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.
Dr. Mallory taught in public schools across the region, including Crossett, Camden, and Hope, earning Hope-Hempstead County's Teacher of the Year in 1971. On August 29, 1974, Dr. Mallory became the first black faculty member in the general education program at SSC. As an English professor at SSC and later Southern Arkansas University, she made extraordinary contributions to the University and English curriculum across Arkansas.
After spending over half a century in the classroom, Dr. Kathleen Mallory retired from Southern Arkansas University in 2010. She educated students, invested in their lives, and made an impact on their futures. Looking back at her career, Dr. Mallory said, "I've always been happy to know that my students were successful."
Dr. Mallory was actively involved in community efforts, which included being a charter advocate for the Single Parent Scholarship Fund, Magnolia Housing Commission, SAU Foundation Board of Governors, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. She began the Youth Writing Festival at SAU with the aim to get students more involved in writing and to recognize the outstanding works of students across the region.
Rickey Burnell, '09 '20 (Daphne, AL) – Distinguished Young Alumni Award Rickey Burnell holds two degrees from Southern Arkansas University. Burnell completed his undergrad in computer information systems in 2009 and later returned to complete his master's degree in Supply Chain Management in 2020.
Burnell has held corporate HSSE roles with Murphy USA, Inc., International Paper, and currently serves as an environmental, health, safety, and security manager for Continental Aerospace Technologies in Mobile, AL.
As an Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity member, Burnell has a heart for community service. Rickey co-founded and coached youth football and basketball leagues in Southwest Arkansas to help with at-risk youth in his community in Camden, AR.