UA Little Rock honors 2025 Distinguished Alumni
March 17-23, 2025
By Angelita Faller
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock recognized four distinguished graduates and one honorary alumnus for their professional accomplishments and contributions to the community during the annual Distinguished Alumni Awards Ceremony on Feb. 26 at the Clinton Presidential Center.
UA Little Rock honored Emily Wells, the top graduate of 2024, celebrated Arkansas artist Kevin Kresse as the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year, as well as Libby Smith, the longtime award-winning travel editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, with the Presidents Award.
UA Little Rock also celebrated the addition of two new awards to the program. Summer Khairi, assistant professor and program director at UAMS, received the Young Alumna Award, while Jerry Damerow, co-chair of the Centennial Campaign, received the Honorary Alumnus Award, which recognizes a non-alumnus who has served, promoted, and developed UA Little Rock in the tradition of an alum.
“This year’s alumni honorees are brilliant representatives of our brand,” Chancellor Christina S. Drale said. “They excel in journalism, art, business, and science, and they continue to make a positive impact. In addition to their impressive achievements, each is known for their generosity and kindness. Summer, Libby, Kevin, and Jerry, thank you for the work you do in your communities and your dedication to UA Little Rock. Emily, as our Whitbeck Scholar, you are a shining beacon of our future. Congratulations to our exceptional honorees.”
Emily Wells
Emily Wells received the 2024 Edward L. Whitbeck Memorial Award, recognizing her as UA Little Rock’s top graduate of the year. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communication with a minor in theatre arts.
“With her nearly perfect GPA and numerous awards, Emily Wells certainly has the credentials,” said Dr. Simon Hawkins, director of the Donaghey Scholars Honors Program. “But what truly sets her apart is her ability to get things done—working with others to accomplish great things. Watching her work was impressive. Her maturity and professionalism stand out at every stage. Emily is the full package. She does it all. She is deeply committed to UA Little Rock and the entire community.”
A member of the Donaghey Scholars Honors Program, Wells made her mark as an award-winning reporter and photographer for The Forum, UA Little Rock’s student newspaper. She restarted the Trojan Film Club, served in student government, volunteered for numerous causes, and worked as an office assistant and camp counselor for the School of Literary and Performing Arts.
Since graduation, she has interned with Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families and is building a career in the film industry as an actress and production professional.
“I received support through UA Little Rock through generous scholarships, support from faculty and staff, and through an engaging campus community, despite a pandemic,” Wells said. “Because of the Donaghey Scholars Program, I am debt-free and able to pursue my dreams without worrying about student loans. I will always be grateful for my time at UA Little Rock and everything I learned there. No matter where I go, I will always be a Trojan at heart.”
Kevin Kresse
Kevin Kresse, a 1984 graduate, is a nationally and internationally acclaimed sculptor and painter. He had never taken an art class before attending UA Little Rock, but his talent led to recognition, including the Arkansas Governor’s Individual Artist of the Year Award in 2015 and acknowledgment by the National Endowment for the Arts in 2016. Over the past two decades, he has installed more than 20 public sculptures across Arkansas and beyond.
In 2022, Kresse was selected to sculpt a statue of Johnny Cash for the U.S. Capitol’s National Statuary Hall. He developed the concept and worked on the sculpture at UA Little Rock’s Windgate Center of Art + Design, where visitors could observe the creative process. The statue was installed in September 2024, making Kresse the first Arkansan to achieve this honor.
“I came to UA Little Rock as an energetic but confused seed of potential,” Kresse said. “Fortunately, I found fertile soil with some kind attentive gardeners there who saw something, nurtured it, and believed in me to the point where I could believe in myself that I could do this.”
When space constraints made sculpting the Johnny Cash statue difficult, UA Little Rock once again provided support.
“Tom Clifton and Michael Warrick told me, ‘Take the sculpture studio as long as you need,’” Kresse said. “It was a game changer. It made all the difference in the success of that piece.”
Libby Smith
Libby Smith, best known as the award-winning travel editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, served in that role for more than 22 years. Under her leadership, the newspaper’s travel section was recognized as the best in its circulation category by the Society of American Travel Writers in 2005.
“Libby and I served in the Alumni Association together,” said Bob Denman, emeritus vice chancellor of university advancement. “I remember Libby as a donor, a volunteer, a volunteer leader, and that’s pretty special. Her life was UA Little Rock, this community, and that newspaper.”
Smith earned a double major in history and art history at UA Little Rock, an education she credits with shaping her worldview. As president of the UA Little Rock Alumni Board of Directors in 1999, she helped develop the concept for the Bailey Alumni Center and launched popular alumni travel programs.
“I am humbled to receive this award. I owe so much to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock,” Smith said. “It was because I was able to study what I loved at UA Little Rock that I was able to enjoy the career I had. In the end, I was not too old to go back to college. I was never elected cheerleader at John H. Reagan Junior High or Palestine High School, but I look forward to many years of being a cheerleader for what is now UA Little Rock.”
Summer Khairi
Summer Khairi, a second-generation UA Little Rock graduate, earned her MBA in 2018 while working full-time as a nuclear medicine technologist. She quickly transitioned to teaching, earning a promotion to assistant professor and clinical coordinator at UAMS after just two years as an adjunct instructor.
“I believe the first step in making a difference is showing up,” said Guy Choate, president of the UA Little Rock Alumni Board of Directors. “Every time I show up for this university, Summer is there. She may be receiving the Young Alumni Award today, but she inspires even those of us who have aged out of such categories.”
Khairi’s dedication to service extends beyond her career. She chairs the UA Little Rock Alumni Board’s Scholarship Committee, which awards over $200,000 annually, and has been recognized as a UAMS Phenomenal Woman and a Museum of Discovery SPARKS! Star. She is also an Arkansas Business 20 in Their Twenties honoree and a graduate of Leadership Greater Little Rock.
“I’m deeply grateful to receive the first annual Young Alumni Award. Being part of the UA Little Rock Alumni Board has been a rewarding experience,” Khairi said. “I love being involved in the community and seeing the younger generation grow and become active members of the Little Rock community. That’s what really drives me – helping others reach their potential just as UA Little Rock helped me reach mine.”
Gerald “Jerry” Damerow
Jerry Damerow, a retired managing partner at Ernst & Young, serves as co-chair of UA Little Rock’s Centennial Campaign, which aims to raise $250 million for scholarships, student support, campus improvements, and academic excellence.
“Jerry serves alongside Alfred Williams as the co-chair of the Centennial Campaign for UA Little Rock,” Choate said. “On any given day, you can find Jerry at an on-campus or off-campus event, at a campus sporting event, or any place he is able to advance the cause of UA Little Rock. To date, the Centennial Campaign has raised over $210 million toward its $250 million goal.”
Damerow’s career included international consulting and leadership roles in mergers and acquisitions. He later served as associate director of UAMS BioVentures and is currently CFO of InterveXion Therapeutics, LLC.
“I love UA Little Rock, and I can’t tell you how much this means to me,” Damerow said. “But the person who should really be standing here is my wonderful wife, Sherri. She has given me self-confidence, support, and love for over 50 years. If we don’t build UA Little Rock, who will?”
Damerow and his wife have established the Jerry and Sherri Damerow Endowed Science Scholarship to support students in astronomy, biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, and earth science.
“Why would a guy who didn’t attend UA Little Rock care about UA Little Rock?” said Christian O’Neal, vice chancellor for university advancement. “Because Jerry has adopted this campus as his own. There is no one more deserving of this award.”
Photo cutline:
1. UA Little Rock honored its Distinguished Alumni honorees Feb. 26 at the Clinton Presidential Center. Pictured from left to right are Kevin Kresse, Jerry Damerow, Chancellor Christina Drale, Emily Wells, Libby Smith, Summer Khairi, Kristi Smith, and Guy Choate.
2. UA Little Rock Distinguished Alumni Award honorees and speakers watch a tribute video honoring their accomplishments.
Photo credit:
Photos by Nelson Chenault
