The Arkansas Tech University Board of Trustees recently announced the recipients of the institution’s highest honor. Three alumni, Steve Fryer of Cathedral City, Calif., Andrea Lea of Russellville, and Dr. Andrew Mason of Tokyo, Japan, will be inducted into the ATU Hall of Distinction in 2022. Induction ceremony details will be announced at a later date according to the University.
The Arkansas Tech Hall of Distinction recognizes the accomplishments of ATU alumni and friends in five categories: Distinguished Alumnus/Alumna, Distinguished Alumni Service, Outstanding Young Alumnus/Alumna, Distinction in Intercollegiate Athletics and Distinguished Service (non-alumnus).
Fryer, who graduated from Arkansas Tech in 1978, will be inducted under the ‘Distinguished Alumnus’ category. Fryer is currently President of CX Opportunity, a client relations firm, and previously served as executive director of global guest services for Disney Consumer Products.
Lea, ATU Class of 2004, will be inducted under the ‘Distinguished Alumni Service’ category. Lea is serving her second term as Arkansas State Auditor and leads one of seven statewide, constitutional offices in Arkansas state government. She previously served three terms in the Arkansas General Assembly.
Mason, ATU Class of 2016, will be inducted under the ‘Outstanding Young Alumnus’ category. A graduate of the UAMS with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, Mason is an assistant professor at Tokyo’s Juntendo University School of Medicine, visiting lecturer at Tokyo Medical and Dental University, and visiting lecturer of finance at ATU.
Nominations for the Arkansas Tech Hall of Distinction may be made by any graduate of ATU, any current or former member of the faculty or administration of Tech, any currently enrolled full-time student at Tech or any member of the Hall of Distinction. Nominations may not be made by a family member of the nominee. The nomination deadline is Oct. 1 of each year.
No incumbent member of the Arkansas Tech Board of Trustees, faculty, staff or administration is eligible for nomination for any category of the Hall of Distinction.
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