by Beth Dedman B.A.’20
March is Women’s History Month and we’re taking the opportunity to spotlight some alumnae that have had an impact on the U of A.
Amber Straughn B.S. ’02
Amber Straughn
Amber Straughn fell in love with the stars above her family’s farm in Bee Branch, Arkansas, sparking the future honors alumna’s interest in astronomy. Straughn earned a Bachelor of Science in physics with high honors from the U of A in 2002 before heading to Arizona State to earn her Master’s in Science and Ph.D. Straughn’s work primarily focuses on NASA’s biggest and most powerful telescope yet, the James Webb Space Telescope.
Straughn has been named the Arkansas Alumni Association’s 2022 Johnson Fellow, and she will visit the Giffels Auditorium in Old Main to present her research and current events at NASA. She will also discuss how her degrees and experiences at the University of Arkansas led her to NASA.
Keep an eye out for more details on her lecture to come!
Learn more about her research.
Cordia Harrington B.S.H.E. ’76
Cordia Harrington
Successful entrepreneur and businessperson Cordia Harrington graduated from the U of A with a bachelor’s degree in 1975 from what is now the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.
Harrington founded The Bakery Cos. in 1996, which now boasts $100 million-plus in revenue, earning her the nickname “the Bun Lady.” She was listed among the top 100 of Forbes’ 2020 America’s Self-Made Women Net Worth list. Harrington was named the Arkansas Alumni Association’s 2016 Johnson Fellow and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the U of A in 2020.
Learn more about her entrepreneurship.
Janis Kearney B.A. ’77
Janis Kearney
Janis Kearney is the co-founder and president of Writing Our World Publishing, which has the explicit goals of introducing new voices to America’s literary community and creating stories that broaden Americans’ understanding of the diverse cultures within the diaspora that is America.
Kearney earned a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from the U of A and started her career at the Arkansas State Press, which she bought from Daisy Bates. In 1993, she joined the Clinton administration and then became the first presidential diarist in 1995. Kearney has authored numerous books, including Cotton Field of Dreams and Conversations: William Jefferson Clinton-From Hope to Harlem.
Daymara Baker M.B.A. ’99
Daymara Baker
Daymara Baker is the founder and CEO of Rockin’ Baker, a bakery that is dedicated to helping people — including victims of domestic violence, former convicts and people with special needs — become self-sufficient through the Rockin’ Baker Academy. After completing a bachelor’s degree in only two years, she enrolled at Walton College, where she worked as a graduate assistant and earned her M.B.A. in 1999.
Baker also helped cofound the Community Creative Center, a nonprofit art studio and visual arts organization located in the Walton Arts Center’s Nadine Baum Studios in Fayetteville.
Ginger Graham B.S.A. ’79, Life Member
Ginger Graham
Ginger Graham earned a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics with high honors from the U of A in 1979. Graham has received numerous awards and honors including being listed in PharmaVoice’s 100 of the Most Inspiring People. World Pharmaceuticals magazine named her number 10 on a list of 40 most influential people in the industry. Graham was the first woman CEO named to the trade associations board and executive committee and was named as the American Diabetes Association’s Woman of Valor.
Graham has served on the Chancellor’s Board of Advisors at the U of A and has been honored as a Bumpers College Outstanding Alumna. She served on the Foundation Board for the Circle of Life Hospice in Springdale in support of The Earlene Howard Hospice Home, which was named after her mother. Graham was also inducted into the 2022 Arkansas Business Hall of Fame.
For more profiles on women worth noting for their impact on the U of A, check out the Portraits of Progress page.
