Razorbug

—2024 Diploma Tour—

Razorbug Tour Main Page

Year 3

The University of Arkansas is passionate about our land-grant mission to serve our home state and its people. Online degree programs make education accessible to those who cannot leave their hometowns to come to Fayetteville.

In May 2024, more than 690 students applied for graduation after studying in online degree programs. In June 2024, the Razorbug Diploma Tour traveled across Arkansas for a third year in a row to deliver framed diplomas to 16 Arkansans who studied online while living and working in their hometowns. Graduates shared their individual journeys and explained what it’s like to study online.

Map of the Razorbug Tour

Tiana Steyer - Paragould, AR

Photo of Tiana Steyer

"The M.S.O.M. skills are ingrained into every part of it. I was looking for a master's that would lead me from the chemistry side to operational management. On some projects I was being required to do, I wasn't exactly understanding how it was all working together. This was a way for me to understand what I was being asked and how all these functions work together."

Tiana's Story

M.S. in Operations Management

Tyler Huggins - Bono, AR

Photo of Tyler Huggins

"Every class involved some aspect of group work. There were people from all over Arkansas and other parts of the country. I have friends on LinkedIn I keep in touch with. At first I thought it was going to be scary, but it's not as scary as it sounds enrolling in a master's program. They make it really easy to be able to get your work done and also balance a full-time job and a family. I really enjoyed the program and meeting people."

Tyler's Story

M.S. in Engineering Management

Heather Lucius - Pine Bluff, AR

Photo of Heather Lucius

"I can be a voice for these students, helping them to achieve in the classroom. I will continue to add more hands-on experience with the students and meet their needs. With the education I received, I will be able to help those students more."

Heather's Story

M.Ed. in Special Education

Kylan Williams - Pine Bluff, AR

Photo of Kylan Williams

"When starting something new, it can be hard to adapt your schedule to what you already had going, but it's very rewarding. You will be able to do things you do on a day-to-day basis and do something a little bit extra and get your degree. It will give you a sense of pride and make you happy that you were able to juggle many tasks and still get everything done."

Kylan's Story

M.S. in Operations Management

Pate Bauldree - El Dorado, AR

Photo of Pate Bauldree

"I looked into several programs. U of A was the most affordable, and it looked like it would work out well. I could keep my full-time job, and it was a bonus to be a Razorback. I would definitely recommend seeking someone out who's going through the same process and having someone to lean on, complain, vent, discuss this or that."

Pate's Story

M.S. in Electrical Engineering

Becky Warren - Batesville, AR

Photo of Becky Warren receiving diploma

"By offering targeted training programs in partnership with businesses and industry, these institutions ensure a skilled workforce that meets market needs. This support helps local businesses expand and can attract new industries to the area, creating broader economic benefits."

Becky's Story

Ed.D. in Adult and Lifelong Learning

Meredith Williams - Searcy, AR

Photo of Meredith Williams receiving diploma

"I happened into social work by talking with some friends. I stayed on this path as I learned that I could make a difference for people in the classroom or school setting without being a teacher. I feel like this path has given me the opportunity to support families in work and the personal time to spend with my loved ones."

Meredith's Story

Advanced Standing Master of Social Work

Jennifer Miller - DeWitt, AR

Photo of Jennifer Miller receiving diploma

"Take your time and be sure you know that this is something you want to do. Don't go in there and think that it's going to be very easy, and you're going to breeze through it. Be sure you're dedicated to this program, and you will do wonderful."

Jennifer's Story

B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies

Lilly Sponer - Camden, AR

Photo of Lilly Sponer receiving diploma

"I could come and go as I wanted. I put aside a certain time to do my assignments. That was convenient, especially while working. I moved back home to be around family and friends."

Lilly's Story

M.S. in Human Environmental Sciences

Julie Linck - Little Rock, AR

Photo of Julie Linck receiving diploma

"It is the most desired degree in this discipline. I thought, why not become a master of one of the emerging issues in law? Who knows what I will get to do? I'm ready!"

Julie's Story

LLM in Agricultural and Food Law

JoAnn Vann - Arkadelphia, AR

Photo of JoAnn Vann receiving diploma

"We cover every aspect to manage your home, whether for individuals or families. Each county has a person to assess the needs of that community. We try to improve quality of life using research-based information based on whatever people need. We tailor everything we do to today's needs. We wear a lot of hats but it's a lot of fun."

JoAnn's Story

M.S. in Agricultural and Extension Education

Caroline de Simon - Magnolia, AR

Photo of Caroline de Simon and family

"Part of what I do is programming, and the majority of my co-workers are electrical engineers. When working with electricity, I wanted a deeper understanding of what I was doing. With Dr. McCann, I was really able to dive into the mathematics behind the programming I do. If I wanted to pursue more advanced processing controls, I have more understanding. The degree opens doors to future opportunities."

Caroline's Story

M.S. in Electrical Engineering

Brandi Woods - Nashville, AR

Photo of Brandi Woods receiving diploma

"What we have encountered with our students is that many fell through the cracks of school systems because they had an undiagnosed learning disability. We found ways to help them create accommodations for themselves, even without an official diagnosis. We cannot provide a diagnosis for them, but we can direct them to helpful resources and practitioners who can."

Brandi's Story

Bachelor of Human Resource Development

Jordan Baumberger - Russellville, AR

Photo of Jordan Baumberger receiving diploma

"It's a blend of business with engineering that addresses skills you need in management, including decision-making and risk management."

Jordan's Story

M.S. in Operations Management

Jennifer Haney - Magazine, AR

Photo of Jennifer Haney and family

“I was first interested in the homeland security graduate certificate that took 12 hours. I thought, why not take the operations management degree for 30 hours? It was well worth the work to get the full degree.”

Jennifer's Story

M.S. in Operations Management

32

Counties Visited

2,250

Miles Traveled

8

Days of Presenting

14

Academic Presenters

5

Front-page
Newspaper Stories

2

Television Reports

Presenters

Phil Jones
College of Engineering

Magazine
Russellville

Kay Murphy
Global Campus

Nashville
Magnolia
El Dorado

Tim Killian
Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural
Food and Life Sciences

Camden

Donna Graham
Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural
Food and Life Sciences

Arkadelphia

Mitchell Dowden
University of Arkansas School of Law

Little Rock

Alishia Ferguson
Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences
School of Social Work

DeWitt
Searcy

Kerry Melton
College of Engineering

Lonoke
Bono
Paragould

Patty Milner
Global Campus

Wilson
Blytheville 

Collaborators

Academic Colleges

Presented the diplomas

Office of Admissions

Loaned us the Razorbug

Office of the Registrar

Printed diplomas

U of A Bookstore

Ordered the diploma frames

University Relations

Helped promote the tour

Video

Kris Katrosh
New Harvest Creative

Global Campus

Multiple Teams: Graduation data, travel arrangements, media production, information technology, photography