Dr. Charlotte Williams honored with Distinguished Alumnus Award by UAMS
Dr. Charlotte Lewellen Williams, Professor Emeritus at the Clinton School of Public Service, has been honored with the College of Public Health Distinguished Alumnus Award by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).
The award was presented during the UAMS Alumni Reunion Dinner in Little Rock. The annual honors recognize graduates who have demonstrated exceptional achievement, dedication, and significant contributions to their respective fields, as well as exemplary public service.
Williams is a trailblazing two-time graduate of the UAMS College of Public Health, earning her Master of Public Health in 2004 and her Doctorate in Public Health in 2008. This newest recognition highlights a career dedicated to intersecting public health strategy with community-focused leadership and education.
The UAMS honor comes after the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees granted Williams Professor Emeritus status in 2025, honoring her nearly two decades of transformative leadership, scholarship, and academic excellence at the Clinton School.
Until her retirement, the Jonesboro native served as a Professor of Public Health and was the Founding Director of the Center on Community Philanthropy. Under her leadership, the center evolved into a multimillion-dollar unit and established pioneering initiatives such as the Scholars in Residence program and the first national Community Healing Certification program.
Additionally, Williams co-authored the first book published by a Clinton School faculty member, “Passing the Torch: Planning for the Next Generation of Leaders in Public Service.” True to that title, she has mentored hundreds of students and continues to inspire the next generation of leaders by serving as an adjunct faculty member for UAMS.
“Graduating from the UAMS College of Public Health provided me with the perfect education, training, and development that I needed to pursue my career goals in public health and public service,” Williams said.
Angie Faller is the marketing and communications manager for the Clinton School of Public Service. Email her at afaller@clintonschool.uasys.edu.
Arkansas State Parks announces new teaching farm partnership at Pinnacle Mountain State Park (LITTLE ROCK, Ark.) – Arkansas State Parks, today, announced a new partnership with Apple Seeds, a nonprofit nutrition-education organization, to establish a Central Arkansas Teaching Farm at Pinnacle Mountain State Park. This project, in partnership with the Arkansas Office of Outdoor Recreation, is made possible through a new Concessionaire Lease Agreement, approved May 1, 2026, which authorizes Apple Seeds to begin developing garden and educational infrastructure on park property.
The partnership will transform approximately two acres near the historic Butterfield House into a hands-on learning farm and outdoor teaching kitchen designed to serve thousands of Arkansas students each year. The site will support field trips, afterschool programs, summer camps and community events beginning as early as Fall 2026.
Apple Seeds’ mission is to ignite a lifelong love of fresh food by connecting education to gardening, nutrition, and hands-on culinary experiences. Their existing programs reach more than 20,000 students annually across Arkansas, including 4,500 students already participating in Central Arkansas programming.
Arkansas State Parks