Alumni Awards 2024

Homecoming is a special time as many return to campus to reunite with friends and mentors and to remember and share stories in the place where it all began. As part of this celebration each year, the University honors alumni selected from a community of more than 60,000 who continue to live out Harding’s mission in their chosen fields all around the world. This year’s recipients continue the standard of excellence as they serve God, the church and their communities.

Distinguished Alumni

Dr. Phil (’77) and Starla (’76) Goad met at Harding in 1973 when he visited the college during his senior year of high school. They were married in 1975. Phil earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Harding and a doctorate in interdisciplinary toxicology from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in 1982. Starla earned a bachelor’s degree from Harding in home economics with a minor in Bible. Phil co-founded CTEH, an environmental consulting firm in Little Rock. After retiring, he helped form Every Child Arkansas — a coalition of nearly 30 private organizations involved in foster care and adoption across the state — and serves as chair of the executive leadership council. Starla and a friend from Harding started a community Bible study group in Saline County, Arkansas, teaching God’s word to hundreds of women. The Goads have partnered in marriage ministry, humbly sharing their own struggles with others and leading them to build strong relationships on the foundation of Christ. They have blessed hundreds of couples through retreats hosted on their own property and around the world. They have also cared for orphans and vulnerable children through foster care and adoption organizations across the United States and in Zambia and Ethiopia. They have three children and 10 grandchildren.

Young Alumnus of the Year

Dr. Nathan Copeland graduated in 2006 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in management and earned a Master of Business Administration in 2008, both from Harding. He also holds a doctorate in higher education administration from The University of Alabama. As president of Limestone University in Gaffney, South Carolina, Copeland names Dr. David Burks and Steve Lake as beloved mentors who have shaped his life and leadership. Having previously served as vice president for enrollment and advancement at Spring Hill College, as vice president of operations at Wiggins Incorporated and as principal at The Alabama Group, Copeland has more than a decade of leadership experience in business and higher education. He has also served on the board of the Arkansas Association of Colleges and Employers and as a committee member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling. He and his wife, Erin (’05), have four children, Kate, Colin, William and Grant.

Botham Jean Inspiration Award

Dana D. Deree ('93) founded Arkansas Global Connect, a company with a client list of internationally known firms that was acquired by BDV Solutions in April 2024. He previously enjoyed a distinguished two-decade diplomatic career, retiring as a senior Foreign Service Officer in 2021. He is also a Marine Corps combat veteran, former Navy officer, and six-year Arkansas public school teacher. His cross-cultural collaboration and strategic planning expertise have made him a key figure in the public and private sectors. He holds undergraduate and master’s degrees from Harding. He enrolled at the University after experiencing extreme poverty and homelessness as a child and aging out of the foster care system. 

College of Allied Health Alumnus of the Year

Paul Chandler graduated in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and earned a Master of Science in Education in 2005. A Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, he has more than two decades of experience at the University of Florida where he is currently the director of strength and conditioning.  Under his leadership, the university’s teams have achieved remarkable success including 2014 and 2015 softball national championships, the 2017 baseball national championship and the 2006 football national championship as well as 57 NFL draft picks and the development of notable players including Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow. Committed to a culture of championship experience with integrity, Chandler also played a key role in securing $2.5 million for the University Athletic Association. He and his wife, former Bison Volleyball All-American Veronica Piech, live in Gainesville, Florida, with their two children.

College of Arts and Sciences Alumni of the Year

Mitch ('00) and Elizabeth Breitweiser ('06) are a dynamic duo in the world of comic illustration, celebrated for their contributions to both mainstream and independent comics. Mitch's striking and emotive artwork and Elizabeth's vivid and atmospheric coloring have brought iconic characters and stories to life. The Breitweisers have worked on major titles such as “Captain America,” “Winter Soldier” and “Drax the Destroyer,” and their unique style has left a lasting impact on the Marvel Universe. They are also the creative force behind their independent publishing venture, Allegiance Arts, where they continue to innovate in the comic medium.

David L. Duke (‘00) is the senior director of information technology, analytics and data sciences for Lilly, where he leads cutting-edge initiatives in health care technology. With a deep expertise in algorithm development and a passion for enhancing patient care, Duke oversees the creation and implementation of innovative solutions that drive the future of connected health care. His work focuses on leveraging advanced data analytics and AI to improve patient outcomes, streamline care processes and support personalized medicine. His leadership and vision are instrumental in advancing the integration of technology in health care, making a significant impact on the industry and individual lives.

College of Bible and Ministry Alumnus of the Year

Garry Neal (’73) and his wife of 57 years, Marilyn Cooper (’70), have served churches in Arkansas and Kansas including 27 years at Levy Church of Christ in Little Rock, Arkansas. He served as an elder as well as holding  several positions in prison ministry, education, inner city ministry, preaching, children’s ministry and youth ministry. They were instrumental in creating River City Ministry in North Little Rock, Arkansas, and have participated in mission work across the United States and in Mexico and Russia. They helped plant the Higginson Church of Christ and also replanted the Griffithville Church of Christ just outside Searcy. The Neals have three children, Jennifer Carger (’93), Colby (’98) and Zach (’01), and 11 grandchildren. 

Paul R. Carter College of Business Administration Alumnus of the Year

Dave Finley (’87) serves as owner and board member of LeadsOnline, LLC, a leading provider of software services used for criminal investigations among law enforcement agencies throughout the United States and in 80 countries around the world. The company of more than 300 team members helps law enforcement agencies advance their cases faster — including thefts, homicides and, particularly, gun crimes. LeadsOnline contributes daily to the arrest of criminals. Finley is company advisor as well as assisting other business owners and nonprofit organizations.

Dave graduated from Harding with a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing and holds a Master of Business Administration from Texas A&M University. He and his wife, Deb, have three children and three grandchildren.

Canon-Clary College of Education Alumnus of the Year

The first woman in her family to attend college, Sherry Pogue graduated from Northeastern State University in Talequah, Oklahoma, with a degree in elementary education. She later earned master’s degrees in educational leadership and professional counseling at Harding. She taught in Claremore, Oklahoma; Wichita, Kansas; and Little Rock, Arkansas; and served as principal at Central Arkansas Christian. She and her husband, Alan, established Pogue Counseling and Associates, a family counseling practice in North Little Rock, Arkansas, and also taught counseling courses at John Brown University.

In 2016, she established Restored and Renewed Ministry, a nonprofit organization designed to provide a place of respite and private counseling services for missionaries in France. In June 2019, the Pogues closed their practice and moved to France. Unfortunately, Alan died suddenly just five months later. Sherry remained throughout the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to counsel missionaries and providing fellowship once the borders reopened. After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Sherry leveraged her contacts in churches across Europe to help evacuate women and children seeking safety in the West.

Carr College of Nursing Alumnus of the Year

Ronda Reely earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Harding in 1983 and later earned a Master of Science in nursing from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. She worked as nurse and patient educator at Arkansas Methodist Hospital in Paragould, Arkansas, before moving to Searcy to teach in the Carr College of Nursing. She co-taught Health Care Missions and was mentored by Janice Bingham, Jerry Myhan and O’Neal Tankersley. She organized medical mission trips to Tanzania and Guatemala where students applied the knowledge and skills they learned in the classroom. She values these mission experiences as a highlight of her professional career.

College of Pharmacy Alumnus of the Year

Dr. Mark Egbuka graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology from Southeast Missouri State University in December 2010. He then earned a Doctor of Pharmacy in 2015 and an Master of Business Administration in 2016, both from Harding. He completed a postgraduate year one residency in pharmacy practice at Oregon Health and Science University Hospital and a postgraduate year two specialty residency in Ambulatory Care at CoxHealth. He has achieved three board certifications through the Board of Pharmacy Specialties as a pharmacotherapy specialist, ambulatory care pharmacist and cardiology pharmacist.

Currently, he serves as a clinical pharmacist practitioner at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. In this role, he focuses on providing patient-centered chronic disease management through lifestyle medicine, disease state education and medication therapy to serve veterans and dependents of active-duty military personnel. He and his wife, Kelyn, live in Schertz, Texas.