UA Little Rock Announces 2025 Distinguished Alumni Honorees

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will honor three outstanding graduates and one honorary alumnus with the UA Little Rock Distinguished Alumni Awards during a Feb. 20 ceremony at the Clinton Presidential Center.

UA Little Rock will honor legendary Arkansas artist Kevin Kresse as the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year as well as Libby Smith, the longtime award-winning travel editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, with the Presidents Award.

"Each honoree embodies the spirit of excellence that defines UA Little Rock," said Kristi Smith, associate vice chancellor for alumni and development. "Their achievements inspire us, their contributions have enriched our communities, and their stories remind us of the limitless potential of education. On Feb. 20, we celebrate their remarkable journeys and the lasting impact they continue to make here in Little Rock and beyond."

The UA Little Rock Alumni Association annually awards the Distinguished Alumnus Award to a Little Rock Junior College, Little Rock University, or UA Little Rock alumnus. The award is reserved for individuals who have achieved extraordinary distinction in their chosen field and made special contributions to the community.

"I always believed the greatest honor I would receive from UA Little Rock was my signed diploma," Kresse said. "Being recognized with the Distinguished Alumni Award was a completely unexpected surprise, and I am deeply grateful for this incredible honor."

The Presidents Award was established to recognize UA Little Rock graduates who achieved success in their career, donated time and talents to their community, and remained in touch with their alma mater as a volunteer and resource person.

UA Little Rock will also celebrate the addition of two new awards to the ceremony. Summer Khairi, assistant professor and program director at UAMS, will receive the Young Alumna Award, which recognizes a graduate who is currently excelling in their career, public service, and/or volunteer activities that bring honor and awareness to UA Little Rock.

"I am deeply honored to receive the Young Alumni Award," Khairi said. "My time at UA Little Rock was transformative, providing me with the foundation to pursue my passions and make a difference. This recognition reflects the values instilled in me during my time here, and it inspires me to give back to the community that has given me so much."

Jerry Damerow, co-chair of the Centennial Campaign, will receive the Honorary Alumnus Award, which recognizes a non-alumni who has served, promoted, and developed UA Little Rock in the tradition of an alum.

"UA Little Rock is so very important to our community and our state so volunteering there is a great way for me to say thank you to Arkansas for warmly embracing my wife and me and welcoming us to this great state," Damerow said. "Our state capital needs a prestigious research-based university and that is UA Little Rock. I am so thrilled to receive the Honorary Alumni Award this year. I am committed to helping build Arkansas and UA Little Rock. If we don't do the building, it won't get done."

The ceremony will begin at 11:30 a.m. at the Clinton Presidential Center. For more information, contact Sarah Grace Hall at [email protected].

More information about the honorees:

Kevin Kresse, a 1984 graduate of UA Little Rock, is a nationally and internationally acclaimed sculptor and painter. Known for his compelling artistry, Kresse received the Arkansas Governor's Individual Artist of the Year Award in 2015 and was recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts in 2016. Over the past two decades, he has installed more than 20 public sculptures across Arkansas and as far away as Alaska.

In 2022, Kresse was chosen to sculpt a statue of fellow Arkansan Johnny Cash for the national Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C. He developed the concept and worked on the sculpture at UA Little Rock's Windgate Center of Art + Design, where visitors had the unique opportunity to watch the creative process. The completed statue was installed in Statuary Hall in September 2024, making Kresse the first Arkansan to achieve this honor.

Libby Smith is best known as the prize-winning travel editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, a role she held for more than 22 years. During her tenure, the newspaper's Travel Section earned numerous accolades, including being named the best in its circulation category by the Society of American Travel Writers in 2005. Smith is believed to have been the longest-serving travel editor at any major U.S. newspaper when she departed.

A proud double major in history and art history at UA Little Rock, Smith credits her professors with shaping her worldview. She became president of the UA Little Rock Alumni Board of Directors in 1999, during which time the Bailey Alumni Center was a concept developed out of a desire for alumni to have a place to connect. Her love of travel launched popular alumni travel trips, including the annual Oaklawn excursions.

Smith is also deeply involved in her community, serving on the board of Mount Holly Cemetery and actively participating in the Gilbert Marshall Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Through the DAR, she has focused on providing care and support to patients in central Arkansas's veterans hospitals.

Summer Khairi is a second-generation UA Little Rock graduate, following in the footsteps of her mother, aunt, and cousins. A Mount St. Mary Academy alumna, she earned a bachelor's degree in nuclear medical imaging sciences from UAMS and began her career as a certified nuclear medicine technologist at UAMS, CHI St. Vincent, and CARTI. She quickly transitioned to teaching, earning a promotion to assistant professor and clinical coordinator at UAMS after just two years as an adjunct-a milestone she considers her most significant career achievement.

While working full-time, Khairi earned an MBA from UA Little Rock in 2018. She is deeply committed to philanthropy, serving as vice chair of the 2019 World Cheese Dip Championship to benefit Harmony Health Clinic, and as a member of the UAMS Academic Senate, as well as several committees working to improve the culture at UAMS. She also serves as commissioner on the Little Rock Sister Cities Commission. Recognized as a UAMS Phenomenal Woman and a Museum of Discovery SPARKS! Star, she exemplifies leadership in science, technology, and service. Khairi is also an Arkansas Business 20 in Their Twenties honoree and a graduate of Leadership Greater Little Rock's Class XXXVI.

Khairi's passion for serving others extends to her alma mater. As chair of the UA Little Rock Alumni Board's Scholarship Committee, she has skillfully led efforts to interview and select scholarship recipients, earning praise for her ability to connect with students. Her wide social network and enthusiasm have made her a standout ambassador for UA Little Rock, promoting its mission and values within the community.

Gerald "Jerry" Damerow, a Kent State University accounting graduate and retired managing partner at Ernst & Young, serves as co-chair of UA Little Rock's Centennial Campaign Cabinet. The campaign, publicly launched in 2022, aims to raise $250 million for scholarships, student support, campus improvements, and program excellence.

Damerow's career with Ernst & Young included roles as a management consultant in Indonesia and oversight of mergers in New York, Little Rock, and Puerto Rico. Now based in Little Rock, he has served as associate director of UAMS BioVentures and is currently CFO of InterveXion Therapeutics, LLC.

Damerow and his wife, Sherri, have committed an estate gift to UA Little Rock to support science majors through the Jerry and Sherri Damerow Endowed Science Scholarship, benefiting students in astronomy, biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, and earth science.

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