Marion and Charles Stevens, a couple with longstanding ties to the U of A, have joined the Dean’s Advisory Council for the University Libraries, effective March 2024.
“I am very excited that Charles and Marion are joining my advisory council,” said Jason Battles, dean of University Libraries. “I know that the libraries will benefit greatly from their membership, creativity, insight and participation.”
Charles Stevens earned his Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from the U of A and went on to work as a senior vice president for Arkansas Western Gas Company for 38 years before retiring. He is a partner and board member of two companies based in Northwest Arkansas: Quadrivium Inc. and Branch Enterprises, doing business as H&R Block. He is a member of the Arkansas Academy of Chemical Engineers, a member of the Towers of Old Main giving society and a lifetime member of the Arkansas Alumni Association.
“Obviously, the U of A has been, and continues to be, a very big influence in my life,” Charles said. “Obtaining my degree made it possible for my career to reach heights I would have never attained without it. Later in my working years, and especially now that I am retired, I continue to enjoy Razorback athletics, in a number of sports, and I focus on expressing my gratitude to the U of A and those who aided me over the years through service and through foundation gifts.”
Marion Stevens began as a lecturer for the Walton College of Business in 2019 and transitioned to an instructor in 2023. She had previously earned her Bachelor of Human Resource Development from the University of Texas at Tyler, as well as a Master of Arts in human resources management from Webster University, and served as the director of human resources for Southwest Energy Company for 18 years. She is currently a lifetime member of the Women’s Giving Circle and a Washington County Master Gardener through the U of A Extension Office.
“My parents, brother and many other family members graduated from the U of A,” Marion said. “I chose a different collegiate path, but felt ties to the U of A through family. It’s a bit full circle to now be teaching at the University of Arkansas.”
As a new Dean’s Advisory Council member, Marion said that she is excited about “the eagerness and commitment to a best-in-class university library that is focused on bringing the college community together while also recognizing the varied needs and desires of its patrons.”
And the Stevenses are also excited about the renovation efforts currently underway in Mullins Library.
“In my early academic career, I spent a lot of hours in the library,” Charlie said. “The library that today’s students have and will soon have is a far cry from the buildings I learned in.”
In their spare time, Charles enjoys reading about the American Civil War, and Marion prefers fiction.
In addition to advising the dean, council members serve as ambassadors for the University Libraries and share their unique knowledge and expertise to help the libraries fulfill the vision of being “the vibrant and diverse intellectual center of campus in concert with the university’s emergence as a nationally competitive, student-centered research university serving Arkansas and the world.”
Membership in the Dean’s Advisory Council is by invitation only.