19 Notable alumni of University of Central Arkansas
Updated: June 16, 2026 EliteDegrees
University of Central Arkansas is ranked #1,802 in the world and #449 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 19 notable alumni from University of Central Arkansas sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with University of Central Arkansas won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Dewayne Pemberton
1956-. (aged 70)
politician
Dewayne Pemberton is an American politician and member of the Republican Party who served in the Oklahoma Senate representing the 9th district from 2016 to 2024.
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2. Ken Collums
1972-. (aged 54)
head coach
American football player
Kenneth Layne Collums is an American college football coach and former player. He is the assistant head coach & tight ends coach the University of Central Arkansas, positions he has held since 2025. Collums served as the head football coach at Abilene Christian University from 2012 to 2016, compiling a record of 24–32. Prior to his promotion to head coach,...
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3. Raymond Simon
Raymond Joseph Simon is an American educator and the former United States Deputy Secretary of Education. Simon led the Office of the Deputy Secretary which served the administration of Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. Simon was nominated by U.S. President George W. Bush and confirmed by the United States Senate on May 26, 2005. He was primarily focused on the...
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4. J. Cody Hiland
lawyer
James Cody Hiland is an American lawyer who has served as an associate justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court since 2023. He was appointed to the court by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. He served as the United States attorney for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas from 2017 to 2020 after being appointed by President...
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5. Nate Bowie
1986-. (aged 40)
basketball player
Nathan Ezell Bowie is an American basketball coach and former player.
6. Sheffield Nelson
1941-. (aged 85)
attorney at law
lawyer
businessperson
politician
Edward Sheffield Nelson is an American attorney, businessman and politician from the capital city of Little Rock, Arkansas. Originally a Democrat, Nelson in 1990 ran for governor of Arkansas as a Republican against then governor and future U.S. president Bill Clinton and in 1994 against another Democrat, the incumbent governor Jim Guy Tucker.
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7. Dale Alford
1916-2000 (aged 84)
university teacher
ophthalmologist
politician
Thomas Dale Alford Sr. was an American ophthalmologist and politician from the U.S. state of Arkansas who served as a conservative Democrat in the United States House of Representatives from Little Rock from 1959 to 1963.
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8. Mary L. Good
1931-2019 (aged 88)
university teacher
chemist
Mary Lowe Good was an American inorganic chemist who worked academically, in industrial research and in government. Good contributed to the understanding of catalysts such as ruthenium.
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9. Jonathan Davis
1992-. (aged 34)
baseball player
Jonathan Rayshad Davis is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers, and Miami Marlins.
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10. Cody Rutledge Wilson
1988-. (aged 38)
activist
engineer
designer
gun rights advocate
Cody Rutledge Wilson is an American gun rights activist and crypto-anarchist. He started Defense Distributed, a non-profit organization which develops and publishes open source gun designs, so-called "wiki weapons" created by 3D printing and digital manufacture. Defense Distributed gained international notoriety in 2013 when it published plans online for the Liberator, the first widely available functioning 3D-printed pistol.
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11. Jordan Howard
1996-. (aged 30)
basketball player
Jordan Isaiah Howard is a Puerto Rican professional basketball player for the Hangzhou Jingwei of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for Central Arkansas. He represents Puerto Rico on the men's national basketball team.
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12. Jason Rapert
1972-. (aged 54)
politician
Stanley Jason Rapert is an American politician from the state of Arkansas. A member of the Republican Party, he was a member of the Arkansas State Senate from 2011 to 2023, representing the 18th district and then the 35th district.
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13. Kris Allen
1985-. (aged 41)
singer
guitarist
composer
singer-songwriter
pianist
Kristopher Neil Allen is an American singer, songwriter, and the winner of the eighth season of American Idol.
14. Arthur Hunnicutt
1910-1979 (aged 69)
actor
television actor
stage actor
Arthur Lee Hunnicutt was an American actor known for his portrayal of old, wise, grizzled rural characters. He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Big Sky (1952). He was also known for his role in the Western television series Sugarfoot (1957–1961).
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15. Scottie Pippen
1965-. (aged 61)
basketball player
actor
Scotty Maurice Pippen Sr., commonly known as Scottie Pippen, is an American former professional basketball player who played 17 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls. Considered one of the greatest small forwards of all time, Pippen played an important role in transforming the Bulls into a championship team and popularizing the...
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16. Gil Gerard
1943-2025 (aged 82)
television actor
voice actor
film producer
actor
film actor
Gilbert Cyril Gerard was an American actor, whose roles include that of Captain William "Buck" Rogers in the 1979–1981 television series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.
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17. Mike Norvell
1981-. (aged 45)
American football coach
American football player
Michael Norvell is an American college football coach. He is the head football coach at Florida State University (FSU), a position he has held since the 2020 season. He was previously head coach at Memphis, and has coached for Arizona State, Pittsburgh, Tulsa, and Central Arkansas. He played wide receiver at the University of Central Arkansas from 2001 to 2005...
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18. Benjamin Travis Laney
1896-1977 (aged 81)
businessperson
politician
Benjamin Travis Laney, Jr., was an American businessman who served as the 33rd governor of Arkansas from 1945 to 1949.
19. Charlie Strong
1960-. (aged 66)
head coach
American football player
Charles Rene Strong is an American football coach who was most recently the defensive line coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He recently served as the assistant head coach and inside linebackers coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL) in 2021 and also previously served as a defensive analyst at...
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