University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown President Albert L. Etheridge is the 37th Distinguished Alumnus at the University of Arkansas at Monticello.

   Etheridge will be honored during commencement exercises May 13.

   A native of Wilmar (Drew county), Etheridge is a 1964 graduate of UAM (then known as Arkansas A&M College). He spent 11 years on the UAM faculty (1971-81), including two years as head of the department of Natural Sciences, and nine years as vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, the university's chief academic officer.

   He became vice president and provost at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, La., in 1989 before assuming the presidency of Pittsburgh-Johnstown in 1994.

   “I can think of no one more deserving of the university’s highest honor than Dr. Etheridge,” Chancellor Jack Lassiter said. “His professional accomplishments speak for themselves. He is an accomplished biologist, a skilled administrator, an articulate spokesman for higher education, and perhaps most important of all, a wonderful teacher. I consider it a privilege to have worked with Albert as part of the UAM administration.”

   For Etheridge, the Distinguished Alumnus honor completes a circle that began in the tiny Wilmar community, when UAM provided his only opportunity to attend college.

   “UAM means a great deal to me,” Etheridge said. “My story is not unlike a lot of graduates from there. If not for the campus being located where it was, I never would have attended college. The faculty and those who served as advisors motivated me and drove me to succeed. I needed all that. Whatever success I've had I owe to UAM.

   “It’s rewarding and humbling to be recognized for your accomplishments. It’s a defining experience, something not afforded everyone. I am extremely grateful to be selected. This is the greatest honor I’ve ever received.”

   Etheridge’s tenure at the University of Pittsburgh’s Johnstown campus has been marked by a lengthy list of accomplishments, including:

• being ranked third in the north region for four consecutive years among 70 colleges and universities that focus on undergraduate education by U.S. News and World Report;

• development of a student retention program called the freshman network that improved retention in the freshman and sophomore classes by 82 percent;

• bringing graduate programs in mechanical engineering, nursing, and social work to the Johnstown campus;

• creation of a major undergraduate research initiative that began in the sciences and spread to other disciplines across campus;

• completion of more than $20 million in improvements in academic facilities and residence halls;

• establishing a $10 million capital campaign.  

   Etheridge is the fourth president of the Johnstown campus, which was founded in 1927. UPJ is the largest regional campus in the University of Pittsburgh System with an enrollment of 3,200.

   Etheridge holds a bachelor of science degree in biology from UAM, a master of science degree in zoology from the University of Mississippi, and a Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Texas at Austin.

   Etheridge is a board member of Concurrent Technologies Corporation, Inc., the Johnstown Area Heritage Association, and Outdoor Odyssey. He is also a member of Sigma Xi, Phi Kappa Phi, the Society of Developmental Biology, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the Society of College and University Planning, and the American Association of Higher Education.

   Etheridge and his wife, Mary, have two children – David, 36, an archeologist working in Wyoming, and Kristy Neubrander, 34, of Baton Rouge, La. The Etheridges have two grandchildren.