UA Alumni Association honors Brye, Waldrum
Nov. 3, 2026
By Mary Hightower
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts
- Brye honored for research contributions
- Waldrum honored for impact with LeadAR program
(860 words)
DOWNLOAD related art of Brye and Waldrum
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Two professors with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture are being honored by the University of Arkansas Alumni Association.
Kristofor Brye, a University Professor of applied soil physics and pedology in Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, is being recognized with the 2026 Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award for Research. Distinguished Faculty Achievement Awards recognizes exceptional faculty members for teaching, research and service.
Joe Waldrum, a botanist who helped grow a program that has given more than 500 Arkansans the tools and confidence to lead their communities, is being recognized as an honorary alumnus. The Honorary Alumni Award honors non-alumni who have served, promoted, developed and loved the University of Arkansas in the tradition of an Arkansas graduate.
BRYE
Brye joined the faculty in the department of crop, soil, and environmental sciences in 2001. For over 25 years, Brye has demonstrated his commitment to the university’s land-grant mission through his comprehensive approach to teaching, research, and service.
Brye makes important and sustained contributions to soil science, particularly at the intersection of soil physics, biogeochemistry and agricultural sustainability. He focuses on understanding how land management and production systems influence soil function, water dynamics and greenhouse gas emissions.
Brye consistently focuses on field-based, multi-year research to help farmers in Arkansas, the nation and the world. He has demonstrated a high-level ability to secure funding from widely diverse sources to support his highly productive research program.
Brye was honored by the Alumni Association with its 2024 Charles and Nadine Baum Faculty Teaching Award. Brye is a Fellow of both the Soil Science Society of America and the American Society of Agronomy and has earned numerous awards for teaching. He has been the instructor and coach of the U of A's soil judging team for 23 years.
“I was very pleasantly surprised to learn of my selection,” Brye said. “Being selected for this award was a milestone highlight of my faculty career with UADA that was a product of 25 years of cumulative effort, productivity, and accomplishments.
“I know there are some amazing faculty on campus, with a tremendous level of accomplishment. Thus, being selected is really humbling to know others thought my nomination materials rose to the top with this year’s nominees,” he said.
WALDRUM
Waldrum grew up in Little Rock, earned a bachelor’s degree from Hendrix College and went on to earn a Ph.D. in botany from the University of Nebraska. In 1976, Waldrum joined UADA as an area soybean specialist based at the Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart, serving 14 counties. In 1980, Waldrum moved to Little Rock as an extension pesticide assessment specialist. Nine years later, Waldrum moved into an administrator role, becoming extension state leader for agriculture and natural resources.
“Then I ended up working in staff development and leadership development and that's when I got into LeadAR,” he said.
Leadership Arkansas, or LeadAR, was established in 1984. Waldrum took over as director in 1993.
It was during this tenure that Waldrum met Janie Hipp, who would nominate him for the alumni honor. Hipp is adjunct faculty at the University of Arkansas Law School and is CEO and president of Native Agriculture Financial Services. She has also served as general counsel for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and director of USDA’s Office of Tribal Relations.
Hipp was a frequent speaker to LeadAR classes, and Waldrum said he persuaded her to join the program, which she did in Class 9.
On meeting Waldrum, Hipp said, “I was immediately struck by Joe’s passion about leadership development,” she said. “LeadAR…is one of the country’s most effective agriculture and rural leadership programs.”
“As I grew in my own career, I started understanding how important Joe was and still is in the broader agriculture and rural leadership communities around the country and the world,” Hipp said. “Building the next generation of leaders requires passion, understanding, commitment, and vision.
“Joe’s vision for leadership has infected an entire generation of agriculture and rural leaders in Arkansas, many of whom have gone on to leadership positions outside the state in ways that positively impact people beyond Arkansas’ borders,” she said.
Waldrum said of Hipp, “she nominated me and I thought, ‘Well that's the end of that.’ You know that there's about 10,000 other people that will be nominated, so I'm not going to worry about it,” Waldrum said. “She called me in June and said, ‘the nomination for you to be this honorary alumnus for 2026 just went through like a knife through butter.’”
“I just felt really humbled to hear that I was selected, and I was really surprised!” said Waldrum.
Since its founding in 1984, LeadAR has cultivated more than 500 alumni who now lead businesses, communities, and organizations across Arkansas, with a strong emphasis on rural and agricultural regions. Modeled after the renowned W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s leadership program, LeadAR’s graduates include a wide array of professionals — educators, farmers, advocates, bankers, lawyers, state legislators, mayors, and local government leaders — all driving positive change and shaping the future of our state.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. To learn more about ag and food research in Arkansas, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station at aaes.uada.edu.
About UADA
The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, UADA conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
UADA is one of 22 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three university campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, UADA offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
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Media Contact:
Nick Kordsmeier
nkordsme@uada.edu