RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. — Stephanie Williams, an Arkansas Tech University alumna named the 2026 Arkansas Teacher of the Year, will speak at ATU on Wednesday, Oct. 28.
Williams will present “Finding Your Professional Passion” at 1 p.m. in the Doc Bryan Student Services Center Lecture Hall, 1605 Coliseum Drive, on the ATU campus in Russellville. Admission is free and open to the public, and the event is hosted by the ATU Graduate College.
A 2009 graduate of Arkansas Tech with a bachelor’s degree in music education, Williams teaches music at Mountain View Elementary School in her hometown of Benton. She previously served as band director at Benton Middle School for 14 years.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Arkansas Department of Education Secretary Jacob Oliva surprised Williams with the news of her selection during an assembly at Mountain View Elementary in October 2025.
Arkansas Tech honored Williams for the award during an appearance at an ATU home football game at Simmons Bank Field at Thone Stadium on Nov. 15, 2025.
