Retired Arkansas Tech University faculty members Nita Herrick Colpitts, Karen Futterer and Ken Futterer received professor emeritus status from the ATU Board of Trustees during its meeting on Thursday, May 21.
Requirements for professor emeritus status for faculty members who have retired from Arkansas Tech include 15 or more years of consecutive service and nomination by any member of the university community who holds faculty rank.
Authority to grant emeritus status rests with the ATU Board of Trustees upon the recommendation of the president of the university.
Colpitts served on the ATU faculty from 1976-2010 and retired at the rank of associate professor of music. She taught courses in diction, vocal pedagogy, opera workshop and voice as well as applied voice lessons. Many of her students went on to successful careers as public school educators, collegiate faculty and professional performers. She has served the National Association of Teachers of Singing at the local, regional and national levels. She lives in Russellville and is director of music at First Presbyterian Church in Morrilton.
The Futterers served together on the ATU faculty from 1980-2022. Both retired at the rank of associate professor of music. After meeting as graduate students at the University of North Texas and marrying, they accepted an offer to join the ATU music faculty. Karen taught applied flute lessons, chamber music, music history classes and introductory music courses for the general education program. Ken taught double reeds, saxophone, composition, music theory and jazz improvisation. He directed the music theater program.
Both Futterers have maintained busy schedules as performers, including Karen’s 12 years as principal flute with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and 21 years as principal flute with Arkansas Opera and Ken’s service as principal oboist for the Opera in the Ozarks, Kenosha Opera, the North Arkansas Symphony, Fort Smith Symphony and as a regular performer with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. As a jazz musician, Ken has performed with touring shows for acts such as the Temptations and the Four Tops.
