2025 INDUCTEES
2025 INDUCTEES
Pediatrician and Advocate for the Latino Community
Dr. Eddie Ochoa is recognized for his lifelong commitment to improving health outcomes and advancing equity for Latino families in Arkansas. A tenured professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), Dr. Ochoa has been a trusted physician, educator, and advocate whose work has elevated access to healthcare and mentorship for generations of students and patients.
Dr. Eddie Ochoa
Familia Montes
La Huerta Restaurant Owners and Community Advocates
The Montes Family is inducted for more than 32 years of entrepreneurial leadership and community service. Founders of La Huerta, one of Northwest Arkansas’s first authentic Mexican restaurants established in 1994, the family now owns 20 restaurants across seven states, employing thousands and creating pathways to business ownership for former employees. Known for their philanthropy, disaster relief efforts, and partnership with law enforcement and local organizations, the Montes Family has become a vital bridge between the Hispanic community and public institutions throughout Arkansas.
Award-Winning Songwriter and Inspirational Speaker
With more than 30 years of artistic excellence, Al “Papa Rap” Lopez is celebrated for using bilingual music and storytelling to educate, inspire, and build bridges across cultures. A two-time John Lennon Songwriting Award winner, Papa Rap has delivered more than 1,000 performances across the U.S., Mexico, and Puerto Rico, produced a nationally syndicated children’s television show (What’s Up, Que Pasa), and co-founded OneCommunity, a nonprofit dedicated to biliteracy and leadership development.
Al “Papa Rap” Lopez
Professor of Metabolic Engineering, Arkansas State University
An internationally recognized scientist, Dr. Lorence is honored for her groundbreaking research in plant metabolic engineering, including the discovery of key biochemical pathways involved in vitamin C synthesis. Over the past two decades, she has secured $19 million in research funding, published extensively, earned multiple patents, and mentored hundreds of students—many from underrepresented and Latino backgrounds. Her research has had significant economic implications for Arkansas agriculture, particularly the state’s rice industry, and has been featured by The New York Times and The Guardian.
Dr. Argelia Lorence
The Oldest Hispanic Civil Rights Organization in Arkansas
LULAC is recognized for its decades-long commitment to civil rights, advocacy, and empowerment of Latino communities across the state. Through its councils in Northwest Arkansas, Central Arkansas, Little Rock, and the River Valley, LULAC has been a powerful voice for education, civic engagement, and social justice for generations of Arkansans.
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
Arkansas’s First and Only Public Hispanic-Serving Institution
UA Cossatot is honored for its transformational role in higher education and workforce development in Southwest Arkansas. With campuses in De Queen, Nashville, Ashdown, and Lockesburg, the college is the only federally recognized public Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) in Arkansas, serving a student population that is more than 25% Hispanic. Known for its high graduation success rates, inclusive access initiatives, and community celebrations such as Fiesta Fest, UA Cossatot exemplifies student-centered education and regional economic leadership.