University Centers and Research Units

Research programs are the means by which the University contributes to the generation as well as to the preservation and dissemination of knowledge. With nationally recognized programs in many areas and funding from government, industry, and other private sources, the research effort of the University is strong and diversified and provides special learning opportunities for students as discoveries are made.

 

In addition to the extensive work performed by faculty through individual and team efforts in academic departments, special programs of research are conducted by the University divisions described below.

 

http://www.uark.edu/admin/aes/

The Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, a statewide unit of the UA Division of Agriculture, conducts scientific research on the dynamic biological, environmental, economic, and social systems involved in the production, processing, marketing, and utilization of food and fiber, community development, and family studies.

The experiment station is one of the most comprehensive research organizations in Arkansas, with a faculty of approximately 200 doctoral-level scientists. It is an essential part of the research and technology infrastructure that supports Arkansas agriculture and the food and fiber sector.

 

Experiment station research is conducted in agricultural and environmental sciences, marketing and economics, social issues affecting families and rural communities, nutrition, microbiology, genetics, molecular biology, and other dynamic scientific disciplines.

Many experiment station scientists also are on the teaching faculty of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. The result is a wealth of opportunity for students to study and work with some of the nation’s most respected scientists. Graduate students work on master’s thesis and doctoral dissertation research projects as part of a team of experiment station scientists in modern laboratories, greenhouses, and field research facilities.

 

Experiment station research is closely coordinated with the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. Together, they comprise the statewide UA Division of Agriculture.

 

The vice president for agriculture heads the division of agriculture for the UA system. The associate vice president – extension provides leadership to the cooperative extension service and reports directly to the vice president for agriculture. The dean of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences also serves as the associate vice president – research and provides leadership for the agricultural experiment station. The associate vice president – research reports directly to the vice president for agriculture for agricultural research programs and as the dean to the provost/vice chancellor for academic affairs for instructional programs. The associate director of the experiment station also serves as an associate dean in the college, and the associate dean serves as an associate director in the experiment station, respectively.

 

The mission of the Division of Agriculture, through the combined efforts of the Experiment Station and Extension Service, is to provide new knowledge to strengthen the state’s food and fiber sector; assure a safe food supply; conserve natural resources and protect the environment; and assist in the economic and social development of communities, families, and individuals, particularly in the rural areas of the state.

 

http://www.uark.edu/campus-resources/archinfo/

The Arkansas Archeological Survey is a research and public service organization charged by the legislature with statewide responsibility for conserving and investigating the state’s archeological heritage and with making information on this rich heritage available to all. To this end it has an extensive publication and public relations program. With a staff of 40 (approximately half of whom are professional archeologists), it is recognized as one of the most effective state-supported archeological research organizations in the country. The survey’s coordinating office on the Fayetteville campus consists of the director, the state archeologist, computer services, editorial, graphics, and other support staff. There are also several research archeologists who carry out archeological investigations under contracts as required by law to protect the state’s archeological resources. There are station archeologists at all 10 research stations around the state, including the Fayetteville campus, who are available for graduate guidance. The survey works closely with the University’s Department of Anthropology in training students, cooperates with the state historic preservation officer and other state and federal agencies, and trains and assists citizen groups interested in archeological conservation.

http://www.uark.edu./misc/arovhist/main/

The mission of the Arkansas Center for Oral and Visual History is to document Arkansas’ rich history by collecting the “living memories” of those who have been witness to various aspects of the state’s past. Using traditional oral history methodology, the center
interviews individuals, transcribes those interviews, and deposits them with the Special Collection’s Division of the University of Arkansas Mullins Library. The center is responsible for preserving these memories and making them available to scholars and researchers interested in the culture and heritage of Arkansas. The center is located in 416 Old Main, Department of History, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701; to contact the center, e-mail jwhayne@uark.edu, call 479-575-5895, or visit the Web site.

 

http://biology.uark.edu/Coop/home/coophome.htm/

 

The Coop Unit is a cooperative venture among the U.S. Geological Survey, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the University of Arkansas Department of Biological Sciences, and the Wildlife Management Institute. The Arkansas Coop Unit was established in 1988 and is part of a network of cooperative fish and wildlife research units that exist in 43 state and land-grant colleges across the United States. The purpose of the Coop Unit program is to conduct applied and basic wildlife and fish research, to train graduate students in research and management methods, and to participate in graduate education and technical assistance. The three unit leaders are federal employees stationed on the University of Arkansas campus.

 

 

The Arkansas Household Research Panel (AHRP) is a continuing project of the Department of Marketing and Logistics. AHRP consists of several hundred Arkansas households that respond to quarterly questionnaires. The AHRP has been used for academic, student, and business-related research. The panel’s funding comes from the professional fees that are generated.

 

 

http://www.uark.edu/~alsa/

 

The Arkansas Leadership Academy in the College of Education and Health Professions is a model program that prepares leaders for the classroom and the board room, develops accountability to communities, and facilitates the creation of results-driven educational environments. The academy supports reform of the educational system and provides direct services to school districts through district support activities or strategic leadership institutes. Academy graduates become part of a statewide network that pursues educational reform. The network includes representatives from business, industry, state government, the public schools, and higher education. The academy is governed by partners from higher education institutions, education service cooperatives, professional education organizations, state education agencies, foundations and corporations. The synergy created among the partners builds the expertise and capacity for Arkansas to become a true community of learners.

 

http://www.uark.edu/csaps/

The Arkansas Center for Space and Planetary Sciences links faculty and students in a number of academic departments and various colleges at the University of Arkansas which share common research interests in space and the planetary sciences and require similar facilities for research. The founding departments are chemistry/biochemistry, biological sciences, geosciences, and mechanical engineering.

The center provides research grants and assistantships, hosts seminars and lectures, and has an advisory committee comprised of a variety of professionals in space and planetary sciences. Graduates from the center will be able to enter a variety of career paths in research, teaching, and industry, while many others will assume careers with one of the national space programs.

 

In addition to following the normal admission procedures in their academic departments, students also will be required to submit a form to the center faculty describing specific interests in space research. The form will be used only to determine if the student is eligible to become affiliated with the center and receive support from the center.

 

There are no additional academic requirements for the program beyond those of the department, but center faculty should be well represented on the student’s advisory committee.

 

 

http://www.uark.edu/depts/awrc/

 

The Arkansas Water Resources Center, established by Public Law in 1964, utilizes scientific personnel and facilities of all campuses of the University (and other Arkansas colleges and universities) in maintaining a water resources research program. The center supports specific research projects throughout Arkansas, which often provide research training opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, and it disseminates information on water resources via publications and conferences. The center works closely with federal, state, municipal, educational, and other public groups concerned with water resources in development of its research, training, and dissemination programs.

 

http://ceed.uark.edu/home/default.htm/

The Bessie Boehm Moore Center for Economic Education, established in 1978 and located in the Walton College of Business, promotes an understanding of the American economy among the people of Arkansas. Its major efforts are directed to elementary and secondary school children. The center’s faculty and staff hold workshops and seminars for public school teachers, conduct research in economic education, develop instructional materials, maintain a lending library, and sponsor adult economic educational programs for business, labor, industry, and the general community. In recent years, center personnel have been involved in educating teachers in transitional or developing economies about market economics. The center is officially certified by the Arkansas Council on Economic Education and the National Council on Economic Education.

For college-level students, the center sponsors the Walton College Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) team. SIFE’s mission provides college students the best opportunity to make a difference while developing leadership, teamwork, and communication skills through learning, practicing, and teaching the principles of free enterprise. The Walton College SIFE team welcomes members from other colleges who embrace their mission and want to grow through benefiting the local community. The UA SIFE team is quickly becoming a nationally recognized organization.

 

The Center is located in Suite 205 of the Don W. Reynolds Center for Enterprise behind the Business Building and may be reached by calling 479-575-2855.

 

 

The Biomass Research Center currently houses the food safety laboratory, which includes the hybridoma laboratory, the agricultural research services laboratory, museum curatorial laboratories, and one of the entrepreneurial clients of GENESIS.

 

 

The Center for Advanced Computing and Communications Research is housed in the Department of Computer Science and Computer Engineering. The Center was established to engage collaborative research in areas that benefit national and international computing and communications industries and Arkansas communities. These include, but are not limited to: algorithms development for information processing and testing, network processors, dependable, secure networks and computing resources, sensor and high performance networks, software and data engineering, cyber security, grid sand cluster computing, DNA computing, agent-based computing, and low-power systems.

 

 

http://www.cast.uark.edu/

 

The Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies (CAST) focuses on application of geospatial technologies in research, teaching, and service. These technologies include GIS, GPS, remote sensing, photogrammetry, geospatial software and systems design, interoperability, and large (multi-terabyte) geospatial databases.

 

Established in 1991, CAST is a unit of the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. CAST has a campus-wide focus, working with the departments of anthropology; architecture; crop, soil, and environmental science; biology; bioengineering; civil engineering; geosciences; entomology; and landscape architecture. Other related partners include the Environmental Dynamics Program, the Arkansas Water Resources Center, Mullins Library, and the Arkansas Archeological Survey.

 

CAST has been selected as a Center of Excellence by the Intergraph Corporation, Trimble Navigation Inc., the Oracle Corporation, Definiens Imaging, Sun Microsystems, TerraSoft, MapInfo, and PCI Geomatics. These and other corporate sponsors have provided more than $14 million of in-kind support of the research teaching facilities of the center. The center has extensive hardware and software capabilities, including more than 85 high performance workstations, five Windows XP and four Solaris servers (combined seven terabyte of on-line disk), three large-format plotters, multiple scanners, and an extensive inventory of software.

 

University of Arkansas undergraduate and graduate students have a wide range of geospatial courses available to them that utilize CAST faculties and laboratories. These courses, taken along with related courses in cartography, remote sensing, image interpretation, photogrammetry, surveying, and spatial statistics, provide the student with a range of career options. In addition to classroom instruction, CAST facilities are used by students in both undergraduate and graduate research projects. The internship program in Applied Spatial Information Technologies offers students an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in geospatial technologies.

 

CAST staff are engaged in research projects in a wide range of areas. A few recent research projects focused on areas such as the creation of a seamless, on-line spatial data warehouse; K-12 GIS education; soil survey by remote sensing; land-use/land-cover identification; remote sensing for historic resources; natural resources wetlands analyses; multi-sensor remote sensing for historic resources; and predicting red oak borer populations.

 

 

http://www.uark.edu/misc/carsinfo/

 

A multidisciplinary agency within the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, the Center for Arkansas and Regional Studies encourages research, publication, and dissemination of knowledge about life and culture in Arkansas and the surrounding region. The center administers the interdisciplinary major in American Studies and sponsors lectures, seminars, conferences, radio programs, and international student exchanges. The center also produces workshops and audio and video documentary recordings, and works with Mullins Library to locate and collect Arkansiana and other regional materials.

 

http://cber.uark.edu/

The Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER) is a public service/outreach center and a student-faculty research center. An integral part of the Sam M. Walton College of Business, CBER conducts externally sponsored research for local and state government, as well as the state business community. The staff responds daily to requests for state and local economic and demographic data.

In addition to conducting externally funded research, CBER maintains several electronic database libraries of economic and financial information to serve the needs of students and faculty. Examples of organizations with which CBER has been involved include the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Beverly Enterprises Inc., Mercury Energy, and the Arkansas Research and Technology Park planning group.

 

CBER publishes the Arkansas Business and Economic Review, a quarterly business and economics journal, which is dedicated to providing information about Arkansas’ business and economic environment. The review covers state, regional, and national business and economic issues. It includes state and regional economic indices relating to personal income, industrial output, employment, population, and other factors.

 

CBER is housed in room 217 of the Donald W. Reynolds Center for Enterprise Development. CBER staff can be reached by phone 479-575-4151, FAX 479-575-7687, or e-mail cberinfo@cavern.uark.edu.

 

 

The Center for Communication and Media Research (CCMR) advances knowledge and supports scholarly and applied inquiry into the study of interpersonal, group, organizational, and media communication. The center sponsors outreach programs designed to help under-served populations, educational institutions, media companies, businesses, and non-profit organizations.

 

Multidisciplinary in nature, the center facilitates scholarship among allied disciplines such as journalism, law, business, political science, psychology, sociology, and computer science. Research topics include communication and advertising, dispute resolution, education, environmental concerns, family, health, information technology, legal concerns, life stages, media audiences, organizational concerns, politics, and religion.

 

For information, contact the Center for Communication and Media Research, Department of Communication, 417 Kimpel Hall, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, or call 479-575-3046.

 

 

http://celdi.ineg.uark.edu/

 

The Center for Engineering Logistics and Distribution (CELDi) is a multi-university, multi-disciplinary, National Science Foundation sponsored Industry/University Cooperative Research Center located in the Department of Industrial Engineering. CELDi emerged in 2001 from The Logistics Institute (1994) to provide integrated solutions to logistics problems, through research related to modeling, analysis, and intelligent-systems technologies. Research endeavors are driven and sponsored by representatives from a broad range of member organizations, including manufacturing, maintenance, distribution, transportation, information technology, and consulting. Partner universities include the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University, and the University of Louisville. This partnership among academic institutions and industry represents the effective integration of private and public sectors to enhance a U.S. competitive edge in the global market place.

 

CELDi helps industry partners excel by leveraging their supply chain to achieve a distinguishable, sustainable difference. Member companies realize a measurable return on their investment by creating competitive value chains in terms of cost and service quality. Through basic research, collaborative applied research with industry, technology transfer, and education, CELDi is a catalyst for developing the engineering logistics methodology necessary for logistics value chain optimization.

 

For more information contact the center at 479-575-2124; FAX 479-575-8431, or visit the Web site.

 

 

The Center for Health, Performance, and Wellness in the College of Education and Health Professions in the Department of Health Science, Kinesiology, Recreation and Dance provides comprehensive educational services as well as research-based programs for the health, optimal performance, and wellness of individuals and/or groups of employees in public and private organizations. The activities of the center are supported through contractual agreements with agencies, hospitals, and schools as well as health and fitness programs. In addition the center provides internships for students in a variety of settings and conducts research on health and wellness issues.

 

http://cmed.uark.edu/

The Center for Management and Executive Development in the Sam M. Walton College of Business provides executive and middle management training opportunities designed to enhance quality in leadership, management decision making, and human resource skills and abilities for corporate and public clients. Programs provide training for implementation of current acceptable practices and approaches to problem solving that support progressive management achievements. Programs are custom designed for individual clients, or they are designed in modular fashion from several pre-prepared programs to meet the general leadership needs of organizations and include such topics as customer service, leadership, team development, total quality and continuous improvement, and personal skills development.

The center serves local, national, and multinational businesses. The center operates on a fee-for-service basis, and its activities are supported from fee based revenues. It also provides directive support for Arkansas manufacturers who seek to produce and market products for the mass market and for its retailers through the Support Arkansas Made program. Support Arkansas Made assists manufacturers in the evaluation of new products and product ideas based upon marketable criteria.

 

 

http://www.uark.edu/~k12info

 

The Center for Mathematics and Science Education (CMASE) – a University of Arkansas K-16 education outreach facility within the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences – works in conjunction with the Arkansas Department of Higher Education as part of a network of twelve mathematics and science centers on university and college campuses around Arkansas. The main objectives of the center are to 1) provide science, mathematics and technology professional development for K-16 pre-service and in-service teachers; 2) assist in statewide K-16 education initiatives; 3) coordinate regionally beneficial grant-funded programs among universities and colleges for K-16 education; 4) provide science, mathematics and technology educational materials, resources, and information to the K-16 community; and 5) link common K-16 education allies throughout the state.

 

University Day, Science/Engineering Fairs, Springfest, and various K-16 teacher and student programs are conducted through CMASE. Day-to-day educational outreach information is sent to local, regional, and statewide constituencies through the Center’s website and various e-mail listservs. CMASE is a host site for the federally sponsored Eisenhower National Clearinghouse and the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory Consortium. CMASE also serves as the Arkansas National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Educator Resource Center, responsible for warehousing and disseminating NASA materials and providing regular updates on NASA programs and materials to the state.

 

Web pages specifically designed to provide a wealth of material resources and information available for public, private and home-school educators across the state can be accessed at www.uark.edu/~k12info.

 

For more information, contact the Center for Mathematics and Science Education at 346 N. West Avenue, #202, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701 or call 479-575-3875.

 

http://www.uark.edu/depts/cheminfo/uarkchem/protein/index.html/

The Center for Protein Structure and Function is an interdisciplinary unit for research and teaching within the departments of chemistry/biochemistry and biological sciences in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. The center raises funds from federal, state, and private sources and sponsors faculty- and student-initiated basic research on the folded structures of protein molecules, their dynamic properties, and their diverse functions in biological systems. The center has been awarded funding from the National Science Foundation, the Arkansas Science and Technology Authority, and the National Institutes of Health. Co-directors of the center are Frank Millett and Roger Koeppe in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. For more information, visit the Web site or call 479-575-4601.

http://cre.uark.edu/

The Center for Retailing Excellence in the Sam M. Walton College of Business promotes superior performance in retail practice through both research and education programs. Through its efforts, the center promotes student interest in and preparation for careers in retailing and closely related businesses. The center works to develop strategic alliances between business academics and industry by focusing on interdisciplinary issues and concerns of retailers and vendors in both its activities and research programs. By means of its initiatives and support, the center stimulates research that advances knowledge of retailing and addresses problems faced by retailing organizations and vendor firms. The Center for Retailing Excellence provides a range of benefits for constituent groups comprised of students, retail organizations and their suppliers, and faculty researchers.

 

http://www.cspin.net/

The University of Arkansas and University of Oklahoma are equal partners in the Center for Semiconductor Physics in Nanostructures (C-SPIN). C-SPIN is funded by the National Science Foundation under the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center program, with $4.5 million in NSF funding committed to C-SPIN over five years.

 

C-SPIN personnel include faculty from the physics and chemistry departments. C-SPIN students are enrolled in physics, chemistry, and microelectronic-photonics graduate programs and pursue research ranging from the study of quantum dots grown one atom at a time to colloidal nanocrystals destined to become future detectors of biological processes. In addition to the nanoscience emphasis of C-SPIN, the center also strongly supports K-12 outreach efforts to move the excitement of advanced research into school systems. The efforts of C-SPIN personnel in this area are designed to increase the level of science and technology competency in both Oklahoma and Arkansas. For more information, visit the C-SPIN Web site.

 

 

http://www.uark.edu/depts/anylchem/cstar/sens.html/

 

The Center for Sensing Technology and Research (CSTAR), located in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, draws upon unique campus strengths to carry out a high-impact research program directed toward fundamental and applied research in new sensor technology. Through cross-disciplinary interaction of researchers and students, highly effective new sensors are created in a variety of applications. This interdisciplinary collaboration helps to tackle sensor problems, while educating scientists, engineers, and industry about available resources, problems, and new technological solutions. Synergistic interaction with industrial participants provides real world applications in need of advanced sensing technology. By implementing sensor technology within Arkansas-based businesses, CSTAR seeks to improve national competitiveness in science and technology in Arkansas. An essential goal of CSTAR is to contribute to the graduate education of a new generation of scientists and engineers skilled in advanced sensing technology and provide support for recruitment and research of qualified graduate students to the relevant doctoral programs of the participating faculty.

 

http://ww.uark.edu/depts/social/CSR.htm

Since 1982 the Center for Social Research has provided research services to government agencies, communities, and businesses. Located in the Department of Sociology, the center can conduct survey and public opinion research, impact assessment, evaluation and policy assessment. The center’s staff can provide assistance with research methodology and design, sampling, data collection and analysis.

The center’s professional staff has vast experience in virtually every aspect of social research. In addition, the center’s resources include computer-assisted telephone interviewing facilities; extensive archival data holdings, including online access to the archival holdings of the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research at the University of Michigan; and, in-house statistical analysis.

 

For more information, contact Director William Schwab at 479-575-3206.

 

http://plsc.uark.edu/csr/

The Center for the Study of Representation (CSR) is located in the Department of Political Science in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. The mission of the center consists of scholarship and outreach related to representation. In pursuit of its mission, the center performs two primary functions. First, it promotes original research by faculty and students into various aspects of political representation. Second, the center seeks to foster a wider understanding of the process of representation through its civic education programs. Lectures, symposia, speakers, television and radio appearances, and publications supported by the center contribute to public education and the development of a better-informed citizenry.

The center is more than a set of research projects and outreach programs, however. It is a group of individuals who are devoted to creating an environment that promotes scholarship and interest in representative democracy.

 

http://www.uark.edu/depts/posc/poultry.html

With designation by the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees to make poultry science a center of excellence in the state’s university system, the department of poultry science became a reality in 1992.

The Center of Excellence for Poultry Science (CEPS) is comprised of full-time poultry science faculty members, full-time USDA/ARS Poultry Research Group faculty members, graduate assistants, adjunct faculty, and poultry science departmental staff. CEPS receives multidisciplinary contributions from several University departments including animal science; biological and agricultural engineering; biological sciences; crop, soil, and environmental sciences; entomology; food science; industrial engineering; the School of Human and Environmental Sciences; and the UALR College of Pharmacy.

 

The Department of Poultry Science and the research group are housed in the John W. Tyson Building, which is a 112,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art laboratory and office complex that was completed the fall of 1995 on the UA campus. In addition to the John W. Tyson Building on the main campus, CEPS comprises the following facilities:

 

• FDA-licensed feed mill;

• 10,000-square-foot processing plant used for teaching processing techniques and for ongoing food safety research projects;

• 12,000-square-foot John Kirkpatrick Skeeles Poultry Health Laboratory, which holds the highest bio-safety rating (P3) available in the country;

• A poultry research farm facility including hatchery, genetics unit, pullet-rearing facility, battery brooder, caged layer house, broiler breeder houses and turkey houses;

• Four full-sized broiler houses equipped with computerized environmental control and data collection systems capable of commercial-type production research; and

• A broiler breeder research facility that includes two full-size broiler breeder houses, a pullet-rearing facility, and quality assurance building with offices, classroom, and egg holding capacity.

 

By majoring in poultry science, students are provided a scientific as well as a technical education preparing them for positions of leadership and responsibility in the expanding fields of poultry processing, marketing and production, breeding and genetics, nutrition, physiology, poultry health, poultry business management, and food science.

 

Students in poultry science also may meet all pre-veterinary and pre-medical requirements necessary for entry into those professional areas.

 

http://www.uark.edu/ua/rhrc/

Hot Springs Rehabilitation Continuing Education Center

http://www.recep6.org/

Established in 1974, this center provides human resource development programming for personnel employed in rehabilitation programs funded by the Rehabilitation Act. These programs include state vocational rehabilitation agencies, independent living centers, community rehabilitation programs, client assistance programs and projects with industries in the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. The center is located in the Hot Springs Rehabilitation Center, Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Little Rock Rehabilitation Research and Training Center
for People Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

http://www.uark.edu/depts/rehabres/

Established in 1981, this national center conducts research and training programs to enhance rehabilitation efforts on behalf of the 24 million U.S. citizens who are deaf or hard of hearing. These programmatic efforts are directed toward enhancing the career preparation, job entry and placement, career advancement, and workplace communication accommodations consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The center is located in Little Rock and also operates two graduate training programs in deafness rehabilitation at that location.

 

 

The Blair Center, located in the Department of Political Science, is dedicated to fostering political scholarship, public service, civic consciousness, and the study of Southern politics, history, and culture. The center supports graduate students studying topics relevant to the South and hosts conferences and periodic speakers discussing issues relevant to Southern politics and society.

 

 

Research is a major function of each of the faculties within the seven departments in the College of Engineering. Research coordination is achieved through the Engineering Experiment Station, which was established for that purpose by an act of the Arkansas Legislature in 1920.

 

The overall goal of research in the College of Engineering is to provide engineering solutions to important problems that face our society. We utilize our faculty, staff, students, and facilities to enhance the well-being of both public and private sectors. Student involvement in research is especially important in that it helps link them to the needs of their future employers. All departments – biological and agricultural, chemical, civil, computer engineering, electrical, industrial, and mechanical engineering – conduct research over a broad spectrum of subjects that includes areas such as biological and chemical processes; electronics manufacturing; environmental and ecosystems analysis; material and manufacturing; software and telecommunications; and transportation, logistics, and infrastructure. Funding for research within the college comes primarily through grants received from government and industry sources.

 

http://www.genesis.uark.edu/

The Engineering Research Center provides the facilities and support services for a wide variety of research activities of the College of Engineering. The center houses the Engineering Experiment Station through which the research of individual departments of the college is handled, the Genesis Technology Incubator program, the Southwestern Regional Calibration Center, the High Density Electronics Center, the Arkansas Center for Technology Transfer, the Industrial Training Laboratory, the Center for Interactive Technology, the Systems Technology Laboratory, the Highway Construction Materials Laboratory, the Hydrology Laboratory, the Low-Speed Wind Tunnel Laboratory, and the engineering extension office.

The center is located in a modern 186,000-square-foot facility on 32 acres approximately two miles south of the main campus in Fayetteville.

 

http://www.uark.edu/depts/social/jones_center.htm/

The Family and Community Institute is a joint effort of the University of Arkansas and the Harvey and Bernice Jones Center for Families in Springdale, Arkansas. The institute is a multidisciplinary research center in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. Located in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, it conducts basic and applied research, as well as policy-related studies on the critical issues facing families and communities in the region and the nation. The institute raises funds from federal, state, and private sources and sponsors applied research by faculty and students on the family and the community.

http://www.uark.edu/~fiir/

An interdisciplinary unit within the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, the Fulbright Institute of International Relations encourages student and faculty research and scholarly analysis of foreign policy and international affairs. The institute sponsors instructional activities, conferences, seminars, public events, and publications, including a major spring symposium on a significant topic in international affairs. The institute’s office of Study Abroad and International Exchange coordinates a number of overseas programs and provides support services for students interested in study abroad.

 

http://www.garvangardens.org/

 

Garvan Woodland Gardens is the botanical garden of the University of Arkansas, established in 1993 by an endowment from Mrs. Verna C. Garvan. Her vision is the foundation of the Garden’s mission to serve the public and provide teaching and research opportunities for the Department of Landscape Architecture and the School of Architecture.

 

As early as 1985, the Department of Landscape Architecture was utilizing portions of the 210 acres on Lake Hamilton, in Hot Springs, Ark., as a resource to teach local ecology and design principles. Teaching opportunities continue in these areas and currently feature urban forestry, wetland ecology, construction methods and materials, design implementation, and horticulture. Two designed features offer case studies for landscape architecture and architecture students, as well as professionals: the Asiatic Garden, by nationally recognized Asiatic garden designer David Slawson, and the Verna C. Garvan Pavilion, by internationally recognized architects E. Fay Jones and Maurice Jennings.

 

Research opportunities lie in wetland ecology and constructed wetland design, sustainable design, and therapeutic gardens. Ongoing public programs feature workshops on gardening techniques, bonsai collections, and perennials.

 

An annual symposium focuses on timely issues affecting the quality of life of people in Arkansas and the nation. Past topics include historic landscape preservation practice in Arkansas and livable and sustainable community development.

 

Garvan Woodland Garden is a member of the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta.

 

http://www.genesis.uark.edu/

Located in the Engineering Research Center but acting as a resource for the University, GENESIS provides technology-based companies with research and development support by allowing these firms access to University labs and facilities as well as technical support from University researchers. Firms accepted into GENESIS are provided physical space in University research centers as well as office space, shared support services, and both business and technical guidance. GENESIS’ goal is that of creating jobs for Arkansans skilled in the science and engineering professions as well as helping to diversify both Arkansas’ technology and economic base. Applicants must meet strict technical guidelines as determined by a committee of University researchers, administrators, and a 15-member advisory board comprised of community business leaders. GENESIS was conceived to span all University colleges and departments by providing entrepreneurs needing research and development support a method for obtaining and coordinating the same through a program which focuses the resources of the entire campus for this common objective.

http://www.geaonline.org/

Great Expectations of Arkansas, based in the College of Education and Health Professions, prepares teachers and administrators to create classroom change through effective environments in which academic, attitudinal, and behavioral outcomes are attained in keeping with high standards for achievement. Encouraging group work and confidence building, Great Expectations students are involved in classrooms in which they can learn regardless of their background. The mission of Great Expectations is to provide a supportive learning environment based on core beliefs that will allow every student in participating schools to experience high degrees of success. The program delivers specialized institutes and follow-up services for teachers throughout the state.

http://www.uark.edu/depts/hepoinfo/hepo.html/

The Health Education Projects Office in the College of Education and Health Professions in the Department of Health Science, Kinesiology, Recreation and Dance serves schools and communities to assist them in the delivery of effective health education programs. In addition to ongoing research in selected health education areas, the office has developed health education programs and interventions to foster effective education of children and youth. In addition, the office provides professional development for teachers and other educators, assists with program implementation, and consults on health education projects. The office has specialized in abstinence education, substance use prevention, tobacco use prevention, rural health education, and HIV/AIDS education.

 

http://www.hidec.engr.uark.edu/

The High Density Electronics Center (HiDEC) was established in 1991 as an interdisciplinary research program in advanced electronic packaging technologies, particularly the rapidly developing technology of multichip modules (MCMs), which allow electronic systems to be small, fast, and cheap.

With generous support from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), a large clean room was constructed, and an MCM fabrication facility, unique among universities, was installed. Current research programs focus on 3-D electronic packaging, high density laminate substrates, co-fired ceramic substrates for wireless applications, high temperature superconducting (HTSC) tunable filters, micro electromechanical systems (MEMS), and integrated passives development. The program is located in the Department of Electrical Engineering but involves faculty from six departments and more than 25 graduate students. Continuing funding comes from DARPA and several industrial sponsors. Significant national recognition has resulted from work performed at HiDEC.

 

http://www.uark.edu/admin/hplweb/

The Human Performance Laboratory in the College of Education and Health Professions in the Department of Health Science, Kinesiology, Recreation and Dance has a dual-purpose mission: educational outreach and research programs for targeted populations. The program is committed to the pursuit of knowledge about the health and well-being of people through research, research dissemination, outreach, and service. Known for an emphasis on fitness, the program provides an opportunity for faculty and students to conduct ongoing research and service programs.

http://itrc.uark.edu/

The Information Technology Research Institute (ITRI) is an interdisciplinary unit for research within the Sam M. Walton College of Business. The mission of the ITRI is to advance the state of research and practice in the development and use of information technology for enhancing the performance of individuals and organizations; provide a forum for multi-disciplinary work on issues related to information technology; promote student interest in the study of information technology; and facilitate the exchange of information between the academic and business communities. The ITRI was established by a grant from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation.

 

http://www.uark.edu/depts/ifse/

 

The Institute of Food Science and Engineering and its three technology centers grew from the commitment of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture to finding creative ways to bring its expertise and resources to bear on specific problems and issues that affect productivity and growth in the food processing industry, with the mission of strengthening that critical component of the agricultural sector and the entire economy.

 

The institute assists industry by fostering cooperative, multidisciplinary efforts that provide research to solve problems, technology transfer to put new information to work, and education in skills needed by specific industries. Alliances between the institute and private industry devise solutions to identified problems. This demand-driven approach assures a direct, positive impact on the value-added processing of food products.

 

The Center for Food Processing and Engineering’s primary objective is to facilitate research leading to value-added products and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the processing of agricultural products. Activities of the Center for Food Safety and Quality seek to maintain or improve the safety of foods through production, harvest, processing, distribution, and storage. The main thrust of the Center for Human Nutrition is to develop new value-added functional foods with elevated levels of health-promoting compounds and ways to motivate people to include generous amounts of these foods in their daily diets. These efforts will assure food safety and improve the sensory and nutritional quality of food to meet the nutritional requirements and food preferences of a changing society.

The offices of the Institute of Food Science and Engineering are located in the Food Science Building at the Arkansas Agricultural Research and Extension Center. Visit us on the World Wide Web or by phone, 479-575-4040.

 

http://www.uark.edu/ua/eeam/

The International Center for the Study of Early Asian and Middle Eastern Musics, established in 2000, is a research center located in the Department of Music in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.

The center coordinates the international Tang Music Project and is linked with the Ancient Asian Music Preservation Project of the Library of Congress, a partnership that includes internships at the Library as well as an acquisitions program. The center also functions as the base for graduate training in historical ethnomusicology and related fields, specifically tailored toward early documented repertories of ritual- and art-music and present day performance practices in historically significant musical traditions of Asia and the Middle East. The recovery of early Asian musics and the design of music-centered algorithms and their implementation in computer programs are central aspects of the center’s research and teaching activities. The center works closely with both the Department of Music and the King Fahd Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies in sponsoring lectures, seminars, concerts, and workshops, and it collaborates in developing international ties to other institutions and in promoting student and performing-artist exchanges. For more information, contact Elizabeth Markham or Rembrandt Wolpert at 479-575-4702.

 

http://www.uark.edu/depts/mesp/

The King Fahd Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies is an academic and research unit in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. It is an interdisciplinary and interdepartmental area studies center that offers diverse cultural, intellectual, and educational opportunities for the University of Arkansas community. Its functions include the promotion of research and teaching in interdisciplinary Middle East studies and global Islamic studies.

Through the King Fahd Middle East Studies Program (MEST), the center offers an undergraduate major in Middle East Studies and supports graduate studies in Middle East-related departments and programs. Middle East studies majors of superior ability may apply for MEST scholarships to help fund their studies. The center also supports summer language study and research assistantships for graduate students and teaching and research by visiting scholars from affiliated universities and programs.

 

Through its core faculty, the center coordinates with University departments to offer a full range of Middle East courses, supports faculty research in Middle East and Islamic studies, engages in outreach activities, and supports an ambitious program of visiting speakers and workshops. The King Fahd Center currently maintains relationships with universities in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, and Russia. The center also cooperates with the Aga Khan Humanities Program in Central Asia, the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C., and the Elijah Center for the Study of Wisdom in World Religions in Jerusalem.

 

http://www.uark.edu/depts/intagpro/ru_trans.html/ or http://www.mackblackwell.org/

The Mack-Blackwell National Rural Transportation Study Center (MBTC) was established by a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to provide educational opportunities and conduct research in the area of rural transportation. Additional support is received from the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department.

The broad objective of the center is to improve the quality of life in rural areas through transportation. The educational objective is to provide graduates qualified to enter the transportation-related professions with the diversity of backgrounds needed to lead transportation development in the 21st century. Although housed within the Department of Civil Engineering, MBTC’s activities are not limited to engineering. All disciplines related to or impacted by transportation participate in MBTC research and educational activities.

 

http://www.NationalAgLawCenter.org/

 

The National Agricultural Law Center is a federally funded agricultural law research and information center located at the University of Arkansas School of Law. Created in 1987, the center fulfills its mission by conducting and sponsoring objective and authoritative agricultural and food law research and by providing bibliographic and other resources on agricultural and food law.

 

The center works closely with the UA School of Law Graduate Program in Agricultural Law, an academic program that awards the Master of Laws degree in Agricultural Law. Selected students in the graduate program serve as research fellows at the center during their residency in the graduate program.

 

The center is the only one of its kind in the United States and has received national recognition. It recently enhanced its national reach by establishing a collaborative relationship with the Agricultural Law Center at Drake University School of Law in Des Moines, Iowa.

Publications and research assistance are available in print and through the Web site.

 

 

http://cied.uark.edu/2692.htm

 

Established in 1997, the Northwest Arkansas Writing Project is affiliated with the National Writing Project at the University of California, Berkeley. Based in the College of Education and Health Professions in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, the project involves teachers in workshops and institutes to prepare them to be creative and effective in their classroom writing programs. The project supports collaborative efforts with the public schools to enhance the teaching of writing, extend the uses of writing in the curriculum, and foster the professional development of teachers. Project institutes enable teachers to develop relationships with fellow teachers to create communities of professionals focused on the improvement of writing by students in K-12 schools and at the college level. During the school year, institute graduates attend follow-up sessions, provide workshops in local schools, and serve as resources in their communities. Kidswrite, a companion program for children, provides a summer experience for the exploration of writing and guided practice through the writing of poems, plays, short stories, songs, and newsletters.

 

http://www.orau.org/

Since 1948, students and faculty of the University of Arkansas have benefited from its membership in Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU). ORAU is a consortium of 91 colleges and universities and a contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. ORAU works with its member institutions to help their students and faculty gain access to federal research facilities throughout the country; to keep its members informed about opportunities for fellowship, scholarship, and research appointments; and to organize research alliances among its members.

Through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), the DOE facility that ORAU operates, undergraduates, graduates, postgraduates, and faculty enjoy access to a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Students may participate in programs covering a wide variety of disciplines including business, earth sciences, epidemiology, engineering, physics, geological sciences, pharmacology, ocean sciences, biomedical sciences, nuclear chemistry, and mathematics. Appointment and program length range from one month to four years. Many of these programs are specially designed to increase the numbers of underrepresented minority students pursuing degrees in science- and engineering-related disciplines. A comprehensive listing of these programs and other opportunities, their disciplines, and details on locations and benefits can be found at http://www.orau.gov/orise/educ.htm, or by calling either of the contacts below.

 

ORAU’s Office of Partnership Development seeks opportunities for partnerships and alliances among ORAU’s members, private industry, and major federal facilities. Activities include faculty development programs, such as the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards, the Visiting Industrial Scholars Program, consortium research funding initiatives, faculty research, and support programs as well as services to chief research officers.

 

For more information about ORAU and its programs, contact Collis R. Geren, Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Research, and ORAU Councilor for the University of Arkansas at 479-575-4401; or  Monnie E. Champion, ORAU Corporate Secretary, 865-576-3306; or visit the ORAU Web site at http://www.orau.org/.

 

http://www.uark.edu/misc/aging/

The Office for Studies on Aging in the College of Education and Health Professions was established in August 1999 to coordinate the resources of the University in addressing the needs of the aging population in Arkansas and beyond. The office was developed to be the center for research and study of the physical, social, and psychological aspects of the aging process drawing on a host of disciplines across campus. The office conducts research, provides services, and acts as an interface between the University and the variety of service modalities for the aging population. Initial efforts of the office are directed toward a variety of issues facing older Americans to provide meaningful solutions so that the process of aging is a positive experience, both emotionally and physically.

http://normes.uark.edu/

The Office of Research, Measurement, and Evaluation, organized in 1998, is a research and service unit in the College of Education and Health Professions in the Department of Educational Leadership, Counseling and Foundations. Its mission includes the analysis and dissemination of data to facilitate school improvement and reform in Arkansas. The faculty and staff of the office offer expertise in the areas of educational statistics, test and measurement theory, research design, standardized assessment, program evaluation, and policy analysis. The mission of the office is to conduct targeted educational research, drawing on the talents of faculty from several disciplines. The research conducted through the office addresses significant issues affecting the educators and students of the public schools of the state.

http://sbdc.waltoncollege.uark.edu/

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC), located in the Walton College of Business, provides small business consulting and technical assistance to the business community of Northwest Arkansas. The SBDC serves as the focal point for linking together resources of the federal, state, and local governments with resources of the University, the Sam M. Walton College of Business, and the private sector. These resources are utilized to counsel and train small businesses in resolving organizational, financial, marketing, technical, and other problems they might encounter. The SBDC offers free consulting services to small business clients. Seminars for small businesses are offered on a wide range of topics. Small Business Administration publications, other relevant small business publications, and Internet access are available for small business owners in the SBDC resource center.

 

http://www.genesis.uark.edu/

 

The Southwest Radiation Calibration Center (SRCC) provides services for neutron radiation survey equipment that requires periodic calibration. Since 1983, the SRCC has provided an expanding range of calibration services to a large number of clients around the United States including federal and state agencies, nuclear power stations, universities with research reactors or radiation research programs, oil exploration drilling companies, and nuclear medicine centers.

 

SRCC Services include NIST-traceable, D 2 O-moderated Californium-252 calibrations of virtually any neutron survey instruments used for radiation protection purposes. The calibrations are offered in two types: Type 1 - Calibration consists of radiation measurements at six points on one decade scale for digital instruments. For analog instruments, this is followed by electronic calibration of the remaining scales via detector sensitivity. Type 2 - Calibrations consist of radiation measurements at two points per scale on 2-4 scales per instrument. This type is mainly for non-autoranging instruments.

 

In addition, other services include NIST-traceable irradiation of personal neutron radiation monitoring badges or electronic cumulative monitors (chirpers), including TLDs and all other types. Delivered dose equivalents offered are from 50 mrem to 5 rem on a neutron phantom per ANSI N13.11. Stated accuracy is to within ± 5 percent. Full documentation, including calibration certificate and calibration sticker showing correction factor, sources used, optional next calibration date, current calibration date, person(s) calibrating the instrument, and instrument identification.

 

The Southwest Radiation Calibration Center is located in the UA Engineering Research Center complex.

 

http://cdis.uark.edu/1229.htm

The Speech and Hearing Clinic in the College of Education and Health Professions in the Department of Rehabilitation, Human Resources, and Communication Disorders provides evaluation, treatment, on-site consultation in schools and homes, and small group therapy services. The clinic offers evaluation and treatment for children and adults in the areas of hearing loss, central auditory processing, articulation, fluency, voice, language, augmentative and alternative communication, swallowing, and spoken English for foreign speakers. These services are provided by graduate students in the program under the direct supervision of audiologists and speech-language pathologists on the program faculty. It continues to expand its reputation as a regional center for services in augmentative communications and assistive technology.

http://scmr.uark.edu/

The Supply Chain Management Research Center (SCMRC) at the UA Sam M. Walton College of Business sponsors and promotes supply chain, logistics, and transportation research and education. Center faculty view the supply chain as the channel that integrates business processes from suppliers through end users, providing value-added products, services, and information. Supply chain management incorporates both inter- and intra-company logistics, transportation, and management systems.

The center undertakes research and training in all aspects of the supply chain. It has sponsored research on VMI, trained salespersons and developed MRP systems, and simulated supply chains for logistics executives. The SCMRC has a broad range of interests and capabilities and has close ties to and cooperative programs within the Walton College (e.g., Center for Retail Excellence, Information Technology Research Center) and with other centers at the U of A (e.g., The Logistics Institute in the UA College of Engineering). The SCMRC is unique in that its capabilities span the technical and managerial arenas of supply chain management.

The SCMRC’s Board of Directors includes representatives of firms such as ABF Freight Systems, American Freightways, Colgate-Palmolive, Federal Express, J.B. Hunt Transport, Pillsbury, Sunbeam, Tyson Foods, Unilever HPC, and Wal-Mart. The Board of Directors, along with notable supply chain professionals from business and academia, meet annually to discuss the state of the art in supply chain management and to provide advice and direction for the center.

For additional information about the Supply Chain Management Research Center at the Sam M. Walton College of Business contact the center at 479-575-2536 or FAX 479-575-4173.

http://survey.uark.edu

The Survey Research Center promotes faculty and funded graduate student research and evaluation in fields as varied as agriculture, engineering, arts, social and physical sciences, education, health, and athletics. Information garnered from surveys can also enhance administrative decision-making. The center conducts a variety of types of surveys including, but not limited to, computer-assisted telephone, mail, Web, e-mail, and face-to-face as well as focus groups. The Survey Research Center provides technical consultation and is the University supplier of UA data to graduate students. With University-wide responsibilities, the center reports to the Vice Provost for Research. Services range from consultation on proposals through total research design and implementation, including reporting. Included are survey development, sample design and sampling, data collection, data coding, test entry and verification, analysis, report writing, and presentation of results. Bringing together interdisciplinary teams of researchers for collaborative work is an aim. Students employed in the center receive instruction in survey methods and microcomputer applications. The center operates on a fee-for-service basis.

http://uacdc.uark.edu/ or www.uark.edu/depts/uacdc/

The mission of the University of Arkansas Community Design Center is to advance creative development in Arkansas through education, research, and design solutions that enhance the physical environment. As an outreach center of the School of Architecture, UACDC is developing a repertoire of new design methodologies applicable to community development issues in Arkansas, with currency at the national level. UACDC design solutions introduce a multiple bottom line, integrating social and environmental measures into economic development. Integrative design solutions add long-term value and offer collateral benefits related to sustained economic capacity, enhanced ecologies, and improved public health — the foundations of creative development. UACDC was founded in 1995 and has provided design and planning services to over 30 communities across Arkansas. Our planning has helped Arkansas communities to secure nearly $9 million in grant funding to enact suggested improvements.

 

 

http://uaedi.cast.uark.edu/

 

The University of Arkansas Economic Development Institute (UAEDI) was established in 2002 to promote individual and community prosperity and well-being in Arkansas by helping extend suitable UA programs throughout the state in partnership with others having similar interests. Composed of University faculty, staff, and students, UAEDI is about preparing people for prosperity.

 

UAEDI endeavors to create an upward movement of well-being by bolstering the people to a prosperity spiral that sequentially links people, partners, power, programs, proposals, projects, and prosperity in the following manner:

People – by addressing the needs of people for community, business, industrial, educational, and leadership development through comprehensive partnerships.
Partners – by facilitating synergistic partnerships among the University of Arkansas and others including K-12 schools, community colleges, other universities, foundations, civic groups, businesses and industry, elected officials and other leaders, and local, state, federal, and international organizations.
Power – by harnessing the power of UA programs to discover, develop, and deliver knowledge to the state and the world through programmatic expertise in areas related to health, learning, information, environment, technology, management, and culture.
Programs – by utilizing the University’s infrastructure, including centers, laboratories, other collaborative efforts and facilities, to develop outstanding programs and proposals.
Proposals – by developing creative, innovative quality proposals that lead to funded projects.
Projects – by successfully executing projects that promote prosperity and well-being in the state through community, business, industrial, educational, and leadership development.
Prosperity – by leveraging resources to further develop the physical and intellectual capital that leads to an upward spiral of economic and social well-being and prosperity for the people of Arkansas.

For more information about the University of Arkansas Economic Development Institute, contact Director, UAEDI, 226 Engineering Hall, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, 479-575-5118, FAX 479-575-2412; e-mail ojl@uark.edu; or visit the Web site.