News Archive 2023

News Articles

Nineteen Members Inducted to Arkansas Academy of Microlectronics-Photonics

Reference: University of Arkansas Newswire — Feb. 27, 2023

Faculty, staff, family and friends of the Arkansas Academy of Microelectronics-Photonics and Materials Science and Engineering came together in person to celebrate three years of academy inductees during its annual meeting late last semester.

Nineteen new members were inducted — six in the class of 2020, seven in the class of 2021 and six in the class of 2022. The academy met virtually from 2019 too 2021 due to the COVID pandemic.

"One of the most significant outcomes of our annual meeting, other than inducting new members, is to gather feedback from our academy members that are diversely distributed in industry, academia and federal labs across the nation," said Matthew Leftwich, director of the graduate program in materials science and engineering. "One of the most noteworthy outcomes from the meeting was a collective and focused discussion regarding how the MSEN Graduate Program, its faculty and students, the university, the state and ultimately our nation can benefit from upcoming CHIPS federal funding opportunities."

Academy Member Inductees

2020 CLASS

  • Silke Spiesshoefer
  • Clayton Workman
  • Albert Estevez
  • Ryan Swain
  • Hameed Naseem
  • Bill Brown (Honorary Member)

2021 CLASS

  • Muhammad Anser
  • Matthew Leftwich
  • Ryan Pooran
  • Brandon Passmore
  • Viral Patel
  • Rick Wise
  • Collis Geren (Honorary Member)

2022 CLASS

  • Benjamin Conley
  • Ranjith John
  • Prakash Lakshmikanthan
  • Deepa Mannath
  • Fisher Yu
  • Rick Ulrich (Honorary Member)

For more information on the graduate program in materials science and engineering, visit the program website.

U of A Well Positioned to be a National Leader in Semiconductors

Reference: University of Arkansas Newswire — March 06, 2023

The U of A is well positioned to be a leader in the United States’ semiconductor economy. Semiconductors, such as silicon, are essential materials in most electronic devices and advance performance in fields such as healthcare, the military, computing and transportation.

In the last two years, researchers at the U of A, primarily in electrical engineering and physics, have been awarded in excess of $45 million in funding to create a multi-user silicon carbide research and fabrication facility, a center dedicated to investigating the formation of atomic orders in semiconductor alloys and their effects on various physical properties, and, in collaboration with Montana State University, a Quantum Foundry to accelerate the development of quantum materials and devices.

Building on this expertise, the university has launched a major new initiative to increase investment in semiconductor research and awareness of what is already happening.

The U of A’s existing research foundation means it’s uniquely positioned to take advantage of the recent CHIPS (Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors) and Science Act, which is providing approximately $280 billion in funding to stimulate domestic research and manufacturing of semiconductors.

As a result of manufacturing and production shortages of essential computer chips during the pandemic, which are overwhelmingly manufactured overseas, the federal government has prioritized the onshoring of this critical technology.

Alan Mantooth, a Distinguished Professor of electrical engineering, noted in a recent interview that the semiconductor isn’t just important, “it’s foundational. A lot of things get built off semiconductors.”

Mantooth added, “I think it’s important to recognize that this region and Arkansas particularly, and this university, are very well positioned because we have that entire value chain. From the foundational work to the new fabrication going in, to backend processes that allow us to build all the way to the application, and the people that we work with, like John Deere, Caterpillar, Ford, G.M., Toyota… I think there is an opportunity to attract businesses to this state and region that we haven’t had before as a result of investment through the CHIPS Act and raised awareness of what’s here.”

U of A Chancellor Charles Robinson noted that there isn’t currently a semiconductor chip plant in Arkansas, and creating one is essential to retaining talent. “Historically, our graduates who want to work in this field have had to leave the area. Greater investment in and awareness about what is happening here will not only create opportunities to keep our graduates here, but incentivize even more talented people to come here. We’re at an inflection point where the university can step forward to maximize its potential in this field.”

“The university and state of Arkansas have a golden opportunity to help drive the United States’ semiconductor industry and transform the heartland of the nation in the process,” said Mike Malone, vice chancellor for economic development. “Through workforce development, talent attraction and retention, unmatched facilities and partnerships with global industry leaders, we are ready to take the lead.”

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the Uof A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.

Lab to Fab; Mantooth Discusses Semiconductor Research and Fabrication at U of A

Reference: University of Arkansas Newswire — March 07, 2023

The U of A is a leader in the U.S. semiconductor economy. As the essential materials in most electronic devices, semiconductors advance performance in fields such as healthcare, the military, computing and transportation.

Alan Mantooth, Distinguished Professor of electrical engineering, is an international leader in the investigation and fabrication of silicon carbide, a powerful and versatile semiconductor. Over the past 20 years, his research teams have received more than $200 million in federal funding to support various projects related to silicon carbide solutions for power electronics.

In this month's Short Talks from the Hill, Mantooth discusses his work with silicon carbide and explains why the university is uniquely positioned as a leader in the semiconductor economy.

"We're attempting to create a bridge in the manufacturing gap that exists in America," Mantooth says in the podcast. "Right now we have a lot of expertise, probably the world's leading authorities around the nation, in this material system and the things that it can do for us in our everyday lives, like electrified transportation, electric power grid modernization and so forth. But these people have no place to do low volume prototyping. … So we have bridged that gap by creating an open facility where university researchers, national laboratories or even small and large businesses that don't have access to this capability can prototype their ideas in a cost-efficient manner and then ramp it to high-volume manufacturing. So it really is part of the whole ecosystem of manufacturing from lab to fab."

The U of A has launched a major new initiative to increase investment in semiconductor research and awareness. Researchers in this area, including Mantooth, are eligible to take advantage of the recent CHIPS (Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors) and Science Act, which is providing approximately $280 billion in funding to stimulate domestic research and manufacturing of semiconductors.

You can listen to Mantooth — and all previous Short Talks programming — wherever you get your podcasts, or by clicking on the link above. For more information, please visit Arkansas Research, the home of research and economic development news at the U of A.

Engineering Faculty Awarded $3.5 Million to Advance 3D Concrete Printing

Reference: University of Arkansas Newswire — March 16, 2023

Applied Research Associates, a research and engineering firm headquartered in New Mexico, awarded faculty in the College of Engineering nearly $3.5 million to study the most expedient ways to 3D print horizontal mission structures for the U.S. military. The faculty team will work to identify optimum design patterns and indigenous materials that can be used in horizontal construction projects (such as creating culverts, T-walls and Jersey barriers), as well as develop printing instructions for mobile robots that can be deployed quicky on site.

Michelle Barry, an associate professor of civil engineering, will serve as the principal investigator of the two-year grant. Wenchao Zhou, an associate professor of mechanical engineering, and Cameron Murray, an assistant professor of civil engineering, will serve as co-PIs.

Barry, who oversees the Granular Materials Research Laboratory, will have a number of responsibilities. Among them will be exploring new material structures and geometric configurations to optimize performance and efficiency. This will include examining biomimetic structures – meaning they mimic naturally occurring designs, such as honeycomb patterns — that can reduce material use while increasing strength.

Barry will also be cataloguing and characterizing a range of indigenous soils to determine their suitability for incorporation into concrete. The idea is that an expeditionary force will be able to deploy and make use of local materials in horizontal construction rather than shipping cement and aggregates across vast distances. The force would instead have a convenient catalog of recipes for concrete mixes adapted to local conditions with the assurance it can be pumped through nozzles and 3D printed with requisite robots on site.

Murray, who specializes in concrete, will assist with analyzing the composition of the concrete as well as large-scale testing of experimental forms.

Zhou, who is the director of the Advanced Manufacturing, Modeling and Materials Lab at the U of A, is also the co-founder of AMBOTS, a local startup company developing “swarm manufacturing technology.” Zhou’s job will be to oversee the conversion of the CAD models created by the team into machine instructions. This is easier said than done, as it will involve laying down printing paths for a range of materials and designs, and eventually incorporating multiple robots.

AMBOTS will lead the software development for the construction of 3D printing robots. The robots are expected to work independently as well as collectively and be able to adapt to different mixes. Other considerations include ensuring a high degree of precision in printing large scale jobs, development of a mobile platform that can be deployed quickly in a range of environments and the ability to power the overall system.

Both graduate students from Zhou’s lab and employees at AMBOTS will be conducting the work.

Getting a prototype done in two years is a tall task, but Barry anticipates mobilizing as many as 18 graduate students, post-doctoral students and research technicians, as well as welcoming additional faculty into the project. Funds from the award will also be used to acquire a large format 3D printer, as well as additional equipment for soil and concrete characterization.

Barry indicated that using indigenous soils has been an area of interest to her for some time, largely due to the lower impact on the environment. “Humans have been building with soils for thousands of years, but 3D printing soils enables us to use soils in new and exciting ways. We can build structures or roads in disaster relief areas,” she said, “where you're just bringing in a piece of equipment because you might not be able to bring in other construction materials. If the local soils will work, you print with them for the time being, people are sheltered and then once it's not needed, it dissolves back to the original landscape.”

The project is also a great chance for AMBOTS to demonstrate what it can do.

“We're excited to have the opportunity to work with ARA and leverage their industry knowledge and experience to develop cutting-edge 3D printing capabilities,” Zhou said. “This grant will enable us to invest in research and development, driving the innovation of our swarm 3D printing technology and unlocking new possibilities for the future of construction and other industries.”

The $3.5 million subaward comes as part of a larger $12 million award ARA received from the United States Army Engineer Research and Development Center.

About the University of Arkansas:As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.

Professor Min Zou Receives SEC Faculty Achievement Award

Reference: University of Arkansas Newswire — March 30, 2023

The Southeastern Conference has honored Min Zou, Distinguished Professor of mechanical engineering, with the 2023 SEC Faculty Achievement Award for the U of A.

"Dr. Min Zou is a shining example of our amazing faculty in the College of Engineering, from her groundbreaking research in nanomaterials to her outstanding and inspiring work with mechanical engineering students," said Dean Kim Needy. "We are overwhelmed with joy to see Dr. Zou's achievements honored in this way, and we are celebrating her award with as much enthusiasm as any SEC win on the field or court."

Every year, the SEC recognizes faculty with outstanding records in research and scholarship from each of its member universities with SEC Faculty Achievement Awards. After the SEC Faculty Achievement Awards have been announced for each university, the SEC selects the SEC Professor of the Year from the group of recipients.

The U of A will recognize Zou for receiving the SEC Faculty Achievement Award during Faculty Appreciation Week, which is the second week of April. Zou will be recognized at the Provost's Faculty Reception to be held April 12 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House.

"I owe this award to my mentors, collaborators and talented students who make my career at the University of Arkansas so fun and rewarding," said Zou, who holds the 21st Century Chair of Materials, Manufacturing and Integrated Systems. "I'm honored and humbled to have been selected by our provost and supported by my department head and Dean Kim Needy for this prestigious award."

Joining the U of A in 2003, Zou has served in the Department of Mechanical Engineering as an assistant professor, associate professor, professor and distinguished professor. Zou is also a faculty member of the Institute for Nanoscale Science and Engineering and the interdisciplinary Microelectronics-photonics (microEP) Graduate Program at the U of A.

Zou is a leader in the fields of mechanical engineering, materials science and nanotechnology, and she is internationally recognized for her expertise in nanoscale surface engineering, nanomechanics and nanotribology. She has received numerous awards and honors for her groundbreaking research, including the prestigious National Science Foundation Career Award (2007), two Al Sonntag Awards (2021 and 2013), the Edmond E. Bisson Award (2019) and the Walter D. Hodson Award (2001) from the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE), where she is also a fellow. She has been recognized by the Arkansas Alumni Association with the Faculty Distinguished Achievement Award for Research (2018) and by the Arkansas Research Alliance, which named her a fellow in 2015. She is also a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

In addition, Zou has led over $30 million in extramural research funding. Her research has been cited and published in more than 134 peer-reviewed publications, four book chapters, seven granted and four pending patents, and 36 best paper, poster or business competition awards.

The technology developed in Zou's lab has led to the creation of two startup companies, which have received over $5 million in support from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy and the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. This technology has made a significant impact on many industries and has been used in a wide range of applications including tribology, solar panels and LED lighting.

Zou received her bachelor's and master's degrees in aerospace engineering from Northwestern Polytechnical University, China, and she received her Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Prior to joining the U of A, she worked at the Shanghai Aircraft Research Institute and was a senior advisory development engineer and staff engineer at Seagate Technology, where she contributed to developing new technology involving the computer hard drive head-disk interface.

"We applaud Dr. Zou for receiving this great honor," said Terry Martin, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs. "Dr. Zou is a distinguished professor and well known for her research in nano-surface engineering. She has made tremendous contributions to the research activities of our university, as well as brought cutting-edge technology to the forefront of the engineering field."

To learn more about the SEC Faculty Achievement Awards, visit thesecu.com. For more information about Zou's research, listen to this episode of the U of A's Short Talks from the Hill podcast.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas' economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.

Chemistry and Biochemistry's Jingyi Chen Inducted Into AIMBE College of Fellows

Reference: University of Arkansas Newswire — April 14, 2023

Jingyi Chen, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, has been inducted as a fellow in the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering's 2023 class.

Election to the AIMBE College of Fellows is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to a medical and biological engineer.

The College of Fellows is comprised of the top 2% of medical and biological engineers. Membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to "engineering and medicine research, practice or education" and to "the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of medical and biological engineering or developing/implementing innovative approaches to bioengineering education."

Chen was nominated, reviewed and elected by peers and members of the College of Fellows "for outstanding contributions to the development of functional nanostructures and translation for diagnosis and therapy of cancer and infectious disease."

A formal induction ceremony was held during the AIMBE Annual Event in Arlington, Virginia, on March 27. Chen was inducted along with 140 colleagues who make up the AIMBE College of Fellows Class of 2023.

While most AIMBE Fellows hail from the United States, the College of Fellows has inducted fellows representing 30 countries. AIMBE Fellows are employed in academia, industry, clinical practice and government.

AIMBE Fellows are among the most distinguished medical and biological engineers, including three Nobel Prize laureates, 17 fellows having received the Presidential Medal of Science and/or Technology and Innovation, and 205 also inducted to the National Academy of Engineering, 105 inducted to the National Academy of Medicine and 43 inducted to the National Academy of Sciences.

About AIMBE: The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering is the authoritative voice and advocate for the value of medical and biological engineering to society. AIMBE's mission is to recognize excellence, advance public understanding, and accelerate medical and biological innovation. No other organization can bring together academic, industry, government, and scientific societies to form a highly influential community advancing medical and biological engineering. AIMBE's mission drives advocacy initiatives into action on Capitol Hill and beyond.

Twenty Years of Transformation: GSIE Celebrates Distinguished Doctoral and Doctoral Academy Fellows

Reference: University of Arkansas Newswire — April 17, 2023

Editor's note: This story originally ran in the winter edition of the Arkansas Alumni magazine.

Since their establishment in 2002 as part of the record-breaking gift from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation, the Distinguished Doctoral Fellows and Doctoral Academy Fellows have expanded and elevated graduate education at the U of A, leading to breakthrough research, impactful creative activity and transformational opportunities for the more than 650 students who have graduated from the program.

The fellowships offer nationally-competitive financial packages to approximately 65 outstanding doctoral students each year, both from Arkansas and beyond, helping to recruit top students for research and scholarly activity — work that not only drives economic development in Arkansas, but serves as a rising tide that raises all ships across campus.

"This was a transformational gift," said Curt Rom, interim dean of the Graduate School and International Education. "When you put a top scholar in a laboratory or a studio or an innovation enterprise, everybody around them gets lifted by that talent. They improve the quality of the laboratories or studios where they work, and having more highly-accomplished graduate students enhances our ability to recruit top-notch faculty who want to come work with them. There's a ripple effect of these students across campus."

"One of the goals of the fellowship programs is to attract graduate students who might not otherwise have considered the University of Arkansas as a destination of choice," said Vicky Hartwell, director of graduate fellowships, enrollment and graduation services in GSIE. "As part of my role reviewing the fellowship nominations, I see students coming from all regions of the country and from countries around the globe. Many of our doctoral fellows fall in love with the state and choose to stay here after graduation."

LEAH HAMILTON

For Leah Hamilton, a Doctoral Academy Fellow graduate, the fellowship provided crucial funds that allowed her to earn a doctorate in public policy she wouldn't have been able to pursue otherwise.

"I would not have the career I have today without the fellowship," Hamilton said. "The fellowship allowed me to reach my goal of completing my education debt-free. Now, I am a poverty scholar and spend my time thinking about how to reshape the social safety net to support all families."

Hamilton decided to pursue a career in public policy after working in foster care for several years, where she saw first-hand the "devastating effects of poorly-designed social policy." She wanted to change that policy to help children and families.

Now an associate professor of social work at Appalachian State University, Hamilton has been able to realize that dream. In addition to her work as a professor, she also serves as the senior fellow at the Jain Family Institute and faculty affiliate at the Social Policy Institute of Washington University in St. Louis. As a co-principal investigator on a team analyzing the temporarily expanded Child Tax Credit's effects on employment and other factors, she gave briefings to the White House and the Senate Joint Economic Commission. She has also been able to advocate for stronger public policy through her work featured in multiple national publications including The Washington Post, CNBC, The Atlantic, Forbes, Vice News, National Public Radio, Fortune and Fast Company.

"I'm very grateful," she said of the fellowship.

COUNTLESS SUCCESSES

Hamilton is one of countless success stories to graduate from the fellowship. Graduating fellows have gone on to academic careers at prestigious institutions such as Harvard University, Dartmouth, Johns Hopkins, Emory University, Boston University, Yale University and the University of Oxford. Not only that, but others have gone on to work at organizations including NASA, Microsoft, Intel, the U.S. Department of Defense, Apple, General Mills, Nestle, Bank of America, NVIDIA, Toyota, Walmart, Tyson and the National Science Foundation.

"Because of their involvement in research, science, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship, they've been hired by some of the top companies in the country, and now we find our graduates working across the globe, whether it be in an international university or for multinational corporations and being located internationally," Rom said.

But fellows have also made an indelible impact on the state of Arkansas as well, solving problems that will help the state's residents.

"A number of the Doctoral Academy Fellows and Distinguished Doctoral Fellows are working on projects that are very relevant to the state of Arkansas, whether that be a business or engineering or an environmental science or agriculture problem," Rom said. "The research they're doing, in combination with their faculty mentors, are solving real-world problems with science-based information to help elevate Arkansas."

"Many of our fellows are also working on problems related to quality of life, whether that be nutrition, diet or health and science," Rom said. "The technology they're discovering or creating is being applied in medical fields, nutritional fields, and even across our agricultural enterprise to have a more vibrant, viable sustainable food system."

Not only that, but the research conducted by fellows has also driven economic development in the state. The fellows' work has often been commercialized, with graduating fellows becoming entrepreneurs helming startup businesses centered around their technology.

MATTHEW LEFTWICH

One of those fellows is Matthew Leftwich. A 2010 Doctoral Academy Fellow graduate and Arkansas native, Leftwich has participated in the startup of five small businesses in Northwest Arkansas, culminating with Nanomatronix LLC, where Leftwich serves as chief executive officer. He has generated more than $20 million in research and development commercialization funding for start-ups over the last 25 years, in addition to leading four successful product launches for space and military applications.

Now, he serves as director of the Materials Science and Engineering Graduate Program, where he is helping other doctoral students realize the potential of their research.

"The Doctoral Academy Fellowship allowed me to remain in Arkansas to complete my academic goals while pursuing my career goals in parallel," Leftwich said. "If the Doctoral Academy Fellowship and microelectronics-photonics program did not exist, it is entirely possible that I would have chosen to relocate out of state, and the local impact I have had may not have blossomed. Not only did the fellowship help prepare me for success, it was an enabling factor to my success and allowed me to achieve my goals here in Northwest Arkansas."

As for the future of the fellowships, Rom sees continued expansion of doctoral education across campus as colleges replicate their own fellowships in their areas.

"I think the future of this fellowship program is quite bright," Rom said. "The success of these fellowships has created the opportunity for colleges and departments to raise money for additional fellowships. So, we see a range of other fellowships that are modeled on our graduate school fellowships that are now emerging in colleges. They want to create additional success through their philanthropic gifts."

More information on the fellowships can be found on the GSIE website. For more success stories of the fellows, visit the DAF/DDF anniversary celebration page.

CAREER Awards to Foster Quantum Material Research Program

Reference: University of Arkansas Newswire — May 19, 2023

Physicist Jin Hu has been awarded a second Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award, this time from the National Science Foundation. The new award of $579,527 comes two years after Hu received a $750,000 CAREER Award from the U.S. Department of Energy.

NSF and DOE CAREER awards are considered the most competitive and prestigious awards to honor faculty members in the early stages of their careers. The awards support research and education activities. It is rare for an investigator to receive two CAREER awards.

Hu, an assistant professor of physics in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, leads the Quantum Materials group at the U of A. Researchers in this group study various quantum materials — materials showing exotic physical properties arising from quantum mechanical effects of electrons, such as superconductors, two-dimensional materials and topological materials. The group aims to discover novel physics and new materials with advanced functionalities.

These CAREER awards support Hu’s investigation of topological quantum materials. Such materials carry electrons resembling particles found in high-energy physics. Investigation of these materials has led to deeper knowledge of important topics in physics. Topological quantum materials also display a kaleidoscope of novel properties with great promise for technology applications, such as very high mobility or zero energy loss during power transmission for energy-saving devices.

The DOE CAREER award supports Hu’s study of unusual properties of topological quantum materials arising from the interaction between electrons. The new NSF project targets another direction of electrical control for phases and properties. Achieving switchable quantum phases is an important step toward the technological application of those emergent quantum materials and could open new research areas.

“I am excited to receive these awards, which will help me establish and strengthen our research programs,” Hu said. “I benefit a lot from many great physics and engineering colleagues, and I appreciate the hard work of the students who laid the foundations for the research.”

The study of quantum materials is an important ingredient of the National Quantum Initiative. Over the past few years, the U of A has grown its research and education programs within this national strategic direction, as represented by large-scale research centers sponsored by federal agencies such as the NSF MonArk Quantum Foundry and the DOE’s µ-ATOMS EFRC, which position the university as a national leader in materials science research. Hu contributes to both centers.

“Dr. Hu’s world-class expertise in the growth and study of high-quality quantum materials plays an essential role in these centers,” said Lin Oliver, professor and chair of the Department of Physics.

The highly collaborative research programs of these centers and faculty CAREER awards foster quantum material research at U of A to achieve research excellence, one of the three strategic priority areas of U of A.

“Dr. Hu’s success in winning two CAREER awards signifies the importance of his quantum materials research and his commitment to integrating research into the education of his students," said Kathy Sloan, interim dean of the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. “We are so proud of his accomplishments.”

About the University of Arkansas:As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.