Higher education notebook

ASU gets $25,000to assist veterans

An Arkansas State University center has received a $25,000 grant to support direct services for veterans.

The grant will help with "capacity building" for veteran services, including career testing, career counseling and advisement, resume writing and interviewing skills, small-business development, identification of specialization credentials that would improve marketability, employer recruitment and graduate placement, according to a news release.

The grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation is for the Beck Pride Center for America's wounded veterans at ASU. The money will also allow the center to find 25 employer partners to work with the student veterans to hone leadership and development skills, the news release states.

With the grant, the center is hoping to place 100 percent of disabled student veterans into "best-fit" jobs.

Campus at Ozarkgets new building

Students at Arkansas Tech University's Ozark campus got their first go-round of a new building last week.

The 20,273-square-foot Health and Sciences Wellness building cost about $4 million and was paid for by the sale of revenue bonds, said Sam Strasner, spokesman for Arkansas Tech. The campus's first-ever two-story building is now home to five allied health programs: paramedic, health information technology, physical therapist assistant, practical nursing and registered nursing.

The building has laboratory and technology expansions, offices for faculty and support staff, a fitness center, student lounge areas, a testing center and three new computer labs for students.

The campus will hold a public dedication ceremony for the new building at 11 a.m. March 17.

UALR picks O'Nealas vice chancellor

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has named a new vice chancellor for advancement.

Christian O'Neal will step into the role from his post as the university's associate vice chancellor for alumni and development, UALR said in a news release. O'Neal will earn $170,000 annually and head UALR's fundraising, alumni relations and communications outreach efforts starting April 1.

O'Neal is replacing Bob Denman, who is retiring in March. The new vice chancellor graduated from UALR in 2001 and has worked there since 2003.

He has held his current job since 2013, helping to raise $1.6 million in gifts and other contributions for the university, the news release states. He's also led events including Taste of Little Rock, the most-attended fundraiser for UALR in 2015 with 1,000 guests, the news release states.

Metro on 02/01/2016

Upcoming Events