2 schools to get economics funds
Arkansas State University and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock will each receive $300,000 in additional federal CARES Act funding for economic centers on their campuses, the U.S. Economic Development Administration announced Friday.
The federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Securities Act was signed into law March 27.
ASU's funding will go toward the Delta Center for Economic Development, and UALR's money will assist the Arkansas Economic Development Institute. Both centers are developing, with the state's eight planning and development districts, an Arkansas economic recovery plan -- the Arkansas Blueprint for Recovery and Resiliency.
The money can be used for "providing training, resources, and planning assistance for local governments, schools, small businesses, the health care community, manufacturing and other entities affected by the coronavirus pandemic," according to the administration's news release.
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The centers are among 26 university entities to receive a combined $7.8 million in additional CARES Act funding to support economic recovery plans related to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
ATU unveils rules for dorm move-ins
Arkansas Tech University students began dropping off their belongings in their dormitories on a by-appointment basis Friday.
Appointments can be made through Aug. 8. Those who make appointments can move in Aug. 15.
Students who elect not to make appointments by Aug. 8 can move in Aug. 10-14 at assigned times using a "centralized, contactless drive through check-in," according to a university announcement.
The extended move-in period is part of the university's plans to reduce potential exposure to the coronavirus in residence halls.
The university will also limit the number of students in shared spaces, like halls, laundry rooms and lounges. Computer labs and study rooms will have dividers or be closed when social distancing isn't possible, the university's news release states.
People who don't live in the residence halls won't be allowed into the rooms or apartments, and visitation to the buildings will be limited, per university rules.
Residents won't be allowed to leave their toiletries in their suite-style dormitory bathrooms once they are finished with them.
Grant to aid study of cells, diseases
A University of Arkansas at Little Rock professor is the recipient of a $443,854 National Institutes of Health grant for study related to complex diseases.
Mary Yang, an information science professor and director of the Midsouth Bioinformatics Center at UALR, will develop a "deep learning model" to detect differences among cells and identify those that cause diseases and advance them, according to a university news release.
The three-year grant will take on student researchers and "give students valuable experience in developing computational approaches to biomedical problems," the news release states.
Yang will work with Sherman Weissman, a genetics professor at Yale University, who will provide "experimental validation" of the UALR research models, according to the university.
UALR to host more diversity forums
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock plans to host two more forums on race and ethnicity at the university. Two such forums were held in July.
The next virtual forums will be in September, one for students (Sept. 9 from 5-6:30 p.m.) and one for faculty and staff members (Sept. 10 from 3-4:30 p.m.)
July's two virtual forums -- also for students, and faculty and staff members -- drew more than 300 participants.
Also, people are invited to propose books that they think the campus should read this fall. They can do that at ualr.edu/diversity/book-suggestions-for-campus-read/. They also can submit feedback on the university's racial climate at ualr.edu/studentaffairs/racial-climate-forum-feedback/.
Chancellor Christina Drale announced the September forums in a campus message in late July. Her message also details actions the university is taking to address diversity, inclusion, equality and global understanding.
The university is relaunching its Student Multicultural Center and Student Affairs Diversity Initiatives. The initiatives will include expanded mentoring.
UALR also is forming a "student-oriented" Racial Barriers Committee that had been recommended by the Student Government Association, and a faculty- and staff-oriented Chancellor's Race and Ethnicity Advisory Committee.
A few other actions are in development stages, including implicit-bias training for employees and students, emphasizing diversity hiring best practices, a study of campus salary equity and the campus reading project.