The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) recently awarded $300,000 to Black River Technical College (BRTC) through the Delta Workforce Grant Program (DWP).
According to the DRA, this program is “an initiative designed to build long-term community capacity and to increase economic competitiveness by investing in projects that support workforce training and education programs.”
BRTC is one of three institutions in Arkansas that received the grant, and one of 25 institutions in the DRA’s service area to receive the grant. BRTC will use the grant to renovate an existing space and buy equipment for a collaborative robot welding lab. The lab will not only provide workforce training for community industries but will also provide specific training for BRTC’s neighbor, Tate Industries.
The BRTC and Tate partnership will include Tate’s robotic welding experts assist in the upskilling of BRTC’s welding faculty.
Arkansas State to Join Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate
Arkansas State University will join the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED), a nationwide network of more than 150 colleges and universities that aim to improve the doctor of education (EdD) degree.
Established in 2007, the CPED works with higher educational institutions to tailor their EdD program to better prepare leaders and educators for the challenges and obstacles they might face in and out of the classroom and improve a degree candidate’s overall experience as they prepare to train the next generation of students.
A-State is one of 14 institutions recently accepted into an educational network, which includes the College of Charleston, the University of Utah and Sam Houston State University.
St. Bernards Medical Center Receives Stroke Care Designation
St. Bernards Medical Center has earned a certification from the nation’s largest medical accrediting body, The Joint Commission, as an “Advanced Primary Stroke Center.”
This new certification, the Gold Seal of Approval, represents the highest recognition for St. Bernards to provide unique and specialized stroke care that fosters better health outcomes.
According to federal data, stroke (cerebrovascular disease) is the fourth-leading cause of death in the U.S. each year, with about one in five persons dying after suffering a stroke. Nearly 800,000 people in the U.S. will experience a stroke this year, with the medical emergency creating a leading cause of serious, long-term disability.
The Joint Commission, in collaboration with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, recognizes that quick action by individuals, first responders and hospitals can help prevent lasting effects from death or stroke. In response, the organizations created the Primary Stroke Center Certification Program in 2003, encouraging and helping health care providers to follow best practices for stroke care.
A-State’s College of Liberal Arts and Communication Names New Leaders
Arkansas State University has announced new leadership appointments in the College of Liberal Arts and Communication.
Dr. Deborah Popham, an administrator, educator, and vocal artist, has been appointed chair of the Department of Music. She joins Arkansas State from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, where she most recently was director of the Sharon J. Resch Institute of Music. Popham’s academic preparation includes degrees in music, English, and philosophy, along with graduate credentials in music theatre performance and a doctor of musical arts in voice performance from Arizona State University.
Dr. Ed Salo, professor of history and associate director of the heritage studies program, has been named chair of the Department of History. A scholar of public history with a focus in preservation and memory studies, Salo joined the Arkansas State faculty in 2014. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history and political science and earned his doctorate in public history from Middle Tennessee State University in 2009.
Jonesboro City Attorney’s Office Relocates to Municipal Building
The Jonesboro city attorney’s office has relocated following the temporary closure of the Jonesboro Justice Complex due to structural safety concerns related to a failing roof rafter.
The office is now located on the first floor of the Jonesboro Municipal Building, occupying the former offices of the city’s Human Resources Department. Human Resources is now located on the third floor of the same building.
American Veterinary Medical Association to Visit A-State’s Proposed Vet School
The College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) at Arkansas State University is advancing in its plans to welcome its first cohort of students in the fall of 2026. A comprehensive site visit by the American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) Council on Education is scheduled to be conducted Jan. 4-8.
The construction site of the future CVM is showing progress. Following the groundbreaking for the new college, which was held in March, the site of the future building has been active. Within the last couple of weeks, concrete has been poured, including the slab. The building is expected to be completed in the spring of next year. The CVM is slated to open with a cohort of 120 students for the inaugural class in fall of 2026.
Peckham Named Lyon College Women’s Basketball Coach
Lyon College Director of Athletics Kevin Jenkins has announced that Michael Peckham has been named head coach of the Scots women’s basketball program. Peckham, who brings more than four decades of experience in athletic leadership and coaching, steps into the role following the departure of Casey Fowler, who accepted the head women’s basketball coaching position at Texas A&M International University in Laredo, Texas.
Peckham, who has NCAA Division I experience, was the Scots’ assistant coach for the past two seasons. During that time, the Lyon College women’s basketball program earned the number one overall seed at the 2024 United States Collegiate Athletic Association National Championship and finished as national runner-up.
Williams Baptist University Welcomes New Faculty
New faces will grace the classrooms of Williams Baptist University this fall, with new faculty in agriculture business, teacher education and sports management. Dr. Melissa Davis, Keena Crenshaw and Caleb Garner are joining the Williams faculty.
Davis is leading the new agriculture business program at Williams. She is the associate professor of agribusiness and has 12 years of teaching experience in the field at Tusculum University, Crowley’s Ridge College, Three Rivers College and Central Methodist University. She holds a doctorate in plant pathology from Virginia Tech University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Memphis.
Crenshaw will be coordinator of graduate programs and assistant professor of education. She comes to WBU after 28 years with Jonesboro Public Schools, where she was a teacher in elementary grades and then a K-12 instructional facilitator. Crenshaw holds education specialist and master of science degrees from the University of Arkansas, and a bachelor’s in early childhood education from Arkansas State University.
Garner is now the WBU chair of the Department of Health and Physical Education and assistant professor of sports management. His background in sports management includes 11 years in athletic communications at Mississippi State University and Arkansas State University. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in kinesiology from Mississippi State, and is working toward a doctorate in sports management at Troy University.
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