AR-NETWORK Convenes for Strategic Planning Meeting in Little Rock

For the first time, AR-NETWORK leaders met to map out an implementation plan to move forward.

In July, Arkansas Research Alliance announced the launch of AR-NETWORK (Arkansas Nexus for Excellence in Technology, Workforce, Outreach, and Research Knowledge), which was created by an $8 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). On August 19, leadership from the new cohort assembled at the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture in Little Rock, Arkansas to create a strategic plan that will have an major impact on Arkansas’ innovation and industrial communities.

“It’s exciting just to see the high caliber of leaders in this room,” said Sarah B. Smith, ARA Program Director and Principle Investigator for AR-NETWORK. “Today, we will be able to set a clear path to driving economic growth, delivering societal impact, and developing our STEM workforce.”

The meeting, which was guided by a team from Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, was represented by organizations aATU Center for Community Engagement & Academic Outreachcross the state, including: University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff , University of Arkansas , Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center (ASBTDC), Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC), Arkansas Tech University , Arkansas State University, UAMS – University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), University of Arkansas at Little Rock, University of Arkansas Technology Ventures,  Arkansas Economic Development Institute, AASBTDCTU-Ozark, FDA’S National Center for Toxicological Research , Arkansas Research Alliance and ACC Capital.

A report highlighting the meeting’s production will be made available to the public in the near future.

If you would like to learn more about AR-NETWORK, or if you would like to get involved, please reach out to Sara B. Smith at [email protected].