Thanks to the Log Cabin Democrat for featuring UCA’s Allen & Baber: Back at Home Concert!
Grant from Confucius Institute Featured on KNWA
Thank you to KNWA for featuring a grant provided by UCA’s Confucius Institute to Bentonville High School!
UCA’s Confucius Institute Featured on KFSM
Thanks to KFSM for featuring on the UCA Confucius Institute and it’s involvement with a local high school!
UCA Hosts Arkansas Life Summit
Entrepreneurs, investors, research scientists, service providers and the public interested in technology companies that develop products to improve people’s lives and health gathered at the Arkansas Life Sciences Summit on October 19, 2016 in Conway.
The event showcased presentations from 14 of the fastest-growing technology companies with research and innovation in the life sciences conducted at Arkansas universities and private companies. These companies include medical devices, drug discovery, diagnostics, biotechnology, natural products and agriculture sciences. There were also breakout sessions focused on specific challenges faced by life sciences companies.
The summit was organized and hosted by UAMS BioVentures of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and was held at the University of Central Arkansas.
Among the presenting companies were Nushores Biosciences, BiologicsMD, Infinite Enzymes LLC, EZRA Innovations, Stage I Diagnostics, Burke Therapeutics LLC, Invotek, BioBotic Solutions, Now Diagnostics, Phyzit, and TiFiber.
The keynote speaker was Patrick Plues, vice president of state government affairs for the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO). At BIO, he is responsible for executing a comprehensive state government relations strategy in all 50 states to create a positive business environment for the biopharmaceutical industry. He also gave a presentation on the outlook for biotechnology and life sciences regionally, nationally and globally.
Summit sponsors were Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield, Arkansas Capital Corp., Conway Chamber of Commerce, Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Arkansas State University, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville and Arkansas Children’s Research Institute.
UCAPD Trains Virgin Islands School Districts In Safety Skills
Two members of the University of Central Arkansas Police Department traveled to the U.S. Virgin Islands to conduct training on safety and security skills for the St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John School Districts. Capt. Justin Tapley and Lt. Jamie Booth trained school security known as school monitors on defensive tactics, use of force, responding to an active-shooter, proper baton use and handcuffing during the two weeks of training.
“The training went great! Their school security personnel were eager to learn and very appreciative of the training,” said Tapley.
Tapley is a 22-year veteran of the UCAPD and currently serves as the standards and training commander. Booth has worked for UCAPD for more than 10 years and is the patrol services division commander for UCAPD. The two officers were invited to conduct the training by former UCA professor and retired police officer, Dr. Johnny Purvis, who is a consultant to the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Education.
“I approached Capt. Tapley because I really needed someone who is an instructor in self-defense and baton training,” said Purvis. “We hope to build on the relationships made. We’ve been invited back to assist the [U.S. Virgin Islands] Department of Education. The monitors are requesting that we come back.”
Tapley asked that a second officer, Boothe, assist in the training because of the number of school monitors the district wanted to train. Of the approximate 100 school monitors in all three school districts, 81 participated in the professional development training with Tapley and Booth that was held in August. Some monitors were either still on vacation or in hazardous materials training in Alabama. The two may conduct additional training in 2017, but no plans have been finalized.