During the launch of the public phase of our comprehensive capital campaign — UCA Now: Impact Arkansas and Beyond — we introduced you to our ambitious goal of raising $100 million. We also revealed the four pillars of the campaign: success, culture, wellness, and excellence. As we continue to move through this phase of the campaign, we wanted to hone in on each of the campaign pillars with stories that exemplify their breadth and meaning. This issue focuses on wellness.
As a leader in health care education in Arkansas, UCA has built a reputation for equipping students with the skill and knowledge needed to become successful therapists, nurses, athletic trainers, and much more. To continue this long-standing tradition, UCA celebrated the opening of the Integrated Health Sciences Building (IHSB) in August.
This 80,000-square-foot, four-story facility provides classroom and study spaces, lockers, lounge areas, and opportunities for students to work collaboratively in several simulation areas outfitted to mirror health care clinics or hospitals. The School of Nursing, the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, an expanded Nabholz Center for Healthcare Simulation, and an Interprofessional Teaching Center (ITC) in partnership with Conway Regional Health System are all located in the IHSB. One of the most notable features of the building is the public clinic inside the ITC where community members can receive primary care with advanced practice registered nurses, nutrition services, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and physical therapy.
Interdisciplinary study is an integral part of the academic and career success of our students. Through our academic service-learning initiatives, a unique partnership between a criminology student and a student majoring in exercise and sport science is a prime example. In these pages, you will learn how seniors Spencer Cowgill and Nick Zakrzewski are working together, as Cowgill trains Zakrzewski to help him pass cadet fitness assessments.
As many of us consider how to live healthier or more sustainable lifestyles, UCA Magazine brings us the story of M Shelly Conner, an assistant professor and blossoming homesteader. From planting tomatoes, onions, and red potatoes on a 15-acre homestead in Cabot to building her own outdoor furniture, Conner shares her homesteading journey.
This issue of UCA Magazine is filled with several other stories that focus on campus and community wellness, as well as a few others that give you an update of some of the many changes on campus such as the grand opening of Greek Village Phase II. We know that you will enjoy learning more about campus growth and happenings, as well as alumni, student, faculty, and staff achievement through the UCA Magazine.
We wish you health and wellness this holiday season, and we look forward to seeing you in 2022.
Go Bears!
Dr. Houston D. Davis
President