University of Central Arkansas President Tom Courtway was presented with a $3 million check from the Arkansas State Highway Commission and the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) to support and expand the University’s supply chain logistics management program.
“The AHTD is proud to help support educational programs that affect the transportation industry,” said Scott Bennett, director of AHTD. “Engineering programs are obvious to most people, but certainly the trucking industry is the largest user of our transportation system.”
The funds awarded to UCA will endow a chaired faculty position in the College of Business starting fall 2015. The endowment was awarded from the Arkansas Commercial Truck Safety and Education Program (ACTSEP), which was enacted in 2013.
ACTSEP is funded with annual collections of a 15 percent registration fee increase for certain trucks operating in Arkansas under the International Registration Plan.
“This generous funding provides important resources that will allow the UCA College of Business to build upon the prior success of the supply chain logistics management faculty. Logistics and supply chain management represents an important industry in Arkansas and is, indeed, the backbone of commerce across the nation,” said President Courtway. “We are proud to be able to expand our academic program to meet the growing talent demand from this industry and express our thanks to the Arkansas State Highway Commission and Director Bennett.”
This position will support and expand the Supply Chain Logistics Management program, beginning with the 2015-2016 academic year. UCA was the only higher education institution to receive funding.