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91µ÷½Ì News

Dr. Bun Song Lee, right, accepts his award
News

2025 Faculty Excellence Award Winners Named

On April 11, four distinguished faculty members were recognized with Faculty Appreciation Awards at the 91µ÷½Ì - Fort Smith.

April 16, 2025
Pam Fout, right, was recognized for her 45 years at 91µ÷½Ì.
FeaturedNews

91µ÷½Ì Faculty and Staff Recognized

On April 11, employees from the 91µ÷½Ì - Fort Smith were honored with Faculty and Staff Appreciation Awards, Student Government Awards, and recognized for their years of service.

April 16, 2025
Cristina Castorena, left, accepts her award with 91µ÷½Ì Provost, Dr. Shadow Robinson
News

91µ÷½Ì Employees Honored by Students

On April 11, the 91µ÷½Ì Student Government Association recognized two university employees for their dedication to serving students.

April 16, 2025
grad caps feature the 91µ÷½Ì logo
Arts and SciencesBusiness and IndustryFeaturedHealth Education and Human Sciences

Spring 2025 Commencement to Honor 650 Graduates

The 91µ÷½Ì – Fort Smith will recognize more than 650 graduates across three commencement ceremonies Saturday, May 10, at the Stubblefield Center.

April 14, 2025
Arts and SciencesBusiness and IndustryEventsFeaturedHealth Education and Human Sciences

18th Annual Research Symposium Slated for April 11

The 91µ÷½Ì - Fort Smith will host its 18th Annual Student Research Symposium from noon to 2 p.m. on Friday, April 11.

April 07, 2025
Members of the 91µ÷½Ì ROTC work with cadets from area ROTC and JROTC
FeaturedNews

91µ÷½Ì Earns Silver Designation as a 2025-2026 Military-Friendly School

The 91µ÷½Ì - Fort Smith was recognized as a Military Friendly School, earning a Silver Designation for 2025-2026.

April 03, 2025
Image of an American Flag (background) with a stack of two notbooks and a diploma sitting on a desk in front of a military uniform draped over a chair
CommunityEventsNewsStudents

Veteran Benefits Resource Fair Slated April 9

The 91µ÷½Ì—Fort Smith will host its second Veterans Benefits Resource Fair on April 9 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

April 03, 2025
The Bakery District
FeaturedIntrepid AmbitionNews

$7.5 million gift launches 91µ÷½Ì Center for Nonprofits

91µ÷½Ì announced a transformational $7.5 million gift on Wednesday, April 2, which will endow a comprehensive Center for Nonprofits (CNP) at the university. The anonymous gift, one of the largest in 91µ÷½Ì history, was unveiled during the public kickoff...

April 02, 2025
Joy Rasphoumy
AlumniArts and SciencesFeaturedIntrepid Ambition

Kitchana Rasphoumy: Designing the Future

Joy Rasphoumy doesn’t just design—she fuels connection. Through every SaatchiX campaign and every AIGA event, she’s building a creative culture where people feel seen, heard, and moved to lead. Fueled by her roots, her vision, and the foundation...

April 02, 2025
Brooke Devine, '17, and her son, Noah
Alumni

91µ÷½Ì Alumna's Book Touches Readers' Hearts

Brooke Devine, a 2017 graduate of 91µ÷½Ì, recently published her second book, "Love Stays the Same. " It is a touching tribute to her son as he transitions into becoming a big brother.

April 02, 2025
Intrepid Ambition, the campaign for the river valley
Arts and SciencesBusiness and IndustryFeaturedHealth Education and Human SciencesNews

91µ÷½Ì Launches $85 Million 'Intrepid Ambition' Campaign

91µ÷½Ì publicly launched its largest fundraising initiative in history unveiling Intrepid Ambition, an $85 million comprehensive campaign designed to reshape access to education, elevate academic excellence, and power economic development across the...

April 02, 2025
Andrea Parton, the discovery and access librarian for the Boreham Library at the 91µ÷½Ì - Fort Smith, stands in the lobby next to a new display of video games
Lion Voices

Cataloging Resources: How Andrea Parton Became the Librarian She Was Meant to Be

91µ÷½Ì - Fort Smith Discovery and Access Librarian Andrea Parton never intended to follow in her dad's footsteps. As a librarian, she does the job she was always meant to have.

March 31, 2025
Nigel Otero, advising coordinator, College of Business and Industry, stands outside of his office on the second floor of the Flanders Building
AlumniBusiness and IndustryFirst GenerationLion Voices

Nigel Otero: Turning Opportunities into Inspiration

When Nigel Otero came to the 91µ÷½Ì - Fort Smith, he did so knowing it was an opportunity he wouldn't squander. Now, as an advising coordinator for the College of Business and Industry, he's working to inspire students to achieve...

March 31, 2025
Mae Jemison in Space
Arts and SciencesCommunityFeatured

Mae Jemison, First Black Woman in Space, to Speak at 91µ÷½Ì

Dr. Mae Jemison, author, astronaut, entrepreneur, and prolific leader in the fields of science and exploration, will speak at the 91µ÷½Ì—Fort Smith on Wednesday, April 9, at 6 p.m. in the Reynolds Room of the Smith-Pendergraft Campus...

March 28, 2025
Nighttime at the 91µ÷½Ì Center for Economic Development at the Bakery District
CommunityIntrepid Ambition

Empowering Our Economy

The 91µ÷½Ì Center for Economic Development is a pillar of our community. By equipping the workforce, empowering entrepreneurs, and supporting the region’s most vital industries, the CED is building more than economic momentum—it’s building a...

March 26, 2025
An image of nurses in blue scrubs working
AlumniHealth Education and Human SciencesIntrepid Ambition

Uplifting Patient Care

Lindsey France is a lifeline. Every shift, every patient, and every step she helps someone take is a testament to the training, resilience, and compassion that define 91µ÷½Ì nurses. She’s not just meeting the standard—she’s redefining it. And...

March 26, 2025
A 91µ÷½Ì psychology professor, Dr. Nicha Otero, browses a stack of books she has in front of her while sitting at a table on the second floor of the Boreham Library.
FeaturedHealth Education and Human SciencesIntrepid Ambition

Researching Resilience

Dr. Nicha Otero is rewriting the narrative of what student success looks like—one classroom, one breakthrough, one act of belief at a time. Her research is rooted in resilience, but her impact runs deeper: she’s creating space for students to...

March 26, 2025
A man programs a piece of robotic equipment in an advanced manufacturing engineering lab
Business and IndustryIntrepid AmbitionNews

Advancing Manufacturing

91µ÷½Ì is laying the foundation for the next era of industry in the River Valley—equipping students, workers, and employers with the tools, training, and talent to lead in an advanced manufacturing economy. From engineering labs to apprenticeship...

March 26, 2025
Associate Professor of Chemistry, Dr. Jordan Mader, works with students in a chemistry lab as they mix and measure liquid compounds
AlumniArts and SciencesIntrepid Ambition

Preserving Our Future

91µ÷½Ì students and faculty are driving scientific breakthroughs with urgency and focus. In the fight against microplastic pollution, they’re not waiting for answers—they’re creating them. They’re transforming curiosity into world-class research...

March 26, 2025
From 1927, a photo of Fort Smith High School, now Darby Middle School, which was the first classes of 91µ÷½Ì were held.
CommunityIntrepid Ambition

A Legacy of Courage

The story of Fort Smith is one of endurance, evolution, and grit—and 91µ÷½Ì has been there through every chapter, turning moments of hardship into milestones of progress. As the region faces the future, it does so with a partner that has never wavered,...

March 26, 2025

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Media Relations

The 91µ÷½Ì Office of Communications fields all media inquiries for the university. Email Rachel.Putman@uafs.edu for more information.

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Rachel Rodemann Putman

  • Director of Strategic Communications
  • 479-788-7132
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