- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Breaks Ground on Transformational Campus Improvement Projects

John Hill — Mon, 05 Dec 2022 14:49:04 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock broke ground on a series of campus improvement and renovation projects that will significantly transform the face of the university for years to come during a Dec. 2 groundbreaking ceremony outside Ottenheimer Library. The center points of the campus improvement projects include the construction of a new north to south promenade called Trojan Way and a new Library Plaza. A generous $5.5 million grant from the Donaghey Foundation will fund these projects. Trojan Way will run through campus from 28th Street to University Drive and will create enhanced walkways, seating areas, and gathering spaces. In addition, the space outside Ottenheimer Library will be reimagined as a new outdoor campus learning environment with expanded seating and places for groups to gather. It will include a seat wall, a stage to hold events, and beautiful canopy trees for shade. “The upcoming campus improvements will transform the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock campus for many years to come,” said Chancellor Christina Drale. “By providing shaded spaces, gathering areas, and additional seating, we are creating an atmosphere that will help foster connections and provide enhanced living-learning experiences for the campus community.” Those who participated in the groundbreaking included Chancellor Drale, Charles Nabholz, chairman emeritus of Nabholz, Dr. Dean Kumpuris, chair of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Board of Visitors; Shawn Luther, principal and landscape architect of DCI; Jerry Ganz, vice chancellor for finance and administration at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock; Leslie Hutchins, associate vice chancellor of facilities and management at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, David Sargent of WER Architects, and Thomas Forcum, president of the Student Government Association at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Construction began in October and will last from 12-18 months. The University of Arkansas System Board of Trustees previously approved the Library Plaza and Trojan Way projects in May. “I’m very excited about the Library Plaza and Trojan Way project beginning soon,” Ganz said. “Thanks to the generous support of the Donaghey Foundation, we were able to plan a project that will significantly enhance the beauty of our campus. I think the entire campus community will be very pleased with the end result and, especially, some of the key design elements that we have built into the project.” has been selected as the project architect, while has been selected as the contractor. “The Trojan Way is a landmark investment that will improve the campus’ connectivity and accessibility for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students and community members for generations to come,” Nabholz said. “Nabholz is proud of our long relationship with ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, which dates back to construction projects our company built on campus over 50 years ago. As a former student myself who attended night classes on campus in 1967/68, I know how much students will enjoy the additional paths, landscaping, and lighting.”

Charles Nabholz, chairman emeritus of Nabholz, speaks during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Trojan Way project at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock on Dec. 2. Photo by Ben Krain.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock officials decided to complete additional planned improvement projects at the same time since all the projects are so interconnected to creating a learning-living community to enhance student success. The additional projects include a new West campus entrance that will connect directly to the Library Plaza, the demolition of the former education building, and an Alumni Patio that will connect with Trojan Way on the north side of campus. “I’m also looking forward to beginning work on the new entrance on the West side of campus along University Avenue, as well as, the Alumni Patio project, which is where we are moving the named bricks that are currently in the Library Plaza,” Ganz said. “The Alumni Patio project will connect three different patios with a winding brick walkway and will be a fantastic event space that will surely get lots of use by all kinds of groups around campus in the future.” The campus improvements will also include a new patio and outdoor area on the north side of the Fine Arts Building, which will complement the new disc golf course that has recently been built on the south side of the Fine Arts Building to provide more campus recreational opportunities. “We have a beautiful campus, and we have this unused space available,” said Provost Ann Bain. “This will be a real inviting space for our faculty, staff, and students to utilize. We want to bring a bit of vibrancy to this side of campus.”

Chancellor Christina Drale addresses the crowd during a Dec. 2 groundbreaking ceremony on how the Trojan Way projects will improve the living-learning environment on campus for generations to come. Photo by Ben Krain.

The total cost of the improvement projects is estimated at $9.7 million. The ��Vlog��ý System Board of Trustees approved these campus improvement projects during its September meeting. The remaining projects will be funded by a combination of university reserves and private funding. The additional campus improvement projects include:

Campus Grove – The university is upgrading the north side of the Fine Arts Building to install an outdoor area for students, faculty, and staff. This shaded area will have additional seating and offer students a place to enjoy campus with friends.
Alumni Patio Project -The university is installing a new gathering space outside of the Bailey Alumni & Friends Center featuring the bricks that are currently located outside of Ottenheimer Library. The gathering space will allow alumni and friends easy access to view their bricks and allow the university to utilize the space as another campus gathering location.
Demolition of Education Building – The university has demolished the existing education building that is located between Dickinson Hall and Ross Hall. This building has not been in use for some time and will allow for the creation of additional campus green spaces.
Campus West Entrance – With the removal of the old Earth Science Building earlier this year, the university is enhancing the West entrance to campus at the intersection of University Avenue and 32nd Street with better walkways and a green space for students and faculty to enjoy.

“We at DCI are delighted to be a part of the design team for such a transformational project,” Luther said. “Just over a year ago, we were invited by WER Architects to join in an effort to take a look at a few small areas of campus. Little did we know that exercise would become a project which will literally shape the campus for decades. It is our hope that this project will help energize the campus and open the doors to the local community.” These projects are a part of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Centennial Campaign, the university’s largest fundraising effort in university history to raise $250 million ahead of its 100-year anniversary in 2027. Learn more about ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s efforts to provide great learning environments that encourage student success at the Centennial Campaign website.

Finance and Administration Honors Outstanding Employees

John Hill — Thu, 07 Jul 2022 13:37:06 +0000

The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Division of Finance and Administration honored its outstanding employees by awarding its first ever Finance and Administration Excellence Awards. Nine employees and one entire department were honored during a June 15 reception. This included two special awards that were awarded by Jerry Ganz, vice chancellor for finance and administration. “The employees in Finance and Administration do terrific work on a daily basis supporting the needs of our campus and it’s important to recognize that effort,” Ganz said. “I’m very proud of our staff and all of their accomplishments. Their commitment and dedication to doing excellent work is apparent every day, and all of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock benefits greatly as a result.” Allen Stanley, associate vice chancellor for finance, won the Employee of the Year Award, which honors an employee who consistently demonstrates exceptional job performance, leadership, innovation, and inclusive excellence. Additional award winners included:

Keifran Melvin of Procurement Services, Excellence in Customer Service Award, which honors a person who excels in customer service and who establishes and maintains positive and effective working relationships
Sean Harris of IT Services, Excellence in Customer Service Award
Terry Bobo of IT Services, Excellence in Operational Efficiency Award, which honors an employee who makes contributions that make a measurable impact on the work environment
Cody Henslee of IT Services, Excellence in Collaboration Award, which honors an effective collaborator who works effectively with others to produce positive results
Andrew Burton of the Bursar’s Office, Excellence in Continuous Improvement Award, which honors an employee who shows dedication to process improvement and continuous innovation
Desiree Taggard of Procurement Services, Excellence in Leadership Award, which honors a strong leader who demonstrates a unique ability to guide and inspire others
Lewis Howell of Human Resources, Newcomer of the Year Award, which honors an exemplary employee who has joined the VCFA team in the past year.

Colleen Godley, finance programmer analyst with IT Services, received the Spotlight on Excellence Award. This honors a person who is deserving of special recognition for consistently meeting and exceeding expectations in the areas of collaboration, customer service, and more. “I was really honored to be nominated by so many of my peers on campus,” Godley said. “However, my achievements would not be possible without having been blessed to work with such a wonderful team of ITS professionals. No one person ever does great things, but together doing small things with dedication and ambition we accomplish excellent things.”

The Department of Public Safety is honored with the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence. Photo by Ben Krain.

The Department of Public Safety received the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence. This award represents special recognition of the excellence exhibited by an individual or department in the Finance and Administration Division. “What an honor for the entire campus police department to be recognized for the Vice Chancellor Award for Excellence,” said Chief Regina Carter. “It’s truly a privilege to serve as the AVC/Chief of Police for a great group of officers and support staff here at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.”

Keltch Named New Chief Information Officer at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

John Hill — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 19:15:20 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has named Brian Keltch as the university’s new chief information officer, effective May 2. “I am pleased and honored to accept the position of chief information officer with a great passion for the campus, the position, and the entire Information Technology (IT) Services team,” Keltch said. “Our goals are many, including assuring our efforts in IT Services are aligned with tangible campus outcomes, increasing the visibility of IT governance on campus, fully leveraging Workday tools, driving a successful Workday Student implementation, and to continue our infrastructure upgrades, security hardening, and modernization on campus.” Keltch currently serves ��Vlog��ý Little Rock as the deputy chief information officer, director of enterprise applications and development, and as an adjunct instructor in the Department of Computer Science. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock is very fortunate to be able to promote Brian to this new role of increased responsibility,” said Jerry Ganz, vice chancellor for finance and administration. “Brian knows our institution extremely well and is deeply committed to ensuring that our students, faculty, and staff have the best possible technology available to them as they navigate their daily work.” In his new role as chief information officer, Keltch is responsible for all aspects of the university’s information technology and systems. He will provide vision and leadership for developing and implementing information technology initiatives. Reporting to the vice chancellor for finance and administration, the chief information officer directs the planning and implementation of enterprise IT systems in support of the university’s mission to improve cost-effectiveness, service quality, and customer experience. “Brian brings a wealth of experience to his new role and will provide the continuity and stability that we need as we continue to transition to the new Workday ERP system,” Ganz said. “I look forward to working with Brian to ensure that Information Technology Services continues to meet the technology needs of our campus.” Prior to joining ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2016, Keltch worked as a program manager at Northrop Grumman in North Little Rock, where he was responsible for managing 130 staff members and the delivery of quality information technology products and services to the Arkansas Department of Human Services. Keltch holds a master’s degree in systems engineering and software engineering from Southern Methodist University and is pursuing a Ph.D. in integrated computing with a concentration in computer science from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Breaks Ground on Transformational Campus Improvement Projects

Finance and Administration Honors Outstanding Employees

Keltch Named New Chief Information Officer at ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Breaks Ground on Transformational Campus Improvement Projects

Keltch Named New Chief Information Officer at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock