ARA Names Six Researchers To Fellows Program

Clockwise, from top left, are new Arkansas Research Alliance Fellows Nitin Agarwal, Jingyi Chen, Steven Foley, Xiuzhen Huang, Clint Kilts and Mansour Mortazavi.

Six new Arkansas Research Alliance Fellows were named Thursday during a news conference at the state capitol with Gov. Asa Hutchinson.

They are:

• Nitin Agarwal, Ph.D., a distinguished professor in the Information Science Department at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock;
• Jingyi Chen, Ph.D., an associate professor in the University of Arkansas’ Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry;
• Steven Foley, Ph.D., deputy director of the Division of Microbiology at the National Center for Toxicological Research;
• Xiuzhen Huang, Ph.D., a professor of computer science at Arkansas State University;
• Clint Kilts, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; and
• Mansour Mortazavi, Ph.D., vice chancellor of and a professor at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

ARA Fellows from university campuses receive a $75,000 grant.

The ARA Fellows program, now with 26 members, launched in 2014. It recognizes research leaders who are currently working in Arkansas at the NCTR or one of the state’s five research campuses: UA, UAMS, UA Little Rock, UAPB and A-State.

The NCTR in Jefferson is the only Food & Drug Administration lab located outside the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

In addition, ARA is celebrating 10 years of making research matter in Arkansas this year.

Hutchinson said in a news release, “ARA impacts our state in so many positive ways, from increasing the amount of federal research funds available in Arkansas to accelerating the commercialization timetable, to connecting research to our established businesses.”

ARA President Jerry Adams said in the release, “ARA Fellows are nominated by their respective institutions. We are honored to have these immensely talented researchers join the ARA Academy of Scholars & Fellows”.