Edward Serna
The University of Arkansas-Fort Smith on Tuesday announced the promotion of Edward Serna to chief of staff and vice chancellor for strategic initiatives, effective July 1.
He had been chief of staff and associate vice chancellor for external funding.
In his new role, Serna will oversee the implementation of the university’s five-year strategic plan, manage special projects for the chancellor’s office and oversee the offices of public information, grants administration, government and community relations, and international relations.
As associate vice chancellor, Serna coordinated the development of the university’s recent strategic plan and helped conceptualize the programming of unmanned aircraft courses. Under his leadership, the university has seen increases in grant submissions and awards.
Serna has more than 15 years of high-level consulting and management experience for clients such as the U.S. Army and NASA.
He began teaching as an adjunct instructor in 2007, and earned his doctorate from the University of Alabama in 2012. Serna joined UAFS in 2015 as grants director after a year as an assistant professor of management at Athens State University.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Winthrop University, a master’s degree in industrial management from Clemson University and a master’s degree in information systems from Auburn University.
Serna was also recognized as an Outstanding Doctoral Student from the University of Alabama’s Higher Education Administration program and is a member of the 2017 class of Leadership Arkansas.
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