University Honors 15 Faculty and Staff Grant Recipients

Photo of Jim Rankin, Heather Nachtmann and Sharon GaberThe University of Arkansas recently honored its “Top 15 in 2015” class of research award recipients at a ceremony in the School of Law’s Norma Lea Beasley Entrance Hall.

The offices of the provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs and vice provost for research and economic development organized the ceremony and reception, which recognized faculty and staff researchers who were the university’s most highly funded in fiscal year 2014.

As a group, the 15 faculty and staff researchers accounted for nearly one-third of the University of Arkansas’ total external research funding of $79 million in fiscal 2014. The $79 million figure represented a 24.8 percent increase over the previous fiscal year.

“Through your hard work and leadership in pursuing external research funding, you have helped move our research enterprise forward and enhanced the university’s reputation as a comprehensive research institution,” Sharon Gaber, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, told the group.

Jim Rankin, vice provost for research and economic development, said, “For most of these researchers, their funding came from multiple awards received throughout the year. They would be the first to mention that their co-investigators and their research teams are a large factor in their success.”

Among those recognized was Dr. Heather Nachtmann, associate dean of engineering and director, Maritime Transportation Research and Education Center, Mack-Blackwell Transportation Center.

The Maritime Transportation Research and Education Center has received over $3 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The center, also called MarTREC, functions as a consortium of researchers at the University of Arkansas – the grantee institution – Jackson State University, Louisiana State University and the University of New Orleans, all of which have proximity to navigable waterways along the Mississippi River and the Gulf Coast.

Full Newswire story can be found here.

Release date: April 28, 2015