The UALR College of Science and Mathematics will honor Jerry B. Adams, president and chief executive officer of the Arkansas Research Alliance, at the second annual Fribourgh Award ceremony Thursday, March 31, at the Grand Hall of the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion.

Adams is the 2011 recipient of the James H. Fribourgh Award that recognizes contributions to Arkansas through the disciplines of health, mathematics, and science.

Reservations are $75 per person – of which $60 is tax deductible. The cocktail hour begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by the awards presentation at 6 p.m. For reservations, contact Laura Beck at 501-569-3151.

The College of Science and Mathematics Leadership Endowed Scholarship, funded by the annual Fribourgh Awards program, was established to help UALR attract and retain high-achieving full-time students in science, mathematics, and health and wellness.

“UALR’s College of Science and Mathematics created the James H. Fribourgh Award in 2010 to honor not only Dr. Fribourgh’s contributions to UALR and the Arkansas science community as a whole, but to extend that honor and recognition to others who meet the high standards Dr. Fribourgh set,” said Science and Mathematics Dean Michael Gealt.

Professor Emeritus Fribourgh, the former science dean and interim chancellor for whom UALR’s Fribourgh Hall is named, received the first Fribourgh Award last year.

Chad Fitz, Acxiom vice president of Product Development who is chair of this year’s awards program, said proceeds from the fundraiser not only benefit the students who receive the scholarships but also benefit Arkansas.

“Our businesses and industries in the state are in need of graduates in mathematics and the sciences, so these scholarships can help UALR attract academically talented students who will ultimately enter the workforce,” he said.

Adams, a member of the UALR Board of Visitors, is president and chief executive officer of Arkansas Research Alliance, an outgrowth of Accelerate Arkansas that is dedicated to building a knowledge-based economy in Arkansas.

Following a 34-year career at Acxiom Corp. in several different leadership roles, Adams retired in 2007 to focus on initiatives needed to build the state’s economy, including the need to attract new scholars in knowledge-based industries, the support of new businesses, and the reform of education efforts such as the enhancement of rigorous math and science curricula.

Adams chaired the East Initiative, a secondary school technology-based project-learning program active in over 200 schools in Arkansas and six other states. He serves on the Southern Technology Council, a council of the Southern Growth Policies Board.

Having served on the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Committee for Higher Education, Adams remains involved and passionate about education reform. He currently serves on the Arkansas Department of Education’s Accountability Council, and the University of Central Arkansas’s Advisory Board for the School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences.