Four University of Arkansas at Little Rock students and one faculty member received scholarships to attend a prestigious conference on health care engineering. 

Each person received a $2,000 Ilse B. Almanza Scholarship to attend the American Society for Healthcare Engineering conference Aug. 6-9 in Indianapolis.

The Ilse B. Almanza Scholarship Fund supports education and training to develop future leaders committed to optimizing the health care physical environment. The scholarship was established to carry forward the legacy of Almanza, an advocate for lifelong education and longtime American Society for Healthcare Engineering employee.

UA Little Rock scholarship recipients include:

• Heather Hightower, graduate student in construction management and operations management
• Amanda Hall, construction management major
• Blake Johnston, civil and construction engineering major
• Sam Kincannon, civil and construction engineering major
• Chris McKenney, adjunct instructor in the Department of Construction Management and Civil and Construction Engineering

During the conference, students attended technical sessions, interacted with conference members from state, regional, and national levels, met with vendors who specialize in health care, and had the opportunity to visit Speedway, Indiana, and ride in NASCAR vehicles.

McKenney, who teaches two courses on health care construction, said it is an up and coming field within construction management and engineering. Those involved in the industry need specialized training and certifications to ensure knowledge of state and federal codes and regulations that control health care projects.

In the upper right photo, four students won $2,000 scholarships to attend the American Society for Healthcare Engineering conference Aug. 6-9 in Indianapolis. The students, pictured from left to right, are Heather Hightower, Blake Johnston, Amanda Hall, and Sam Kincannon.