UALR inaugurates a new academic year Thursday, Aug. 18, opening another new residence hall, welcoming new faculty, and launching new course offerings.

West Hall, located in a cluster of residence halls on the east side of campus, opened for move-in day Friday. The newest hall will house academic scholarship students, including members of the Chancellor’s Leadership Corps.

The 175 CLC freshmen were selected for the group based on nominations by their teachers and counselors back home who vouched for their scholarship and citizenship, and who were selected by UALR for their leadership potential.

“This scholarship is very competitive and prestigious among entering freshmen,” said Chelsea Bishop, associate director of admissions. “The recipients have demonstrated great leadership qualities in their high schools and communities. They come highly recommended by their counselors and have proven their tremendous character by doing volunteer work, community service, and array of activities within their schools.”

The new hall was built to promote camaraderie.  The pod-style residences include two sides – one for men and one for women. On each floor, rooms housing two students each surround a common area, which includes a full kitchen with stainless steel appliances, a family-style dining room table, flat-screen televisions, and laundry and baths.

West Hall joins the UALR residence village, which includes the suite-style East Hall and the two- and four-student apartment-style North and South halls that all surround the University Commons.

“Nearly 1,000 students will be living in residence halls this semester, adding to the ever-growing culture of on-campus life at UALR,” said Debbie Gentry, director of Housing.

This academic year, two more buildings are expected to open on the growing campus.

The five-story building to house the Nanotechnology Center at UALR will house the teaching and research program. It will be a state-of-the-art, user-oriented facility focused on research, hands-on education, and the development of commercially viable technologies.

Also expected to open this semester will be the convenient one-stop student services center located just north of the Donaghey Student Center. Also expected to be completed is the intramural sports center, with soccer fields, softball diamond, and track will be located on the south end of campus.

New faculty include Dr. Eric Sandgren, the dean of the Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology (EIT). He assumed the post July 1, upon the retirement of EIT Founding Dean Mary L. Good. Sandgren received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University and comes to UALR after serving eight years as dean of the Howard Hughes College of Engineering at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

EIT also inaugurates this semester its first Ph.D. program in engineering science and systems.

Among new courses being offered this year is the Shepherd Program in Poverty Studies. Dr. David Sink will teach the first course offering, “Introduction to Poverty Studies.”

“It is a new multi-disciplinary course focused on worldwide poverty with a particular emphasis on poverty in the United States,” Sink said. “The introductory course explores the nature, causes, and impacts of both urban and rural poverty.”

The class will utilize a service-learning approach where students will enhance their classroom work with community service placements. The class is scheduled from 4:30 to 5:45 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.