Last fall, graduate student Joshua Miller enrolled in a non-profit management course offered through the UALR Institute of Government. The program was led by Dr. Vickie Edwards.

At the time, Miller had no idea it would lead to a job with the very organization that he and the other students spent most Saturday afternoons working for during the semester.

As part of their coursework, Miller and his fellow students were charged with developing a strategic plan for studioMAIN, a non-profit collaboration of working professionals who seek to create well-designed neighborhoods with input from area businesses and residents.

Among the student suggestions to come out of the strategic plan was that studioMAIN consider hiring a part-time director who could eventually become a paid staff member.

Miller was recently tapped for the position after the organization met with Edwards to determine which of the students’ suggestions were most applicable.

Miller will be the agency’s one point of contact. His main focus will be the development of grant funding and helping to increase public knowledge of the benefit of good design within the community.

For now, he will work one day a week as part of a four-month contract while he finishes his thesis for a master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies.

“It’s really exciting,” Miller said. “It’s not hard at all to tell their story. Everyone is very comfortable with each other and they all function so well together.”

Edwards said Millers’ case demonstrates that providing hands-on, practical experiences prepares students to transition seamlessly from classroom to boardroom.

“When these opportunities come up, as it did with studioMAIN, it makes sense to take advantage of them,” she said. “What the students learn by doing actual work makes them much more valuable to potential employers.”

Edwards serves as a thesis faculty advisor for Miller.

She and Miller presented at the annual Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action in November. The name of the paper they presented was titled, “The Great Recession and Sustainability of Nonprofits in Arkansas.”

The Institute of Government offers a variety of nonprofit management educational opportunities, including the Certificate in Nonprofit Management, which provides advanced training and development for nonprofit professionals.

Initiatives like these are part of an engaged learning focus of the new College of Social Sciences and Communication, according to Dean Lisa Bond Maupin.

“Our partnership with Studio Main is a valuable expression of our commitment to involve our students in collaborations with our communities to address important questions and tackle our collective problems,” she said.