UA Little Rock Dedicates James A. Rogers Soils Lab
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock dedicated the newly renovated James A. Rogers Soils Lab Sept. 18 in the Engineering and Applied Technology Sciences building at UA Little Rock.
The lab will help students in the Department of Construction Management and Civil and Construction Engineering understand the vital role that soils and soil testing has in the construction management and engineering industries. The lab renovation is thanks to a five-year, $50,000 donation from James A. Rogers Excavating.
“I’d like to thank Chris Meyer and James Rogers for this wonderful gift to UA Little Rock,” UA Little Rock Provost Ann Bain said. “I knew soil was important, but I’ve probably never thought about the importance of people being able to learn through hands-on experience how to make sure that the soil is stable, so construction projects don’t have difficulty with their foundations. Because of their generosity, UA Little Rock now has a newly remodeled soils lab that provides our students with wonderful hands-on experience and teaches them to be wonderful practitioners when they graduate.”
James A. Rogers Excavating President and CEO Chris Meyer, an alumnus of the university, said he wants to help prepare the next generation of students for the workforce, just like UA Little Rock helped him.
“Being a part of this program and being able to give back means everything to me,” Meyer said. “Teaching students what soils truly means, getting them prepared for the workforce, providing them the knowledge they need to talk to owners and give them the good news or the bad news when it comes to soils. I want to thank my grandfather for giving me the opportunity to prolong his legacy and having my son Oliver here means a lot to us. We are honored to be a part of the UA Little Rock Construction Management program.”
Cameron Webb, a senior civil engineering major and president of the American Society of Civil Engineers student chapter at UA Little Rock, demonstrated how to test the composition of soil samples for construction purposes. He said the renovated lab greatly improves the learning and educational environment for the department.
“Before this renovation, the lab used to be spread over two rooms,” Webb said. “In this great new lab space, we can learn in real time, demonstrate the processes we are learning about, and check our work more efficiently. This is really helping to prepare us for our future careers.”
This gift is part of the Centennial Campaign, UA Little Rock’s fundraising campaign to raise $250 million before the university’s 100-year anniversary in 2027. The gift contributes to one of the campaign’s four pillars, which is improving the living and learning environment at UA Little Rock. Visit ualr.edu/centennial to learn more about the Centennial Campaign.
