UA Little Rock Receives Gift to Strengthen Long-Term Support for Planetarium
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock continues to build momentum behind the future of its Shellam Flake Planetarium, with a new $50,000 gift supporting long-term sustainability efforts for the facility.
The gift from Centennial Campaign co-chair Jerry Damerow and his wife, Sherri, supports the Shellam Flake Planetarium Endowment Fund in the Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (DCSTEM), adding to ongoing investments in the planetarium’s future.
As UA Little Rock prepares to reopen the planetarium this fall, the endowment ensures the facility has the long-term support needed for operations, programming, and staffing, positioning it as a lasting destination for students and the community.
“I believe the planetarium and the Science Triangle project will help interest young people in science and attract them to the beautifully updated UA Little Rock campus,” Damerow said. “STEM education is extremely important in our rapidly changing economy, and we will need more scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs to power our Central Arkansas economy.”
For Damerow, the planetarium is also about creating experiences that draw people to campus and spark interest in science.
“I think the planetarium will be a magnet, attracting not only young people but also adults to campus. Getting people on campus is an important way of showcasing what the university has to offer and why it is so important to our community.”
Their support adds to early efforts to ensure the planetarium’s long-term success. Although not alumni, the Damerows said supporting UA Little Rock is an investment in the community they call home.
“This is the community that I love and that has warmly welcomed us,” he said. “A strong university here will help attract the talent needed to build our future economy. Our state capital needs a great research university, and that is UA Little Rock. If those of us who love Arkansas do not participate in building this great state, it will not happen.”
Learn more about the Shellam Flake Planetarium at ualr.edu/planetarium.