UA Little Rock Makes History with $266 Million Centennial Campaign

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has reached a new milestone in its history, raising a record $266.5 million through its Centennial Campaign and exceeding a fundraising goal that was the most ambitious the university had ever undertaken.

The seven-year campaign brought together 22,762 donors who made 197,887 donations, investing in scholarships, student success, academic excellence, and a campus that continues to evolve. Their generosity established 211 new endowments and helped grow UA Little Rock’s endowment by 192%.

Behind those numbers were years of personal conversations and relationship-building. Over the course of the campaign, UA Little Rock’s development team conducted more than 19,000 face-to-face visits with donors and prospective supporters, helping connect their philanthropic interests with opportunities to make a difference for students and the university.

The university announced the final campaign total of $266,532,569.07 during a Nov. 5 celebration of the donors, alumni, and community partners whose support has helped shape UA Little Rock’s future.

“Seven years ago, a $250 million campaign for UA Little Rock might have seemed out of reach,” said Chancellor Christina S. Drale. “Tonight, we celebrate not just reaching that goal, but what reaching it says about who we have become.”

The Centennial Campaign has helped make college more affordable, opened new opportunities for students and faculty, and transformed spaces across campus. Many of those investments will continue to benefit students long after the campaign’s conclusion.

“Leading this campaign has been one of the proudest accomplishments of my career, and I couldn’t be prouder of the advancement team that helped make it happen,” said Christian O’Neal, vice chancellor for university advancement. “We built the relationships, earned the trust of our donors and put in the work to achieve something historic for UA Little Rock. And we’re not slowing down. We’ll build on this momentum because our work is about creating opportunities that will change lives for generations and ensuring UA Little Rock is positioned to serve Arkansas for the next 100 years.”

Opening Doors Through Scholarships

One of the Centennial Campaign’s most significant accomplishments has been helping UA Little Rock rethink what college affordability can look like for Arkansas students.

Private support helped launch two major affordability initiatives, the Half-Off Scholarship and the Trojan Guarantee, which have reduced the cost of earning a degree and opened new opportunities for students and families.

The Half-Off Scholarship began with a transformational anonymous gift, allowing UA Little Rock to reduce tuition costs for incoming freshmen. The university later introduced the Trojan Guarantee, which covers remaining tuition costs for qualifying students who receive both a Pell Grant and the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship.

Now, UA Little Rock is working to make that commitment to affordability permanent through the Enduring Opportunity Scholarship Program, which was established through a $7.5 million gift from the Windgate Foundation. 

The goal is to ensure that the affordability initiatives students benefit from today will remain available to future generations.

For nursing student Erryn Washington, scholarship support has already made a difference.

“When I received my scholarship, it felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders,” Washington said. “Before that, I worried constantly about how I was going to pay for school. Now I can focus on finishing my degree and preparing for a career in healthcare.”

That kind of financial stability can change a student’s entire college experience, allowing them to spend less time worrying about tuition and more time preparing for what comes next.

Helping Students Succeed

Making college affordable is an important first step, but UA Little Rock’s commitment to students extends well beyond helping them enroll.

The Centennial Campaign also invested in student success, supporting the people, programs and resources that help students navigate college and complete their degrees.

At UA Little Rock, students come from many different backgrounds and follow different paths toward graduation. Some arrive directly from high school. Others return to college after time away, balance classes with full-time jobs, or pursue degrees while raising families.

For those students, success often depends on more than academic ability. Access to guidance, encouragement and support can make the difference between stopping out and continuing toward a degree.

UA Little Rock student Latoya Vaughn’s educational journey illustrates the persistence that many students bring to their studies and the importance of having a university community invested in helping them succeed.

“One of the things I’ve learned at UA Little Rock is that you don’t have to figure everything out on your own,” LaToya said. “There are people here to help in lots of ways. Having that support has given me more confidence in myself and reminded me that there are people here who genuinely want to see me succeed.”

Through the Centennial Campaign, donors have helped strengthen UA Little Rock’s ability to meet students where they are and support them as they work toward graduation.

Investing in Academic Excellence

The Centennial Campaign has also created new opportunities for faculty and students through investments in academic leadership, research and innovative teaching.

Endowed directorships, made possible by the Windgate Foundation, the Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation, and the Yupo and Susan Chan Charitable Trust, are already advancing programs in nursing, education and engineering.

At the Center for Simulation Innovation, Dr. Judy Staley is helping nursing students prepare for patient care through the new Innovation Station. Using virtual reality and other simulation technologies, students can practice complex clinical scenarios, strengthen their judgment and build confidence before entering a patient room.

In the School of Education, Dr. Rachel Eells has helped launch one of the state’s first year-long, paid teacher residency programs, giving aspiring educators extensive classroom experience before they begin their careers.

The program has achieved nearly 100% job placement among graduates within three years, and a member of its inaugural cohort has already been named Teacher of the Year in their district. 

Support from the Trinity Foundation has also helped the School of Education launch a new early childhood education program and endow faculty positions that support the program.

In the School of Engineering and Engineering Technology, Dr. Srikanth Pidugu is helping faculty establish new research laboratories and creating additional opportunities for students to participate in real-world engineering projects.

The benefits of these investments reach beyond the university. Nursing graduates will care for patients, education graduates will teach in Arkansas classrooms, and engineering graduates will build Arkansas’s infrastructure. 

The endowed directorships will continue supporting academic leadership and innovation, giving faculty the resources to develop programs and opportunities that will benefit future students.

Transforming the Campus Experience

The Centennial Campaign has helped reshape UA Little Rock’s campus, creating new spaces for students to learn, connect and build a sense of community.

One of the most visible changes is the revitalization of Trojan Way, which has created a welcoming new front door to campus and a gathering place for students, faculty, staff, alumni, and visitors.

The project grew out of a longstanding partnership with the Donaghey Foundation, which has supported UA Little Rock since the university’s earliest years. Greg Flesher, chair of the foundation, said its trustees periodically challenge university leaders to bring forward ideas that could make a significant difference for the institution. Chancellor Drale answered that challenge with a vision for Trojan Way, a central gathering place that would change how students and visitors experience campus.

“Occasionally, we ask the chancellor for a game-changing idea,” Flesher said. “The chancellor came up with the idea of Trojan Way. She said it would be very instrumental to the university to have a focal point that stretched the entire length and width of the university.”

Flesher said the project’s impact has exceeded his expectations, particularly in creating a more welcoming environment for prospective students and their families.

Many professors were inspired to think about things that existed on campus but had been shuttered,” said Flesher “Different cohorts of professors have been involved in getting each of these back open not only for university students but for people here in Central Arkansas. All these things that get more people on campus are good for the university.”

The transformation extends into the classroom. A total of 22 classrooms and labs have been renovated, providing updated learning environments for students and faculty. Along with improvements to laboratories and other academic spaces, these projects are helping modernize the campus and enhance the student experience.

The Shellam Flake planetarium adds another dimension to UA Little Rock’s campus transformation, creating opportunities for students and visitors to explore astronomy and science in an immersive setting. The space also strengthens the university’s connection to the community, inviting people of all ages to experience learning and discovery on campus. The soft open is scheduled next month. 

A Legacy for the Next Century

Centennial Campaign Co-Chairs Alfred Williams and Jerry Damerow helped build support for the university’s ambitious fundraising goal, drawing on their longstanding connections to UA Little Rock and their commitment to its future.

For Williams, the campaign was an opportunity to continue a family connection that stretches back to the university’s earliest years. His father attended Little Rock Junior College and later served on its board of trustees. Williams attended Little Rock University, carrying forward a relationship with the institution that spans generations.

“Serving as a co-chair was deeply personal,” said Williams. “I know what a UA Little Rock education can mean, and I wanted the students who came after me to have even more opportunities. To see where we are today makes me incredibly proud.”

Damerow’s connection began through the STEM College Dean’s Advisory Council. After more than 35 years of making Arkansas home with his wife, he saw an opportunity to support a university whose graduates contribute to the state’s workforce and communities.

“It warms my heart to know that generations of Arkansans will benefit from our work on the Centennial Campaign,” he said. “As a result of outstanding leadership, UA Little Rock is on a sharp upward trajectory, and it has been a true joy to be a small part of that.”

Williams and Damerow were joined by members of the Centennial Campaign Cabinet, alumni, foundations, corporations, and thousands of individual donors who helped the university exceed its historic goal.

Among the campaign’s most enduring achievements are the 211 new endowments established to provide permanent support for scholarships, faculty leadership, academic programs, and student success.

Those funds will continue supporting the university long after the seven-year campaign has ended, allowing the generosity of today’s donors to reach students who have not yet set foot on campus.

“Those investments have changed UA Little Rock forever,” Drale said. “They have helped us become stronger, more innovative and better positioned to serve our students than ever before.”

As UA Little Rock enters its second century, the Centennial Campaign has laid the groundwork for the university’s future. Students will benefit from expanded scholarship opportunities, stronger academic programs and a campus transformed by the generosity of thousands of donors.

“Every gift to this campaign was an investment in what UA Little Rock can become,” said O’Neal. “Our responsibility now is to honor that generosity by putting these resources to work, delivering on the promises we’ve made to our donors, and continue creating opportunities for the students and communities we serve.”