Serna to take UAFS helm Sept. 1

Interim chancellor will help lead campus during time of transition

Edward Serna will take over Sept. 1 as interim chancellor at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith.

Serna, 47, is stepping into the role after the Aug. 31 departure of Chancellor Paul Beran, who is leaving to become executive director and chief executive officer of the South Dakota Higher Education board of regents.

In 2015, Serna joined UAFS. He is chief of staff and vice chancellor for strategic initiatives at the university, which last fall announced enrollment totals of 6,619 undergraduate students and 18 graduate students.

The appointment was announced Thursday in a statement by the University of Arkansas System President Donald Bobbitt, who said Serna “has the institutional knowledge and skill set to help lead the campus during this time of transition.”

Serna worked for 15 years as a management consultant and program manager, according to information released by the UA System.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Winthrop University in South Carolina and graduate degrees from Clemson University and Auburn University before earning a doctorate from the University of Alabama.

As interim chancellor, Serna will earn an annual salary of $196,000, according to information provided by the UA System. He now earns $160,000.

Serna