Gift to help UAPB pay for virus costs

PINE BLUFF — A $200,000 private gift will help the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff cover the unanticipated costs of the coronavirus pandemic, the university announced Thursday.

The money comes from the Windgate Foundation, which has donated tens of millions of dollars to Arkansas institutions of higher education in recent years for art programs and facilities.

The funding will help the university hire additional security, improve campus cleanliness, upgrade software for online course delivery and help provide emergency aid to students who need it, according to the university’s announcement.

In the news release, UAPB Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement George Cotton Sr. said the university needed additional money to realign its operations during the pandemic.