Menus and items of interest
College to close for holiday break
National Park College will be closed Monday through Jan. 1 in observance of the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
The campus will reopen for business and classes as usual on Jan. 2 at 8 a.m.
Registration for the spring semester is open now. College classes for the spring semester will begin Jan. 16.
ATU ranks intop 5 percent nationally in social mobility
RUSSELLVILLE — New data reveals Arkansas Tech University ranks among the top 5 percent of United States institutions of higher education in providing students with an opportunity to improve their economic standing.
CollegeNET’s Social Mobility Index looks at the economic background of a university’s student body and compares it to the institution’s tuition rate, graduation rate and endowment, as well as the early career salary for its young alumni.
For 2017 data, ATU has an SMI score of 57.8 to rank 68th among the 1,363 universities and colleges included in the survey.
It marks the second consecutive year in which Arkansas Tech has been among the top 70 institutions in the nation, and it is the fourth consecutive year in which ATU has been No. 1 in social mobility in Arkansas. No other Arkansas university or college ranks among the top 200 in the 2017 data.
Lifelong Learning Institute partners with Henderson
HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE — The Lifelong Learning Institute of Hot Springs Village recently partnered with Henderson State University in Arkadelphia to encourage lifelong learners in Hot Springs and Hot Springs Village to continue their educational journeys.
The institute is offering customized community educational programs, Travel Scholars and an educational travel program. Each component was designed based on feedback and the programs are locally managed.
Benefits of membership with the Lifelong Learning Institute include priority notification for learning events, discounts on program registration fees, access to the Road Scholars program and membership dues are tax deductible.
Membership levels are $45, individual annual; $75, couple annual; $500, lifelong individual; and $750, lifetime couple.
The 2018 kickoff event is Jan. 15 is at the Oaklawn Jockey Club with the inaugural Lifelong Learning Institute Classic. Email lliofhsvinc@ gmail.com for more information.
Panda Express coming to SAU
MAGNOLIA — Construction has begun on a new national chain restaurant at Southern Arkansas University that may be open as soon as Feb. 1 for the campus and the community.
Panda Express Chinese Kitchen, a “fast casual Chinese restaurant,” will open in the clubhouse of the University Village apartment complex on the east end of campus. There were many hurdles to overcome in bringing Panda to SAU, but the administration was fueled by student polling that indicated a preference for on-campus Asian dining.
Alain Verbeiren, Aramark’s food services director at SAU, said Panda will offer students as well as the Magnolia community an affordable dining option and quality food. It will serve the full menu of American Chinese cuisine.
Verbeiren said he hopes the restaurant will operate six days a week, 12 months a year. The addition of Panda will also add up to 20 new jobs to the area, adding to SAU Aramark’s current total of 125 employees.
Panda Restaurant Group Inc. is family owned, and SAU had to obtain the approval of Panda’s board to open the new restaurant.
Museum announces spring Reading Retreat
PIGGOTT — The Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center has announced dates for its upcoming Riviera Reading Retreat on April 13-14 at 1021 W. Cherry St. in Piggott.
Upon registration, participants will receive copies of three novels to read at their convenience. The titles include Ernest Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises,” F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “Tender Is the Night” and Liza Klaussmann’s “Villa America.”
The three novels focus on a group of writers and artists who regularly visited expatriates Gerald and Sara Murphy at their home on the French Riviera called Villa America. After reading the novels, participants will come together at the museum for a weekend of discussion and activities.
Experts in the field will lead discussion about the books. In addition, the retreat will include a film screening and a themed cocktail party in the Pfeiffer-Janes house.
The cost of the retreat is
$100, which includes copies of the three books, meals throughout the weekend and a ticket to the party. Tickets for the party alone cost $40.
For more information about the retreat call the museum at
870-598-3487 or email adam-
long@AState.edu.
NSF grant to help recruit STEM students
FAYETTEVILLE — The National Science Foundation has awarded $999,847 in grant funding to the University of Arkansas’ Path to Graduation Program, which aims to increase the number of low-income students, especially those from rural regions of Arkansas, who graduate with degrees in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“Currently the state of Arkansas is not able to meet STEM labor demands,” said Lynda Coon, dean of the Honors College. “This grant is an important first step in training the next generation of scientists and engineers from throughout the state and beyond. This program will specifically target those areas of Arkansas where there are many minority and first-generation students but few opportunities to pursue STEM education.”
Paul Adams, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry as well as cellular and molecular biology in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, will direct the program. As principal investigator, Adams will help to welcome the students when they first arrive on campus and will contribute to ongoing support.
The grant will support two groups of 18 STEM students per year who will receive annually renewable scholarships of up to $4,500, or $5,500 if they participate in the Honors College. The first cohort of Path to Graduation Scholars will arrive on campus in fall 2018.