For nearly a century, the ambition of the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith has been inextricably tied to that of the River Valley. Our success is this region’s success, and every step forward for our institution is a milestone for the community we serve. And this connection is so much more than 96 years of history—it’s a privilege, one we work to honor every day.
This is truly the River Valley’s university.
Two decades into our journey as a four-year institution, UAFS stands as a pillar of transformation—producing exceptionally prepared graduates and driving economic progress. But we did not get here alone. Your desire to empower your children, educate your employees, and strengthen your businesses has fueled our momentum.
Time and again, we have risen together—meeting challenges, adapting, and emerging stronger. Now, we ask you to stand with us once more as we embark on the most ambitious fundraising campaign in our history.
This is our moment—to prove the strength of the River Valley and fortify the ways our university transforms lives and industries.
With your support, we can go further than ever before:
We can unlock opportunities by removing financial barriers, ensuring every student—regardless of background—can access the life-changing power of education.
We can invest in excellence by supporting faculty and staff who not only educate but also drive invention and enrichment and by bringing today's leaders to our region, expertly preparing the innovators of tomorrow.
We can prepare our workforce —from master’s degree candidates to skilled technicians—ensuring they are ready to lead, thrive, and make an impact, right here in the River Valley or wherever the world calls them.
You can be the reason we all succeed—today, tomorrow, together.
Terisa C. Riley, Ph. D., Chancellor
Table of Contents
4 6
Intrepid Ambition
Researching Resilience
Uplifting Patient Care
Advancing Manufacturing
Preserving Our Future
9 11 12 13 17 18 A Legacy of Courage
Empowering Our Economy
What If?
A Legacy of Courage
Fort Smith has always been a city of strength. Born as a frontier military post in 1817, it has long been a place where survival demanded courage and progress required an unbreakable spirit.
But through wars and disasters, economic upheavals, and the rise and fall of industries, The River Valley has never faltered. And for nearly a century, the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith has stood shoulder to shoulder with it, forging a path toward the future.
When Fort Smith Junior College opened its doors in 1928, the world was on the cusp of the Great Depression. Families struggled to make ends meet, businesses shuttered, and uncertainty loomed. Yet, in a small, borrowed classroom, a handful of students pursued an education, knowing that knowledge would be their way through. As the years passed, the college weathered World War II, watching its classrooms empty as young men went off to fight. By 1944, only four students remained to earn diplomas.
But when the war ended, the institution stood ready to welcome veterans home, helping them rebuild their futures through the G.I. Bill and opening doors that might otherwise have
remained closed. In the 1950s, as Fort Smith’s manufacturing industry boomed, UAFS relocated to a permanent home on Grand Avenue, laying the groundwork for expansion to come.
As the years passed, Fort Smith Junior College became Westark Community College, then Westark College, and finally, in 2002, it achieved university status, entering the University of Arkansas System and embracing a future of academic rigor.
But those decades of progress also tested our region’s strength. The 1996 tornado tore through downtown, carving a seven-mile path of destruction through the River Valley. Sixteen years later, the closure of the Whirlpool plant displaced hundreds of workers, shaking the local economy. In 2019, the Arkansas River flood swallowed entire neighborhoods, forcing families from their homes. And in 2020, a global pandemic stole thousands of lives and pushed the economy to its limits, creating widespread vacancies in critical industries.
Through every hardship, UAFS was there—not just as a place of learning but as a force for rebuilding. When local businesses struggled, the university’s
Classes first met in classrooms on the second floor of what is now Darby Junior High School. It was then the high school facility, until the new high school (now Northside) was completed approximately two weeks later.
The university’s second home, completed in 1937, saw classrooms enclosed below the stands of the high school football stadium. Classes continued to meet under the bleachers until the college moved to the County Hospital site in 1952.
Intrepid Ambition 5
Center for Economic Development provided the expertise and resources to help them recover. When the city needed skilled workers, UAFS swiftly expanded its programs to meet the demand, ensuring it remained a place of opportunity.
Today, a new two-year nursing program strengthens the healthcare sector, enrolling its first cohort in 2024, following an ambitious promise to double the number of nurses over the next decade. Set to launch in 2025, a bachelor’s of engineering degree and complimentary training program in advanced manufacturing aim to prepare students for careers in Fort Smith’s dominant sector. Data science and artificial intelligence programs are booming, with students conducting important research on AI integration from archiving to agriculture, positioning our region as a tech-forward hub. In the Windgate Art and Design building, students, faculty, and visiting artists nurture the creative spirit of our region – beautifying our community. And downtown, the Center for Economic Development brings the mission and passion of UAFS into the heart of our city, directly supporting every aspect of our local economy.
We are leading the charge in reimagining and revitalizing.
We always have.
“ UAFS has completely transformed my life for the better. I became the first person in my family to graduate from college. I was cared for and appreciated and really invested in because people wanted me to succeed.
Karen Barrerra Leon Class of 2015
Intrepid Ambition
I grew up in Fort Smith. The son of two educators in the public school system, my childhood was shaped by this community—by its schools, its people, and its resilience. I spent my afternoons at the Jeffrey-Glidewell Boys & Girls Club, surrounded by friends who would become family.
Some of my earliest memories are of a city rebuilding itself. I remember walking through the rubble of the 1996 tornado with my parents, looking for a way to help, as families parsed through their scattered belongings. I remember walking through the brand-new halls of Euper Lane Elementary in its early days—still carrying textbooks stamped “Echols.” And now, as I walk my two boys into that same school every morning, I am flooded with a peace in knowing this is where we have always belonged.
When I returned to Fort Smith in 2019, I knew I wasn’t just taking a job—I was coming home. And just a few months after I started, I got to watch this university turn a page. I met Chancellor Riley, and I knew she was exactly what Fort Smith needed. She brought a wealth of experience, a deep love for her students and community, and a determination to ensure this incredible university stopped hiding its light under bushels. From the moment she set foot on campus, I saw ideas become action—none more than this campaign.
For the past five years, we’ve been building something extraordinary— not in the spotlight, but with purpose. Behind the scenes, the UAFS Advancement team has been laying the groundwork, securing investments, and driving momentum toward a transformation that will change this university forever. Now, it’s time to step forward with Intrepid Ambition.
In 2020, we launched this campaign with a vision: to transform lives through education, to give more students access to opportunity, and to ensure UAFS doesn’t just keep up with change—we drive it. Because we believe education should not be a privilege for the few. It should be a pathway for everyone ambitious enough to seek it.
Thanks to the generosity of those who believed in this mission early on, that vision is already becoming a reality. With lead gifts from The Windgate Foundation, ABB, The Babb Family, First National Bank of Fort Smith, Citizens Bank and Trust, and more than 30 individuals who have stepped up with major gifts over $100,000, we have already secured $68,537,535. Many more have given anonymously, choosing impact over recognition. Every single one of them is helping us change the future.
“
For those of us who spent our lives here, who’ve seen families build their futures and watched businesses pass from one generation to the next, UAFS is a big part of why we’re not going anywhere. It’s our home, it’s our legacy, and I’m proud to see it thrive.
Bill Hanna President and CEO of Hanna Oil and
Gas
Co
But this is not the end. This is the starting line.
Our initial goal is ambitious—to raise $85 million by 2028. But this campaign is not just about numbers—it’s about people. It’s about ensuring cost is never the reason someone walks away from their future. It’s about investing in our industries, building career programs that will keep our businesses strong, and preparing the River Valley for what’s next. So we don’t just react to the future—we shape it.
Whether you’re an alum, a business leader, a friend of the university, or just someone who believes in what education can do, this is your moment to make a difference.
Every commitment moves us closer to a River Valley where opportunity is as limitless as potential.
With immense gratitude,
Blake Rickman Vice Chancellor for University Advancement Executive Director, UAFS Foundation
donors have supported this campaign during the quiet phase through more than unique gifts, totaling more than already raised.
Academic Excellence
Here, education is built on purpose. Every program, every course, and every hands-on experience is designed to meet the needs of students and the communities they will serve. Whether in classrooms, hospitals, research labs, or factories, UAFS graduates carry forward a legacy of excellence, shaped and inspired by the faculty who mentor them.
A researcher studying the science of resilience. A nurse raising the standard of care. An engineer preparing the workforce of tomorrow. These are the people defining what education means at UAFS—and proving that knowledge, when applied with intention, creates lasting change.
Researching Resilience
Dr. Nicha Otero runs her fingers along the spines of wellworn books in the Boreham Library, pausing on a volume she might bring into her classroom next year. These texts, dense with theories on learning and behavior, once defined the scope of her research. But years in the classroom have reshaped her focus. Her expertise still lies in psychology, but her purpose? It’s shifted. Now, she studies something more personal, more urgent—how resilience is built, how students rise, how belief transforms potential into power.
“What happens when we unlock potential in places it’s often overlooked?” Otero asks. It’s the question that drives everything she does at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith.
Otero came to UAFS in 2011 from the sun-drenched islands of Trinidad and Tobago. At the time, it was a leap into the unknown. “I had no idea where Arkansas was,” she laughs, remembering the moment she pulled out a map to locate her new home. But what started as a career move quickly became something deeper. “I was drawn to the promise of a new career. But this campus gave me so much more—it gave me purpose.”
That purpose is woven into the way she teaches, the way she researches, the way she shows up for students every day. As the head of the psychology department and an associate professor, she sees students walk into her classroom carrying more than just textbooks. They carry doubt. Financial burdens. The weight of being the first in their families to attend college. And yet, she sees something else, too: possibility. A kind of quiet determination that needs only the right conditions to thrive.
Those students now drive her research—examining how stress, environment, and personal history shape a person’s ability to succeed. But they also drive her teaching. “I’m not just teaching academic skills,” she explains in a classroom, carefully bisecting a sheep brain for a camera. “I’m teaching resilience and how to face challenges with integrity and empathy.”
She sees the transformation happen in real time. The student who doubted their ability to handle a rigorous research project, now presenting at a national conference. The one who struggled with imposter syndrome, now leading a campus initiative. The
ones who once thought success was for someone else, now realizing it belongs to them, too.
Through research projects, community partnerships, and hands-on experiences, she says, UAFS students are solving real-world problems before they even graduate. And they’re not doing it alone. They have faculty who believe in them, who push them, who refuse to let them shrink from their own potential.
Otero understands that kind of support firsthand. She found it in her own mentors—first at Morgan State University, where she earned her undergraduate degree, and later at the University of South Carolina, where she completed her Ph.D. She credits Dr. Rita Barrett, who once held the very position Otero now holds, with guiding her along the path that led here.
Just as mentors made UAFS feel like her professional home, Fort Smith embraced her family as well. She recalls the moment she knew—at St. Boniface Catholic Church, when a simple inquiry about local schools turned into an impromptu tour, an open door, and an unexpected welcome. That’s the kind of place the River Valley is, she realized—a place where people show up for each other.
For more than a decade, she’s been part of the welcome. She ensures UAFS is a place where the barriers her students have been told are immovable suddenly start to crack. A place where challenges don’t define them, but instead, they redefine what’s possible.
“As we prepare the next generation of nurses, we understand the critical need for skilled and safe professionals, and with healthcare facilities facing staffing challenges, we know the crucial role UAFS plays in alleviating the strain on our healthcare system.
Dr. Paula D. Julian
Associate Dean, College of Health, Education and Human Sciences
Executive Director, Carolyn McKelvey Moore School of Nursing
With both two- and four-year programs and traditional, night, and weekend cohorts, UAFS is truly making the dream of becoming a registered nurse more possible than ever before. These highly qualified and deeply compassionate graduates are committed to serving their communities.
Uplifting Patient Care
“The future of nursing is being shaped right here at UAFS," says Josh Simonds, assistant director of alumni engagement. "Our graduates are a level above the rest— they’re setting new standards for what excellence in healthcare really looks like. They’re the nurses I hope walk through the door when I’m in the hospital – and the ones I look for when caring for a loved one.”
Lindsey France, ’15, is the embodiment of that belief.
From the moment she stepped onto the floor as a Registered Nurse, France was a force. After earning her BSN from UAFS, she launched her career at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital, quickly becoming a Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse. She traveled the country, learning advanced rehabilitation techniques and bringing that knowledge home to Fort Smith, raising the standard of care in her community.
Nearly a decade later, she is a charge nurse at Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital, overseeing a 50-bed facility while serving as a scheduler, trainer, and advocate for
patients and staff alike. But ask those who work alongside her, and they’ll tell you her real title is something much bigger.
“She is not only a nurse when she is working; she is a support system for those around her, a source of knowledge, and an advocate for her patients,” says fellow charge nurse Paige Labyer, ’19.
France doesn’t just treat patients—she lifts them up. Sometimes, that means helping them walk again, and sometimes, it means giving them the confidence to try. She says it all comes with the job.
“It’s rewarding when a patient comes in and they’re not able to do anything for themselves, and through nursing and therapist care, two weeks later, they’re walking out the door,” she says with a smile.
That level of care and skill of heart is exactly what UAFS prepares its nurses for. France knew when she walked across the commencement stage she was stepping into a calling.
“I’m proud to have graduated from here. UAFS prepared me and made me feel more confident.”
As she approaches a decade in nursing, she agrees with Simonds’ sentiment: UAFS nurses are a cut above the rest. And the university is continuing to raise the bar, ensuring more nurses enter the field ready to meet the growing demand.
“There’s a severe shortage, but at UAFS, you can now get your RN in two years,” she explains. “That’s going to keep helping nurses everywhere. It’s incredible to see the difference you can make in such a short time.”
For patients, families, colleagues, and leaders, the impact of a UAFS nurse is undeniable.
Lindsey France is living proof.
Advancing Manufacturing
With one of the highest concentrations of manufacturing employment in the state, Fort Smith faces both a tremendous opportunity and a pressing challenge: The need for a highly skilled workforce to sustain and drive industry growth.
According to the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, job openings in manufacturing consistently outpace hiring two to one, with mechanical and electrical engineering positions among the hardest to fill. From 2016 to 2021, Arkansas saw a 15% increase in manufacturing GDP, with the Fort Smith region experiencing a 7% rise in manufacturing jobs. Despite this growth, the state struggles with a labor force participation rate, the seventh lowest in the nation.
In 2023, the university swiftly convened an Advanced Manufacturing Advisory Board, comprising leaders from major employers like Rheem, ABB, Walther Manufacturing, and more to define exactly what skills graduates need.
The result? A Bachelor’s Degree in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering that integrates sophisticated engineering skills, business acumen, and data science—preparing students to lead in an era where robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence are transforming production.
The program will be housed within a planned Center of Excellence in Advanced Manufacturing, featuring cutting-edge laboratories where students will work with industry-standard equipment. Already partially funded thanks to a $1 million gift from ABB, $4 million from the Department of Commerce, and $1.7 million from the Arkansas Division of Higher Education, the rapid pace of progress has been matched only by the strength of support from our region.
"This is about economic transformation," said Dr. Latisha Settlage, Dean of the College of Business and Industry. "We are building a program that not only serves students but strengthens the entire region."
Dr. Mauricio Torres, the new head of the Engineering Department at UAFS, will lead the bachelor’s program. With over a decade of experience in engineering education and program development, Torres brings expertise in designing curricula that align with industry needs. "The opportunity to build
“ We look at UAFS as a key driver to our future—especially when it comes to our talent pipeline. They help us grow because they are able to flex and evolve as we evolve—responding to and integrating into their classes what we see changing in the future, whether it’s robotics, finance, or autonomous vehicles.
Jesse Henson
President of NEMA Motors at ABB
a department that connects students with hands-on learning and real-world problem solving is an exciting challenge," Torres said. "Manufacturing is the backbone of our regional economy, and we need a pipeline of engineers ready to take it into the future."
To complement the baccalaureate and certificate programs, the UAFS Center for Economic Development will launch a Manufacturing Academy, designed to provide rapid workforce training for entry-level jobs and expand its apprenticeship and upskilling programs for incumbent workers.
Kendall Ross, Associate Vice Chancellor for Economic and Workforce Development, will lead the Academy and a suite of courses offered by the CED. "Advanced manufacturing is the future of industry in Arkansas, and UAFS is ensuring our workforce is ready. Through hands-on training, updated technology, and industry partnerships, we’re empowering individuals with the skills they need to step into high-paying careers."
Within the next decade, UAFS aims to graduate dozens of engineers annually and train hundreds of skilled workers.
Preserving Our Future
“Microplastics are everywhere,” says Dr. Jordan Mader, Associate Professor of Chemistry. “In food, water, and air; in the clouds above us, trapped in ice on glaciers, and in fat and muscle tissues.”
That includes right here in Arkansas. UAFS scientists have found microplastics in the Arkansas River —a vital resource for the region’s agriculture, transportation, and recreation. But just how contaminated is the river? That’s the question Mader and Dr. Maurice Testa, Associate Professor of Geoscience, set out to answer in 2019.
They quickly realized that microplastics present a unique challenge. Unlike other pollutants, “there was no scientifically agreed-upon standard for clumping microplastics together so they could be counted,” says Mader. “If we wanted to measure the number of microplastics in the Arkansas River, we were going to have to build that foundation ourselves.”
Three years later, UAFS is leading microplastic research, thanks to Mader and Testa’s work. Supported by teams of undergraduate students, they are refining a method using a surfactant to cluster microplastics together—an approach that has the potential to transform environmental monitoring and policy, starting with the river that runs through our own backyard.
“The projects that students are pursuing at UAFS in Physical Sciences not only have a direct impact on their student experience and their journey post-graduation,” says Mader, “but they also allow for a chance to improve the quality of the environment in the River Valley, across Arkansas as a whole, and may lead to a publication in the scientific literature that allows scholars and researchers across the world to benefit from their work.”
“This was the first time anyone had ever done this,” explains Testa, describing the research he and Mader undertook with their students to develop a method for quantifying microplastics in the water supply. It’s groundbreaking work—led not in sprawling graduate labs but by undergraduates at UAFS.
Unlike larger institutions, where students may not engage in meaningful research until graduate school, UAFS offers handson research opportunities from the moment students arrive on campus. More than two dozen undergraduates have worked alongside Mader and Testa, presenting at national conferences, authoring research papers, and contributing to environmental science before even earning their degrees.
This direct collaboration with faculty doesn’t just bolster resumes—it cultivates a deep sense
of purpose. The expansion of faculty research opportunities means even more students will gain exposure to scientific inquiry that prepares them for competitive graduate programs and careers in STEM fields.
“Our students are getting an almost graduate-level experience,” says Mader, who is also the inaugural Faculty Fellow for the Center for Teaching and Learning, speaking to the longterm impacts on student engagement. “Undergraduate research is a gateway to deeper learning, fostering critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity. It empowers students to move beyond textbooks and engage in the process of discovery, transforming them from passive learners to active contributors to knowledge.” Students learn essential skills—critical reading, technical writing, collaboration, and public presentation—that extend far beyond the lab. “They are very successful in their regular classes,” Testa adds, “and they develop close ties with
their UAFS community.” The impact, he says, is profound. “Many of the students involved in research leave the lab as completely different people. They do a 180.”
One of those students is Emily Blitz, ‘21, now in medical school at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. “We all played a role in the microplastics research—students and professors—reading, writing, designing, and implementing,” she says.
"When you are in the lab with professors, it’s more than a mentorship. You develop a relationship where you learn to trust their critiques because you know you are going to get all the support you need to succeed,” she said.
Empowering Our Economy
With a clear mission to strengthen businesses, elevate professionals, and foster entrepreneurship, the UAFS Center for Economic Development is a powerhouse for strategic economic advancement. Located in the heart of downtown Fort Smith at the Bakery District—a dynamic multi-use space housed in the former Shipley Baking Company—the CED bridges the university and the community, delivering exceptional education and resources where they are needed most.
Comprising three primary divisions, the CED drives economic growth across every sector, ensuring businesses, professionals, and entrepreneurs have access to essential training, funding, and strategic resources.
Center for Business & Professional Development: Workforce Training that Delivers Results
Equipping companies and professionals with industry-driven training yields measurable impact for the region. Over the past year, the CBPD hosted 72 training events, reaching 1,121 students and partnering with 97 unique companies. With an emphasis on workplace leadership, industrial technology, and advanced manufacturing, the center directly addresses the evolving needs of regional industries.
Through cutting-edge programs like Lean Six Sigma certification, workplace safety training, and customized corporate workshops, the CBPD ensures that businesses remain competitive while employees gain essential skills for career advancement. The newly secured $1.3 million Economic Development Administration (EDA) University Center Grant, spanning the next decade, will significantly expand training opportunities, strengthening both the local workforce and regional businesses.
Jim Walcott Family Enterprise Center:
Strengthening Generational Business Success
Family businesses are critical to the U.S. economy, employing more than 62% of the country’s workforce and contributing 64% of the U.S. GDP. The Jim Walcott Family Enterprise Center
provides these businesses with strategic resources for longevity and growth, connecting business owners, family members, and professional managers in an exclusive learning community designed to navigate generational transitions and ensure sustainable business strategies.
Over the past two years, the FEC has secured more than $1.025 million in endowed funding, an ambitious undertaking that underscores its commitment to family business success. In the past year alone, the FEC hosted nearly 100 peer group lunches, a record number of events, and expanded its membership base. The center fosters intergenerational learning, bridging gaps between family and non-family professional managers and engaging family members not directly involved in the enterprise.
Arkansas Small Business & Technology Development Center: A Launchpad for Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs and small business owners find a critical partner in the ASBTDC at UAFS. This dynamic division offers confidential consulting, market research, and hands-on workshops—all at no cost. In the past year, ASBTDC facilitated $4.07 million in loans and investments, resulting in over $11 million in local economic impact. Its work has supported the launch of 36 new businesses, 21 of which are women and minority founded.
Dedicated to inclusivity and outreach, the ASBTDC held 16 workshops last year, including specialized sessions for veterans, active-duty entrepreneurs, and multilingual business owners. The center’s exemplary efforts were recognized with the 2023 Ambassador Award for outstanding engagement with underserved communities, further cementing its reputation as a force for economic empowerment.
A true engine for progress, the CED never stops moving. Over the next year, the center will drive artificial intelligence training for local businesses, partner with the Western Arkansas Manufacturing Council to establish an annual Workforce Best Practices Summit and leverage a $1.3 million EDA University Center Grant.
ASKING THE TOUGH
QUESTIONS
What if there were a university where futures were forged without the crushing weight of college debt? Where local talent fuels the region’s largest businesses and the students of today train for the industries of tomorrow with the experts who literally wrote the book on them.
What if there were a city where devastating shortages in essential fields were a distant memory and where employers faced the gravity of rapid technological change with confidence because their university was ready to train their workforce in every new innovation?
What if we could build it?
The future doesn’t have to be a dream.
We just have to be brave enough to ask, “What if?”
Jaime Hernandez
Class of ’19 & ‘22
CT Technologist
"If we believe in what we do, and serve people when it matters most, can we turn someone’s darkest day Into a new beginning?"
Rachel Williams
Class of ’20
Anchor, Reporter
"Could we redefine journalism in a world that never stops scrolling? In the age of rapid news cycles and viral moments real storytelling still matters. I’m on a mission to inform my community and give a voice to the voiceless."
Zack Gramlich
Class of ‘15
Teacher, State Representative
"I was born and raised in Fort Smith, And in my classroom, and in the legislature, I’m asking - What if real change doesn’t mean leaving home, but leading from it?"
The future of Fort Smith isn’t something we’ll inherit—it’s something we’ll build.
Across the country, higher education institutions are failing because they’ve spent the last decade chasing an outdated vision of what a four-year university should look like. They’re building ivory towers, disconnected from the realities of the people they were meant to serve. But the institutions that are thriving? They’re looking forward. They’re moving in lockstep with their communities. Just like we are.
We don’t pretend to have all the answers. We don’t know exactly what the future will look like.
But we know this: To get there, we have to be brave enough to ask the difficult questions. Transformation doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens when a university dares to ask, to listen, and to evolve alongside the community.
Over and over, UAFS has revolutionized what it means to serve the River Valley.
And the time for revolution has come again. The next chapter of this city and this university is waiting to be written. And you’re holding the pen.
Now is the time to act—to push past sustainability and into transformation.
To ensure this region thrives.
Because just like UAFS, the River Valley has never known complacency.
This is the home of the courageous. The bold. The trailblazers.
And their university is ready to serve for another hundred years.
We know this campaign can have an unimaginable impact. But we need your support to make it happen.
Be fearless with us.
“An investment in Art at UAFS has the ability to meaningfully augment every aspect of our Department and Gallery: The ways we educate students in each of our degree programs, the scope of our exhibitions and art collections, and the services and programming we can offer to our students, the River Valley region, and broader art communities. They shape how we address our current needs and substantially inform our trajectory going forward.
