News Stories
ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ News

Kitchana Rasphoumy: Designing the Future
Joy Rasphoumy doesn’t just design—she fuels connection. Through every SaatchiX campaign and every AIGA event, she’s building a creative culture where people feel seen, heard, and moved to lead. Fueled by her roots, her vision, and the foundation...
April 02, 2025
ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ Alumna's Book Touches Readers' Hearts
Brooke Devine, a 2017 graduate of ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ, recently published her second book, "Love Stays the Same. " It is a touching tribute to her son as he transitions into becoming a big brother.
April 02, 2025
$7.5 million gift launches ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ Center for Nonprofits
ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ announced a transformational $7.5 million gift on Wednesday, April 2, which will endow a comprehensive Center for Nonprofits (CNP) at the university. The anonymous gift, one of the largest in ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ history, was unveiled during the public kickoff...
April 02, 2025
ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ Launches $85 Million 'Intrepid Ambition' Campaign
ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ publicly launched its largest fundraising initiative in history unveiling Intrepid Ambition, an $85 million comprehensive campaign designed to reshape access to education, elevate academic excellence, and power economic development across the...
April 02, 2025
Nigel Otero: Turning Opportunities into Inspiration
When Nigel Otero came to the University of ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ - Fort Smith, he did so knowing it was an opportunity he wouldn't squander. Now, as an advising coordinator for the College of Business and Industry, he's working to inspire students to achieve...
March 31, 2025
Cataloging Resources: How Andrea Parton Became the Librarian She Was Meant to Be
University of ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ - Fort Smith Discovery and Access Librarian Andrea Parton never intended to follow in her dad's footsteps. As a librarian, she does the job she was always meant to have.
March 31, 2025
Mae Jemison, First Black Woman in Space, to Speak at ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ
Dr. Mae Jemison, author, astronaut, entrepreneur, and prolific leader in the fields of science and exploration, will speak at the University of ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ—Fort Smith on Wednesday, April 9, at 6 p.m. in the Reynolds Room of the Smith-Pendergraft Campus...
March 28, 2025
A Legacy of Courage
The story of Fort Smith is one of endurance, evolution, and grit—and ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ has been there through every chapter, turning moments of hardship into milestones of progress. As the region faces the future, it does so with a partner that has never wavered,...
March 26, 2025
Uplifting Patient Care
Lindsey France is a lifeline. Every shift, every patient, and every step she helps someone take is a testament to the training, resilience, and compassion that define ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ nurses. She’s not just meeting the standard—she’s redefining it. And...
March 26, 2025
Preserving Our Future
ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ students and faculty are driving scientific breakthroughs with urgency and focus. In the fight against microplastic pollution, they’re not waiting for answers—they’re creating them. They’re transforming curiosity into world-class research...
March 26, 2025
Advancing Manufacturing
ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ is laying the foundation for the next era of industry in the River Valley—equipping students, workers, and employers with the tools, training, and talent to lead in an advanced manufacturing economy. From engineering labs to apprenticeship...
March 26, 2025
Empowering Our Economy
The ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ Center for Economic Development is a pillar of our community. By equipping the workforce, empowering entrepreneurs, and supporting the region’s most vital industries, the CED is building more than economic momentum—it’s building a...
March 26, 2025
Researching Resilience
Dr. Nicha Otero is rewriting the narrative of what student success looks like—one classroom, one breakthrough, one act of belief at a time. Her research is rooted in resilience, but her impact runs deeper: she’s creating space for students to...
March 26, 2025
Campus Update, March 21, 2025
University of ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ - Fort Smith Chancellor Dr. Terisa Riley provides an update as ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ heads into Spring Break.
March 21, 2025
First to go but not Alone
More than half of the students who attend the University of ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ - Fort Smith are first-generation or the first in their family to attend college. The First-Generation Student Success Committee features nearly 30 faculty and staff - many of whom...
March 19, 2025
Legacy through Sisterhood
This semester, the University of ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ—Fort Smith became the latest colony for Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc., or SIA, thanks to the years of hard work and dedication of seniors Kimberly Villagrana and Jaylin Barroso.
March 19, 2025
Zack Gramlich: Leading from Home
Zack Gramlich isn’t waiting for change—he’s building it. In the classroom and in the Capitol, he’s turning belief into momentum, showing the next generation what’s possible when you lead with purpose and stay rooted in your community. ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ...
March 18, 2025
Field Trip Offers Insight to Engineering ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵs
Students from the University of ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ - Fort Smith's Institution of Electronics and Electrical Engineering chapter recently visited the James W. Trimble Lock and Dam in Barling, ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ, for a first-hand look at engineering careers.
March 18, 2025
Calling All (Rubik's) Cubers
Michael Lander, a sophomore music history major at the University of ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ - Fort Smith, is bringing his love of Rubik's cube to the Fort Smith Convention Center for the first ever ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ Championship on March 29-30.
March 14, 2025
State of the City Slated March 17
Fort Smith Mayor George McGill will deliver the 2025 State of the City Address at 6 p.m. Monday, March 17, in the Reynolds Room of the Smith-Pendergraft Campus Center.
March 10, 2025Popular Topics
Media Relations
The ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ Office of Communications fields all media inquiries for the university. Email Rachel.Putman@uafs.edu for more information.
Send%20an%20EmailRachel Rodemann Putman
- Director of Strategic Communications
- 479-788-7132
- rachel.putman@uafs.edu