Higher education notebook

CDC gives $3.75M to UAMS center

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences has received a $3.75 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The grant is for UAMS' Arkansas Prevention Research Center, a group that conducts community-based research, engagement and education activities. The money will continue the center's activities for another five years.

The funding -- which follows a $1.7 million, five-year CDC grant from 2009 -- will go toward the implementation and evaluation of a program to find Arkansans with uncontrolled hypertension and help lower blood pressure through a "stepped-care" approach, according to a news release.

Those who cannot lower their blood pressure will receive more intensive and more costly care, the release states.

The collected data will show the effectiveness of each level of care and the costs associated with them, the release states. UAMS officials hope to reduce treatment costs while helping to reduce Arkansans' blood pressure.

LR forum keys on race, media issue

The University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service is holding a community conversation on race and the media.

On Tuesday, students are holding a forum on the topic at the Junior League of Little Rock, 401 Scott St., from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The community conversations stemmed from a January panel discussion on what it is like to be young and black in today's society.

Tuesday's discussions will center on the past, present and future of media relations in the capital city. Like the other community conversations, the public can take part in round-table discussions to find strategies for the "involvement and empowerment of community members through the utilization of various forms in the media," according to a news release.

Two other planned conversations were postponed because of inclement weather.

ASU plans request for overpass bids

Arkansas State University plans to bid out construction work by summer 2015 to finish the last leg of the Marion Berry overpass project in Jonesboro.

The last phase will continue the University Loop connection to West Aggie Road, generally following the path of the temporary road under the overpass, university officials have said. The project includes the new road, along with sidewalks large enough for pedestrians and bicyclists.

The Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department is still reviewing the construction plans. The project is estimated to cost $2 million, though most of the money will come from federal grants, officials have said.

The final design was authorized in 2014, but it was delayed because of campus master planning west of the overpass, school officials said.

"We needed to make sure the road layout would accommodate any future construction in this land bank area," said David Handwork, the university's director of planning, design and construction.

Metro on 03/01/2015

Upcoming Events