Fee for fire station lacks UA support
FAYETTEVILLE — Representatives from the University of Arkansas have offered no support for a proposal to fund a new city fire station through a fee that would be paid by students.
“I can’t recommend taking student fees to do that,” Mike Johnson, the university’s associate vice chancellor for facilities, said at a task force meeting Nov. 9 to discuss possibilities for splitting costs between the university and the city.
Fire officials in September proposed a public safety fee that would be split between the city and UA, noting the growth of the university in recent years. The six-person task force includes UA representatives, fire officials and community members.
A city fire station sits just north of campus, but fire officials want a larger station. At the meeting, Chief David Dayringer said the site is not large enough for expansion. Johnson said UA could possibly assist with real estate or the funding of firefighting equipment.
Group awards
professor for book
FAYETTEVILLE — A University of Arkansas music professor won a book award from the nonprofit American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.
Elizabeth Hellmuth Margulis won the ASCAP Foundation Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson award for her book, On Repeat: How Music Plays the Mind.
“I was really excited about it because it comes from an organization that has to do with of all kinds of music-makers — people who write music, people who publish music. I’m excited to see people outside of my own immediate field getting interested in the book,” Margulis said.
Last year, Margulis won another national award from the Society for Music Theory for her book, which examines repetition in music and how it can affect thought patterns in listeners.
Wound-care study
gets grant boost
FAYETTEVILLE — A $744,992 grant from the National Institutes of Health will support a University of Arkansas researcher’s work to improve wound care.
Kyle Quinn, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering, will use advanced microscopy techniques to gain insights into the structure of skin layers with the goal to improve the ability of doctors to diagnose and treat chronic wounds.
Such wounds can be caused by poor circulation or immobility, for example, with infection posing a life-threatening danger to patients.
Program aid grows
to $35.7 million
FAYETTEVILLE — A U.S. Department of Education grant supporting research into paid work opportunities for disabled teens has grown to $35.7 million.
In 2013, the University of Arkansas’s College of Education and Health Professions won a five-year, $32.4 million grant to begin the Arkansas Promoting Readiness of Minors in Supplemental Security Income.
The university announced a recent $3.3 million increase in federal funding for the project, known as Arkansas Promise.