HOT SPRINGS -- The Oaklawn Foundation continued its mission to support local education Wednesday by awarding a $500,000 grant to National Park College, which will use it to purchase equipment and other resources for the college's science labs, and to enhance security on campus with numerous upgrades.
To show its appreciation for the donation, the college's board of trustees approved a resolution that will name the two science labs, which share a hallway, "The Oaklawn Foundation Science Labs."
The executive director of the National Park College Foundation, Nicole Herndon, introduced Oaklawn Foundation Vice Chairman Sam Stathakis at the meeting, and noted the college's foundation recently applied for the grant to make the improvements.
"The Oaklawn Foundation is committed to its mission of supporting education," Stathakis said. "And what better way than National Park College to do some support? So it's my honor and privilege to award a grant on behalf of the Oaklawn Foundation for $500,000."
According to a news release, equipment for the labs includes an autoclave, calorimeter, vacuum pump system, magnetic susceptibility balance, culture loop incinerators, and other specimen and lab kits. Upgrades that will be made to security include key card access for exterior entrances to instructional buildings, increases to security video storage capability, and upgraded security cameras.
NPC President John Hogan said he was not sure he could find the right words to express the gratitude he and the rest of the board and campus community felt concerning the grant.
'They represent a continuing investment in NPC's student success. As a community, we're very fortunate that the Oaklawn Foundation invests in education, and, specifically, in this instance, in NPC's student success. These labs are significant. Our nursing program depends on a successful science, and particularly, life science, core," he said.
Hogan noted that NPC offers two bachelor's degrees that students can complete from Southern Arkansas University, and that those students will be using the equipment in the labs.
"They're a fundamental part of one of the ingredients of student success," he said. "And, of course, as [Stathakis] mentioned, the investment in having a safer learning environment for our students. ... Providing the funding to fully equip two of our science labs as well as investing in some significant security upgrades will further enhance the NPC student experience. Students will learn on the latest equipment, on a campus that is more safe and secure. So I'm very grateful for your support."