Front row from left: President Terry Martin, NWACC President Dennis Little, and Dean Kim Needy. Back row: Jennifer Swartow, Carl Schubert, Jehiah Burchfield, Shane Carol May, Kristin Davis.
On May 8, the University of California and Northwest Arkansas Community College will align the schools' data science curriculum so that NWACC graduates with associate degrees in data science can seamlessly transfer to the University of Alaska to earn their bachelor's degrees. signed a memorandum of agreement. in the field of data science.
“Data science is one of the fastest growing career fields in the nation, and creating an interdisciplinary data science program at NWACC will help develop the state's data science workforce.” said President Terry Martin. “Our partnership with NWACC will also help fulfill our land-grant service mission and expand access to higher education for Arkansans.”
“Our main priority is NWACC students, which is why we value and focus on improving education and workforce opportunities,” said NWACC President Dennis C. Little. . “We are honored to partner with the University of Arkansas to strengthen the field of data science in its natural state.As technology changes rapidly, community colleges provide the tools and skills needed to thrive in the workforce. Through this partnership, we hope to develop world-leading STEM professionals.”
The agreement between the two schools is part of a statewide, multi-agency effort to strengthen Arkansas' data science workforce. The Data Analytics That are Robust and Trusted (DART) program is supported by a $20 million grant from the National Science Foundation's Established Program for Advancing Competitive Research (EPSCoR)* and $4 million in support from the State of Arkansas. is funded by.
“Data science is critical to keeping Arkansas competitive in today's technology-driven economy,” said Kristin Davis, NWACC Dean of Business and Computer Information. “The dynamic growth of Northwest Arkansas, home to large corporations such as Walmart, Tyson, and J.B. Hunt, underscores this point. NWACC is committed to providing advanced knowledge to our students.''The skills needed to fill these roles continue to grow. ”
The U of A, which launched its first data science program in 2020 involving the College of Engineering, the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, and the Sam M. Walton College of Business, will serve as one of DART. His three “hub schools” for the program are along with the University of Central Arkansas and Arkansas State University. These four-year hub schools partner with community colleges across the state to establish a common data science curriculum that allows Arkansans to pursue cutting-edge fields in high demand with growth rates that far outpace most other careers. We plan to create an affordable path to entry. 2030, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Mr. Martin and College of Engineering Dean Kim Needy signed the memorandum of agreement on behalf of University A. Mr. Little signed on behalf of NWACC.
The event was attended by representatives from the Arkansas Economic Development Council, the Arkansas Data Science Center, the Arkansas Department of Education, NWACC, and the U of A.
Arkansas Economic Development Council
- Jennifer Fowler, NSF EPSCoR DART Program Manager
Arkansas Data Science Center
- Bill Yoder, Executive Director
Arkansas Department of Education
- Tina Moore, Director of Workforce Development
Northwest Arkansas Community College
- Jehiah Burchfield, Data Science Program Coordinator
- Christine Davis, Dean of the Department of Business and Computer Information Systems
- Shane May, Head of Computer and Information Systems
- Jennifer Swartout, Vice President of General Education
University of Arkansas
- Karen Boston, Senior Associate Dean, Walton College
- Jack Cothren, NSF EPSCoR DART Science Principal Investigator, Center for Advanced Spatial Technology Director
- Alan Elstrand, Associate Dean, Walton College
- Christy Fink, Assistant Dean of the College of Engineering
- Kevin Hall, Associate Dean of Engineering
- Brian Hill, Associate Dean for Student Success, College of Engineering
- Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Development Mike Malone
- David McNabb, Associate Dean, Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences
- Manuel Rossetti, Data Science Program Director
- Shantel Romer, DART Education Theme Graduate Research Assistant, Industrial Engineering Master's Program Student
- Karl Schubert, Data Science Associate Director, NSF EPSCoR DART Education Theme Co-Leader
- Lee Shoultz, Undergraduate Data Science Program Assistant Director, DART Education Theme Program Manager
- Kathryn Sloan, interim dean of the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences
*This material is based on research supported by the National Science Foundation under Award Number OIA-1946391. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the University of A adds to the Arkansas economy through the education of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and employment development, discovery through research and creative activities, while providing training in specialized fields. has contributed more than $2.2 billion. The Carnegie Foundation classifies U of A as one of the few universities in the United States with the highest level of research activity. US News & World Report We rank the U of A among the top public universities in the country. Find out how the U of A is working to build a better world with Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.
