On Friday, October 2, the University of Arkansas at Monticello will hold a public ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of the Arkansas Forest Health Research Center on UAM’s Monticello campus.

In February 2024, the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration received approval to allocate $16.8 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to UAM for the construction of the center. At the groundbreaking ceremony in October 2024, Attorney General Tim Griffin announced an additional $1 million from state settlement funds for the project. The family of John W. Spivey also contributed $400,000 to support the addition of the John W. Spivey Conference Center. 

The research center, poised to be among the top facilities of its kind in the Southeast United States, is designed to address a critical gap in Arkansas’ forest research capacity. Prior to the Arkansas Forest Health Research Center, the state lacked in-state facilities to test for forest diseases, invasive insects and climate threats that increasingly threaten its $16 billion annual forestry economy. Estimates indicate the center will generate a $157 million annual economic benefit to Arkansas by protecting against lost values of trees and forest products and increasing the workforce for forestry, allied health, agriculture, wildlife and related fields.

In addition to the research wing and the conference center, the building includes a wing of biology and chemistry labs to benefit all UAM students, including those in natural sciences, allied health, agriculture, natural resources and other highly demanded career fields.

For additional information on the Arkansas Forest Health Research Center and the ribbon-cutting ceremony to be held at 132 Science Center Drive, Monticello, Arkansas, on October 2, contact Dr. Michael Blazier at blazier@uamont.edu or 870-460-1152.

Emily Davis, a college and career coach at the University of Arkansas at Monticello College of Technology-Crossett (UAM-CTC), was recently recognized as the Top Performing Career Coach of Region 5 at the 2026 Arkansas Career and Technical Education Summer Conference. The conference was held from July 20 to 24 at the Saline County Career and Technical Campus in Benton, Arkansas.

The college and career coach position housed at UAM-CTC is provided through the College and Career Coach Program administered by the Arkansas Department of Education Division of Career and Technical Education (DCTE). According to the DCTE website, “The College and Career Coach Component is designed to motivate and support Arkansas students and adults achieve their goals as it relates to college and career planning through intensive hands-on programs and services.”

Davis, a Monticello native, joined UAM-CTC in September 2024 to serve in Region 5, which includes several institutions participating in the program throughout eastern and southeastern Arkansas. Davis currently works with the Crossett and Drew Central School Districts.

Before joining UAM-CTC, Davis spent eight years working for Mainline Health Systems in health care. She left for a short time before returning to Mainline to work in marketing and public relations. Davis credits her experience at Mainline with helping prepare her for her current role as a college and career coach.