Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology

UALR’s Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology (EIT) welcomes Kelley Bass as its new assistant dean of external affairs, Dean Mary L. Good said today.

Bass, who is leaving his position as vice-president of communications and business development for Advanced Cabling Systems in North Little Rock, will be responsible for developing the college’s relationships with external audiences such as advisory groups and donors. He replaces Joe Swaty, who left the college after seven years in a personal move to Colorado Springs.

“Joe will be sorely missed by his UALR colleagues and many friends in the Little Rock business community,” Good said. “Kelley will bring energy and vast experience working in the private sector to his new role with EIT. After nine years working in marketing and communication for Acxiom, he earned experience and established relationships with business leaders in Arkansas that we can leverage to our advantage.”

In addition to his work with Advanced Cabling Systems and Acxiom, Bass is an 18-year veteran of the newsroom, writing and editing for both the Arkansas Times and Arkansas Gazette. He also served as assistant managing editor for the Springfield News-Leader in Springfield, Mo.

Bass serves as a member of the boards of the American Heart Association’s Arkansas chapter and Youth Home, Inc. and has been involved on the boards of Riverfest and the Downtown Little Rock Partnership.

The newly formed Romanian Nano-Medicine Institute has named Dr. Alex Biris, chief scientist at the Nanotechnology Center at UALR, as its honorary president. He also serves as a founding member of the organization.

The Romanian Nano-Medicine Institute facilitates research in the areas of nanotechnology and medicine, targeting cancer and chronic diseases. According to Biris, the institute will have parallel research programs with the Nanotechnology Center at UALR.

“The Institute will be sending two surgeons over here in the fall and two more in the spring to perform research here with us,” Biris said. “The Romanian government will provide funding both for the scientists’ travel and research needs, and the intellectual property that results from their research will belong to both UALR and their home institution.”

The Institute has 21 founding members, including Biris’ father, and aims to have over 100 members in the next year.

Not only will the Institute bring doctors and scientists to Arkansas to perform research, UALR also has the capacity to benefit from funding provided through the European Union to member countries that engage in research endeavors with the United States.

“As a country, Romania is ambitious to take a leading role in nanotechnology,” Biris said. “Research money has increased in the past few years, and we’re anticipating more fruitful partnerships with the scientists there.”