ASU System Board of Trustees Names Interim President, Approves $23.7 Million in Capital Projects at A-State
LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas State University System Board of Trustees today named Dr. Robin Myers, the retired ASU-Mountain Home chancellor who served as interim system president in 2024, to serve again as interim system president effective immediately.
Myers succeeds Dr. Brendan Kelly, who will work through Dec. 31 to assist Myers with the transition. Kelly submitted his resignation Wednesday after being selected president of his alma mater, Eastern Michigan University, in Ypsilanti.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be part of the ASU System,” Kelly said. “I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but humbled by the opportunity at my alma mater.”
Board Chair Steve Eddington of Benton congratulated Kelly on “the great opportunity to return home.”
Following an executive session, the board voted to name Myers as interim president and offer contract terms consistent with his previous interim service. There was no action regarding a future search.
Myers retired from ASU-Mountain Home after serving 13 years as chancellor and was designated Chancellor Emeritus by the ASU System Board of Trustees on July 18, 2023. He has remained engaged with the ASU System as a consultant on the new Career Readiness Education & Skills Training (CREST) Center in Jonesboro, which is a collaboration among A-State, ASU-Newport and Arkansas Northeastern College.
In regular meeting action, the board approved $23.7 million in capital improvement projects related to athletics, a residence hall, and the new veterinary medicine program on the A-State campus in Jonesboro. The construction projects include:
• A $5 million, 40,000-square-foot Indoor Baseball Development and Training Center on the A-State campus in Jonesboro with financing through private sources;
• A $16.2 million renovation of the 400-room Kays Hall at A-State, built in 1965, to improve student residency options using a bond issue and institutional reserves; and
• Construction of an Equine Barn and Bovine Barn on existing agriculture properties at A-State to support the new College of Veterinary Medicine that will open in fall 2026, pending accreditation approval, using a $2.5 million loan from the College Savings Bond Revolving Loan Fund. The loan will also fund replacement of building cooling equipment for the Dean B. Ellis Library at A-State.
In a related move, the board approved proceeding with the process of issuing housing system revenue bonds totaling $16 million to fund the Kays Hall project.
Jeff Hankins, vice president for strategic communications and economic development, gave trustees an overview of a new higher education advocacy initiative for the ASU System. Efforts include a newly launched system website, asusystem.edu, that features a series of videos and photos focusing on workforce training initiatives across the state on system campuses.
Hankins said the website, developed with digital agency Few in Little Rock, merges the system and ASU System Foundation websites for updating efficiencies and better outreach to higher education constituencies. It highlights major educational initiatives, workforce collaborations and ways to support and connect with system campuses.
The system worked with the videography team at Elevate Creative of Conway to produce 30 new videos featuring students, faculty and workforce training business partners at the five two-year institution campuses. The videos appear on the website and will be featured in social media promotions to encourage additional community partnerships.
“The video campaign offers great examples of the collaborative work being done on our campuses with the support of Arkansas businesses that provide equipment, instructors, internships and jobs for our students,” Hankins said. “Everyone can now see the possibilities for working with us to expand the talent pipeline in Arkansas.”
ASU-Beebe Chancellor Jennifer Methvin, Dean Joseph Scott and Dr. Angel Jordan shared an overview of the school’s veterinary technician program, the only one of its kind in Arkansas.
Jordan said the competitive program, which operates on the only farm run by a community college, averages 60 students and has more applicants than available slots. Graduates of the program have a 100% job placement rate, and the program collaborates with area veterinary clinics and the new A-State College of Veterinary Medicine. A video featuring the program is available here.
In other action, trustees:
• Approved a resolution to name the boardroom in the Judd Hill Center at A-State in honor of Pam Kail, who beginning in 1991 served as the executive assistant to the president and board secretary.
• Elected the following board officers effective Jan. 1, 2026: Bishop Robert Rudolph, Chair; Paul Rowton, Vice Chair; and Price Gardner, Secretary. The meeting was the last for Eddington, who served a five-year term following the expansion of the board to include representation for Henderson State.
• Voted to establish a Relations with foreign Adversaries Policy to comply with the Research and Education Act of 2025 adopted by the Arkansas General Assembly.
• Approved eight new Certificates of Proficiency at ASU Three Rivers, including automotive drivability and brakes; automotive electrical and chassis; construction fundamentals; construction residential systems; HVAC residential fundamentals; HVAC residential systems; welding fundamentals; and welding specialized methods. The 12-credit-hour certificate additions at the Malvern campus enhance existing skilled training programs and will allow high school students to earn two credentials during their junior and senior years.
• Approved removal of an allocation restriction of the existing $10 per credit hour technology fee at A-State. The move enables Information Technology Services to more effectively manage and strategically invest in campus IT needs.
• Granted various temporary property easements to: the City of Jonesboro to construct and maintain improvements to pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure at A-State; the City of Mountain Home at ASU-Mountain Home for utility work; and the City of Arkadelphia at Henderson State University for the Parks and Recreation Department’s Feaster Trail.
