Research Alliance Selects Brandon Kemp for Fellows Program
-- courtesy Arkansas Research Alliance
LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Research Alliance (ARA) announced five new ARA Fellows, including Dr. Brandon Kemp of Arkansas State University, today at the State Capitol.
In its second year, the Fellows program recognizes distinguished university research leaders who are already working in Arkansas at one of the state’s five research universities: Arkansas State University (A-State), University of Arkansas (UA), University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR), University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), and University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB).
Fellows are nominated by the chancellor of their affiliated university and receive a $75,000 grant paid over three years.
The Fellows program was created to advance the mission of ARA by supporting world-class scholars whose work helps strengthen the competitiveness of the state through university-based research. Members of last year’s inaugural Fellows class focus on innovations in biomedical engineering, plant biochemistry and nutritional improvements, electronics research for transportation and the electric power grid, as well as testing to help diagnose liver injury related to acetaminophen.
Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said, “Arkansas Research Alliance continues to help fuel economic growth in our state. By investing in distinguished researchers and nurturing innovation, they’re helping us more aggressively advance our economy and position us for the future.”
Fellows announced today and their research focuses are:
-- Brandon Kemp, Ph.D., P.E., A-State
Associate Professor, College of Engineering
Research seeks to better understand the fundamental interactions between light and matter by developing a consistent theory of the momentum, energy and forces that electromagnetic fields exert on materials.
-- Michael Owens, Ph.D., UAMS
Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Director, Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Studies
Founder and Chief Scientific Officer InterveXion Therapeutic LLC
Research focuses on the development of medicines to treat drug abuse. These medicines are based on antibodies and vaccines that bind dangerous drugs.
-- Jessie J. Walker, Ph.D., UAPB
Interim Coordinator of Computer Science
Research focuses on cyberinfrastructure and defense super computers.
-- Cang Ye, Ph.D., UALR
Professor, Department of Systems Engineering
Research focuses on healthcare robots for people with visual/physical disabilities.
-- Min Zou, Ph. D., FASME, FSTLE, UA
Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Research focuses on nanoscale surface engineering for a wide range of applications ranging from anti-reflective coatings for solar panels to friction and wear reduction coatings for mechanical systems.
“We are proud to welcome these talented researchers to our Fellows program,” said Jerry Adams, ARA president and CEO. “They represent the exemplary research talent at Arkansas universities and the powerful potential that exists to positively impact economic development, innovation and advancement in our state.”
In his letter nominating Kemp, A-State Chancellor Tim Hudson called him one of the "rising stars" in electrical engineering, saying his career ". . . combines significant work in the realm of pure science with industry-leading applications of his theoretical work."
The ARA Fellows program is a companion to the well-established ARA Scholars program, which recruits research talent to Arkansas. Adams noted that the ARA Scholars and ARA Fellows programs are steadily gaining traction with the number of researchers nearly doubling in the past year.
“One of the many things that attracted me to ARA is the organization’s intense focus on making our state stronger through job-creating research,” said Sonja Hubbard, chairman, ARA board of trustees and CEO of Texarkana-based E-Z Mart Stores, Inc. “We are proud to put the support of ARA behind these nationally and internationally recognized researchers who will help us further stimulate commercial opportunities in Arkansas.”
About Arkansas Research Alliance
Founded in 2008, ARA is a 501(c)3 organization governed by a board of trustees comprised of chancellors from Arkansas research universities and CEOs from across the state. The Arkansas Research Alliance (ARA) is dedicated to elevating the fundamental belief that research matters. Operating as a public-private partnership, ARA invests in research that stimulates innovation, encourages collaboration and strengthens economic opportunity in areas in which Arkansas possesses core competency.
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