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Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP News

Rachel and Hailey Malik in one of their classrooms.
AthleticsBell TowerHealth Education and Human Sciences

Twins Race Towards Careers

Senior cross-country runners and twin sisters, Rachel and Hailey Malik, have used their time at the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP - Fort Smith to streak down trails and engage the minds of dozens of elementary-aged students.

May 01, 2026
Portrait of Katie Grace Cavaness
AlumniBell TowerBusiness and Industry

Katie Grace Cavanass Finds her Focus

There’s a particular moment in college when things start to click—not because you’ve mapped out your whole future, but because someone sees promise in you and offers you an opportunity you can grow into. For Katie Grace Cavaness, that moment...

May 01, 2026
Sharon Winn (center) views the commemorative brick purchased by her husband, Jim (right), that is in Lion Pride Square.
AlumniBusiness and IndustryNews

Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP History Through the Eyes of Sharon Winn

Since being founded in 1928, the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP - Fort Smith has undergone five name changes. Only one person has been part of the university for every iteration.

May 01, 2026
Dignitaries pose with the HIRED grant check that helped fund the workforce development center
Business and IndustryCenter for Economic DevelopmentCommunityEvents

Gov. Sanders to Speak at Open House for Workforce Development & Advanced Manufacturing centers

The Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP at Fort Smith will celebrate the opening of its new Workforce Development Center with an open house and ribbon cutting from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Monday, May 4. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders will keynote the celebration,...

May 01, 2026
Jarren McAllister dribbles down the court at Stubblefield Arena during a Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP men's basketball game.
AthleticsBell Tower

Cementing History on the Hardwood

The Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP - Fort Smith men's basketball team wrapped up one of its best seasons as a D-II program, including a Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association tournament appearance for the first time, and ranking as high as No....

May 01, 2026
Portrait of Megan Nichols, '15.
AlumniBell TowerBusiness and Industry

Foundation Forged in Fort Smith

Megan Nichols, '15, has been climbing the banking ladder since she was a student at the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP - Fort Smith. Her successful foundation was established in Fort Smith before she pursued an opportunity in Dallas.

May 01, 2026
Fanny Wesley, center, was the first Black cheerleader at Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP. At the 2026 Homecoming, she posed with the current Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP Cheer team.
AlumniAthleticsBell Tower

Breaking Barriers without Knowing It

Fanny Wesley experienced a lot of firsts in her life. One of the most impactful was when she attended the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP - Fort Smith, then Westark College, and became the first Black cheerleader and first Black woman on the homecoming court.

May 01, 2026
Bell TowerCommunityGiving

The Civic Duty of Ben Shipley

Ben Shipley discusses his civic responsibility and duty to give back to the community by way of supporting the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP - Fort Smith.

May 01, 2026
Portrait of Dr. Susan DeWoody
AlumniBell Tower

Borrowing Belief: The Leadership Journey of Susan DeWoody

Susan DeWoody came to the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP - Fort Smith, then Westark College, as a first-generation student. She left with the tools needed to succeed and help others, eventually becoming the first female provost at Oklahoma Baptist University...

May 01, 2026
group photo of the back of graduate heads all wearing graduation caps
CommunityFeaturedNewsStudents

Detailed Planning and Coordinated Effort Needed for Commencement Ceremonies

It takes dozens of staff and months of planning to successfully stage commencement ceremonies at Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP.

May 01, 2026
Logo for The Compass Report
Bell TowerCenter for Economic Development

Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP, Talk Business & Politics Partner on Compass Report

The Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP - Fort Smith partners with Talk Business & Politics on a statewide report called The Compass Report. Student interns work with Kendall Ross, Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP associate vice chancellor of Economic and Workforce Development, to compile...

May 01, 2026
A group of students console a classmate while he is being vulnerable.
CommunityNewsStudents

Mental Health Awareness Month Arrives at Critical Point in Semester

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP - Fort Smith is ensuring students have all the tools needed to manage this stressful and busy point of the semester and take care of their mental well-being.

April 30, 2026
Callea Stewart sits on an imaging exam table in the Pendergraft Health Sciences Building.
FeaturedHealth Education and Human SciencesLion Voices

'Eyes of Healthcare' Grad Plans to Take Skills to the Night Shift

Callea Stewart will graduate from the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP - Fort Smith with her associate's degree in imaging sciences and radiography on May 16. She has accepted a job at Mercy Fort Smith as an X-ray technician, where she is excited...

April 30, 2026
zac mathias reads from applause during the Southern Literary Festival.
Arts and Sciences

Applause Literary Magazine Earns Best E-Zine Honors

International Literary Journal, Applause, a publication created and run by Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP - Fort Smith students, won first place in the Literary E-zine category of the Southern Literary Festival’s 2026 Undergraduate Writing Competition....

April 30, 2026
group shot of the back of heads of graduates wearing graduation caps
News

Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP to Award Nearly 650 Degrees at May 16 Commencement Ceremonies

Graduation ceremonies details set

April 29, 2026
A group of students smile on the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP Campus Green covered in blue and white streamer confetti.
FeaturedGivingIntrepid Ambition

Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP Day of Giving Passes Goal of $55,000

More than 400 individual donors helped the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP - Fort Smith surpass its $55,000 Day of Giving goal. The 1,928 fundraising event supported 26 projects across campus, including scholarships, research opportunities, student experiences,...

April 29, 2026
Overhead view of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP Campus Green.
Arts and SciencesBusiness and IndustryFeaturedHealth Education and Human Sciences

Academic Excellence Award Winners Announced

The Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP - Fort Smith honored top students from more than 40 academic programs for their exceptional dedication in the classroom during the Academic Excellence Awards.

April 28, 2026
Class Notes
AlumniClass NotesCommunity

Class Notes, Summer 2026

April 27, 2026
Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP Bell Tower
AthleticsChancellorCommunityStudents

Campus Update, April 24, 2026

Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP - Fort Smith chancellor, Dr. Terisa Riley, discussed students who have completed or secured summer internships with NASA, congratulated the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP Women's Golf team, and more in an April 24 update.

April 24, 2026
a traditional lion dance at Lunar New Year in Fort Smith
CommunityFeatured

AAPI Fest Brings Culture to Campus

Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP will host its annual Asian American and Pacific Islander Festival from 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, April 25 in the Campus Center Reynolds Room, bringing together campus and area student organizations for an evening of food, performances, and cultural...

April 22, 2026

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Media Relations

The Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAPP Office of Communications fields all media inquiries for the university. Email Rachel.Putman@uafs.edu for more information.

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Rachel Rodemann Putman

  • Director of Strategic Communications
  • 479-788-7132