The University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton (UACCM) will receive a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) to build a new Allied Health and Science Center. This project will consolidate the school’s health professional training programs into one building and provide increased capacity to expand its programs. This EDA investment will be matched with $1.1 million in local funds. The EDA funds will be utilized for site development and infrastructure improvements to prepare the college’s proposed east side location along University Blvd. The facility will expand the current practical nursing, registered nursing, nursing assisting, dietary management, and STEM field transfer credentials and will also allow the college to explore added programming in other vital, in-demand health fields. “Receiving this grant will enable UACCM to greatly expand its educational and training opportunities in the sciences and medical pr...

IMMT Instructor Brian Lum demonstrates the ABB robot to student Parker Lee. UACCM’s accomplished Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance Technology (IMMT) program has received a major boost thanks to a gift from Tyson Foods: an ABB Flex Trainer robot. The UACCM Foundation received the donation through a collaborative grant between the company and the Office of Skills and Development and the Arkansas Department of Commerce. The total value of the donation— including the robot, instructor certification, and the licensing software—was $200,000. At UACCM, the robot will provide students an opportunity to train on another piece of equipment that is critical to the workforce. To be fully prepared for an economy that continues to shift to automation, the robot has a plethora of uses present in major companies—Ford Motor Co. uses it to hold pieces into place during vehicle assembly, Mercedes Benz uses it to paint, and Tyson uses it for packaging. In Arkansas, there are many of these ...

To recognize Hispanic Heritage Month, IMMT Student Adan Morales Hernandez shares his background, culture, and passion for technology. IMMT Student Adan Morales Hernandez Adan Morales Hernandez immigrated to the United States from Mexico and quickly found an interest in technology. He has not only found a home but has thrived as a student in the Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance Technology program at the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton. In many ways, his life story is typical of the American saga about immigrants searching for opportunities and joining a melting pot. At a young age, he learned English, and he adopted new traditions common in the U.S. But even many years after his immigration, his native culture that emphasizes community still drives him, and he is interested about issues that affect Hispanic Americans.  His story is increasingly common at UACCM, which has a growing Hispanic student population. Student's journey to the US...