Vice chancellor
selected at UAPB
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff has hired a vice chancellor for research, innovation and economic development.
Mansour Mortazavi, a physics professor who has worked at the university since 1992, will take on the new role. He is replacing Mary Benjamin, who recently retired, and will earn $120,000 annually, UAPB said.
Mortazavi holds an undergraduate degree in physics with a minor in mathematics from the University of Tabriz in Iran and a doctorate degree in theoretical and experimental quantum optics from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. He has conducted research that led to "a prolific publication record" and countless grants, the university said in a news release.
"I appreciate the opportunity to work in this capacity," Mortazavi said in a prepared statement. "I enjoy the interaction I have with the students, faculty, and staff at UAPB. With this new appointment, I strive to give new direction to research, increase the number of grant awards and collaborations, and possibly start new degree programs in nanoscience and biotechnology."
Mortazavi is the latest administrative hire for the university. Other recent hires include Robert Carr, the vice chancellor for academic affairs who is earning $160,000 annually, and Marla Mayberry, the vice chancellor for institutional advancement, who is earning $130,000 annually.
Tech radio shows
archived online
Arkansas Radio Theatre unveiled last week for its 10th anniversary a new way for listeners to tune in.
The theatre, a project of the Arkansas Tech University department of communication and journalism, has archived broadcasts of Concealed Carrie: Diamond State Crime Fighter, along with other original material, classic literature and seasonal favorites, online at blogs.atu.edu/radiotheatre. Each broadcast is an MP3 file.
The radio theatre was first created by David Eshelman, an associate professor in communication and director of the university's theatre program, in November 2007 as a way for student actors, writers and directors to sharpen their skills, according to a news release. Since its first production -- a Sherlock Holmes play based on Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb" -- the radio theatre has produced more than 60 shows, the university said. This fall, listeners can also expect two new episodes of Concealed Carrie.
Performances are broadcast on Saturdays at 7 p.m. on KXRJ 91.9 FM in Russellville.
Arkansas Radio Theatre has since 2010 partnered with the Arkansas Information Reading Service to have performances available to the visually impaired throughout the state.
SAU aims to cut
loan-default rate
Southern Arkansas University will start this month a new campaign to manage its default rate.
The Magnolia university's campaign will include reminders for May 2017 graduates to make arrangements to pay or defer federal student-loan payments, SAU said. The university will also help lenders and servicers find students who may have changed addresses.
The default rate measures students who have not paid their loans within three years of graduation against all students who have started repayment of loans. The U.S. Department of Education measures the rate for schools, which can face sanctions -- including eligibility to participate in the Pell grant program, which gives funding to low-income students for postsecondary education -- for having a rate above 30 percent for three consecutive years or above 40 percent for one year.
Students are considered to be in default if they have not paid their loans in one year. They, too, can face sanctions for failure to pay, including wage garnishment and additional fees and interest.
Of the 916 student-loan borrowers at SAU who started repayment in 2014, 164 had defaulted, according to newly released data from the federal agency.
Metro on 10/05/2017