| Date of Event | Monday, Oct. 13, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Primary Location | UAM campus, Monticello |
| Key Entities | UAM; University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture; Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders; David Snowden; Merritt Dyke; Dr. Douglas Osborne; Dr. Michael Blazier |
| Outcome/Score | Snowden Waterfowl Center of Excellence and Dyke-Snowden Endowed Chair of Waterfowl and Wetlands created with $7 million in contributions |
MONTICELLO — The University of Arkansas at Monticello and the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture announced the Snowden Waterfowl Center of Excellence on Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, backed by $7 million in contributions.
The ceremony also created the Dyke-Snowden Endowed Chair of Waterfowl and Wetlands. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders took part in the announcement, UAM said in an Oct. 15 news release.
How the $7 Million Was Raised
- 2022 state appropriation: The Division of Agriculture received $1 million toward a waterfowl and wetlands endowed chair at UAM, with a challenge to raise $1 million in private money.
- Endowed chair: Waterfowl conservationist David Snowden and Merritt Dyke, chairman of Dyke Industries, led donors who raised the $1 million match.
- The center: Donors raised another $5 million in private funds to create the Snowden Waterfowl Center of Excellence.
- Ducks Unlimited: Contributions last year funded an endowed professorship in wetlands and waterfowl conservation at UAM.
Who Leads the Center
Dr. Douglas Osborne, a UAM professor of wildlife ecology, will serve as the center’s first director and as holder of the endowed chair. The center is a Division of Agriculture research center housed at UAM as part of the Arkansas Forest Resources Center. Dr. Michael Blazier, dean of the UAM College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources, directs that center.
“All these developments have positioned our campus to be a national leader in waterfowl research, education and outreach.”
Dr. Michael Blazier, UAM
Blazier also pointed to the Five Oaks Ag Research and Education Center, formed four years ago by UAM, the Division of Agriculture and George Dunklin. It supports a graduate certificate in waterfowl habitat and recreation management.
Sanders said hunters spend more than $300 million a year in Arkansas during the 72-day waterfowl season.
Contact the Center
Call Dr. Michael Blazier at 870-460-1152 or Dr. Douglas Osborne at 870-460-1448. More outdoors coverage is on our Outdoors page. See also the report on the Hwy. 277 bridge repair for Oakwood WMA access in Desha County.
Source: UAM news release (Oct. 15, 2025).
