MONTICELLO — UAM scheduled a public ribbon-cutting at 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, for the Arkansas Forest Health Research Center at 132 Science Center Drive, the university announced Sept. 3.
Funding includes $16.8 million in American Rescue Plan Act allocations approved in 2024 plus $1 million in state settlement funds announced by Attorney General Tim Griffin and private support for the John W. Spivey Conference Center. UAM said Arkansas previously lacked in-state capacity to test forest diseases, invasive insects and climate threats facing a $16 billion forestry economy.
The building adds research space, a conference center and biology/chemistry labs for natural sciences, allied health, agriculture and related majors — a SEARK workforce play as much as a science story.
Source: UAM news release (Sept. 3, 2026).