UAPB Human Sciences Department Awarded VentureWell Grant to Foster STEM Innovation and Entrepreneurship 

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) Department of Human Sciences has been awarded a $28,936 course and program grant from VentureWell. The course and program grant supports faculty and staff in U.S. higher education institutions to expand and strengthen STEM innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems, with the end goal of accelerating sustainable and inclusive innovation. 

The grant team is led by principal investigator and interim chairperson for the UAPB Department of Human Sciences Dr. Marilyn Bailey and includes two coinvestigators, Dr. Kimberly Haynie, associate professor of Nutrition and Food Science at UAPB, and Dr. Meredith Adkins, assistant research professor at the Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research at the University of Arkansas (U of A) at Fayetteville. 

“We are so excited to offer this new Food and Nutrition Entrepreneurship Certificate course,” Dr. Bailey said. “With a focus on experiential learning, students will have an opportunity to investigate and present innovative solutions to real-world issues that impact disadvantaged communities.”  

The funding will be used to develop a course and accompanying certificate program that is open to students of all majors at UAPB. The course will be co-facilitated by Drs. Haynie and Adkins and will include guest lecturers who are innovators and leaders in agriculture, sustainability, business, public health and food manufacturing. Students who enroll in the course will engage with faculty and guest lecturers to learn about food distribution issues that result in the creation of food deserts and how they impact the health of individuals who live in communities with limited healthy food access. 

The course will conclude with students developing business innovations and solutions that are aimed to increase healthy food access in underserved communities. The course will begin in the 2024 fall semester and is currently open for student enrollment. 

“In the course, students will go beyond learning about food inequity,” Dr. Haynie said. “The course modules are designed to empower students with skills and knowledge that will enable them to develop innovations and business plans aimed at increasing healthy food access in underserved communities.” 

This initiative is also significant in that UAPB and the U of A will work synergistically to provide an enriching learning experience to UAPB students. 

“The Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research, or I3R, is actively developing partnerships across the state of Arkansas and beyond to stimulate economic growth and improve the health and well-being of Arkansans,” Dr. Adkins said. “Through this exciting new collaboration, we will share our model of convergence research (involving academic, industry, government and non-profit sectors) for societal impact and expose students to innovation curriculum for developing scalable solutions for community challenges.”

This initiative is among 19 projects chosen through a competitive national review process for its potential to make significant impacts on community health and sustainability. This project was selected from a competitive national pool of applicants, highlighting the institution’s innovative spirit and commitment to sustainability and entrepreneurship.

For more information about the grant and the other recipients, visit:  https://venturewell.org/course-program-grants-fall-2023/.

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.