DEVELOPMENT NEWS
Campaign Arkansas Brings Impactful Program Funding Jennifer Holland The University of Arkansas wrapped up its multiyear fundraising initiative Campaign Arkansas at the end of fiscal year 2020. In all, the university’s capital campaign raised nearly $1.45 billion to advance academic opportunity. As part of those efforts, starting in 2013 and concluding in 2020, the Fay Jones School’s own campaign raised nearly $70 million in gifts of all amounts and from a range of donors — with priority placed on student scholarships and support, faculty support and advancement, and program support and capital projects. Notable among these achievements were 51 new scholarships and five endowed faculty positions. One of those donors, alumnus Greg Roberts has had a successful career in healthcare design and wants to support curriculum development for his field in the Fay Jones School. His $1 million planned gift will establish an endowed chair that will direct the school’s proposed Master of Design Studies concentration in healthcare and wellness. Originally from Fort Smith, Roberts says he was inspired and guided toward the field of architecture in high school, thanks to one of his teachers. He came to the U of A with an interest in structure and design and earned a Bachelor of Architecture in 1971. “It was a wonderful experience and a challenging time, but it was one of the happiest and most memorable times of my life,” Roberts said of his time at the U of A. Roberts moved to Houston after graduation, where his career in healthcare design began. In the late 1990s, an interest in sustainability led him to apply new concepts to his architectural projects and eventually resulted in the development of the “Green Guide for Health Care,” the first healthbased sustainable-building best-practice tool in use
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Greg Roberts
worldwide by design and healthcare professionals. Roberts was one of only three American Institute of Architects member healthcare architects on the “Green Guide for Health Care” Steering Committee, and the document became the foundation for the LEED for Healthcare rating system. Roberts’ expertise in the field inspired him to approach the Fay Jones School about developing course curriculum in healthcare design, similar to programs at other schools, such as Texas A&M and Clemson. He says he believes education is the key to long-term change, and he leverages every opportunity to raise awareness and teach others. “Healthcare design is becoming increasingly important, and it’s been an interest of mine to get the U of A moving in that direction,” Roberts said. “I figured, what better place to leave my estate than the Fay Jones School, especially if it can promote this focus.” The endowed chair that will be created with his gift will direct the Fay Jones School’s proposed Master of Design Studies concentration in healthcare and wellness and signify his lifelong commitment to healthcare design. The endowment will be used to attract and retain highly qualified individuals to the position, supplement university support for outstanding faculty, and provide the holder with the resources to continue and further the educator’s contributions to teaching, research and public service.
ReView: Spring 2021
