Background | Administration | Board of Directors
Background
The vision for the Arkansas Biosciences Institute (ABI) emerged during a statewide planning process for use of the state’s share of the 1998 nationwide tobacco settlement.
Health care leaders across the state spoke out in favor of dedicating a portion of the tobacco settlement funds to innovative research that could help reduce or prevent smoking-related illnesses.
The voters eventually endorsed the proposed Tobacco Settlement Proceeds Act of 2000 by 64 percent in a referendum in November 2000. The Arkansas General Assembly enacted the provisions of that proposal as Acts 1569 through 1580 of 2001. Part of that legislation established the Arkansas Biosciences Institute (ABI) as a consortium of five research institutions: Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH); Arkansas State University (ASU); the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture; the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville (UAF); and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). The legislation designated the president of the University of Arkansas System to chair a board of directors for the institute, with the board to include the senior executive of each member institution as well as two members to be appointed by the Governor.
ABI Administration
Robert E. McGehee, Jr., Ph.D.
Director, Arkansas Biosciences Institute
Professor, UAMS Department of Pediatrics
Dean, UAMS Graduate School
4301 W. Markham, Slot 821
501-603-1998 (tel)
501-526-6873 (fax)
Leslie Humphries
Coordinator, Arkansas Biosciences Institute
4301 W. Markham, Slot 821
Little Rock, AR 72205
501-526-6810 (tel.)
501-526-6873 (fax)
ABI Scientific Coordinating Committee
The ABI Scientific Coordinating Committee has been appointed by the five member institutions to provide guidance for ABI scientific research
Roger E. Koeppe II, Ph.D.
University Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Nathan McKinney, Ph.D.
Interim Director, UA Division of Agriculture
Lawrence E. Cornett, Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Research, College of Medicine
Vice Chancellor for Research
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Andrew Sustich, Ph.D.
Associate VC for Research and Tech Transfer
Arkansas State University
Richard Jacobs, M.D.
Horace C. Cabe Professor of Pediatrics – UAMS College of Medicine
President, Arkansas Children’s Hospital Research Institute
Arkansas Children’s Hospital
ABI Science and Industry Advisory Committees
For ABI to move forward with quality research, its programs must continually be assessed and reassessed. In order to provide excellent human health research projects, two external advisory committees have been named to assist this effort. The ABI Science and Industry Advisory Committees are composed of distinguished, knowledgeable persons in the fields of science and industry and serve as resources for the Arkansas Biosciences Institute Board. The committees provide advice and recommendations on potential areas for new research; for strengthening on-going research; for promoting ABI research and disseminating information to the public; and for facilitating research results into commercial, alternate technological, and other applications.
ABI Science Advisory Committee
James J. Giovannoni, Ph.D.
Research Molecular Biologist, USDA ARS Plant, Soil and Nutrition Laboratory
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY
John C. Peters, Ph.D.
Chief Strategy Office and Associate Professor
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Denver, CO
ABI Industry Advisory Committee
R. Barry Holtz, Ph.D.
President and CEO, InterveXion Therapeutics
Houston, TX
Board of Directors
ABI Board of Directors
The Arkansas Biosciences Institute Board, established in accordance with the Act, held its first meeting in January, 2002. The ABI Board, which provides for overall program coordination and direction, meets quarterly and reviews ABI-supported research projects.
Donald R. Bobbitt, Ph.D., President
University of Arkansas System
Chair
Tim Atkinson, Ph.D., President
Arkansas Science and Technology Authority
Marcy Doderer, President and CEO
Arkansas Children’s Hospital
William Slikker, Ph.D. Director
National Center for Toxicological Research
R. Mark Saviers, Partner
Sage Partners
Mark Cochran, Ph.D., Vice President for Agriculture
University of Arkansas System
G. David Gearhart, Ph.D., Chancellor
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Dan Rahn, M.D., Chancellor
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Charles Welch, Ph.D., President
Arkansas State University System
