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.
Executive Director, Arkansas Biosciences Institute
Distinguished Professor
UAMS Department of Pediatrics
Dean, UAMS Graduate School
4301 W. Markham, Slot 821
501-603-1998 (tel)
Leslie Humphries
Coordinator, Arkansas Biosciences Institute
4301 W. Markham, Slot 821
Little Rock, AR 72205
501-526-6810 (tel.)
ABI Scientific Coordinating Committee
The ABI Scientific Coordinating Committee has been appointed by the five-member institutions to provide guidance for ABI scientific research
Daniel Sui, Ph.D.
Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Nathan McKinney, Ph.D.
Assistant Director, Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
Shuk-Mei Ho, Ph.D.
Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Tom Risch, Ph.D.
Vice Provost for Research and Tech Transfer
Arkansas State University
Frederick “Rick” Barr, M.D.
Interim President, Arkansas Children’s Research Institute
Arkansas Children’s Hospital
ABI Science and Industry Advisory Committee
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, an external advisory committee has been named to assist this effort. The ABI Science and Industry Advisory Committee is composed of distinguished, knowledgeable persons in the fields of science and industry and serves as resources for the Arkansas Biosciences Institute Board. The committee provides 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.
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 Officer and Professor
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Denver, CO
R. Barry Holtz, Ph.D.
Principal, Holtz Biopharma Consulting
Austin, TX
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
Beverly Lyn-Cook, Ph.D., Senior Scientist
National Center for Toxicological Research
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
Joseph Steinmetz, Ph.D., Chancellor
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Cam Patterson, M.D., Chancellor
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Charles Welch, Ph.D., President
Arkansas State University System
