FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Ben Carter, a corporate sales and marketing consultant, has been named director of development for the University Libraries, effective March 1, 2004.

Carolyn Henderson Allen, dean of the University Libraries, said: "We are looking forward to having Ben be a part of our University Libraries family. His experience and expertise will be critical to our efforts in building a nationally competitive research library capable of attracting students, faculty and scholars from around the world."

The primary responsibility of the director of development for University Libraries is to secure private sector funding, to foster relationships and to plan and implement the Libraries’ fund-raising priorities, as well as plan activities related to institutional advancement. This position reports to Dean Allen and to Clay Edwards, associate vice chancellor of University Development.

Edwards said: "We are delighted to welcome Ben Carter to the University of Arkansas development team, where he will be working on behalf of the Libraries. In his previous work experience, he has been successful in building relationships with the public and private sector, and in developing marketing and corporate strategies—talents which will prove beneficial as he seeks major private gift support for the University of Arkansas."

Carter comes to the University of Arkansas after working as a consultant for Utility Automation Integrators Inc. Prior to that, he was a director of business development for UAI. His previous experience includes working for the Farm Credit Administration in the Office of Congressional and Public Affairs and working as assistant to the administrator of the rural business service for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Before that he was a legislative correspondent for Sen. David Pryor.

The Libraries encompass the David W. Mullins Library and three branch libraries: the Fine Arts Library, the Chemistry Library and the Physics Library.

Carter said, "I’m excited about the opportunity to come to Northwest Arkansas to help the University of Arkansas meet its goals as we approach the final year of the Campaign for the Twenty-First Century."

In April 2002, the University of Arkansas announced a $300 million gift from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation to establish and endow a new undergraduate Honors College and to endow the Graduate School. Of that gift, $28 million was earmarked for the University Libraries for a library acquisitions fund and endowment to support the Honors College and graduate research. This gift has already made a huge impact on the University Libraries and has enabled the purchase of two major and leading-edge research databases, as well as significant acquisitions of periodicals, books and other materials.