University of Arkansas Press Appoints New Director

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Mike Bieker

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Mike Bieker, business manager and assistant director of the University of Arkansas Press, has been appointed as the new director of the Press.

Bieker has been at the U of A Press since 2004. He serves on the American Association of University Presses Board of Directors and is currently treasurer-elect of the AAUP.

Bieker takes over for director Larry Malley, who retired in December. The U of A Press’ central and continuing mission is the publication of books that serve both the broader academic community, Arkansas and the region.

“The University of Arkansas Press has built a strong reputation among its peers, and Larry Malley played a vital role in that success,” said Jim Rankin, vice provost for research and economic development at the University of Arkansas. “I trust that Mike Bieker, who worked alongside Larry for many years, will continue to guide the Press to new heights.”

Bieker said he plans to encourage input from the U of A faculty on the Press’ role as a publisher of scholarly and creative work.

“Engaging the faculty in the activities of the Press is essential to our success and will be one of our top priorities going forward,” Bieker said.

In addition to serving as treasurer-elect of the American Association of University Presses, Bieker chaired the AAUP Business Systems Committee, which was charged with developing and managing tools, programs and resources to assist AAUP members in improving the management of their presses.

The University of Arkansas Press was founded in 1980 as the book publishing division of the University of Arkansas. It has been a member of the Association of American University Presses since 1984.

The U of A Press had humble beginnings in the office of poet and co-founder Miller Williams, who was then a faculty member in the department of English in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. In December of its first year, the U of A Press moved into the McIlroy House, its current home on the south end of campus.

Among the early works published by the press was Ellen Gilchrist’s first book, In the Land of Dreamy Dreams. Gilchrist went on to win the National Book Award for Victory Over Japan, her second collection of short stories.

In its first decade, the U of A Press also became a premier publisher of poetry in the United States. Its catalog includes works by poets such as John Ciardi, Reed Whittemore, R.S. Thomas and Billy Collins, who served as the nation’s poet laureate from 2001-03.

Among the press’ all-time best-sellers is Collins’ The Apple That Astonished Paris, which came out in 1989.

In 2010 the Press began awarding the annual Miller Williams Arkansas Poetry Prize.

The press is also known for its offerings in regional and national history, civil rights, sports history, and for publishing textbooks that are used throughout the state in secondary and higher education. Some of the press’s recent bestsellers have been the second edition of Arkansas: A Narrative History; John McDonnell: The Most Successful Coach in NCAA History; Medgar Evers: Mississippi Martyr; and Camp Nine: A Novel.