Advisory Board Assembled for Jean Tyson Center

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The advisory board for the Jean Tyson Child Development Study Center met for the first time on April 10.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – An advisory board has been formed for the Jean Tyson Child Development Study Center at the University of Arkansas, and the board met for the first time last week.

The center, which is part of the School of Human Environmental Sciences in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, focuses on childcare, lab/school experience and research. It serves children beginning at the age of eight weeks through the time they enter kindergarten. Teachers and staff provide developmentally appropriate education for infants, toddlers and preschoolers.

The board will focus on promoting the mission of the center, ensuring quality educational experiences for early childhood majors, increasing access to quality childcare, research initiatives, support for faculty and staff, and supporting fundraising efforts.

The advisory board gathered at the Jean Tyson Center and heard from several speakers before holding its inaugural meeting.

Board members include Pete Clark, Sunny Delight Beverage Co.; Jeff Cude, Bank of Arkansas; Mitch Evans, Yarnell’s Ice Cream; Linda Hankins, retired from Simmons Bank; Kathy Herriman, Harp’s Food Stores; David Johnson, Fayetteville Public Library; Perry Keefe, Beech-Nut Nutrition; Jonathan Layer, Rockline; Walker Mitchell, Wilko Group; Mike Murray, Saputo’s Cheese USA; Jason Nuttle, Land O’Frost; Matthew Stephens, Clear Channel; Debra Trusty, Big Heart Pets (formerly Del Monte); and Jennifer Wieland-Batchelor, Kimberly Clark Corp.

“I’m thrilled to be here,” said Clark of Sunny Delight. “I took a tour about a year ago and was blown away. I’ve been in enough childcare places when moving to different towns, and this is an amazing facility.”

 “We are grateful to each of you,” said Mike Vayda, dean of the Bumpers College. “We are excited about getting advice and action items from you. We appreciate your efforts as you help us move forward in education, application and opportunities for our students.”

“We hope today energizes you, and gets you ready to roll up your sleeves to get to work for the children and families of Northwest Arkansas,” said Mary Purvis, assistant director of corporate and foundation relations.

“The Jean Tyson Center is unique,” said George Wardlow, interim director of the School of Human Environmental Sciences. “There are very few fully-functioning child development study centers on campuses. There is no other like this in our community or our region, and we hope our program pays huge social dividends for children, students and an enhanced quality of life. You are a blue ribbon group and your presence has already elevated us. Over the next few months, you will be asked how we can improve what we are doing. Thank you in advance for your immeasurable efforts.”

The group also sampled food served to children at the center. A Bumpers College class of seniors who were developing a capstone team project focused on helping students in the Jean Tyson Center learn about and develop healthy eating habits. The class, which included food science majors as well as students from other disciplines, created recipes for black bean brownies, garbanzo bean cookies, yam jam muffins and fruit oat bars to introduce nutritious snacks and meals to the children.

“I’m excited to be included because we want to make the community as well as other states more aware of this facility because it is amazing,” said Hankins, retired senior vice president from Simmons Bank.

“I took a tour of the facility about a year ago,” said Murray of Saputo’s Cheese. “To see the passion and the training involved in the childcare, and the food and teaching children to eat healthy all added to the ‘wow’ factor.”

The Jean Tyson Center was recently reaccredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, placing it in the top 10 percent of private-sector childcare facilities in the country.