The fourth annual Arkansas Drone/Unmanned Aircraft Systems Summit will take place Thursday and Friday, March 12-13, with events in Fayetteville and Little Rock. Registration is now open.

Drone experts will cover topics such as Federal Aviation Administration compliance, homeland security regulations, how drones can aid in research and the role of drones in emergency response.

The summit will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday, March 12-13, with sessions divided between the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences in Fayetteville and the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service in Little Rock. Sessions in Fayetteville will be simulcast live to the location in Little Rock, and Little Rock sessions will be simulcast to the Fayetteville site.

Unmanned aircraft systems, or drones, were originally used in military applications, but have now become useful tools in commercial operations, research, recreational, agricultural and law enforcement applications. Richard Ham, associate director of the Master of Science in Operations Management and Engineering Management programs, facilitates the University of Arkansas' unmanned aircraft systems efforts.

Ham said the summit is a unique gathering of expertise.

"There are not many events in the nation where you can find cutting-edge information presented by recognized experts in academe, agriculture, law enforcement, aviation and industry," Ham said. "As the state's land-grant university, we are chartered to serve the citizens of Arkansas and improve their lives, and this summit is a way to do that by distilling the information we teach on campus in our foundations, cyber security and remote sensing courses, and in new courses emerging around the state."

Dan Sui, vice chancellor for research and innovation, said unmanned aircraft play an increasingly important role in business development. 

"Drone technology is a developing movement being manifest in different platforms, infiltrating all aspects of business, in particular," he said. "It is becoming an integral part of the supply chain structure. This results in huge implications for Arkansas business in multiple sectors. It is important for Arkansans to consider not only how products and services are being transported — by air, by land, or by water, but also what they are being used for."

Sessions will include the following focuses:

• Research
• Public Safety
• Agriculture
• Education — K12 and higher education

There is no cost to attend, but registration is required at operations-management.uark.edu/uas. Space is limited.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among fewer than 3 percent of colleges and universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.