Meredith Adkins and Donna Graham have joined the Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations at the U of A. Adkins serves as director for Northwest Arkansas industry and community engagement while Graham is director for Central Arkansas industry and community engagement.

In these roles, Adkins and Graham will work directly with companies and organizations to understand their needs and educate them about the many ways to connect and engage with the U of A. They also will play a key role in communicating back to the campus what they hear from industry and community partners about any unmet needs and will collaborate and coordinate across campus. Funding for these two new positions comes from the $194.7 million grant from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation that also established the Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research.

"I am thrilled to welcome Donna and Meredith to our office," said Cherie Rachel, senior director of corporate and foundation relations. "In the past, companies faced a challenge learning about all of the industry engagement opportunities at the University of Arkansas. Donna and Meredith will serve as key liaisons to companies throughout our state to better serve their needs and to support the corporate outreach efforts of many offices and departments on campus."

Adkins is an NWA native and most recently served as director for corporate and community outreach in the Sam M. Walton College of Business. She began her career with the university in the Office of Study Abroad and has also worked for the M.B.A. program and Walton Career Services. She is currently completing her dissertation for a Ph.D. in public policy, specializing in community development.

Graham is a Little Rock native and U of A alumna. She has been on campus as director of employer relations for Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences since 2013. She is currently a student in the Ed.D. in higher education program at the U of A.