The U of A Department of Equal Opportunity and Compliance & Title IX: Belonging and Engagement is partnering with TIAA and the Sam M. Walton College's Dr. Barbara A. Lofton Office for Diversity and Inclusion to host two lectures and networking sessions for U of A senior executives, human resource partners, employee resource groups, faculty, staff, students and the larger Northwest Arkansas community. 

U.S. Army veteran Charles Barber will be the guest speaker for the events. Barber was appointed to the Senior Executive Service and assumed the duties as chief diversity and inclusion officer, National Science Foundation, in January 2023. In this role, he serves as the NSF's senior adviser responsible for providing vision, strategic leadership and management for ongoing agency programs and new initiatives related to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, or DEIA, in the NSF workplace and the STEM enterprise.  

Monday, Oct. 9, 2023: 

Linking Belonging to a Transformational Workforce: 8:30 a.m. 

University of Arkansas 
Willard J. Walker Hall room 203  
191 N. Harmon Ave. 
Fayetteville, Arkansas 

Senior Executives and HR Partners 

The lecture and networking sessions are for senior leaders and human resource partners to engage with Barber on the importance of belonging, diversity and inclusion and in a transformative workforce. Attendees will also be able to ask questions and build relationships with the other attendees. The session fosters a sense of belonging and engagement for all. 

Senior executives are encouraged to attend this event. To prepare for the lecture and continental breakfast, please complete the RSVP form: 

• Please RSVP for the lecture and continental breakfast by Tuesday, Oct. 3. 

• The lecture and continental breakfast are at 8:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 9, on the U of A campus, Willard J. Walker Hall, room 203, 191 N. Harmon Ave., Fayetteville. 

• Parking will be available at the Harmon Parking Garage, 146 N. Harmon Ave., Fayetteville. 

University of Arkansas Libraries 

The U of A's mission is "to build a better world by providing transformational opportunities and skills, promoting an inclusive and diverse culture, nurturing creativity and solving problems through research and discovery, all in service to Arkansas."  

In this presentation, Barber will highlight how understanding of state demographics and our state's employment needs correlates with the services the University of Arkansas Libraries provide while pledging to serve all users.

For additional information, please contact Martha Anderson at map012@uark.edu.

Future of Diversity in the Workforce Talk: 3 p.m. 

Arkansas Student Union 
Verizon Ballroom - 5th Floor 
Stadium Drive Garage 
380 N. Stadium Dr. 
Fayetteville, Arkansas 

The Sam M. Walton College's Dr. Barbara A. Lofton Office of Diversity & Inclusion and the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA, Inc.) are excited to announce an upcoming Workforce Talk event. With more than two decades of experience in human resources, diversity and inclusion, business transformation and cultural intelligence, Barber is a staunch advocate for efficiency, transformation and process improvement. This event is open to students, faculty and staff.   

For more information, contact Dr. Synetra Hughes at SHughes@walton.uark.edu. 

Tuesday, Oct. 10, 10:30 a.m. 

The Power of Organizational Belonging 

Arkansas Student Union 
Verizon Ballroom - 5th Floor 
Stadium Drive Garage 
380 N. Stadium Dr. 
Fayetteville, Arkansas

The U of A Department of Equal Opportunity and Compliance & Title IX: Belonging and Engagement is partnering with TIAA, the U of A Multicultural Center, Crystal Bridges, The Momentary, Serv2Perform and the Sam M. Walton College's Dr. Barbara A. Lofton Office for Diversity and Inclusion to host a lecture and networking session for NWA Employee Resource Groups. 

The lecture and networking sessions will allow employees and students to network and learn more about NWA and U of A Employee Resource Groups. Attendees will also be able to ask questions and build relationships with the other attendees. 

The sessions foster a sense of belonging and engagement for all.  

NWA ERG leaders, members, faculty, staff and students are highly encouraged to attend this event. To prepare for the lecture and lunch, please complete this RSVP form.

• Please RSVP for the lecture and lunch by Tuesday, Oct. 3. 
• Parking will be provided.  
• A working luncheon will start promptly at noon, along with a networking session. 
• For more information contact Angela Mosley-Monts at belongs@uark.edu. 

Barber holds a doctorate degree in transformational leadership from Bakke Graduate University and other degrees in organizational leadership and business management from Columbia Southern University and Excelsior College. He is a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and a previous guest lecturer at Harvard Kennedy School's Senior Executive Fellows Program for Political Science and Government. Barber's service in the Army included deployments to Kosovo and Iraq. A native of Bald Knob, Arkansas, he also starred as a sprinter on the Ouachita Baptist University and All Army Track Teams, and was recently inducted into the Arkansas Track and Field Hall of Fame (class of 2022).