U of A Leaders Highlighted on List of Arkansas' Most Influential People

Submitted

From left, Chancellor Charles F. Robinson, Mike Malone and Sarah Goforth are highlighted in the Arkansas 250, an annual compendium of the state's changemakers.

LITTLE ROCK — Three U of A luminaries have been named to the Arkansas 250, a prestigious list compiled by Arkansas Business chronicling the state's most influential leaders across myriad industries.

Chancellor Charles F. Robinson was named to the Education and Healthcare section, while Mike Malone, vice chancellor for economic development, and Sarah Goforth, executive director at the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation were highlighted in Economic Development.

Robinson, who has spent more than 20 years at the university, started as an assistant professor of history. He served as chair of the African American Studies Program and vice provost for diversity before being tapped to lead the Division of Student Affairs. In the latter role, he restructured the unit to focus on student success initiatives. Robinson was named as the school's seventh chancellor in 2022 after serving in an interim role for a year.

Prior to joining the U of A, Malone spent a career building coalitions and partnerships to advance community and economic development. From 2006-2016, he served as president and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Council, leading the creation and implementation of regional growth and development strategies that resulted in significant employment gains, economic growth and improved quality of life in Northwest Arkansas.

Malone's leadership of the Division of Economic Development builds on the university's $2.2 billion annual impact on the state's economy. The division furthers the U of A's land grant outreach mission through talent development, the deployment of innovative research and technologies, community engagement and place-making strategies. 

"It's an honor to be named to the Arkansas 250, as the list is comprised of folks working to create a brighter future for Arkansas by propelling our state forward across multiple fronts: education, healthcare, technology and industry," Malone said. "It's inspiring to know there are so many people across the state working toward the same mission."

Goforth, a West Fork native, took over the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in 2017. Under her leadership, the department has greatly expanded its economic development initiatives, launching three verticals focused on sectors with outsized economic impact: outdoor recreation, health care and emerging technologies.

The first vertical — GORP, or the Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program — focused on supporting founders creating innovative products and services within the outdoor recreation industry. 

GORP was followed in spring 2022 by the Northwest Arkansas BioDesign Sprints Program, a collaboration between OEI, the U of A Department of Biomedical Engineering, HealthTech Arkansas, and multiple Arkansas healthcare institutions tackling problems in the healthcare industry. The third program, Bounds, launched in partnership with Cartwheel Studio in 2023. Funded by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, the Bounds accelerator is focused on the intersection between emerging tech and retail.

"Looking across the pages of the Arkansas 250, I'm humbled by the depth of expertise and level of generosity among the people who are working toward this goal in Arkansas," Goforth said. "Most are friends, mentors, or both to me, and I'm proud to roll up my sleeves with them every day."

Addison Freeman, an editor with Arkansas Business Publishing Group, said determining the Arkansas 250 "isn't an easy task, yet it's one our team looks forward to each year."

"From reviewing nominations to cutting our initial list of 500 in half, it takes months to choose the final list. From nonprofit organizations to publicly and privately traded companies, our goal is to represent those working to propel our state into the future," Freeman said.

"The preparation for this publication never really stops because the people of Arkansas constantly put forth their best efforts. And we do our best to keep up with them."

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas' economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.

About the U of A Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation: The Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation creates and curates innovation and entrepreneurship experiences for students across all disciplines. Through the Brewer Family Entrepreneurship Hub, McMillon Innovation Studio, Startup Village, and Greenhouse at the Bentonville Collaborative, the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation provides free workshops and programs — including social and corporate innovation design teams, venture internships, competitions and startup coaching. A unit of the Sam M. Walton College of Business and Division of Economic Development, the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation also offers on-demand support for students who will be innovators within existing organizations and entrepreneurs who start something new.