Ballgames. Concerts. Graduations. Community events. And so much more.

John E. Tucker Coliseum at Arkansas Tech University is a place where memories have been made for a half-century, and now its role in supporting the Arkansas River Valley and beyond has been recognized with a place on the National Register of Historic Places.

ATU was notified of the selection in a letter from the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. The National Register of Historic Places is administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service.

According to Dr. Kenneth R. Walker’s “History of Arkansas Tech University: 1909-90,” the Arkansas Tech Board of Trustees prioritized the construction of a new special events center as early as December 1971.

Dr. Thomas A. DeBlack wrote in “A Century Forward: The Centennial History of Arkansas Tech University” that Gov. Dale Bumpers signed a bill in March 1973 that allowed Arkansas Tech to build the center at a cost of $2,562,649. The design called for a 211-foot diameter steel frame dome over the arena and a total square footage of 68,035.

Matson Construction Company broke ground on the special events center project on April 15, 1974. The facility was designed by the architectural firm of Mott, Mobley, Horstman and Griffin.

In October 1975, Arkansas Tech announced that the special events center would be named John E. Tucker Coliseum in honor of “The Original Wonder Boy,” who went on to render nearly a half-century of service to Arkansas Tech as a coach, administrator and chemistry professor.

Construction of Tucker Coliseum was completed in December 1975 and it hosted its first basketball game on Jan. 8, 1976.

Tucker Coliseum was dedicated during a ceremony on Jan. 20, 1976. Gov. David Pryor served as speaker for the event.

Arkansas Tech celebrated the 50th anniversary of Tucker Coliseum during a home basketball doubleheader on Feb. 7, 2026.

Fifty-seven high school students attended the 2026 Arkansas Student Officers Leadership Academy (SOLA) at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville.

The academy began on Tuesday, June 2, and continued through Friday, June 5. Those in attendance developed their leadership skills, networked with peers in other organizations and made plans for their respective organizations in advance of the 2026-27 academic year. They also conducted a hygiene drive to benefit the Russ Bus community service organization.

Organizations represented at the 2026 Arkansas SOLA were Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA), Educators Rising, Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), Future Farmers of America (FFA), Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG), SkillsUSA and Technology Student Association (TSA).

“These are all different categories and different individuals, but we all share the same common goal,” said Bowen Forbis of Fayetteville, vice president for Arkansas DECA. “Everybody wants success in their life. I feel like these groups provide a foundation for the skyscraper of success that we seek. Having the opportunity to meet leaders like these is an honor.”

The high school students were joined at the academy by approximately 35 state advisors, career and technical education professionals and support staff.

This was the fourth consecutive year ATU has hosted the Arkansas SOLA. The academy is sponsored by the Arkansas Department of Education Division of Career and Technical Education, the Arkansas Association for Career and Technical Education and Arkansas Tech University.

Approximately 100 high school students from the Arkansas River Valley are participating in the 2026 Arkansas Tech University Upward Bound residential summer program on the ATU campus in Russellville.

During the month of June, those high school students are studying English, math, science and electives such as human geography, robotics, theatre, astronomy, leadership, television production, money management, criminal justice and art. They are also engaged in a variety of recreational activities.

After moving in on Sunday, May 31, the first week of the summer program provided the ATU Upward Bound students with an opportunity to tour the Arkansas Tech campus in Russellville and learn more about the post-secondary educational options available there. They will subsequently tour other campuses, including the ones at Hendrix College, Central Baptist College and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

The Upward Bound classic program at ATU serves students from the public high schools in Atkins, Dover, Hector, Johnson County Westside and Lamar. ATU’s Upward Bound math and science program is for public high school students from Danville, Dardanelle, Two Rivers, Western Yell County and Wonderview. Each of those districts are represented among the approximately 100 students participating in the ATU Upward Bound summer program.

Jill Hendricks, director of upward bound programs at Arkansas Tech, is joined on the ATU Upward Bound staff by target school liaisons Shawna Davis and Annie McNeely.

During the school year, representatives from ATU go into partner high schools to provide academic support for Upward Bound program participants.

Participants in the federally-funded initiatives are exposed to a variety of resources and experiences designed to prepare them for college enrollment and success. Students selected for Upward Bound must meet income guidelines as set by the federal government and/or be a potential first-generation college student.

Following the conclusion of the on-campus summer program on Thursday, July 2, a select group of students from the ATU Upward Bound classic program and the ATU Upward Bound math and science program will visit St. Louis, Mo., for additional learning and cultural immersion.

Learn more at www.atu.edu/upbound and www.atu.edu/ubms.

A monument to Will Rogers located on the Arkansas Tech University campus in Russellville has been added to the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service.

The monument is located outside John E. Tucker Coliseum at 1604 Coliseum Drive on the ATU campus in Russellville. It consists of three plaques that were placed in memory of Rogers and to leave a record of his 1931 visit to Arkansas Tech.

Rogers was a humorist, movie star, newspaper columnist, radio commentator and humanitarian.

“I think it’s hard for us to imagine how popular (Rogers) was as a person,” said Tad Jones, executive director of the Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore, Okla., during a 2016 appearance at Arkansas Tech. “He was literally the No. 1, most read newspaper columnist of his day. He was in more than 400 newspapers. He was the No. 1 movie star in the United States in 1933 and 1934. He was the most listened to radio commentator. As a matter of fact, churches on Sunday night had to move their services around so that the congregation could listen to him on the radio and then come to church.

“(Rogers) loved his country and his fellow man,” continued Jones. “When they dedicated the Will Rogers Memorial in 1938, one of the things Eddie Cantor said about him was that he didn’t care about your religion or your color…he appreciated you as a human being. That is definitely a message our country needs to hear today. One of our efforts is to share Will Rogers with as many people as we can as an example of how to be a good American and a good human being.”

The 1931 show at ATU’s National Guard armory was part of a tour of the southern United States that Rogers undertook in an effort to bring relief to regions struggling through the Great Depression.

According to information published in the Russellville Courier-Democrat newspaper in the days leading up to and following Rogers’ visit to Arkansas Tech, the admission price for the event was $5 for reserved seating on the stage, $2.50 for seats in the front section, $1 for general admission and 50 cents for Tech students and children. The newspaper reported that approximately 3,000 people attended the Rogers appearance.

“It was Russellville and this vicinity’s big morning, and the people turned out en masse to hear the cowboy humorist speak,” reads a portion of the article. “The house was with him from the start. He was their own Will, come to help them in an emergency. He could have said anything, and they would’ve liked it. He was theirs. That was enough.”

Rogers’ performance in Russellville raised more than $2,000, which was used to provide payment for laborers to construct a municipal airport. The airport was built on the same parcel of land where Tucker Coliseum now sits.

Arkansas Tech rededicated its Will Rogers monument in June 2016 after it was refurbished through a cooperative effort by the Arkansas Humanities Council and Arkansas Tech.

Dr. Sean Huss’ promise to his students at Arkansas Tech University is simple.

“I won’t give up on you as long as you don’t give up,” said Huss. “As long as they meet me halfway, I’ll be there from day one until the final exam.”

Huss, professor of sociology and criminal justice at Arkansas Tech, was elected by the ATU student body as the 2025-26 professor of the year. It is the second time he has earned that honor. He was previously selected in 2021-22.

He credits an increased understanding of the power of empathy in helping him develop as a faculty member.

“In general, it makes me a far better professor because you shift away from just focusing on content and making sure they hit certain milestones,” said Huss. “It’s more about developing and mentoring. So, what you do is try to meet the students where they are, and in order to do that, you have to figure that out…where are they? The goal would be not to teach way up here, but to bring it down and walk up. Meaning, very simply, to help them be the best that they can be and learn as much as they can.”

Huss said anticipating students’ needs, communicating to them clearly and establishing clear expectations for them are the keys in setting the stage for learning to occur.

“They are a generation in transition,” said Huss when asked about his students. “The reason I say that is they are on the precipice on this major technological shift with AI and some of the other issues. They are also, at the same time, taking on greater and greater burdens.

“Many of my students,” continued Huss, “for instance, are working jobs…sometimes they have families…they’re doing all this additional stuff…and so, if I had to characterize them more sociologically, I would say these are students who are essentially, for the most part, coming from working class backgrounds and effectively being hit by a series of challenges on top of just trying to get an education. So, that informs me in the classroom and helps me kind of balance expectations and requirements. I make it real, real clear to them that this is doable, and this is how you do it.”

Huss grew up in Arkadelphia. He dropped out during his first try at college, but later returned to the classroom to earn his bachelor’s degree at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

He earned Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees at the University of Tennessee before joining the Arkansas Tech faculty in 2005. A graduate of the Leadership Tech professional development program at ATU, Huss was promoted to associate professor and granted tenure in 2011. He was promoted to professor in 2017.

Huss said the students and the community that exists among the faculty and staff are his favorite aspects of Arkansas Tech.

“We do it for the value added and the intangibles,” said Huss. “Sometimes you’ll hear people ask a teacher what they make. My response is, like the poet says, I make police officers, I make lawyers, I make professors. That’s what we’ve done. We’ve had students come in who honestly didn’t think they would graduate, and some of them are finishing their doctorates now. They will go on and pay it forward, and that’s the real payoff.”

Arkansas Tech University Class of 2026 members Carly Parish and Emma Hyslip are more than college graduates. They helped ATU and the State of Arkansas break new ground in preparing teacher candidates for the classroom.

Parish and Hyslip are among the first ATU teacher apprenticeship graduates through a 2-plus-2 program that allowed them to take their first two years of college classes at Ozarka College before completing their bachelor’s degrees through Arkansas Tech via distance learning.

All the while, Parish and Hyslip were teacher apprentices at Cherokee Elementary School in the Highland School District. With their degrees in hand, they are now certified to begin their careers as classroom teachers.

“It’s a grow your own model,” said Dr. Tim Carter, dean of the ATU College of Education and Health. “The apprentices work like paraprofessionals in their schools while taking online classes with us at Arkansas Tech. It provides a pathway that allows students to be employed while they are completing their bachelor’s degree and their year-long residency.”

The Arkansas Teacher Residency Program was established by the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education in 2021 through a federal apprenticeship grant in order to make degree attainment in pursuit of a teaching career accessible to more Arkansans.

The audience served by the program involves students who wish to complete a degree while being employed in a school district as teacher apprentices.

“I like working with kids,” said Parish. “I’ve always liked working with kids. When you see them outside of school and they are excited to see you…I like that. I liked the idea of getting to stay at home and work locally. The teacher apprenticeship was a good opportunity to get some experience, meet some new people and get some good advice. My professors were flexible. If we e-mailed or called, they would answer and give us a lot of help.”

Individuals interested in pursuing the Arkansas Teacher Registered Apprenticeship model through the ATU College of Education and Health may contact Veronica Scott, ATU director of teacher education student services, at (479) 968-0290 or vscott@atu.edu.

“I was able to stay at home, be with my family and not have to go so far away,” said Hyslip. “With this program, I was able to work as a paraprofessional and get more experience under my belt.”

The Arkansas Tech University marching band, “Arkansas’ Band of Distinction,” will celebrate some of the acts that have performed at ATU’s Tucker Coliseum over the past half-century during its fall 2026 halftime show.

Entitled “Jerry’s Jukebox: A Tribute to the Musical History of Tucker Coliseum,” the show will feature music made famous by Metallica, Maynard Ferguson, Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine and Styx. Each of those acts, and dozens of other noteworthy musical performers, have graced the stage at Tucker Coliseum since it opened in 1976.

Arkansas’ Band of Distinction appears at ATU home football games and a variety of parades and marching exhibitions.

Dr. Daniel A. Belongia, ATU professor of music, is entering his 12th year as director of bands at Arkansas Tech. Dr. Adam P. Miller is beginning his second year as ATU assistant professor of music, associate director of bands and director of athletic bands.

Learn more at www.atu.edu/bands and follow regular updates from the ATU instrumental music program at www.facebook.com/ATUBands.

Arkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus has added new and increased concurrent partnerships for the 2026-27 school year.

“We are proud to partner with area high schools,” said Dr. Tina L. Smith, ATU-Ozark vice chancellor of academic affairs and workforce advancement. “These partnerships are about creating strong pathways from high school to careers, workforce training and higher education.”

The newest partnerships include Arkansas Connections Academy, Clarksville High School, County Line High School, Gravette High School, Lamar High School, Russellville High School, Venture Career Center and Waldron High School.

Schools with standing partnerships that have increased course offerings include Alma High School, Charleston High School, Greenwood High School, Lavaca High School, Lincoln High School, Ozark High School, Paris High School and Johnson County Westside High School.

“Concurrent partnerships are one of the most powerful ways we create opportunities for students and strengthen the future workforce of our region,” said Dr. Sheila R. Jacobs, ATU-Ozark chancellor. “Each of our concurrent credit partners is important to the advancement of education, workforce development and economic growth within our communities.”

ATU-Ozark Campus will also continue its partnerships with Booneville High School, Magazine High School, Mulberry/Pleasant View High School and Van Buren High School.

To learn more about ATU-Ozark, visit www.atu.edu/ozark.

Arkansas Tech University has established the Major General William E. Harmon Valor Fund as a means of assisting ATU students and recent graduates who are veterans, military-affiliated personnel and their dependents.

Private donations to the fund through the ATU Foundation will provide resources for living expenses, emergency financial needs, academic-related supplies, graduate school application expenses and professional interview attire to ATU students with military affiliation (service members or dependents) who are currently enrolled at Arkansas Tech or graduated from Arkansas Tech within the last three months.

“The recently dedicated Major General William E. Harmon Office of Veteran Services serves hundreds of military-affiliated students each academic year,” said Melissa South, ATU director of development. “The office works hard to ensure each service member or dependent maximizes their federal benefits while at Arkansas Tech. Inevitably, situations arise that place a financial burden on these students. These funds aim to financially support our students when these unique situations arise.”

The namesake of the fund graduated from Arkansas Tech in 1960. A native of Little Rock, Harmon was a member of the U.S. Army ROTC program, active in the Military Honor Society and an ROTC battle group commander during his time as an undergraduate student.

Harmon served on active duty in the U.S. Army from 1960-92. He was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army Infantry upon his graduation from Arkansas Tech. He was detailed to U.S. Army Military Intelligence Branch in 1962 and served in military intelligence for the next 30 years.

The first Arkansas Tech U.S. Army ROTC graduate to attain the rank of General, Harmon was inducted into the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame in June 2009.

He and his wife, Suzanne, returned to Russellville in 1998, and since that time, Harmon’s service to Arkansas Tech has included that of associate vice president for information technology from 1998-2000 and as the William M. Lemley Endowed Chair of Business from 2000-06.

Arkansas Tech bestowed its highest honor upon Harmon when he was inducted into the ATU Hall of Distinction in 1990. He was inducted into the ATU U.S. Army ROTC Hall of Honor as a member of its inaugural class in 2017. The Major General William E. Harmon Office of Veteran Services at ATU was dedicated on May 7, 2026.

Those interested in making a gift in support of the Major General William E. Harmon Valor Fund serving eligible military-affiliated personnel and their dependents may do so at www.atualumni.com/valorfund.

Call (479) 857-4235 or send e-mail to msouth@atu.edu for more information.

Dr. Robin Ghosh, Arkansas Tech University assistant professor of computer and information science, has been selected to the AR-NETWORK Emerging Research Leaders Program.

According to information on the organization’s website, the AR-NETWORK Emerging Research Leaders Program is designed to support researchers who are early in their career or mid-career with “funding, mentorship and leadership development to help them establish sustainable research programs and achieve statewide impact.”

The support comes in the forms of research funding, training in research management and team leadership, mentorship from established research leaders and networking with researchers around the state.

Ghosh is one of 12 individuals selected for the initiative in 2026.

“I hope to build a sustained, interdisciplinary research program at the intersection of AI, precision agriculture and aquaculture that delivers practical, producer-centered tools, strengthens Arkansas’ capacity in data-driven agricultural innovation and positions our team for competitive extramural funding and broader statewide collaborations,” said Ghosh.

Ghosh earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree from Jackson State University in 2021 and became a full-time member of the ATU faculty that fall. Over the past five years, he has regularly mentored students who have performed research and presented it at conferences as well as the annual STEM Posters at the Capitol event in Little Rock.

The 2026 ATU Department of Engineering and Computing Sciences Outstanding Faculty Award in Scholarship winner, Ghosh is part of the team of ATU faculty members that earned a $2 million National Science Foundation grant during the 2025-26 academic year that will make science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) degrees more accessible to low-income students.

ATU Faculty Senate named Ghosh ATU faculty member of the month in April 2026 based upon his role in the development of and forthcoming implementation of a new artificial intelligence track as part of the ATU Bachelor of Science degree in computer science as well as his guidance of award-winning research by Arkansas Tech students.

Learn more about the AR-NETWORK Emerging Research Leaders Initiative at https://arnetwork.aralliance.org/programs/erl.

Learn more about the ATU College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics at www.atu.edu/stem.