Top University of Arkansas Stories of 2022

The top 12 stories for 2022 included important stories related to the university's growth in size, stature and mission going forward. From the opening of a vital center for student success to the appointment of administrators to academic and research enterprises, the top stories told the broader story of the university.

1. Robinson Named Chancellor by U of A System Board of Trustees — After serving as the interim chancellor for 15 months, Charles Robinson is named the seventh chancellor of the University of Arkansas.

2. Brand New Student Success Center Officially Open — The Cordia Harrington Center for Excellence, which houses the university's Student Success Center, opens in January and becomes a hub of activity.

3. U of A Sets Multiple Records, Advances Land-Grant Priorities — The U.S. News & World Report rankings showed the university gaining on the land-grant priorities of the university: increasing retention, growing the graduation rate and closing the gap between the actual graduation rate and the expected rate.

4. Distinguished Lecturers during the year included Queer Eye's Tan France, tennis star Venus Williams, and actress and best-selling author Jennette McCurdy.

5. Enrollment Tops 30,000 for First Time; New Records for Number of Arkansans — The university set records for the number of Arkansans, the largest freshman class ever, and the freshman class with the highest incoming GPA in the university's history.

6. It was a big year for the Department of Supply Chain Management with three stories among the university's top: the undergraduate program ranked No. 1 in the nation again; the graduate program ranked No. 2 in North America; and the department was named in honor of J.B. Hunt Transport.

7. Straughn Selected as 2022 Johnson Fellow — Alumna Amber Straughn, an astrophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, shared her extensive knowledge about the deployment of the Webb Space Telescope this year.

8. Social Media Use Linked to Developing Depression Regardless of Personality — News of a research story co-authored by Renae Merrill, a doctoral student in public policy, garnered nearly 25,000 readers in October.

9. World Class Trails Come to Campus — Construction of a soft-surface trail around the western side of campus will connect campus with Markham Hill, Centennial Park and Kessler Mountain trails via the Fayetteville Traverse.

10. 2022 Homecoming Celebrations Are Coming Up and All Are Invited — The preview of Homecoming celebrations brought out lots of alumni and students to Call the Hogs and root for the Razorbacks during Homecoming.

11. U of A Honors College Selects 2022 Fellows Class — Ninety-two exceptional high school students received Honors College Fellowships, including 77 from Arkansas. 

12. College of Education and Health Professions Celebrates 25th Anniversary of Name Change — Nearly 200 alumni, former deans, faculty, staff and friends celebrated the 25th anniversary of the broader encompassing College of Education and Health Professions name.

The University of Arkansas news site, news.uark.edu, garnered more than 1.76 million page views, and 826,000 visitors during the past year. To submit news articles for the new year on behalf of your student organization or academic department, go to news.uark.edu/articles/submit.