UAFS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- President / ABL Properties, LLC
Chair: April Evans, Assistant Professor and Interim Executive Director for the School of Education, College of Health, Education, and Human Sciences.
Job Titles:
- Treasurer of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Executive Director, UAFS Foundation, Inc. & Vice Chancellor for University Advancement / Advancement Center
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Business Development Manager / GENERON, Inc
Job Titles:
- Administrative Specialist III and Foundation Financial Operations / Advancement Center
Job Titles:
- Ex - Officio Member
- Member of the Council
- Dean - College of Health Sciences - Education - and Human Sciences / College of Health Education and Human Sciences
- Dean Cantu
- Dean of the College of Health
- Dean, College of Health, Education, and Human Sciences
D. Antonio "Dean" Cantù, Ph.D., is dean of the College of Health, Education, and Human Sciences at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith. Dr. Cant ù received his Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from Southern Illinois University; Ed.S. in community college education, M.A. in history, and B.S. in social science education from Arkansas State University; and A.S. in social science from Highland Community College in Freeport, Illinois, where he was named a Distinguished Alumni.He has also attended educational leadership institutes at the College of William and Mary and Yale University. Dr. Cantù has over 30 years of experience in professional education from high school through the university level. Prior to his current appointment at UAFS, he served as associate dean and director of the Department of Education, Counseling, and Leadership at Bradley University where he was the recipient of the Francis C. Mergen Memorial Award for Public Service and Charles M. Putnam Award for Excellence in Teaching.He has also served as dean of education at Indiana University Kokomo; professor of history and director of social studies education as well as editor of the International Journal of Social Education at Ball State University; and Social Studies Department chair and teacher at Ste. Genevieve (Missouri) High School. Prior to beginning his teaching career, Dr. Cant ù also served as a military intelligence officer in the U.S. Army at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, and Fort Knox, Kentucky.
Dr. Cantù is the author of numerous research articles, book chapters, and books on history/social studies education and technology integration. He has also served as a curriculum writer for various national organizations including The History Channel, The Wall Street Journal Classroom Edition, and PBS Frontline. In addition, he has been quoted in articles published in EdScoop, EdSurge, HuffPost, Univision, and U.S. News & World Report. Dr. Cant ù has been interviewed by Illinois Public Radio, Texas Public Radio, Peoria Public Radio, MarketScale, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, BUTV, and local CBS, FOX,and PBS television news affiliates. Dr. Cantù's articles have appeared in such publications as District Administration, EdPost, Peoria Magazine, and The Conversation. He is the author of several books and curriculum monographs, including: "Early Education in Arkansas Delta," "Take Five Minutes: Reflective and Critical Thinking American History Class Openers," "History/Social Studies Education in the Digital and Standards-Based Classroom," "Technology Applications for the Digital Classroom," "History Education 101: The Past, Present, and Future of Teacher Preparation," and "Teaching History in the Digital Classroom." Finally, Dr. Cantù presented two TEDxTalks, the first of which, "Memento Mori: The Personification of Death," was presented at the University of Tulsa. His most recent TEDxTalk, "Why are We Obsessed with the Image of Death?", was presented at the University of Illinois Springfield. Dr. Cant ù was also interviewed by The Bradley Scout regarding his TEDxTalks.
Job Titles:
- Sebastian County Prosecuting Attorney
Job Titles:
- Simmons Bank: VP, Community Banker
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Senior Director of Engineering and Product Development
Job Titles:
- Member of the Council
- Assistant Provost - Student Success and Retention / Student Success and Retention
- Assistant Provost for Student Success and Retention
Blake Johnson leads the Division of Student Success and Retention at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith. In this role he oversees programs for Advising, Career Services, Academic Success, Student Disability Services, TRIO (four grants across SSS and Upward Bound), Academic Programs Support, New Student and Family Programs, and Student Information Systems. He also serves on the Dean's Council, Budget Council, Executive Committee for the Academic Advising Council, the EAB Leadership Team, the SEM Planning Committee, and the HLC QIP Taskforce. Outside of UAFS he serves as president of the Arkansas Academic Advising Network (ArkAAN).
Blake is originally from Wyoming and also lived for many years in Washington, D.C. He has worked in higher education since 2002.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Chairman
- Executive Director
Dr. Cheryl Holden is an accomplished educator, healthcare leader, and advocate for academic excellence. She has more than 40 years of experience in healthcare serving in various leadership roles in hospital systems. She has championed healthcare initiatives and successfully managed multi-million dollar projects. She also consults, teaches, and is a respected mentor, sharing real-world insights into how healthcare leaders make decisions impacting patients and communities.
Dr. Holden holds a doctorate in health science from A.T. Still University, a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Phoenix-Tulsa, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Oklahoma. Her research interests are health and wellness, healthcare, quality improvement, and education. Dr. Holden contributes to scholarly activity and advocates for nursing and healthcare at the local, state, and national levels.
Chair: Cheryl Holden, Executive Director of the Master in Healthcare Administration program, College of Health, Education, and Human Sciences
Dr. Jordan Mader is an associate professor of chemistry in the Physical Sciences Department, where she has taught since 2019. Her engagement and advocacy for students, colleagues, and the surrounding community have driven her work in higher education for more than 15 years.
Currently Dr. Mader is heavily involved in the University Curriculum Committee, Policies and Procedures Committee, and Faculty Senate; has helped to plan and presented at the UAFS Student Success Mini-Conference; participated in the Festival of Science and the STEM Associates program for area science teachers; and provided SafeZone training for faculty, staff, and students across campus. She has been featured in the College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Advisor Spotlight and UAFS Faculty Voices. Dr. Mader presented on interdisciplinary pedagogy (namely project-based learning and the integration of the arts into her STEM classes) at the 2024 Biennial Conference on Chemical Education. Her research agenda is ongoing, primarily concerning the intersecting fields of environmental/green chemistry and organic synthesis.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Council
- Dean Cantu
- Dean, College of Business and Industry
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Member of the Council
- Accounting Faculty Member
- Assoc Provost / Director / Prof
- Associate Provost and Director of Graduate Studies
- Ex - Officio
Dr. Margaret Tanner joined UAFS as an accounting faculty member in the College of Business in 2004. She went on to serve as the department head for Accounting, Economics, and Finance from 2009 to 2013. She also served as the interim dean of the College of Business from January 2014 to March 2016, at which time she became the associate provost for academic affairs.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Retired / Winthrop Rockefeller Institute / Fort Smith, Arkansas
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Vice Chair / Chief Medical Officer ( Retired )
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Associate Professor of English at the University of Arkansas
- English Rhetoric and Writing and Media Communication
Dr. Sarah Griffith Winterberg, associate professor of English at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, is a first-generation college graduate and the first person from her hometown of Johnson Bayou, Louisiana, to receive a Ph.D. Her dissertation, titled "Composition Instructors' Interactions with Classroom Discourse Communities: A Qualitative Study," provided insight into the writing challenges facing first-generation and other at-risk students. Her background motivates her research in pedagogy and mindfulness studies. She teaches a variety of courses in composition, rhetoric, workplace writing, and editing and serves as the faculty advisor for the Garden Club of UAFS to promote students to learn mindfulness and sustainable living practices. She is a RYT200 yoga instructor with Yoga Alliance and a member of the National Council of Teachers of English, College Composition and Communication and Arkansas Council of Teachers of English and Language Arts, serving as the editor of the Arkansas English Journal beginning with the spring 2022 edition.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Ex - Officio Member
- Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Dr. Shadow JQ Robinson was appointed provost of the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith effective July 1, 2022, following a comprehensive national search.
He comes to UAFS from the University of Tennessee at Martin, where he served as dean of the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences from 2018 to 2022. While serving as the college's chief academic officer, he led multiple institution-altering initiatives, including the design and construction of the new Latimer Engineering and Science building, a $65 million, 120,000-sq-ft lab and classroom facility. Ha also oversaw the programming, visioning, and fundraising for the Tennessee Entrepreneurial Science and Technology Hub. TEST Hub is an $18 million facility developed in partnership between industry and multiple educational institutions. It focuses on meeting workforce and economic development needs in West Tennessee.
Robinson has been actively engaged in cross-campus collaboration, co-chairing the strategic planning implementation team focused on academic excellence, developing a university-wide strategic enrollment plan, and supporting the strategy and philanthropic operations of the university's advancement office.
Before working at UT Martin, he held visiting positions at Lexington Community College and Eastern Kentucky University before joining the faculty at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville, Indiana, in 2003. There he earned the Outstanding Teaching by New Faculty Award in 2008. At Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, he served as department chair, director of the James Observatory, director of the Compass Curriculum, and Faculty Council president.
Job Titles:
- Director of Early Childhood Education
- Professor / Director Early Childhood Education
Dr. Shelli Henehan is the director of Early Childhood Education and a professor for the School of Education at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, where she is currently also serving as the faculty co-chair for the institution's Committee for Assessment of Learning Outcomes (CALO). Her research interests include cultural institutions, early childhood curricula, transformative learning strategies, and educational assessment strategies.
Dr. Henehan's passion is providing educational opportunities for adult women through state grants funded for delivering professional development. She has written proposals and been funded for developing curricula for early childhood educators in her state. She is currently an on-site educator preparation program (EPP) reviewer for the Arkansas Department of Education's (ADE) Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) after serving as a peer-reviewer for the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) from 2015-2022 and as a NAEYC peer-reviewer for Early Childhood Associate Degree Accreditation (ECADA) from 2008-2016. Dr. Henehan is an Arkansas-licensed teacher for Pre-K through 6th grade.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Owner and Neurologist
Job Titles:
- Chancellor
- Education Administrator
- Ex - Officio
Dr. Terisa C. Riley has served as chancellor of the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith since July 1, 2019.
An experienced higher education administrator, Dr. Riley spent more than 30 years serving in virtually every facet of higher education from academics to administration before taking the helm at UAFS. Most recently she served for 12 years as senior vice president at Texas A&M University - Kingsville. She has also held positions as chief student affairs officer, chief financial officer, chief administrator, and chief enrollment management officer. She has held faculty rank in higher education administration graduate programs at Saint Louis University and the University of South Dakota.
As a first-generation college graduate, Dr. Riley values public universities' missions to provide excellent and affordable educational opportunities. She is deeply committed to cultivating a diverse and inclusive campus environment where students and employees feel valued, welcomed, and supported.
She is dedicated to serving her community, currently serving on the board of directors of the Fort Smith Regional and Van Buren chambers of commerce, and the Fort Smith United Way as well as the Fort Smith Regional Council, Arvest Bank Board, and chair of the U.S. Marshals Museum Board. She also serves on the Arkansas Division of Higher Education Executive Council and as chair of the University of Arkansas System Workday Steering Committee.
Dr. Riley earned her bachelor's degree in communication and master's degree in higher education administration from the University of Missouri at Columbia and her doctorate in higher education administration and research methodology from Saint Louis University. She is also a graduate of the National Police Institute and the Governor's Executive Development Program at the University of Texas at Austin.
Dr. Riley's CV is available here
Dr. Riley is an experienced higher education administrator who has spent more than 25 years serving in virtually every facet of higher education, from academics to administration. An advocate of student access, opportunity, and success, Dr. Riley values the mission of public universities to provide excellent and affordable educational opportunities.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Council
- Dean - College of Arts & Sciences / College of Arts and Sciences
- Dean Cantu
- Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Attorney - at - Law / Drew Harmon, PLC / Fort Smith, Arkansas
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Owner / Tribute Hospitality LLC / Fort Smith, Arkansas
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Legal Counsel / Attorney - at - Law
Job Titles:
- Volunteer Committee Chair
Job Titles:
- Crawford County Prosecuting Attorney
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Owner / Myers Engineering / Van Buren, Arkansas
Job Titles:
- President of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- President of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Owner
Job Titles:
- Master Gardeners Representative
Job Titles:
- Member of the Council
- Director of Library Services / Library Services
- Director, Library Services
Jordan is the collection development librarian and has worked at UAFS for 11 years. He has served on the Faculty Senate, Policy and Procedure Committee, Faculty Salary Equity Task Force, Curriculum Committee, Gender and Intersectional Feminism Committee, Library Committee, and Read This!
His research interests include censorship and user experience. He is currently co-editing "Censorship is a Drag: LGBTQ Materials and Programming Under Siege in Libraries" (Litwin Books, anticipated 2024).
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Secretary / Chairman, President, and CEO
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Owner / Victoria Healthcare Properties, LLC / Van Buren, Arkansas
Job Titles:
- Foundation Information Systems Specialist / Advancement Center
Job Titles:
- Senior Director, Foundation Finance & Operations / Advancement Center
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Crawford County Prosecuting Attorney
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director, Foundation Finance / Advancement Center
Job Titles:
- President of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Chief US Probation Officer
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- English Rhetoric and Writing and Media Communication
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Ex - Officio Member
- Dean Cantu
Chair: Paula Julian, Associate Dean and Executive Director of the School of Nursing, College of Health, Education, and Human Sciences
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Partner / Jones, Jackson, Moll, McGinnis and Stocks, PLC / Fort Smith, Arkansas
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Partner / Conner and Winters
Job Titles:
- Fiscal Support Manager, Foundation Finance & Operations / Advancement Center
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Certified Public Accountant / Norris Taylor & Co. Fort Smith, Arkansas
Job Titles:
- President of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Member of the Board of Directors
- President
Job Titles:
- Staff Accountant / Advancement Center
Job Titles:
- Special Program Committee Chair
Job Titles:
- Assistant Executive Director of the Carolyn McKelvey Moore School of Nursing
- Assistant Executive Director School of Nursing / Assistant Professor / School of Nursing
Sonia Romero is the assistant executive director of the Carolyn McKelvey Moore School of Nursing and has more than 22 years of nursing experience. She is a first-generation college graduate who started her nursing career as a license practice nurse (LPN) in 1999. In 2010 she became a registered nurse (RN) and continued her nursing education in 2013 to receive a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Northeastern State University. In 2016 she earned her Master of Science in nursing education from Northeastern State University, and in 2022 she received her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Liberty University. Her passion for nursing education has guided her to seek further learning opportunities for professional growth and development. She is passionate about helping others and has participated in mission trips with nursing students. During the peak of COVID-19, she partnered with community leaders and organized a minority COVID-19 vaccine clinic. She has published nursing articles and presented at nursing conferences to educate other professionals on evidence-based nursing practices.
Job Titles:
- Landmark CPAs: Human Resources Director
Job Titles:
- Co - Owner
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Arvest Bank: SVP Human Resources
Job Titles:
- Baptist Health: Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist
Chair: Tommye Robinson, assistant athletic director for compliance / senior women's administrator
Job Titles:
- COO
- Member of the Board of Directors
- President
Job Titles:
- Arkansas Licensed Social Worker