By April Robertson

The UA has earned the reputation of a top “research university” through the commitment of administrators, faculty and students, but many researchers said they wish even more funds and equipment could be dedicated toward research at the university.

The Walton family donated $300 million toward UA research a few years ago, but even still, most of the funding that enables research does not come straight from the department’s corresponding college. Instead, external sources, like the National Science Foundation and other similar organizations, provide much of the funding. Beyond these resources, professors must search for money on their own.

Photo By Stephen Ironside

Although it depends on the department, the college dean and the particular research activity, most professors typically can’t afford to take significant time away from teaching to do research unless they acquire a considerable grant.Professor Peter Ungar, chair of the UA anthropology department, usually teaches just one class a semester, but he also conducts about 12 to 14 hours of research daily.

Ungar is among those researchers on campus who think that research funds are misused or unevenly distributed.

“We had to beg, borrow and steal to get the equipment in this lab,” he said.

Most of the equipment used in anthropology labs is purchased through government funds because the college gives an insufficient amount of money to the department to keep equipment in working order and to supply new materials, Ungar said.

“We get the start-up amount of $5,000 per year,” he said.

Ungar said one of the greatest challenges he’s faced doing research is that though the department and its faculty are on the cutting edge, the technology is often left behind.

“It means that nothing works the way you want it to work,” he said. “You constantly have to tweak and finagle the equipment.”

Some graduate students in the physics department have faced similar difficulties, they said. Many treat their research as full-time jobs, but when equipment malfunctions or isn’t available, their work can stall.

Jessica Conry, a physics teaching assistant, said that happened to her this summer, when a necessary piece of equipment wasn’t replaced for a few months.

“We work with ancient equipment,” she said.

Conry said she came to the UA because its physics department was the only graduate program of its kind in the state. She said the main appeal of research is that “finding new intellectual stuff that no one has done before” is exciting.

The biggest frustration for Conry has now simply become balancing research with classwork, she said.

Many undergraduate students at the UA are also researchers. This was encouraged by the Waltons’ research donation, much of which went to the Honors College.

Ungar also promotes undergraduate students doing research as a way for them to more easily transition to graduate school.

“As an undergraduate, (students) should focus mostly on classes and do a little research, but by the time they are nearly done with their graduate work, they should be spending all their time on research,” he said.

Chancellor G. David Gearhart said he values research done at the UA because it is beneficial for the community and state. He said an emphasis on research is not only a unique aspect of the university, but also an integral part of the UA’s original purpose.

“Essentially, we want to build a better Arkansas,” he said.

When Abraham Lincoln signed into action land grants, a way for states to receive funding for universities, the UA was created to serve working-class families by teaching them, providing improving services and conducting research.

“We can contribute to society through coming up with new fertilizers or even participating in the solar boat race, which can lead to the discovery of other uses of solar energy,” Gearhart said. “It’s all about improvements.”

One way to keep up with the various UA student research projects is to read the magazine Research Frontiers, which is now available online at Researchfrontiers.uark.edu. Some of the most recent projects include a virtual map of Pompeii and information about copyright law and the Internet.