Paul Adams Named New U of A Faculty Athletics Representative

Paul Adams, associate professor of biochemistry in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, has been appointed as the faculty athletics representative for the U of A. His term begins on June 1.

Adams will succeed Gerald Jordan, who held the position since 2017 before retiring this semester. Adams will be only the fifth U of A faculty member to hold this position.

“I look forward to expanding my service to our university in this manner,” Adams said. “I am extremely excited to serve as a liaison between our faculty and interim Chancellor (Charles) Robinson and working with our athletics director, Hunter Yurachek, regarding athletics matters.”

Robinson appointed Adams to be the faculty member who certifies the eligibility of student-athletes and will be the university’s faculty representative to the NCAA and the Southeastern Conference.

“I know Paul Adams will be excellent in this role, given his dedication to our students, passion for helping them succeed and strong commitment to the U of A,” Robinson said. “We also thank Gerald Jordan for his unwavering service in this role, for all he has done for our student-athletes and campus as a whole, and we wish him well in retirement.”

Todd Shields, dean of Fulbright College, agreed and said he thought Adams was “such a natural successor to Gerald in this role. The way Paul actively guides, cares about and relates to our students is just outstanding.”

As the U of A faculty athletics representative, Adams will work closely with the Athletics Department and be involved with the student-athlete advisory council, in addition to attending SEC and NCAA meetings.

“We are grateful for the outstanding service of Dr. Gerald Jordan and look forward to working alongside Dr. Paul Adams in his role as the Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) for the University of Arkansas,” Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Hunter Yurachek said. “The FAR plays an integral role in connecting the Athletics Department and our campus as well as representing our institution with the Southeastern Conference and NCAA. As intercollegiate athletics continues to evolve on a daily basis, we are fortunate to have Dr. Adams, a distinguished member of our faculty who cares deeply about students and our university, to help us navigate the way.”

GET TO KNOW PAUL ADAMS

Adams, professor of biochemistry in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and faculty member in the U of A’s interdisciplinary cellular and molecular biology program, earned a B.S. in biochemistry from Louisiana State University and a Ph.D. in biophysical chemistry from Case Western Reserve University.

Adams’ research and scholarly activities have garnered federal funding from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, as well as from state agencies such as the Arkansas Biosciences Institute, the Arkansas Science and Technology Authority and the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Foundation at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

He has directed the research projects of over 70 honors, undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students in his laboratory at the university and has mentored many other students since arriving to the U of A.

Honors and awards Adams has recently received include: the William and Wilma Haines Distinguished Lecturer in Biochemistry, Wabash College, Crawfordsville, IN (2017); the Distinguished Faculty Award from The Honors College (2017); Top 10 Most Outstanding Faculty Member, U of A Student Government and Student Alumni Associations (2018); Faculty Researcher National Role Model, National Minority Access Inc. (2019); Lifetime Achievement Award, Northwest Arkansas Martin Luther King Jr. Council (2020).

Adams’ most recent accomplishment came in the form of an election to the Executive Board of Directors of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers in the summer of 2020.

Since 2017, Adams has served as principal investigator of an NSF grant that funded the U of A’s Honors College Path Program, which recruits talented high school students from underrepresented populations to help them thrive and succeed at the university.

In December 2019, Adams was selected as a member of the first cohort of the UARK Leaders Program, a program offered through the Office of the Provost, the Office of Human Resources and Walton College of Business Executive Education. This new leadership development program was launched to support the professional growth of influential and up-and coming university leaders while enhancing collaboration and innovation on campus.

This story also appeared in the University of Arkansas News publication.

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