Georgia Hale named new provost at UAFS

Dr. Georgia Hale has been promoted to provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith. She succeeds Ray Wallace who recently was hired as chancellor at Indiana University Southeast.

Hale was previously the dean of the College of Applied Science and Technology, a post she had held since 2009. She was also associate provost at UAFS, a position she began in December 2013. Hale had originally came to UAFS in 2004 as associate dean of the College of Business before taking the dean's position at Applied Science and Technology.

The position includes overseeing the Colleges of Health Sciences, Business, Applied Science and Technology, Languages and Communication, Humanities and Social Sciences and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

As provost, Hale will supervise the International Relations office, the Center for Lifelong Learning and the Babb Center for Student and Professional Development while also overseeing the creation of new curriculum and programs while working to increase the number of graduate programs available at UAFS, a press release said.

The university has been developing its first graduate program, a master's in healthcare administration, under the direction of Dr. Ray Wallace, who previously served as provost and senior vice chancellor at UAFS before leaving to take the position of chancellor at Indiana University Southeast.

The 33-hour program, Wallace said, was expected to launch in 2015, pending approval from the Arkansas Department of Higher Education and accrediting agencies.

In accepting the position, Hale said she looked forward to the position and improving graduation rates at the university.

"I am humbled to be named the chief academic officer at UAFS," she said in a press release. "I look forward to working with others on the UAFS campus to continue to grow our outstanding academic programs, as well as increase student retention and graduation rates."

Hale holds bachelors and masters degrees from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro and a doctorate from Arizona State University. Prior to joining UAFS in 2004, she had held administrative positions with Arkansas State and Iowa State Universities.

UAFS Chancellor Dr. Paul Beran said Hale's background in higher education at UAFS and other institutions made her uniquely suited to succeed in her new position.

"Dr. Hale brings a wealth of higher education experience to the position, both from our University and other colleges around the state and the nation," Beran said. "I'm confident she will advance the academic interests of our University and our students as we continue to establish UAFS as a premier regional instituion."

Hale and Wallace began their new positions at UAFS and Indiana Southeast on Tuesday (July 1), according to UAFS.