Dr. Robin Myers named interim president for Arkansas State University System

EducationNews BriefsNortheast Arkansas

by George Jared ([email protected]) ago 256 views 

The Arkansas State University System Board of Trustees named Dr. Robin Myers, the retired ASU-Mountain Home chancellor who served as interim system president in 2024, to serve again as interim system president effective immediately.

Myers succeeds Dr. Brendan Kelly, who will work through Dec. 31 to assist Myers with the transition. Kelly submitted his resignation Wednesday after being selected president of his alma mater, Eastern Michigan University, in Ypsilanti.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be part of the ASU System,” Kelly said. “I’m sorry for the inconvenience but humbled by the opportunity at my alma mater.”

Board Chair Steve Eddington of Benton congratulated Kelly on “the great opportunity to return home.”

Following an executive session, the board voted to name Myers as interim president and offer contract terms consistent with his previous interim service. There was no action regarding a future search.

Myers retired from ASU-Mountain Home after serving 13 years as chancellor and was designated Chancellor Emeritus by the ASU System Board of Trustees on July 18, 2023. He has remained engaged with the ASU System as a consultant on the new Career Readiness Education & Skills Training (CREST) Center in Jonesboro, which is a collaboration among A-State, ASU-Newport and Arkansas Northeastern College.

In regular meeting action, the board approved $23.7 million in capital improvement projects related to athletics, a residence hall, and the new veterinary medicine program on the A-State campus in Jonesboro. The construction projects include:

• A $5 million, 40,000-square-foot Indoor Baseball Development and Training Center on the A-State campus in Jonesboro with financing through private sources;
• A $16.2 million renovation of the 400-room Kays Hall at A-State, built in 1965, to improve student residency options using a bond issue and institutional reserves; and
• Construction of an Equine Barn and Bovine Barn on existing agriculture properties at A-State to support the new College of Veterinary Medicine that will open in fall 2026, pending accreditation approval, using a $2.5 million loan from the College Savings Bond Revolving Loan Fund. The loan will also fund replacement of building cooling equipment for the Dean B. Ellis Library at A-State.