Article Courtesy: Times Record
Since breaking ground in March 2015, the Arkansas College for Health Education has influenced the River Valley.
With the newest expansion of the Research Institute and the Health and Wellness Center, the impact will only seem to grow as some will see that Fort Smith and the River Valley can be a place for them to pursue their dreams or goals.
“We’re all very, very excited about this new facility,” said Alexis Danekas, research operations coordinator.
Danekas began at ACHE in 2020, working as an undergraduate and a technician. She attended school full-time and worked full-time.
“I started at this little bitty lab on the third floor, where there was only room for probably two or three scientists. Now, I got added to this project,” Danekas said. “Dr. [Jeffrey] Osborn asked me if I wanted to work for him, and I told him, ‘Absolutely.’ So, I got popped on this project, and we started building.”
Danekas also recognized that the expansion of the research institute wouldn’t have happened without additional help.
“There’s a lot of support not only within our institution but within the community, and that’s what is wonderful about everyone here for the ribbon cutting,” said Danekas. “It’s been great to hear people say this is something wonderful for the River Valley. Before, we’ve had limited resources in this area, and there’s not a lot of things like this, but it’s great that we can bring this here, not just for the community but for the students as well.”
Danekas is from Booneville, which is about 35 miles east of Fort Smith and a population of just over 3,800. When she was younger, Fort Smith was “the big city.”
“We never had anything like this institute before,” said Danekas. “I thought when I went to school to get my degree, I was going to have to go off somewhere because there was nothing around here to do research, but we’ve built this.”
Claire Roberts is a research intern from Greenwood and is a freshman at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville.
“I’ve been interested in the medical field and health care for a long time, so I was grateful to have the opportunity to work with Dr. Osborn,” Roberts said. “It has solidified what I wanted to do.”
Danekas had always been interested in medical science, but she found her passion after she began her classes.
“I worked in research to help better my medical school record, and by the time I got knee-deep into research, I didn’t want to go to medical school,” Danekas said. “I wanted to do research. This is where my passion lies and my heart as well.”
The institute is expanding its research space and hopes to complete it in the next few years.
“I can see the difference between being in a lab up there in Fayetteville and this one,” said Roberts. “This is great, especially for a town like Fort Smith. You don’t expect it, but seeing more doctors come out of this will be good, and hopefully, they will stay local. I think that’s the school’s goal, so this is really cool.”
