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C. Lowry Barnes, M..D., interim chancellor of UAMS, opens the ceremony by thanking all UAMS community partners. Image by Andrew Vogler

Translational Research Institute Honors Community Partners at 10th Annual Celebration

Dec. 16, 2025 | Despite a decidedly chilly breeze permeating the night air, more than 100 supporters from across Arkansas gathered Dec. 5 in Little Rock for the 10th Annual Translational Research Institute Community Partner Celebration.

The annual ceremony and dinner organized by the institute’s Community Engagement Core recognizes the pivotal role of community partnerships in helping the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) advance research and improve health.

The partners include organizations, institutions and individuals who share their experiences and knowledge to ensure that the institute’s research and programs meet the real needs of the people they serve.

Under a ceiling draped with sheer fabric interspersed with tiny golden lights, the guests gathered around tables in the Chenal Event Venue while UAMS Interim Chancellor C. Lowry Barnes thanked them for their contributions. After dinner, Tiffany Haynes, Ph.D., director of the institute’s Community Engagement Core, led a presentation announcing the winners of awards in six categories.

The 2025 awardees are:

 The Chancellor’s Community-Based Organization of the Year: NAMI Arkansas, the Arkansas chapter of the National Alliance for Mental Illness.

The organization helps connect people to mental health services and provides mental health education. It has worked closely with UAMS, most recently as a partner in the Barbershop Talk project, which connects men needing additional resources for substance abuse concerns or mental health concerns to the care they need. Most importantly, the group has helped people who have expressed suicidal ideation obtain care as quickly as possible.

“Without their partnership, we would not be able to provide the resources necessary to make a difference in Arkansas communities around substance use and mental health,” Haynes said.

 Research Partner of the Year: Arkansas Minority Health Commission.

The commission’s goal is to ensure that all Arkansans receive equitable access to preventive health care and to seek ways to promote health and prevent diseases and conditions that are prevalent among minority populations.

Haynes noted the award “recognizes an outstanding clinical partner, state agency or business that has participated in research that improves health care in Arkansas.”

 The M. Kate Stewart Community Engaged Researcher of the Year: Pebbles Fagan, Ph.D., a professor in the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health Department of Health Behavior and Health Education and director of the UAMS Center for the Study of Tobacco.

“Dr. Fagan leads her research projects with integrity, writes grants, develops materials, writes manuscripts, attends community events and always thinks about what she can do to help others,” according to a nomination letter. “She thinks big and is very inclusive of others to ensure that they have the resources and opportunities to thrive.”

Kate Stewart, M.D., MPH, now retired, was the founding director of the institute’s Community Engagement Program. She is known for her labor and commitment to building strong partnerships between academic institutions and the communities they serve.

 Community Engaged Research Staff Member of the Year: Sandra Cooper.

Cooper, a community health worker in the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health’s Center for Research, Health and Society, “has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to uplifting her community through collaboration, compassion and consistent action,” according to a letter nominating her for the award. “She plays a vital role in strengthening partnerships between local organizations, residents and institutions. She goes above and beyond to ensure that projects addressing community needs are effectively supported and sustained.”

Cooper’s nomination letter went on to note that “what sets Sandra Cooper apart is her dedication to empowering others. She listens deeply, advocates for underrepresented voices and mobilizes resources that make a tangible difference in people’s lives.”

 Community Engaged Student/Trainee of the Year: Ashley Williams, research project director, UAMS College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics.

The award recognizes an undergraduate student, graduate student or medical student, resident, fellow or postdoctoral fellow who demonstrates the initiative, commitment and passion in an academic university partnership project involving the academic health of children or adults or communities.

Williams “deserves to be recognized for the work she has done on the Brother Project,” which examines how income can impact health among Black men impacted by chronic illness, according to a nomination letter. “She understands every aspect of the program and adapts to various roles as needed. Her encouragement and support bring out the best in others on the project, from the researcher to the participants.”

 The Naomi L. Cottoms Community Advisory Board of the Year Award: Project Heal Coalition.

The award honors the memory of Naomi Cottoms, who died last year. She was executive director of the Tri-County Rural Health Network, based in Helena-West Helena, and a longtime UAMS community partner. She was well-known for her passionate work on behalf of underserved communities in the Delta.

“Recipients of this award are groups that provide feedback to research partners that ultimately affect the health of underrepresented populations,” Haynes said.

Project Heal Coalition was founded in 2024 by Joyce M. Raynor, founder and executive director of the Center for Healing Hearts and Spirts at UAMS, a hospital-based violence intervention program designed to prevent assaults. The coalition brought together 15 stakeholders from 15 unique service provision sectors who meet quarterly to ensure that all voices are heard, especially those of people who have experienced violence, as well as those who have provided services to help them.

Haynes told the group of nominees and awardees, “I hope you all realize how important you are to our mission. We cannot do what we do without you. Thank you so much. From every community partner here to every community-engaged researcher, to all our staff, for everything that you do to make community engagement work at UAMS, have a great evening and happy holidays!”