Washington – U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor along with U.S. Representative Marion Berry (AR-01) today announced that the University Center Program at Arkansas State University will receive $97,850 from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration.  The money will fund the third year of a three-year University Center program at Arkansas State University. The program focuses on providing technical assistance and research and development tools to help increase productivity, spur innovation and entrepreneurship, and increase long-term economic regional competitiveness throughout the state.

"These funds will help ASU and the Jonesboro community unite their resources to strengthen economic development throughout the region," said Lincoln. "I'm pleased to see the federal government make this investment in our state, and I'm confident this will have a positive impact on Northeast Arkansas for years to come."

"The ASU University Center program is a perfect example of how academic institutions can work with communities and organizations to have a direct impact on Arkansas' economic development. I am pleased that these federal dollars will help this program grow our state's economy and create good jobs for our Arkansans," Pryor said.

"An educated workforce is essential to growing the local economy and this grant will give ASU more resources to empower their students with the skills to succeed," said Berry.  "These federal dollars for the University Center will also allow ASU to continue their outstanding work to increase regional economic development by investing in local businesses, which will help create jobs and grow our state's economy."

The Economic Development Administration's University Center program is a competitively-based partnership between EDA and academic institutions that makes the varied and vast resources of universities available to the economic development practitioner community.