The Arkansas Research Alliance has named a new director for the ARA Academy of Scholars & Fellows. Effective July 1, Douglas Hutchings will serve as the new director.
Hutchings is an entrepreneur and founding board member of the Arkansas Advanced Energy Association. He founded Silicon Solar Solutions (SSS) while still in graduate school at the University of Arkansas. Hutchings subsequently spun Picasolar out of Silicon Solar Solutions.
Founded in 2016, the ARA Academy is a public-private partnership that invests in research to stimulate innovation and economic opportunity in Arkansas.
“The growth and maturity of the ARA Academy made it clear that someone of Douglas’ talent and experience was needed to accelerate the impact of the Academy,” said Jerry Adams, President and CEO of ARA. ‘I have known Douglas for many years, and I am very excited with his addition to the ARA team – he will make an immediate and long-term difference in ARA’s ability to leverage university research to improve the economic future of Arkansas and our nation.”
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