<p>Arkansas Tech University (ATU) is leveraging the BUILD initiative to strengthen its role in Arkansas’ statewide research ecosystem and rural economic development. Led by Dr. Georgeanna Wright and supported by institutional leadership in research and sponsored programs, ATU aims to expand research capacity by aligning faculty work with regional partnership opportunities and transitioning individual collaborations into sustainable institutional ones. Through targeted strategies like gap analysis, governance reform, and improved research administration, ATU is working to enhance competitiveness and address regional brain drain in STEM fields.</p>