Leadership positions at cancer research centers in the United States are disproportionately filled by white men. Austin Morgan, a rising third-year medical student at UAMS, researched the racial, ethnic and gender makeup of the positions and his report was recently published by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Fayetteville City Board of Health members met to discuss the surge of new COVID-19 cases in northwest Arkansas, ways to protect U of A and public school students returning to classes next month, and being shackled by the Republican-majority state legislature which bans cities and counties from issuing protective COVID measures.

This week's Northwest Arkansas Business Journal Report includes a conversation with Mervin Jebaraj, economist with the University of Arkansas. He says the state's record surplus can be used for projects other than tax cuts.

Ruby Kate Chitsey, a 13-year-old from Harrison, Arkansas, has received a Diana Award in memory of the late Princess Diana of Wales. Chitsey was acknowledge for her humanitarian service to low-income elder nursing home residents in Boone County, through her nonprofit Three Wishes For Ruby's Residents . Donations are welcome.

University of Arkansas music professor Lia Uribe gives us a preview of the upcoming Chamber Music on the Mountain summer festival with highlights from a recent chamber performance recorded at Fayetteville Public Library. We hear compositions by Amy Beach and William Grant Still, performed by Daniel Velasco, flute, and Tomoko Kashiwagi, piano.

On today’s show, Arkansas, along with several other states is a breeding ground for COVID-19, due to a significant majority of unvaccinated residents. Plus, the former Confederate officer who became president of the University of Arkansas in the 19th century and used white supremacy to teach algebra, and much more.

A surge of new COVID-19 cases in Arkansas is being attributed to a new more infectious virus variant coupled with low vaccination rates — driven in large part by vaccine denialism and fear. COVID-19 testing is also scant, experts say, making accurate new case counts in Arkansas elusive. And complicating matters is the inability by the state executive branch and local jurisdictions to reinstate protective emergency measures, with such decisions now under the authority of the Republican-majority

This week's exploration of University of Arkansas history examines a 19th-century campus president. Daniel Harvey Hill was a former military officer in the Confederate army who is an example of a troubled history when it comes to race and higher education.

The Chamber Music on the Mountain series launches next week and includes music from historic and contemporary composers. Thespirit of collaboration between musicians and regional groups will be a big part of the series. according to the artisitc director Tomoko Kashiwagi.

Courtney Lanning, a flm critic with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, says the Netflix actionmovie Gunpowder Milkshake is probably best served to fans of the genre.