Simmons First Foundation contributes $50,000 to UAM-UADA waterfowl research center
Feb. 16, 2026
By Kailley White
University of Arkansas at Monticello
Fast Facts
- Simmons First Foundation donated $50,000 to support Snowden Waterfowl Center
- Center established to conduct waterfowl and wetlands research and education
- Gift will support educational and scholarship opportunities
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Download photo of representatives from UAM, UADA and Simmons Bank
MONTICELLO, Ark. — The Simmons First Foundation gifted $50,000 to support the Snowden Waterfowl Center of Excellence, a nationally unique research center dedicated to advancing waterfowl and wetlands science.
The center, based at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, is a partnership with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture that was established to address concerns related to waterfowl and wetlands conservation. Located in southeast Arkansas, UAM’s proximity to waterfowl and wetlands regions provides a geographic advantage in research and education.
The donation from Simmons First Foundation was presented to UAM and the Division of Agriculture last month, the latest in a series of gifts that established the center.
In 2022, the state of Arkansas appropriated $1 million to establish the Waterfowl and Wetlands Conservation Endowed Program. The funds were accompanied by a challenge to raise an additional $1 million in private donations to meet the necessary $2 million to establish an endowed chair for the program.
Last year, donors led by Arkansas waterfowl conservationist David Snowden and Dyke Industries chairman Merritt Dyke raised the additional $1 million to complete funding for the Dyke-Snowden Endowed Chair of Waterfowl and Wetlands. The group went on to raise an additional $5 million in private funds to escalate the endowed program to the Snowden Waterfowl Center of Excellence. The center and endowed chair were announced in October 2025.
“We are extremely thankful for the Simmons First Foundation’s support for the Snowden Center,” said Deacue Fields, head of the Division of Agriculture. “The center’s impacts will align with the foundation’s efforts to develop youth and improve the environment. We are grateful for this partnership in our quest to be the nation’s top center for waterfowl research and education.”
According to its website, the Simmons First Foundation, established in 2014, focuses on giving back to the communities that are vital to Arkansas' growth and success. The foundation holds a specific endowment to support environmental and conservation management efforts.
The donation to the Snowden Waterfowl Center of Excellence will support educational and scholarship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students in waterfowl and wetlands research programs.
“We are grateful to the Simmons First Foundation for their support of the Snowden Waterfowl Center of Excellence and UAM’s outstanding waterfowl program,” said Peggy Doss, chancellor of UAM. “Arkansas has long been a national leader in waterfowl and wetlands conservation, and UAM proudly continues that legacy through critical research conducted at the center.
“The generous support given by Simmons First Foundation strengthens our ability to assist students as they produce impactful research to direct management of waterfowl and wetlands across the state and beyond,” Doss said.
Douglas Osborne, professor of wildlife ecology at UAM and inaugural director of the Snowden Waterfowl Center of Excellence and the Dyke-Snowden Endowed Chair of Waterfowl and Wetlands, said, “The generous support of the Simmons First Foundation helps fuel the mission of the Snowden Waterfowl Center of Excellence, to empower us to better serve the students that choose a career path in waterfowl conservation and management.”
For more information, visit the Snowden Waterfowl Center of Excellence web page, or contact Michael Blazier at blazier@uamont.edu, 870-460-1152, or Douglas Osborne at osborne@uamont.edu, 870-460-1448.
To learn more about ag and food research in Arkansas, visit aaes.uada.edu. Follow the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station on LinkedIn and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three system campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
About the College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Arkansas Forest Resources Center
The College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Arkansas Forest Resources Center, a University of Arkansas System Center of Excellence, brings together interdisciplinary expertise through a partnership between the University of Arkansas at Monticello and the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. The College and Center are headquartered at the University of Arkansas at Monticello campus, but their programs range statewide with the mission of developing and delivering teaching, research, and extension programs that enhance and ensure the sustainability and productivity of forest-based natural resources and agricultural systems. Academic programs are delivered by the College of Forestry, Agriculture, and Natural Resources through the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Through the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, research is administered by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, and extension and outreach activities are coordinated by the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.
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Media Contact:
Kailley White
University of Arkansas at Monticello
whitek@uamont.edu
870-460-1073