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Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College (NEO) President Dr. Jeff Hale welcomed Dr. Robert Jones to campus during his recent visit to Oklahoma. Dr. Jones was recently selected to be the Chancellor of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and conducted his visit to connect with area partnerships. NEO, UIUC, and the Peoria Tribe collaborate through a triangular partnership to promote Native American college completion. During the visit, Dr. Hale and Dr. Jones discussed the history of NEO and the American Indian Center for Excellence (AICE). Through AICE, NEO provides Native American students the opportunity to meet with transfer coordinators and learn about scholarship opportunities like those offered through UIUC, which offers up to five Native students a full tuition scholarship for up to three years of study. AICE Director Rachel Lloyd spoke with the Chancellor about the success of the partnership and the NEO alumni currently attending UIUC.

Having earned his Ph.D. in Crop Physiology from the University of Missouri, Dr. Jones was able to meet with Agriculture Department Chair McKenzie Nygren about the programs and facilities on the NEO campus. Dr. Jones was also able to visit the Animal Sciences Lab, which is in its final stages of construction. In concluding the visit, Dr. Jones assured Dr. Hale that the partnership with NEO and the Peoria Tribe has been beneficial for all parties and he anticipated exploring expanded opportunities in the future.

For more information on the triple partnership, contact Rachel Lloyd at Rlloyd@neo.edu. (Photo from left: Dr. Mark Grigsby, Math and Science Department Chair; Annette Black, AICE Mentor and Foundation Board Member; Chief John Froman, Peoria Tribal Chief; Hannah Berryman, AICE Mentor; Dr. Robert Jones, Chancellor of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Rachel Lloyd, AICE Director and Title III Grant Manager; McKenzie Nygren, Agriculture Department Chair; Dr. Jeff Hale, NEO President)