The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has named a director for the university's Institute on Race and Ethnicity.
The university says distinguished professor of history John Kirk will take on the post. Kirk is a native of Great Britain who has been at UALR for five years. He serves on the Chancellor's Committee on Race and Ethnicity and has written about race and the civil rights movement - with a focus on Little Rock.
Kirk replaces Michael Twyman, who resigned in July, and he will step down as chairman of the UALR history department.