LITTLE ROCK (Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025) – University of Arkansas System President Jay B. Silveria has announced names of a 12-member advisory search committee set to help the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences & the Arts (ASMSA) identify a new executive director at one of the nation’s top residential high schools in Hot Springs.
Current ASMSA Executive Director Corey Alderdice announced in June his plans to step down in December after 13 years of leadership at the school. Michael Moore, Ph.D., the UA System’s vice president for academic affairs will chair the search, working with the committee to advise Silveria as he seeks a candidate to recommend to the Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas for final approval.
“Anyone who’s ever stepped foot on the campus at ASMSA or has interacted with its students knows the caliber of quality Director Alderdice has grown at the institution,” Silveria said. “The campus has an outstanding trajectory and tremendous momentum moving toward the future, and I thank Dr. Moore and all of the members of this committee for volunteering their time and efforts in ensuring the campus will be in good hands moving forward.”
The committee members include representation from the institution’s board of visitors, campus faculty and staff, parents of students, alumni and community stakeholders. Moore said his initial goal will be to create a web presence through the institution to keep students, parents and the public informed of the process, and that he is eager to get started.
“It goes without saying that we’re entering this process with student success and wellbeing in mind so the Hot Springs community and the state can continue relying on ASMSA being a high-quality institution that fosters the growth and education of some of Arkansas’s brightest learners,” Moore said. “I look forward to working with the search committee, listening to the needs of all ASMSA stakeholders, and finding the next leader to advance the legacy of ASMSA. ”
The ASMSA Advisory Executive Director Search Committee Includes:
Michael Moore Vice President for Academic Affairs, UA System
Dr. Marlene Battle ASMSA alum, Ark. Pharm. Assoc., BOV
Dr. Alicia Cotabish Parents Council, parent
Dr. Jack Waddell ASMSA alum, faculty
Dr. Zac Cowsert ASMSA alum, faculty
Dr. Stuart Flynn ASMSA Academic Dean
Dr. Patrycja Krakowiak ASMSA, Chair of Science Dept.
Dr. Mary Leigh ASMSA, Chair of Arts and Humanities Dept.
Maddisyn Karn ASMSA, Licensed Social Worker
Brandi Brazil ASMSA, Director of HR and Campus Culture
Eric Jackson Senior Vice President, Oaklawn
Donnie Sewell ASMSA, public information specialist
About the University of Arkansas System (www.uasys.edu)
Since its inception, the University of Arkansas System has developed a tradition of excellence that includes the state’s 1871 flagship, land-grant research university; Arkansas’s premier institution for medical education, treatment and research; a major metropolitan university; an 1890 land-grant university; two regional universities serving southern and western Arkansas; eight community colleges; two schools of law; a presidential school; a residential math and science high school; and a 100 percent-online university and divisions of agriculture, archeology and criminal justice. As the premier higher education system in the state, it enrolls more than 70,000 students, employs more than 27,000 employees, and has a total budget of more than $4 billion. An intrinsic part of the texture and fabric of Arkansas, the UA System is a driving force in the state’s economic, educational and cultural advancement.
About Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts (www.asmsa.org)
The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts is one of 17 public residential high schools in the country specializing in the education of academically gifted students with a STEM focus. Located in historic downtown Hot Springs, the school is the early college campus of the University of Arkansas System. For more information about ASMSA, visit asmsa.org or call (501) 622-5100.