The BioVentures Advisory Board comprises a select group of individuals from the realms of business, education, philanthropy and the investment community. The Board advises BioVentures on policies and practices to facilitate basic, medical, clinical and translational research; develop information, products and processes resulting from such research; invest and manage assets to meet priority needs of UAMS and BioVentures.
BioVentures Board
Stephanie Gardner
Pharm.D., Ed.D.
Dr. Stephanie Gardner is the Provost and Chief Academic Officer of UAMS. She provides leadership to coordinate academic programs in partnership with the Deans and other campus officials. Dr. Gardner oversees a number of departments and programs that promote academic excellence and enrich the campus’ intellectual environment, including Academic Services, Arkansas Commission on Child Abuse, Rape and Domestic Violence, Campus Life and Student Support Services, Center for Health Literacy, Centers for Simulation Education, Continuing Education, Educational Development, a Faculty Center, Interprofessional Education, Office of the University Registrar, the Library, and Institutional Research, Policy, and Accreditation. Dr. Gardner serves as the Chief Strategy Officer for UAMS and leads the Office of Strategy in implementing, executing, and monitoring UAMS’ ten-year strategic plan, Vision 2029.
Daniel Voth
PH.D.
Dan received his B.S. in Biology from Northwestern Oklahoma State University and obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma in 2006 with a focus on microbiology. Following postdoctoral research at the National Institutes of Health’s Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Dan was recruited to UAMS as an assistant professor and obtained an NIH K22 award to establish his independent research program. Since joining the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in 2009, Dan has been continuously funded by the NIH, recently received a nearly $8 million construction award to renovate the animal and biosafety level-3 facilities at UAMS. Dan’s lab studies the bacterial agent of human Q fever, Coxiella burnetii. His lab pioneered use of human lung tissue and cells to study pulmonary pathogenesis in a human model. Dan was promoted to Professor in 2019 and named Chair of the department in 2019. In February 2024, Dan was promoted to the role of Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation and has served as Interim VCRI since April 7, 2024.
Michelle Whittier Krause
M.D., MPH
Dr. Krause is Chief Executive Officer for UAMS Medical Center and Senior Vice Chancellor for UAMS Health for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Medical Center. She is a professor of Internal Medicine, UAMS College of Medicine. Prior to being to being appointed to this role she was Chief Clinical Officer for UAMS Medical Center and Service Line Director, Integrated Medicine Service Line. Dr. Krause completed her internal medicine residency, clinical and research fellowships in Nephrology at the University of North Carolina Hospitals in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
Amanda George, CPA is the vice chancellor for finance and chief financial officer of UAMS. George previously served as associate vice chancellor for clinical finance and CFO of the integrated clinical enterprise. George joined UAMS in 2013 as administrator for the Department of Internal Medicine, then in 2015, became administrator for the Medical Specialties services line. Before joining UAMS, she served as controller for ambulatory services for the East/Southeast division of Catholic Health Initiatives in Little Rock and assistant controller for St. Vincent Health System hospitals in North Little Rock and Morrilton.
Arthur Orduña
Arthur Orduña is executive director of The Venture Center, a nonprofit entrepreneurial support organization (ESO) driving innovation and economic growth in Arkansas and beyond. He also leads early-stage ventures at Circumference Group LLC and co-founded the Venture Center Arkansas Fund, a venture capital fund investing in tech-based companies. With a proven track record in launching innovative products and services, Orduña has held leadership roles across industries such as software, satellite TV, broadband, IoT and automotive mobility. His expertise spans from early-stage startups to Fortune 500 companies, with a focus on fostering entrepreneurship and investment opportunities.
Nancy Rusch
PH.D
Nancy Rusch, Ph.D., is a distinguished professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at UAMS. For 30 years, she led an NIH-funded cardiovascular research lab focused on vascular abnormalities in hypertension. She also directed an NIH training grant in health science innovation for postdoctoral fellows at UAMS. In 2013 Rusch co-founded PinPoint Testing LLC, a BioVentures start-up that develops products to detect medications and illicit drugs. She served on its board for 10 years. PinPoint Testing became a strategic partner of Bruker Corporation in 2023.
Steve Abell is responsible for adding value and earnings through diversified private equity, strategic and subsidiary investments. Additionally, Abell has responsibility for the strategic and annual planning processes of the enterprise and the Enterprise Project Management Office, which ensures alignment of major projects with strategic, operational, and capital management priorities. Abell joined Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield in 1996 as operations manager of the West Central Regional Office in Fort Smith. He was promoted to regional executive in 1997 and vice president of Enterprise Networks in 2006. He was named vice president of Alliance Management in 2008 and appointed to VP, Strategic Innovations, and Investments in 2011 from which he retired in 2021. Abell received his bachelor’s degree from Bowling Green State University in Ohio and is a graduate of the Wharton School’s Advanced Management Program at the University of Pennsylvania.
Executive in Residence Austin Technology Incubator: Since its inception 30 years ago, ATI has had a dual purpose: to serve the university as an education and research laboratory for entrepreneurship and technology venturing, and to serve as a regional catalyst for economic development. ATI has been central to assisting university and community-based entrepreneurs with building successful business teams, supporting technology ventures, and facilitating access to capital. By mentoring innovators across campus and beyond, working with the regional business community to strengthen emerging technology sectors, and graduating high growth ventures into the local, state, and national economy, ATI has
maintained the reputation as one of the nation’s finest models for technology business incubation.
Bobby W. Sandage
Ph.D.
Bobby W. Sandage, Jr., Ph.D. has over 37 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry in drug development and senior management. He holds three positions in St. Louis: Managing Director of the Paula and Rodger Riney Foundation; General Partner in Cultivation Capital Life Sciences Fund II, a venture fund; and President and CEO of Euclises Pharmaceuticals Inc., a private oncology company. Previously, he was President and CEO of Coronado BioSciences Inc., an immunotherapy company that he took public in 2011. Before that, he served as Vice President of Covidien’s (Mallinckrodt) Pharmaceuticals’ oncology research and development program and was the Chief Scientific Officer at Indevus Pharmaceuticals Inc., which was acquired by Endo Pharmaceuticals in 2009.
Dr. Sandage is Chair of the Board of Directors of Immunophotonics Inc., and holds director positions at Endevica Biotech Inc. and Geneoscopy. He has held numerous board roles, including Chair of the Audit Committee at Mateon, Board Director of Arch Oncology, and Board Director and Scientific Committee Chair at Gentium S.r.l. He is an adjunct Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy and has published over 50 scientific articles. Dr. Sandage earned a B.S. in pharmacy from the University of Arkansas and a Ph.D. in Clinical Pharmacy from Purdue University.