The University of Arkansas at Monticello has received a $500,000 grant from the Windgate Foundation to establish the Weevil Wellness Center, a state-of-the-art, integrated health facility dedicated to serving UAM’s students, faculty and staff.
The grant, which runs through March 2027, will enable the transformation of 2,500 square feet of campus space into a facility offering behavioral health, urgent care and family practice services, delivered collaboratively by UAM and Mainline Health Systems, Inc.
UAM Counseling Services and Mainline Health Behavioral Health Clinic, both currently located in the Gibson University Center, and Mainline Health UAM Medical Clinic, currently located in Maxwell Hall, will relocate to the new center, which will be housed in an unoccupied portion of the Visual and Performing Arts Center, previously the Student Union. The building recently benefited from major upgrades funded by the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council.
Upon completion, the Weevil Wellness Center will feature private exam rooms, behavioral health spaces for individual and group therapy, a laboratory for routine diagnostics, provider offices for UAM and clinical staff and a welcoming reception area designed for privacy and comfort. The center will offer walk-in urgent care, scheduled primary care, behavioral health counseling and group therapy sessions, ensuring that students, faculty and staff have access to high-quality, stigma-free health care.
UAM recognizes the growing need for comprehensive health care services on campus. National trends highlight rising rates of anxiety, depression and stress-related conditions among college students. The Weevil Wellness Center will address these needs by providing a single, accessible location for integrated care.
Research has shown that integrated care models significantly improve patient outcomes and satisfaction. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, such models can reduce depressive symptoms by up to 50 percent compared to traditional care, and students who access integrated services are more likely to persist with treatment and achieve academic success. By providing multiple services under one roof, the Weevil Wellness Center will strengthen care coordination, increase the use of behavioral health services by reducing stigma and enable early identification and intervention of health concerns.
The center will also serve as an invaluable resource for students in nursing, social work and allied health programs, who will gain practical experience through clinical rotations and internships.
“The Windgate Foundation’s generosity is making a profound difference in the lives of our students, faculty and staff,” said Dr. Peggy Doss, chancellor of UAM. “Their commitment to supporting health and wellness on our campus will have lasting benefits not just for the university but also for the broader southeast Arkansas community. We are deeply grateful for their vision and partnership, which continue to inspire us and enable us to provide essential resources that promote well-being, resilience and academic success.”
The 2026 grant marks the sixth gift that the Windgate Foundation has awarded to UAM. In 2020, a $50,000 grant was gifted to support visual arts, enabling the establishment of a graphic design lab for the art program at UAM. Two years later, the university received $205,415, allocated for need-based scholarships, nursing instructors and lab equipment. In 2023, a grant of $298,924 supported scholarships and equipment upgrades for the UAM Colleges of Technology. The following year, the Windgate Foundation provided $750,000 for the renovation of an existing building for a new university art facility. In 2025, the Windgate Foundation established $6.2 million in endowments at UAM to support nursing, teacher education programs and scholarships.
The Windgate Foundation was established in 1993 and is a private, family foundation based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Article courtesy of the University of Arkansas at Monticello.
