Walton-backed STEM university names first president
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David Mazyck. Photo: Courtesy of the Alice L. Walton Foundation
The planned Bentonville STEM university on Wednesday named its first president and said it's preparing to demolish the former Walmart Home Office, where the school will be located.
Why it matters: Turning a former corporate landmark into a STEM university positions the project as a long-term anchor for education, talent development and downtown growth in Bentonville.
State of play: The Walton family is backing the development of the yet-to-be-named university. David Mazyck, most recently a professor and head of the School of Engineering Design and Innovation at Penn State University, was selected to lead the school.
- Mazyck will oversee the formation of the nonprofit, which will embed artificial intelligence across academics, teaching and operations, a news release states.
- Previously, he was a professor of environmental engineering sciences at the University of Florida, where he held several roles over 22 years.
Zoom in: The Runway Group, a holding company for Steuart and Tom Walton, which purchased the property for $60 million, said buildings at 508 and 608 SW 8th St. are set to be removed in the coming weeks.
- A mixed-use project with office space, a hotel, multifamily housing, retail and the university will be built on the site.
- About 7,000 tons of concrete and 900 tons of steel will be recycled or salvaged from the old campus, a news release said.
What they're saying: "Dr. Mazyck brings the imagination, intellectual rigor, and builder's instinct to create something genuinely new in higher education," Steuart Walton said in a statement.
- "He has consistently challenged conventional models and is uniquely qualified to lead our efforts to design programs that equip students to solve complex problems, lead with confidence, and build what comes next in an AI-driven world."
What's next: The university plans to welcome its first class of students in 2029.
Editor's note: A photo was removed from this story because it showed a building not slated for demolition.