“…to give you the vision that the ultimate goal of true education is to plant the seed of self worth in the heart of each student.”

The UCA Mashburn Institute creates resources and opportunities that empower Arkansas teachers to promote a sense of purpose, hope, academic achievement, and resilience for all learners as they experience barriers to learning.

Dr. J. D. Mashburn of Silver Spring, Md., attended the University of Central Arkansas for three years. He completed his pre-medical coursework in 1949. During this period, he also met, and later proposed to and married, the former Mary Lou Johnson. Following graduation at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Dr. Mashburn established a private medical practice in Rison, Arkansas. He also completed a residency in Pathology from the University of Tennessee after serving his country in the military. He later became Assistant Chief of the Laboratories at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin. In addition, he held a joint appointment as Assistant Clinical Professor of Pathology at the University of Wisconsin. Dr. Mashburn traveled south to Memphis where he was appointed Assistant Chief of Laboratories at the Methodist Hospital in Memphis, and held a joint appointment as Assistant Clinical Professor of Pathology at the University of Tennessee. From there, he went to Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park, Maryland, where he retired as Director of Laboratories.  While Dr. Mashburn distinguished himself in the medical profession, he distinguished himself even more with his appetite to champion struggling learners. Dr. Mashburn understood the trials and triumphs of the struggling learner because of his intimate knowledge of the challenges associated with those diagnosed with a learning disability.

In 1991, Dr. and Mrs. Mashburn established in collaboration with the University of Central Arkansas, the Christine Greenhaw Mashburn Institute on Learning Disabilities to honor his mother and to help classroom teachers use exemplary practices in teaching students with learning disabilities. Dr. Mashburn’s vision for students, his hope for education, and his support for new programs at UCA, has touched the lives of hundreds of educators and thousands of students.

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