Public Service

We strive to fulfill our mission as a land-grant university by serving the citizens of our community and state—and increasingly, our nation and world. Our efforts extend beyond the campus and into our community through many partnerships, ranging from an annual statewide high school science and humanities symposium to scholarship programs to recruit and retain students from underserved populations.
 
The Center for Leadership & Service takes hundreds of helping hands on alternative spring and fall break trips to improve homes, churches, and communities in need.

Thousands of young men and women have raised funds in excess of $1 million through UT’s annual Dance Marathon, which benefits East Tennessee Children’s Hospital cancer and blood-disease programs.

Since 1995, thirty Knox County families have received homes through UT-led Habitat for Humanity building projects.

Our research and public service missions often converge when renowned faculty leading innovative work in fields such as smart grid technology, forensic anthropology, bioremediation, archaeology, and medieval studies, work in tandem with community groups to improve the practical and intellectual lives of the public.

Our academic departments harness the power of intellectual capital to tackle social issues and create positive change. The College of Social Work’s Tennessee Partnership for Ongoing Parental Support teaches incarcerated fathers about becoming better parents.

Each year, the College of Engineering assists local high school students competing in the annual FIRST robotics competition, an event that inspires and engages the next generation’s science and technology leaders.

For more than a decade, the College of Nursing and the local Volunteer Ministry Center have run the People’s Clinic. The clinic provides various health care services to the homeless, including dental work, flu shots, blood pressure checks, and basic first aid.