Ready for the World regularly provides funding for special projects that help promote international and intercultural awareness. Below are examples of projects that have been funded:
Assistant Professor of Nursing Bonnie Callen and 12 junior and senior nursing students attended the Cherokee Indian Fair, in Cherokee, N.C., in the fall of 2007 where they met with a Cherokee faith healer and learned about the history surrounding the beliefs and healing practices of the Cherokee people. In the spring of 2009, Callen brought a van load of students to the Cherokee nation to participate in and help with the annual AIDS Walk. College officials say they hope to continue the relationship with the Cherokee by offering on-site clinics where students will visit members of the tribe at their homes to assess individual medical needs.
Bonnie Callen, assistant professor, College of Nursing
In the fall of 2007, graphic and information designer Sarah Lowe designed a visual timeline for the 75th anniversary of the Highlander Research and Education Center in New Market, Tenn. The timeline, consisting of six 2-by-5-foot panels, introduced audiences to the center, and walked them through the center’s contributions and accomplishments to preserving Appalachian culture and championing civil rights. Lowe designed the display with moveable panels, and the exhibit has been traveling the state with Highlander staff. While Lowe donated her time to work on the design, a RFTW grant provided for high-end printing and storage containers for the display.
Sarah Lowe, associate professor, School of Art
The communications committee for the campus’ Commission for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) People sponsored a presentation in the fall of 2007 focused on homophobia. Speaking to a standing-room only crowd of more than 100 students, faculty and staff, author Suzanne Pharr addressed “Obsessed with Sex and Power: America’s Struggle with Homophobia and its Relationship to Racism and Sexism,” discussing the common oppression faced by people of color, women and LGBT people. Pharr, former director of the Highlander Center for Research and Education in New Market, Tenn., also emphasized possible responses based on anti-violence, anti-racism, gender equality, democratic participation, economic justice and human rights for all.
Donna Braquet, assistant professor, Hodges Library
This joint exhibition project between UT and Universidad Simon Bolivar included photographs, video and narrative gathered from communities of African descent living in Ecuador. The exhibit featured the little known African diaspora in the regions of Esmeraldas and the Chota Valley. Fifty photographs taken over a 30-year period were matched with oral testimonies; the video component documents the Afro-Ecuadorian Festival of the Kings (Epiphany). The exhibit debuted in Quito in the spring of 2006 and moved to Knoxville in the fall of 2006, where it was displayed at UT’s Downtown Gallery from October through November.
William Dewey, associate professor of art history, College of Arts and Sciences, and Raymond Hall, lecturer in Africana Studies, College of Arts and Sciences
UT’s Center for the International Study of Youth and Political Violence held its inaugural seminar in the fall of 2006, bringing together some of the world’s foremost experts from Israel, Palestine, Northern Ireland and South Africa to discuss the impact of violence on youth in war-torn areas of the world. “Adolescents and War: How Youth Deal with Political Violence” featured discussions of youth experiences in conflict regions, refugee issues and the role of non-governmental organizations in meeting the needs of youth. The center’s 2007 conference took place in Cape Town, South Africa, and focused on a case study of youth and political violence in Northern Africa. The following year, the conference moved to Belfast, Northern Ireland, and highlighted the plight of youth in South Africa. The fall 2009 conference will take place in East Jerusalem and focus on the youth of Bosnia.
Karen Sowers, Dean, College of Social Work; Mick Nordquist, professor and head, Child and Family Studies, College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences; Brian Barber, professor, Child and Family Studies, College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences
UT faculty visited Hue University in Vietnam to observe agricultural practices and discuss potential collaborative research and education in the spring of 2006. UT has a memorandum of understanding with Hue University, with plans to establish regular faculty exchanges, collaborative research and education, and student tours. In addition to the experiences gained by faculty and students, the collaboration is contributing to the increased internationalization of the agriculture curriculum.
Kelly Robbins, professor of animal science, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
A multidisciplinary conference focusing on the Hispanic immigration to Tennessee was held in the spring of 2006. Tennessee's Latino population is forecast to double within the next 20 years. This conference focused the challenges this increase will pose for professionals such as nurses, educators, journalists, social workers and lawyers.
Jon Shefner, associate professor of sociology, College of Arts and Sciences; Fran Ansley, professor, College of Law
Faculty members from the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences visited United Arab Emirates University and selected social service agencies in the fall of 2006 to learn more about human services and counseling in a predominantly Muslim country. The professors used what they learned to develop enhanced UT course materials, broaden the world view of UT students and create awareness of the place of social services in Muslim culture. The faculty members also are laying the groundwork for a Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad proposal.
Marianne Woodside and Tricia McClam, professors, educational psychology and counseling, College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences
