Did you know that UT has a place to find out your exact body fat percentage, resting metabolic testing, and lactate threshold? Brian Rider, a graduate assistant at the UT Center for Physical Activity and Health, talks about the center’s big idea of helping people in Knoxville get healthy and active. For more information, visit the center’s website.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOAhXNKHKJs

They plan to pass out 1,000 “Buddy Poppies” to faculty, staff, and students to wear the week before Memorial Day, May 20 through 25. Last year, the Task Force passed out 500 poppies and saw enough interest to double the distribution this year.

“A lot of people asked about them last year because we were wearing them around campus,” said Mary Mahoney, assistant director of Career Services, who helped coordinate the program.

The Buddy Poppy movement was started by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) organization after World War I. It was inspired by the poem “In Flanders Field” by John McCrae, which described the red poppies growing on a battle site where many soldiers were buried. Later, some disabled veterans got jobs making artificial poppies for the VFW.

Artificial poppies are often worn on Memorial Day and Veterans Day in the United States and on Remembrance Day in the United Kingdom.

Buddy Poppies at UT will be distributed on a card displaying “In Flanders Field.” The Task Force encourages campus faculty, staff, and students to keep the cards visible throughout the year to show support for UT veterans.

During the 2012 calendar year, there were 811 student veterans at UT and 143 faculty and staff veterans.

If you’d like to request a poppy for yourself or enough for your office, contact Mahoney (mmahoney@utk.edu, 974-7791) or Marva Rudolph (mrudolp1@utk.edu, 974-2498).

The Task Force in Support of Student Veterans was established in the fall of 2011 by Vice Chancellor Tim Rogers to acknowledge the sacrifices of veterans and provide resources and support for veterans at UT and is housed in the Safety, Environment and Education Center. For more information on the Task Force or to find out how you can get involved, visit the Task Force website or email Ashley Blamey at ashleyblamey@utk.edu.

Did you know that spending time with your furry friends can ease stress? Ed Cortez, professor and director of the School of Information Sciences, had the big idea of making studying more relaxing for students by visiting with service dogs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqQgmKQcz5M

Distinguished Professor Dan Simberloff, the Gore-Hunger Professor of Environmental Science in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a leading expert in invasive species, had the idea of starting an institute to study biological invasions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Loa2wly3rgY

“People loved the idea. The response has been overwhelming,” said Gary Peacock, director of Campus Renewal Ministries’ Campus House of Prayer at UT, who had seen similar projects at other campuses around the country. Peacock reached out to UT’s campus ministries and asked each to submit information for one day.

Pray UT is thirty-one days long, although it’s not dated so it can be used any time.

Each day features a prayer, a scripture passage, a description of the organization that submitted it, and a group of people at the university to specifically pray for. The groups range from faculty and staff to transfer students and students with disabilities, to support staff and the Board of Regents.

Campus Renewal formatted each entry and designed hard-copy and PDF versions. They also hope to turn the book into a mobile app.

The book has been distributed to the participating campus ministries and they are using it this month. Several churches in the Knoxville area are also using the book, and Campus Renewal continues to receive requests for copies.

Peacock said he was amazed by how the idea took off.

“It happened really fast,” and the contributing organizations are “across the board, from Roman Catholics to Baptists,” Peacock said. Within two weeks, the book was put together and enough money was raised to publish it.

“It’s groundbreaking,” Peacock said. “It’s the largest collaborative faith project we’ve done at UT.”

Anyone who would like a free copy can e-mail utk@campusrenewal.org or stop by the Campus House of Prayer, 1915 Lake Avenue, to pick up a hard copy.

—

C O N T A C T :

Holly Gary (865-974-2225, hgary@utk.edu)

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, amy.blakely@tennessee.edu)

Will Burleson, a sophomore in biochemistry and cellular and molecular biology, has the idea of launching more service abroad programs at UT.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v06N4hmdV3E

Let first-generation faculty and staff members mentor them.

Cummings, associate dean and chair of the Gerontology Certificate Program in the College of Social Work, said the idea grew out of her involvement with Higher Education Resource Services (HERS).

“Last summer I was of two women chosen by the Chancellor’s Office and the Commission for Women to participate in the HERS Leadership Institute,” Cumming said. “Every year they choose one or two women to participate. As part of the institute, each HERS participant completes a leadership project. The development of the First-Generation Mentoring Program is my leadership project.”

The Student Success Center, in collaboration with the Office of Multicultural Student Life, will oversee the First-Generation Mentoring Program for incoming Promise students.

The project needs fifteen first-generation faculty or professional staff members who are willing to serve as mentors for fifteen first-generation, first-year students during the 2013–2014 academic year.

The goal of the program is to support first-generation students as they transition to college, provide them with role models, increase their awareness of UT resources and culture, enhance their success skills, and help ensure their retention.

Faculty and staff mentors will share their life experiences with their mentees, assist them in navigating the university system, and help them determine their personal strengths and weaknesses and seek appropriate campus resources.

Faculty and staff mentors will commit to six monthly face-to-face meetings—three per semester—during the course of the academic year. There also will be an orientation meeting at the start of the fall 2013 semester and a closing celebration at the end of the spring 2014 semester. The program will provide support for mentors throughout the academic year.

First-generation faculty or professional staff members who would like to serve as a mentor are invited complete the application here no later than May 15, 2013.

Back then, Leiper, general manager of Gatlinburg’s Chamber of Commerce, wanted to develop an event that showcased the vast amount of flora and fauna in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

He wrote to Samuel Meyer, then head of the botany department at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, requesting the department arrange a spring flower jubilee.

Seeing the opportunity to turn the park into a giant outdoor classroom for students, botanists, and nature-lovers alike, Meyer agreed.

Meyer recruited UT professors Fred Norris and Royal Shanks to work alongside Great Smoky Mountains National Park naturalist Art Stupka and the city of Gatlinburg to organize the first ever Wildflower Pilgrimage.

Today, the Wildflower Pilgrimage attracts more than a thousand people from thirty-five states and other countries. The four-day event features more than 140 guided walks and indoor presentations that cover the region’s rich wildflowers, fauna, ecology, and cultural and natural history. More than a hundred leaders from UT and surrounding states take part.

“This is a unique opportunity to experience the most biologically diverse area in the continental US,” said Ken McFarland, chair of the Wildflower Pilgrimage organizing committee and lecturer in the biology department.

Participants can learn about edible, medicinal, and otherwise useful plants, photograph wildflowers, and see some of the grandest wildflower displays in the Smokies.

This year’s event will be held April 23 through 27. Online registration is now open.

Students Lindsey Huff and Jordan Norton have the big idea of making 20 percent of UT’s food “real food” as part of a national competition called the Real Food Challenge. For more information, visit the Real Food Challenge website.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMrgzzske58

Tami Wyatt’s big idea is called DocuCare. An assistant professor of nursing, Wyatt and her idea are helping build a better workforce of health professionals worldwide.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dC-jCJ_3k3I

Gracie McGuire and Christian Sullivan. Photo by Kate Lord.

Christian Sullivan, a junior in animal science, was so impressed after learning about She’s the First—an international organization that promotes literacy and social justice for women in developing countries by sponsoring education—that he had the big idea to start a chapter.

Sullivan now has the special distinction of being the first male president of a university chapter of She’s the First.

Sullivan learned about She’s the First after participating in a fund raiser for the organization through his fraternity, Phi Mu Alpha, and Alpha Chi Omega sorority. Last spring, he chartered UT’s chapter, and this semester the organization was officially recognized by the university.

The chapter’s philanthropic project is the Starfish One by One Program in Guatemala. The program works to educate adolescent Mayan girls in the rural Lake Atitlan region.

They held a bake sale in the fall to raise money for the Starfish One by One Program. This semester, they plan to hold a screening of a documentary about She’s the First to raise awareness about the program. They also will participate in a CNN-sponsored event called #basicmath. She’s the First members and other UT students will display pieces of paper on the Pedestrian Walkway reading “A Girl + Education =” with different ideas about why they think educating girls is important. Dates for these events will be announced soon.

She’s the First brought Sullivan and UT chapter Vice President Gracie McGuire to New York in October to participate in the inaugural International Day of the Girl at the Young Women’s Leadership School of Brooklyn. They submitted proposals to the United Nations with solutions to specific international problems related to girls’ education.

For more information about She’s the First, visit shesthefirst.org. To join UT’s chapter, contact Christian Sullivan at csulli28@utk.edu.

That’s why, starting this fall, online learning activities about alcohol awareness and financial responsibility will be part of FYS 100, the credit/no-credit course all freshmen must take.

As in the past, FYS 100 also requires freshmen to read the Life of the Mind book, complete a response to the book, attend an author discussion, and complete several online tutorials, including instruction on how to use campus technology, a review of UT’s plagiarism policy and student success resources, and lessons about civility and coping with college issues.

Freshmen must complete all ten assignments to earn credit for FYS 100. Most of the tutorials take thirty minutes or less to complete.

Jessie Abernathy, assistant director of First-Year Studies, said alcohol awareness and financial literacy are critical issues for freshmen.

“Financial stress can be just as big a factor in student success as academics,” she said. The new online activity, “I.O.U.: The Essentials of Financial Responsibility,” covers financial aid responsibility, personal finances, and credit savvy.

Ashley Blamey, director of the Safety, Environment, and Education (SEE) Center, said the center developed the new “Alcohol and You” online tutorial to begin prevention education before students arrive on campus.

Phi Beta Kappa is the nation’s oldest and best-known honor society. It was founded at the College of William and Mary in 1776, during the American Revolution. UT established its Phi Beta Kappa chapter in 1965.

“At one time, Phi Beta Kappa was active on campus and lots of faculty participated. But over the years, fewer and fewer have. We are trying to get a core of members to keep this thing going,” said Kovac, president of the UT chapter. Dawn Coleman, associate professor of English, is the chapter secretary.

Students who meet the membership criteria, which include taking a sufficient number of liberal arts courses, are invited to join Phi Beta Kappa in their junior or senior year. Kovac is focusing on identifying faculty and staff who are already members.

Kovac said he has a membership list, now several years old, which includes about 100 names of UT faculty and staff, some of whom are retired or have left the university. Only a handful of members are actively involved, however.

He suspects there are many faculty and staff who became members at the colleges and universities where they received their degree. He wants to them to come forward to help bring the campus chapter back to life.

“It’s important, first of all, for our students,” he said, noting that UT can’t initiate new members unless there’s an active campus chapter to do it. “Our best students should be recognized in this way. If they put it on their resume, it carries weight.”

A revitalized Phi Beta Kappa chapter also could host academic events, such as speakers or awards ceremonies, he said.

Having an active Phi Beta Kappa chapter is something expected of a Top 25 university.

“Those places that we aspire to be like all have Phi Beta Kappa chapters,” he said.

Phi Beta Kappa members who would like to be regularly informed about the campus chapter’s activities are asked to contact Kovac at jkovac@utk.edu. Include your name, electing institution and year, and your e-mail address.

For more information about Phi Beta Kappa, visit the website.

Jazz for Tots, a charity event for the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots Campaign, will feature jazz ensembles performing holiday classics. This year’s concert begins at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 2, in the James R. Cox Auditorium in the Alumni Memorial Building. Admission is a new unwrapped toy to donate to the Toys for Tots campaign.

“The concert is always fun,” said Brown. “The students’ arrangements of the songs are very creative.”

Brown, an adjunct associate professor of music and director of the Jazz Big Band and other small jazz combos, first organized the performance twenty-four years ago with the idea of incorporating jazz ensembles in a concert benefiting the Toys for Tots campaign.

Lindsay Lee, a junior majoring in Spanish and math, has the big idea of starting Disability Awareness Week at UT. The week begins November 26 and includes events such as an art show and public forum. Read more about Disability Awareness Week in Tennessee Today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctAgtf9bn3Q

Russ Coughenour, director of career services, has the big idea of the Greater Knoxville Area Consortium of Employers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFge4q5KOW4

The first group of the pins will be given out today at an orientation session for veterans who are preparing to start classes at UT in the spring as transfer students.

The pins aren’t for widespread distribution; they are for student veterans.

Blamey said she hopes student veterans will wear the pins on their backpacks, shirts, or jackets. When they see someone else wearing the same pin, they’ll know they’ve found another veteran.

“We look for ways we can help them feel connected and recognized while also acknowledging they may be surrounded by classmates who do not share their same life experiences,” said Blamey, who also chairs the Task Force in Support of Student Veterans. The task force was created last fall to coordinate campus resources and link support services for student veterans.

UT has 799 student veterans or their dependents enrolled this year—a jump of more than 70 percent since 2009.

Students who are serving or have served in the military are invited to contact call 974-5725 or email ashleyblamey@utk.edu to get a pin.

Do you have a Big Idea to share? Now is your chance!

The Office of Communications and Marketing will be filming “What’s Your Big Idea?” videos from 9:00 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, November 28, at the television studio in Communications Building Room 91.

Participants are asked to share their ideas in two ways—first, tell us about your idea in about a minute for a video that will appear on the university’s homepage; and then tell us about your idea in about twenty seconds for a video that could appear on the jumbotron during the Vols’ home basketball games.

For examples of past videos, visit UT’s YouTube page.

Melahnie Springfield, an advertising graduate student, had the big idea to start a popular blog about self-segregation in social media.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XUwedSYUdg

So they organized the Barefoot Benefit 5K, which invited barefoot runners and walkers alike to participate in the 3.1-mile race. The third annual event, which took place last month in Maryville, drew about 150 participants and raised roughly $5,000 for Samaritan Place.

“This whole experience has been such a blessing to me,” said Heather Lin, a UT junior and member of the Barefoot Benefit team. “I can firmly say that being a part of the team has taught me more than all of the classes I have taken combined. It has meant more to me than just a learning experience. I truly feel like I have grown to become a responsible young adult throughout the planning process.”

From left, Martin Leamon, Natalie Rammer, professor Ernie Cadotte, Nicole Rammer, Heather Lin, and Garret Daniel.

The students organized the benefit as part of a service-learning course taught by business professor Ernie Cadotte.

Martin Leamon, a UT junior and Barefoot Benefit team member, said he wanted the money raised to impact as many seniors as possible at Samaritan Place.

“I have high hopes that a significant amount of public awareness was also raised for the Samaritan Place,” he said.

For more information about the Barefoot Benefit, visit the Facebook page.