During the various training scenarios, officers placed in response teams encountered violent, dynamic situations. Active shooters, improvised explosive devices, and fatally wounded ‘victims’ were several of the elements the teams negotiated.

Many of the response teams were comprised of officers from different local law enforcement agencies.

“Training together prior to an emergency enhances our ability to respond effectively when an actual situation occurs,” said UTPD Chief Troy Lane. “Realistic training to prepare emergency responders is an invaluable tool.”

UTPD hosts exercises like these to prepare a response to a potentially violent situation on campus.

Two years ago, UT chapter members traveled to Uganda to help students at an orphanage and school plant a garden so they could have a constant food supply.

Their desire to help combat extreme poverty has led Nourish International members from UT to Uganda and Peru. This summer, it’s taking them to Guatemala.

The group, which left today, will spend six weeks working with the Guatemalan organization Unidas para Vivir Mejor (UPAVIM), which seeks to empower the women of Guatemala through programs including education, employment opportunities, day care, and health care services. The organization’s name translates to “United for Better Living.”

UT’s Nourish chapter is teaming up with the Indiana University chapter for this trip. Seven of the 10 students on the trip are from UT.

Amber Donaldson, president of the UT chapter, said they chose to work with UPAVIM this year because several group members were interested in working in a Spanish-speaking area—but more importantly, they were impressed by the organization’s goals.

“This organization works within an at-risk community to address some of the major issues facing global poverty, such as lack of education and lack of women’s empowerment initiatives, in a very practical, sustainable way,” she said. “Nourish International seeks to help eradicate global poverty through projects that address both of these issues.”

Nourish International was founded at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2003 and now has twenty-nine chapters nationwide. UT’s chapter formed three years ago.

The national office pairs chapters based on their needs. Working with Indiana, Donaldson said, will allow the two chapters to pool their resources.

Jennifer Smith, past leader of the UT chapter, works at a Nourish International fundraiser on campus.

Last year, UT Nourish members helped fund community development projects, such as improving water sanitation, in Cerro Blanco, Peru. The year before, they traveled to Uganda to help students at an orphanage and school plant a garden so they could have a constant food supply.

Donaldson said she enjoys the freedom Nourish gives its chapters, allowing them to choose service projects based on members’ interests and encouraging them to find creative ways to raise money.

More than anything, though, working with Nourish gives her a sense of accomplishment.

“As a student, it is easy to feel insignificant when it comes to making measurable changes in the outside world,” she said, “but Nourish gives students an outlet to come together and have a positive impact on the fight to end global poverty and implement projects that have a lasting effect, which is truly amazing.”

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C O N T A C T :

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

That may change this summer when she spends eight weeks in Nizwa, Oman, on a US State Department Critical Language Scholarship.

Critical Language Scholarships give college students the opportunity to study abroad and take intensive courses in languages US student don’t often study—non-Western European languages that are crucial to US foreign relations. This year, the State Department awarded 610 scholarships in thirteen languages. The selected students represent all fifty states, plus Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, and come from 200 different institutions. The scholarships provide funding for travel, housing, meals, and other expenses.

Awad, a Haslam Scholar, grew up in Knoxville, but her father is Palestinian. She just completed her second semester of Arabic at UT. She had known about the Critical Language Scholarships for several years, but almost didn’t apply for one.

“I didn’t think I’d get the scholarship as a freshman,” she said.

She learned about them while studying Chinese at Hardin Valley Academy. Then, as part of the Haslam Scholars Program, she took a course on national scholarships with Nicole Fazio-Veigel, assistant director of UT’s Office of National Scholarships and Fellowships, who encouraged her to apply.

Awad applied to study Arabic and was then placed in at the University of Nizwa, one of seven locations where Critical Language Scholarship winners can study Arabic.

While there, she’ll have class four hours a day, five days a week, and about four hours of homework each night. On nights and weekends, she will do some sight seeing locally and meet members of the Nizwa community, with whom she can practice speaking.

She will be in Oman during Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting, which she says will be “a really cool time to be in the Middle East.”

She hopes she’ll be able to visit family in Abu Dhabi before returning to the United States.

The Critical Language Scholarship Program is administered by American Councils for International Education and The Ohio State University. For more information about the program or other exchange programs offered by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, visit clscholarship.org or exchanges.state.gov.

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C O N T A C T :

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

UT Ambassadors held a surprise party for Robert “Taylor” Thomas, center, when he gave his 300th campus tour.

He knows that the only two graves on UT’s campus belong to dogs and that the most popular class on campus is the History of Rock n’ Roll.

Robert “Taylor” Thomas knows dozens of fun facts about UT.

Thomas, who graduates from the College of Arts and Sciences today with a degree in philosophy, has learned many things at UT. But as a UT Ambassador, he has taught many things as well.

UT Ambassadors are the student liaisons and tour guides for prospective students and their parents who are visiting campus.

Thomas made sure his tours were filled with useful—and quirky—information about UT.

“The Torchbearer’s torch went out once when LSU fans put a jack-o-lantern on it. Another time its arm fell off. Also, in 1974, a public streak was held on Cumberland Avenue after Walter Cronkite named Knoxville the ‘Streaking Capital of the World.’ That’s why we call Cumberland ‘The Strip.’ Those are just some of my favorites,” Thomas said.

Thomas, of Lexington, Tennessee, has given more than 300 campus tours, setting what is believed to be a nationwide record for campus tours.

“My job meant everything to me. Getting on that bus and seeing people’s faces—it was a fun time. I was here to get an education, but being a student ambassador was a very special part of my college experience.”

Thomas applied to be a UT Ambassador at the end of his freshman year. After a year of being an Ambassador, he applied for a leadership position.

“I asked him how he would gain the respect of upperclassmen who had been in the program longer,” said Laura Stansell, assistant director of admissions. “He paused, then said, ‘Well, I don’t speak up a lot, so I like to think that when I do, people listen.’ How right he was!”

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C O N T A C T :

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, ablakely@utk.edu)

Growing up in Panama, he saw the lawlessness of dictator Manuel Noriega’s regime. And, he said, the fall of the dictatorship in 1989 is etched in his memory.

“Coming to law school is, in a way, coming back to that and remembering that it’s important for a country to be ruled by law,” he said.

Yunsan moved to the United States in 1994 for school. He has lived in the Knoxville area for the past nineteen years.

“I became an adult here,” he said. “Knoxville is home now.”

He has a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and a master’s degree in nutrition and public health, both from UT. He worked in public health for eight years before entering law school.

The Knox County Health Department sponsored Yunsan when he went to work for them so he could become a permanent resident of the United States. Previously, he had been in the country on student and work visas.

At first, he wanted to study law so he could work on health policy and “make a larger impact on people” than he could in public health, he said. Once in law school, he discovered “law has a lot of exciting areas to go into.”

He chose UT’s advocacy and dispute resolution track. Once he graduates, he’ll be working for the office of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell and Berkowitz PC in Knoxville. He will split his time between commercial litigation and civil defense.

He lives in West Knoxville with his wife, Paromita, who is from India.

“Our house is very international,” he said. “Our dogs are Australian shepherds.”

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C O N T A C T :

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

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

The first Aloha Oe was held in May 1926 on Shields-Watkins Field and featured a muddy game of tug-of-war, students in grass skirts, and ukuleles. It has since become a more formal ceremony, with students dressed in caps and gowns, processing up the Hill to the lawn of the campus’s hallmark building. Despite the changes, the ceremony’s purpose remains the same: to give the graduating seniors a meaningful conclusion to their undergraduate years.

Former Volunteers quarterback and current Assistant Athletic Director Condredge Holloway was the guest speaker. Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek and Melissa Shivers, assistant vice chancellor for student life, also spoke. Outgoing Student Government Association president Adam Roddy and outgoing chief of staff Allison Cunningham addressed their fellow students as well.

Visit Flickr to see more photos from Aloha Oe.

But he made it, and today, thirty-two-year-old Amos graduates from UT with a bachelor’s degree in communication studies.

Amos graduated from Central High School in Knoxville in 1999 and enrolled in Pellissippi State Community College.

After a year, he decided to leave school and work.

“I wanted to challenge myself in other ways and explore alternate business opportunities,” he said.

He got a job in cellular telephone sales, eventually moving to Charlotte, North Carolina, and being promoted to director of training.

He wanted more, “but I quickly discovered that without a bachelor’s degree, my options were limited,” he said.

In 2009, a decade after graduating from high school, Amos—divorced and with a young son—moved back to Knoxville and re-enrolled in Pellissippi State.

“I was determined to get the degree because I realized it was the only path to a better life for me and my son,” he said.

After two years, Amos transferred to UT.

He juggled classes with being a full-time dad and working full time, first doing maintenance for an apartment complex and later returning to cellular telephone sales.

Amos said it’s taken a lot of perseverance to finish college after so many years.

“It doesn’t matter when you start, just finish,” he said.

And commencement is just the beginning.

He recently got engaged. He’s planning a tour of the Pacific coast with his father. And, with his degree in hand, he’s looking forward to what the future brings for himself and his six-year-old son, Hayden.

“I want Hayden to grow up understanding that some things are worth the wait. It’s taken me longer than I expected to finish my degree, but it’s definitely been worth it,” he said.

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C O N T A C T :

Charles Primm (865-974-5180, Charles.primm@tennessee.edu)

Brandon Lawson stands at attention as President George W. Bush prepares for take-off in Marine One.

While he was in the Marine Corps, Brandon Lawson spent two years serving President George W. Bush as crew chief on Marine One, the Black Hawk helicopter that transported the president to and from Air Force One, the presidential jet.

After his honorable discharge from the military, Lawson enrolled at UT. On Friday, the twenty-seven-year-old graduates with a degree in logistics and international business.

“In 2010, when I enrolled in the College of Business Administration, I quickly realized that my service in the Marines had prepared me well,” Lawson said. “The operational tempo of serving on the president’s helicopter required me to be task-oriented, patient, and committed to working through a process to the end.”

While at UT, Lawson interned with the UT football team’s recruiting program. He’s now been hired full time.

“In many ways, the culture of college football is similar to that of the Marines,” he said. “In both arenas, young men train long and hard to achieve their best.”

Lawson learned about the opportunity to serve on Marine One while in Marine Corps flight school. He completed security clearances and was chosen for the job.

“While most of my Marine Corps colleagues spent their days dressed in camouflage fatigues, I reported to work in my dress blues and greeted the president with a salute every time he climbed aboard the chopper,” Lawson said.

“Most Americans see only the public face of their president, but on Marine One I stood only a few feet away from President Bush, and I overheard his conversations with his wife, Laura, Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove, and Secret Service Agent Donald White. When the helicopter’s doors closed and the president was beyond the reach of the press, he really relaxed and was always open and direct, whether he was discussing US politics or foreign policy.”

Lawson said flying on Marine One also gave him the chance to see the world.

“Wherever in the world the president traveled, we arrived ahead of him, greeted him as he stepped off Air Force One, and shuttled him to events and meetings within the host country,” he said. “During my two years with the president, I visited Thailand, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Liberia, Egypt, Vietnam, Uruguay, Italy, Vatican City, and Latvia.

“For me, one of the highlights of my life was flying aboard Marine One high above Cairo, with the president on board, and peering down to see the Great Pyramid of Giza.”

Lawson said his service in the Marines has given him skills he’ll use the rest of his life.

“Perhaps the most important one is the ability to see the big picture—much like taking in the view from 10,000 feet in Marine One—and clearly seeing the series of steps necessary to realizing your dreams,” he said.

“My attitude toward my future reflects a fundamental lesson I learned in the Marines: You have to set yourself up to succeed. You have to prepare to win. ”

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C O N T A C T :

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, ablakely@utk.edu)

Cindy Raines (865-974-4359, craines1@utk.edu)

She is the third generation of women in her family to earn their degrees from UT.

Sams, of Kingston, Tennessee, will get her bachelor’s degree in recreation and sport management with a concentration in therapeutic recreation. She graduates from the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences.

Sams’s grandmother, Betty M. “Bay” Walker, graduated in 1953 with a master’s degree in family relations and child development and went on to work at three colleges, retiring from McNeese State University.

Sams’s mother, Beth Walker Sams, earned her bachelor’s degree in fashion merchandising in 1983. She now works as the sheriff’s assistant in Roane County.

Beth Walker Sams said family had a huge influence on her decision to attend UT thirty years ago.

Not only was her mother an alumna, her father attended UT, but he was drafted into the military before he could finish. Her uncle is also a UT grad.

“All three of my brothers chose to attend UT,” she said. “As the younger sister, I spent many years following my brothers in their many endeavors.

“Although there were several factors that went into my decision to attend UT, such as quality of education and location, it was an easy decision to follow my siblings.”

She remembers feeling anxious as she stood in in line to register for her first semester of classes.

“Being a very young freshman, I wondered if I would ever be able to make it through the next four years. As I stood in line, my brother Patrick walked by and laughed at me. Suddenly, I felt like everything would be OK because my brothers were here.”

For current grad Andrea Sams, UT was a perfect fit—near family, but ripe with opportunities for her to explore her own interests.

“I wanted to stay close to home, and I loved sports so I couldn’t wait to go to football games,” she said. “I loved being at the football games so much that I joined The Pride of the Southland Marching Band color guard for two years.”

Sams also spent three years working with children with disabilities at Camp Koinonia, a weeklong camp hosted by UT’s Therapeutic Recreation Program. And, since she was close enough to commute home, she continued to work as a child care provider at her church.

This semester she did a semester-long internship with Anderson County Schools.

At its recent awards celebration, the Department of Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sports Studies presented Sams with the Samuel A. Venable Award for her commitment to the university and the profession through service.

“I’ve loved being active, and I’ve developed a real passion for children with special needs,” said Sams, who is considering graduate school.

While Sams is graduating, the family tradition will continue next year.

“My little sister will be coming to UT in the fall as a freshman,” Andrea Sams said.

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C O N T A C T :

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, ablakely@utk.edu)

In the past, she said, “it’s been difficult for nursing students to graduate with honors.” The rigor of the nursing curriculum kept them from finishing their honors requirements.

This year, Sadie Hutson, associate professor of nursing, launched an honors program within the college. To graduate with honors, students must complete eight honors nursing courses and maintain a GPA of 3.5.

Since Wilson, from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was a senior and unable to take all of the new honors courses, she achieved honors status by adding service-learning components to some of her classes through a contract. She worked with Under the Bridge, part of Lost Sheep Ministries, to help the homeless.

Adding the service component was a natural fit for Wilson, who has been active in campus and community projects throughout her college career.

As a freshman, she got involved with Dance Marathon, a student-run philanthropy for children with cancer, through the encouragement of one of her sisters in the Alpha Delta Pi sorority. She volunteered with Dance Marathon her junior and senior year as well. This year, she was the family relations chair for Dance Marathon and helped coordinate some of the organization’s volunteer efforts at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital.

Wilson was familiar with the hospital because she had done an externship and preceptorship there. In her externship—an internship limited to observation—she learned about all the different departments in the hospital. In her preceptorship—clinical experience required for nursing students—she worked specifically in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

“I have loved it,” she said. “I think I’ll probably want to do something with critical care.”

She’ll be starting her residency at Vanderbilt University’s pediatrics program in July.

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C O N T A C T :

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

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

Commencement ceremonies begin Wednesday and continue through Saturday. King will participate in the College of Business Administration commencement ceremonies on May 10. Her bachelor’s degree is in human resources.

As an eighteen-year-old freshman, King found out she was pregnant. She resolved to finish her degree while raising her child as a single mother.

Her son, Grant, who turns three in August, “has been a huge blessing to me and my family,” King said.

Yet, his unexpected arrival was a tough assignment for a young college student.

Grant was born a week before King began her sophomore year. Rather than withdraw from school, King dropped from a full course load to taking only two classes during the fall semester.

King returned to full-time status the next spring and has taken classes every summer term so she could graduate in four years. Beyond managing a full course load and raising a child, King accepted an internship with DeRoyal Industries during her junior year. Throughout her senior year she interned at Oak Ridge Associated Universities in addition to having a part-time job.

Though King is a single parent, she’s quick to acknowledge the support she’s received. Her parents care for Grant during the day, and Grant’s father, who also graduated from UT this spring, and his family remain involved in Grant’s life.

King is also the recipient of the Moll Anderson Endowed Scholarship for single parents pursuing business degrees. The endowment was established in 2010 by author, lifestyle consultant, and television host Moll Anderson, who is married to UT Trustee Charlie Anderson, president and chief executive officer of Anderson Media Corp.

“Mrs. Anderson’s generosity has eased my financial burden, allowing me to better focus on my son and my studies,” King said.

While King wants to impart valuable lessons to her son, his presence also has taught her a thing or two.

“My multitasking skills have grown tremendously,” she said. “I have to take advantage of every available moment to study.” Procrastination is no longer an option; she said she begins preparing for exams at least two weeks in advance.

King said Grant also has given her a new perspective on life.

“Being a mother changed my attitude about what’s important,” King said. “I’m working to earn the best grades I can so that I can get a great job and provide for my son.”

Since Grant’s birth, King has maintained an impressive 3.7 GPA.

“Although a 4.0 GPA from UT would have been terrific, I’m extremely proud of my accomplishments,” she said, “I would much rather be thought of as a phenomenal mother than being a straight-A student.”

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CONTACT:

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, ablakely@utk.edu)

She apprenticed in a middle school classroom “and I loved it,” she said. “I was sold after that.”

Eakes, of Knoxville, and seven other students will graduate this month as part of VolsTeach’s inaugural class. She already has been hired as a teacher at Karns Middle School for the fall.

VolsTeach graduates. Pictured, from left to right in the front row: Kelsey Ford, Maria Owens, Tara Phillips, Sarah Eakes, and Melinda Hopkins. Back Row, from left to right: Scott Bailey, Joel Smith, and Taylor Brown.

Through VolsTeach, she said, “I never changed my major, which was nice. I just changed my career.”

VolsTeach prepares math, science, and engineering majors to become teachers in Tennessee’s high-need middle and high schools. It has been recognized statewide for helping to solve one of the state’s most vital education problems—a shortage of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers in middle and high schools.

VolsTeach, which began in fall 2010, currently has 133 students. Students are able to earn a degree in their discipline and a secondary education teaching license within four years and at no extra cost. Students take VolsTeach as a minor. Their degree provides them with two career paths. The first cohort of students is a year ahead of the initially projected graduation schedule.

The program is a collaboration between the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences. It replicates UTeach, a successful model developed by the University of Texas at Austin.

“We’re building that pipeline of students who earn their undergraduate degrees in their content areas and their teaching licensure to fill those critical teaching areas of chemistry, physics, math, and biology,” said Susan Newsom, assistant director of VolsTeach.

For Scott Bailey, a microbiology major from Maynardville, Tennessee, being part of the program has helped him develop his passion.

“I love teaching,” he said. “All the master teachers and instructors have been super thoughtful and helpful about how to make myself a better person and a better teacher.”

Bailey, who will graduate in December, said VolsTeach has given him an added benefit.

“The program has allowed me to meet a whole lot of people and make really close friends,” he said.

To learn more about VolsTeach, visit the program’s website.

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CONTACT:

Lola Alapo (865-974-3993, lola.alapo@tennessee.edu)

“The big goal, for me, is to reduce,” said Alderson. “Reduce your water usage; reduce your electricity consumption; reduce your trash. I try to remind people of this in the friendliest way I can.”

Environmental consciousness is engrained in the first graduates with a sustainability major in UT history.

Alderson used to play in a creek behind his house in Portland, Tennessee and pick up trash accumulating in the once-pristine water. Schroder grew up in Clarksville, Tennessee, watching her mom recycle and take canvas bags to the grocery store.

Now, the two want to influence the world to be environmentally conscious.

“The world doesn’t have anyone to speak for it but the people who care,” said Schroder. “I would like to leave future generations some of the beauty that we enjoy today.”

The sustainability major, launched last fall, is interdisciplinary. It offers a curriculum that enables students to learn the policy and procedures behind reducing the impact on the natural environment to create a healthy economy and meet the needs of citizens.

UT is one of the first large universities in the Southeast to offer such a major.

“I love this major,” said Alderson. “By encompassing so many disciplines, it has given me a foundation that will allow me to pursue a job in almost any area that involves sustainability.”

The interdisciplinary curriculum spans law, business, and science, focusing in areas of economics and sustainability, resource management, ethics, and sustainability and climate change. This gives Alderson and Schroder the platform to achieve their dream careers in which they influence people and organizations to reduce their consumption of energy and other resources while saving money.

“I would like to work for a corporate company because they tend to have very large environmental footprints so a lot can be done to change that,” said Schroder.

The two are already changing behavior.

Alderson is actively involved with S.P.E.A.K. (Students Promoting Environmental Action in Knoxville), a student member of the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Campus Environment, a student worker for UT Recycling, and a senior student member of the Student Environmental Initiatives Fee Committee. He also received the Chancellor’s Award for Environmental Leadership on campus and interned for organizations such as the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.

Schroder is president of a new student group called Net Impact, which has launched an international competition called “Small Steps, Big Wins” that encourages people to make small changes in their daily lives that have a huge impact on the environment. She is also a part of the Student Service Coalition, has worked to push LEED certification on campus, is the 2013 Martin Katzman award recipient for Environmental Studies, and volunteers any chance she can.

The university also offers a minor in sustainability. Four students are graduating this spring with the minor.

For more information about the program, visit the program’s website.

The major is part of UT’s Make Orange Green environmental initiative. For more information, visit the Make Orange Green website.

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C O N T A C T :

Whitney Heins (865-974-5460, wheins@utk.edu)

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

Langley will address the college’s more than 300 graduates and their families at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 9, in Thompson-Boling Assembly Center and Arena.

“As one of the top journalists of her generation, Monica Langley has interviewed many of the richest and most powerful people in the world,” said CCI Dean Mike Wirth. “Her remarkable career has been characterized by honesty, integrity, and an extraordinary ability to both get and tell the story. We are very fortunate to have Ms. Langley as our commencement speaker and know that the wisdom and advice she shares will provide our graduates with an inspirational send-off as they leave UT to pursue professional careers.”

Langley was managing editor of the Daily Beacon while at UT. She graduated in 1980 with highest honors in journalism and was named a Torchbearer.

Langley, who has worked at the Journal for twenty-five years, is the newspaper’s preeminent writer of the page-one profile, particularly of CEOs, billionaires, presidential candidates, and key newsmakers. She also provides behind-the-scenes narratives of corporate dramas and breaks exclusive news about high-profile companies such as General Motors, Boeing, and JP Morgan Chase.

An honors graduate of Georgetown University’s law school, Langley has been an adjunct professor of journalism at Columbia University and of First Amendment law at Georgetown University Law Center. Also a member of the bars of the US Supreme Court, District of Columbia, and Tennessee, she was a corporate lawyer for several years.

She is the author of Tearing Down the Walls: How Sandy Weill Fought His Way to the Top of the Financial World… and Then Nearly Lost It All, a best seller about the CEO of Citigroup.

In 2002, Langley received the College of Communication and Information’s highest honor, the Donald G. Hileman Distinguished Alumni Award. In 2009, New York Women in Communications presented her with a Matrix Award, recognizing her as one of the nation’s most exceptional women in media and the arts.

Video of Langley’s address will be archived here.

—

CONTACT:

Charles Primm (865-974-5180, primmc@utk.edu)

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.

He will begin on July 1.

Hulsey received his doctorate in clinical psychology from UT in 1991. He currently is the founding dean of the Honors College at Virginia Commonwealth University, a position he’s held for six years. Prior to that, he directed VCU’s honors program. Hulsey also directed the honors program at Texas State University.

“UT has a broad array of honors and scholars programs. Some, like the Chancellor’s Honors and Haslam Scholars Programs, are administered campus wide, while other programs are administered by departments and colleges,” Hulsey said. “I look forward to supporting these programs and enhancing opportunities for students across all of them.”

The Chancellor’s Honors Program is UT’s largest university-wide honors program, with more than 1,450 students. The Haslam Scholars Program, founded in 2008, is an elite program for fifteen first-year students selected each year for their exceptional academic merit and leadership potential.

Hulsey will be responsible for recruiting honors students and faculty to work with them. Among other duties, he will work with academic departments and faculty members to offer honors sections in general education courses and provide research experiences for honors students.

Hulsey has a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Trinity University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. He has also completed pre- and postdoctoral fellowships in clinical psychology at Dartmouth Medical School.

Bruce Wheeler, who directed the honors program from 1988 to 1994, has been interim director since August 2012, when former honors program director Steven Dandaneau left the post for a job at another university.

For more about the Chancellor’s Honors Program, see honors.utk.edu; for more about the Haslam Scholars, see haslamscholars.utk.edu.

The café, sponsored by Sysco Foods, operates from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the UT Visitors Center, 2712 Neyland Drive. Cost is $12, and the faculty-staff discount does not apply. For tickets and reservations, see Marcia Johnson in the Jessie Harris Building, Room 110, call 865-974-6645, or e-mail rhtm@utk.edu.

The Spanish-Italian fusion menu is:

Appetizer: Bruschetta trio (tomato basil, olive tapenade, and white bean and Serrano)

Second course: Pizza with Spanish chorizo, black and green olives, Mahon and Manchego cheese

Entrée: Adobo pork loin, risotto milanase, and balsamic asparagus

Dessert: Mango panna cotta

The luncheons are produced through a collaboration of HRT 445 (the Advanced Food Production and Service Management class), the UT Culinary Institute, and the Pellissippi State Community College Culinary Institute.

Students enrolled in the UT course will work as general managers, dining room attendants, assistant kitchen managers, dining room managers, and dining room service employees. They will be responsible for the execution of the dining experience, managing staff, menu planning, food preparation, cooking, cost analysis, service during meal time, marketing of the event, and customer satisfaction activities.

Pellissippi State students will do most of the food preparation and will assist with dining room responsibilities.

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C O N T A C T :

Marcia Johnson (for tickets): (865-974-6645, rhtm@utk.edu)

Christine Copelan (ccopela7@utk.edu)

UT will award two honorary degrees and welcome a host of accomplished speakers at this spring’s commencement ceremonies, which begin May 8.

Honorary degrees will be awarded to renowned journalist John Seigenthaler at the College of Law commencement and to opera singer Mary Costa, known as the voice of Sleeping Beauty, at the College of Arts and Sciences commencement. Read more about the recipients in Tennessee Today.

More than 3,730 undergraduate and graduate students will receive degrees at thirteen college ceremonies this spring.

Graduates and their guests can park free in university student parking areas throughout the campus, but should avoid parking in staff lots.

Commencement ceremonies will be webcast.

Webcast links are included below. For information about parking and other details, visit the commencement website.

Below is a list of the commencement ceremonies and speakers. All events take place in Thompson-Boling Arena unless otherwise specified:

WEDNESDAY, MAY 8

• 8:30 a.m.—College of Nursing. The speaker is Julie Worley, a nursing doctoral student who has a private psychiatry practice. She teaches online at Rush University in Chicago and will be a full-time assistant professor and researcher at Rush after graduation. View the webcast here.

• 11:30 a.m.—College of Engineering. Alumnus Dwight Hutchins, the global managing director of Accenture’s Health and Public Service Strategy practice, will speak. View the webcast here.

• 3:30 p.m.—College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences. Missy Kane, a former Olympian, a Pan American Games medalist, and a former UT track coach, will speak. She is now a fitness promotion coordinator for Covenant Health. View the webcast here.

THURSDAY, MAY 9

• 8:30 a.m.—College of Communication and Information. The speaker is alumna Monica Langley, an author and senior special writer for The Wall Street Journal. View the webcast here.

• 11 a.m. —Audiology and Speech Pathology. Cox Auditorium in Alumni Memorial Building

• 1:00 p.m.—College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Alumnus Donnie Smith, president and chief executive officer of Tyson Food, will speak. View the webcast here.

• 4:30 p.m.—Graduate Hooding. Amanda Sanford, fifth-year doctoral candidate in political science and president of the Graduate Student Senate, will speak. The Graduate School expects about 300 master’s students and 100 doctoral students to take part in the ceremony. View the webcast here.

FRIDAY, MAY 10

• 9:00 a.m.—College of Arts and Sciences. Costa will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane and Musical Letters and speak briefly. The speaker is alumna Margaret Scobey, former US Ambassador to Egypt and longtime diplomat. She is now deputy commandant, international affairs advisor, Industrial College of the Armed Forces. View the webcast here.

• 2:00 p.m.—College of Business Administration. Mark A. Emkes, Tennessee Commissioner of Finance and Administration and retired chairman, chief executive officer and president of Bridgestone Americas Inc., will speak. View the webcast here.

• 5:00 p.m.—College of Law. Seigenthaler will receive an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree and speak briefly. US Sen. Lamar Alexander, who served as Tennessee’s governor, president of the University of Tennessee and US Secretary of Education, will speak. View the webcast here.

SATURDAY, MAY 11

• 10:00 a.m.—College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Patricia Sura, who completed her residency at the College of Veterinary Medicine and was an assistant professor of surgery for six years, will speak. Sura now practices at a veterinary hospital in Kentucky.

• 1:00 p.m.—College of Social Work. No guest speaker. View the webcast here.

• 5:00 p.m.—College of Architecture and Design Hooding Ceremony. The speaker is alumna Robin Klehr Avia, regional managing principal and chair of the board at Gensler, an internationally acclaimed design firm. View the webcast here.

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C O N T A C T :

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, ablakely@utk.edu)

Members of Team UT will leave May 2 and will work a pre-Derby event on Friday and the main event on Saturday. They will return May 5.

The group, in partnership with M Group Scenic Studios of Arizona, will assist with hospitality, quality control, and facility/event management of one of the largest sporting events in the world.

Team UT also has worked at seven Super Bowls, including this year’s event in New Orleans.

Team UT aims to give students a real-world learning experience as they prepare for careers in the sports and management industries. It was created by Fritz G. Polite, a UT clinical professor of sport management and director and founder of the Institute for Leadership, Ethics, and Diversity. He also is director for community outreach and global engagement in the UT College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences.

The group’s co-directors are returning Team UT members Sarah Frazier, Destini Long, and Erika Morris. They will be responsible for all logistics, including travel and lodging, operations, and development.

This year, the team will include two mentors: UT graduate Alexandria Bottone, a former Team UT member who now interns for the New York Jets, and Nate Warren, a UT grad in sports management who now works at Kansas State University as an assistant athletic director for development.

For more information, follow Team UT on Twitter.

The Kentucky Derby team:

•Ri’charda Anderson, of Memphis, is a senior majoring in recreation and sport management with a minor in business administration. She is an intern for the indoor professional football team Knoxville Nighthawks, a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters, a member of Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity, Allure Dance Team, and Partners in Sports. After graduation, Anderson plans to study overseas to learn about international sport business.

•Ben Biddy, of Shelbyville, Tennessee, is a first-year graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in sport and recreation management. He received his bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in sport management at Martin Methodist College in Pulaski, Tennessee. Biddy works with the UT Athletic Compliance office.

•Scott Fletcher, originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a senior majoring in recreation and sport management. He is a student assistant at the Tennessee Fund.

•Sarah Frazier, of Cleveland, Ohio, is a senior majoring in recreation and sport management. She is a board member for Partners in Sports, the Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sport Studies Student Advisory Board, and the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences Dean’s Undergraduate Advisory Board. She was a member of Team UT for the 2012 Kentucky Derby and 2013 Super Bowl.

•Destini Long, of Orlando, Florida, is a sophomore majoring in retail and consumer science. She is involved in the National Retail Federation Student Association. She was a member of Team UT for the 2013 Super Bowl.

•Matthew McCarter, of Sevierville, Tennessee, is a second-year student in the FUTURE Program. He works cross-country meets with the UT Athletic Department. McCarter was a member of Team UT for the 2013 Super Bowl.

•Erika Morris, of Austell, Georgia, is a first-year graduate student in the sport and recreation management program. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in physical education and health. Morris is an assistant hall director in Clement Hall. She also is a member of Partners in Sports. She was a member of Team UT for the 2013 Super Bowl.

•Michaela Robbins is a junior in the Chancellor’s Honors Program majoring in recreation and sport management. She works as a student assistant in the Tennessee Fund Office, is vice president of the UT Competitive Ballroom Team, and a fitness instructor at the Knoxville YWCA. She plans to attend graduate school.

•Phillip Stone is a junior majoring in recreation and sport management. He is from Maryville, Tennessee, and is a student intern at the Tennessee Fund for athletic development.

•Elizabeth (Lizzy) Van Dyke, of Highlands Ranch, Colorado, is a junior majoring in sport management with a minor in business administration. She spent her last semester working with an events manager on campus. This summer she will work with the UT Athletic Department as the Gatorade manager for their summer camp programs. She also is a member of the Tennessee Dance Team and Delta Delta Delta Sorority. Van Dyke plans to attend graduate school.

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CONTACTS:

Fritz Polite (407-758-0811, fpolite@utk.edu)

Lola Alapo (865-974-3993, lalapo@utk.edu)