Rogero will deliver the keynote address and also will be presented with the 2013 College of Communication and Information Diversity Award.

Alice R. Bowling Wirth, a lecturer in the college’s School of Communication Studies and director of the college’s Diversity Student Leaders Society (DSLS), said the banquet is DSLS’s major fundraiser for the year.

“The banquet provides an inspirational diversity experience for everyone who attends in addition to raising funds to support the college’s diversity and inclusion program,” Wirth said. “Our goal is to provide an open and accepting community for CCI students, to provide underrepresented students with support, mentoring, and programs to help them stay in college, and to help students be more marketable in the global workforce.”

Rogero was elected mayor of Knoxville in 2011. She is the first woman to hold the office. Her official biography says she “believes Knoxville’s strength comes from the diversity of its people” and the region’s natural resources.

Prior to joining the City of Knoxville, Rogero held leadership positions in organizations such as UT’s Community Partnership Center, Knoxville’s Promise—The Alliance for Youth, Dolly Parton’s nonprofit Dollywood Foundation, and the Coal Employment Project.

Rogero is a 1992 graduate of Leadership Knoxville and a 1994 graduate of Community Leadership. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Furman University and a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from UT.

Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Rogero placed her college studies on hold in the 1970s to work with labor leader Cesar Chavez to help farm workers improve their living and working conditions.

In addition to the keynote speech, the program will include creative diversity presentations, music, and dancing. A limited number of tickets are still available. To check on ticket availability, contact Beth Cole at 865-974-1540 or bethcole@utk.edu.

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C O N T A C T :

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

She will be honored at this Sunday’s Lady Vols basketball game with a special video message from her biggest fans in Iraq.

The video is the trailer for We Back Pat in Iraq, a full-length documentary about Summitt’s impact on girls and women in the Middle Eastern country.

From left, filmmaker Elisa Platillero along with UT assistant professors Sarah Hillyer and Ashleigh Huffman present Pat Summitt with signed banner from “We Back Pat in Iraq” tournament.

UT partner Sport 4 Peace is producing the film. It is scheduled for release this spring. To see the trailer, visit, www.webackpatiraq.com. The trailer will be shown Sunday, January 20, at the Lady Vols game.

Sport 4 Peace is dedicated to promoting cross-cultural understanding and empowering girls and women around the world using sports and education.

Shortly after Summitt announced her Alzheimer’s diagnosis last year, Iraqi girls’ coach Rizgar Raoof invited UT assistant professors Sarah Hillyer and Ashleigh Huffman to Iraq to help him host a “We Back Pat in Iraq” basketball tournament in her honor and to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s.

Hillyer and Huffman are director and assistant director of the UT Center for Sport, Peace and Society. The center is a collaboration between the university and Sport 4 Peace.

“I’ve heard that Tennessee fans wear Pat Summitt shirts, and when she comes inside the gym they all stand up and cheer, ‘We Back Pat! We Back Pat!’” Raoof said in the film. “If these guys want to do something for Pat, of course we want to do something for her, too. A tournament like this is nothing compared to what she’s done for basketball.”

During the November 2012 tournament in Iraq, Hillyer and Huffman, along with Knoxville filmmaker Elisa Platillero, captured footage of the game. They also interviewed players, coaches, and families. The footage will be used in the documentary.

On the final day of the “We Back Pat in Iraq” tournament, players, coaches and fans wore purple t-shirts in support of Pat Summitt and the Pat Summitt Foundation in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq.

Summitt has supported the girls’ basketball program in Iraq for several years. In 2007, Hillyer and Huffman shared with Summitt the need for basketballs in Iraq. Summitt and her team quickly sent suitcases full of basketballs, shoes, and training DVDs with Hillyer and Huffman to launch Iraq’s first basketball academy for girls – a project of Global Sports Partners and Sport 4 Peace.

In summer 2009, Summitt invited a team of Iraqi girls to Knoxville to participate in two sessions of the Pat Head Summitt Basketball Camp.

When the girls returned home, they were determined to share the lessons they learned from Summitt with friends, family, and teammates.

One mother said, “After (my daughter) came back, she was really strong…. She had a different perspective about America.”

Another mother reported to Hillyer and Huffman that her daughter had changed when she returned from the camp.

“Our daughter was so confident, she learned to trust in herself,” she said. “Everything she needed she gained from Coach Pat’s camp.”

Raoof, the Iraqi girls’ coach, also attended Summitt’s camp.

“She had a touch on my life that I will never forget,” he said.

For more information on the documentary, visit www.webackpatiraq.com.

To learn more about the UT Center for Sport, Peace and Society, the website.

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C O N T A C T S: 

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

Sarah Hillyer (865-974-8917, info@webackpatiraq.com)

“When you graduate from this university, you can compete on the world stage with anybody, from any time and any place,” said Holliday, who was the speaker of the fall commencement ceremony, held this morning at Thompson Boling Arena.

Holliday, chair of Bank of America and former CEO of DuPont, also received an honorary doctorate in engineering during the ceremony.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxf1_ocibp8

More than 1,800 UT students received undergraduate and graduate degrees at ceremonies held Friday and today.

Holliday said the American research university is a unique invention and “the best in the world by a long piece.”

“We don’t have a copyright on it, we don’t have a patent on it but all those who have tried to copy it have not been successful,” said Holliday, who recently chaired a National Research Council committee focused on strengthening higher education’s role in global competitiveness. “In this world that you’re going into, take great confidence that you have what it takes to compete.”

He asked the group to have faith in America and its ability to restore its position as a global power.

“What we have seen in 2012 is a fundamental shift in the key mechanism for a modern society, a modern economy, and that’s energy,” Holliday said. “Due primarily to American creativity, which has found a way to tap natural gas and oil that’s been here all along, we see a route now to energy stability and independence within a couple of decades.”

He added: “I’m telling you that this country is going to lead the world again and you can put that in your notebook and just check me on that over the next couple of years.”

The alumnus urged graduates to protect their integrity and to seek careers with companies and organizations that demonstrate high ethical standards.

Holliday received his bachelor’s in industrial engineering from UT’s College of Engineering in 1970. Chancellor Cheek said UT is “incredibly proud to claim him as our own, a Tennessee Volunteer.”

“Chad Holliday is an accomplished Tennessean who is firmly committed to advancing business, industry and society as a whole,” Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek said. “We are proud to award him an honorary degree from his alma mater and the flagship institution of our state.”

A Nashville native, Holliday parlayed a college summer job at DuPont’s Old Hickory plant in Nashville into a 38-year career at DuPont.

Holliday is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is currently chair of the National Academy of Engineering.

Holliday also chairs the American Energy Innovation Council, whose mission is to re-establish America’s energy technology leadership in developing clean energy technologies.

Holliday and his wife, Ann Blair Holliday, have two sons, Chad and Scot.

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CONTACT:

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

Karen Simsen (865-974-5186, karen.simsen@tennessee.edu)

He will begin work in June 2013. The position was created to enhance the campus culture and direct all diversity efforts.

“We are pleased that Rickey will be joining us. He has a strong background in achieving the goals that we have for enhancing our learning environment,” Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek said. “Diversity, civility, and community are core campus values. They create a more robust academic environment. They make our university a more welcoming—and more interesting—place for all of us.”

Hall will report to the chancellor and work closely with administrators, related commissions and organizations, and other members of the campus community. He will help recruit and retain diverse faculty and staff and increase the enrollment and retention of diverse students.

“I am humbled and deeply honored to be appointed the founding vice chancellor for diversity,” he said. “There are many good diversity initiatives under way at the university, and I think I can help move those forward. I look forward to working with the campus community on inclusive excellence and making diversity truly an educational benefit.”

Hall has been at the University of Minnesota since 1998 and in his current position since 2007. Prior to that he served as the university’s associate to the vice president for equity and diversity. He established the Office of Multicultural Service at the university’s School of Public Health in 2002 and served as its director for four years. He simultaneously served as director of recruitment for the School of Public Health for two years. He directed the Minority Student Program of the university’s Morris campus for four years.

From 1995 to 1998, he was the director of student diversity programs and services at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa.

Hall serves as a regional coordinator for the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) Commission on Access, Diversity, and Excellence.

He will complete his Doctor of Education in organizational leadership at the University of Minnesota next year. He has a master’s degree in higher education and a bachelor’s degree in American studies, both from the University of Iowa.

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C O N T A C T :

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

McRoy, 25, who is working on her master’s degree in speech pathology at UT after earning a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, is the new Peace Corps campus recruiter.

“I wanted to be a recruiter because I love Peace Corps,” McRoy said. “It truly was ‘the hardest job I’ve ever loved.’ I can’t help but be excited talking about my experiences and wanting to be a part of helping others create similar stories.”

McRoy joined the Peace Corps in 2009 and was sent to Cameroon, a republic in Central Africa, where she worked with community groups on basic health education. During her two years there, McRoy’s involvement with the community expanded to other projects such as creating a savings program, forming a medicinal plant group, and promoting the use of soy as a protein supplement.

“All of the projects and seminars that I did during my service were ideas that community members brought to me,” she said. “Soy is still alive and growing in my village.”

Although she enjoyed helping the community, McRoy’s stay in Cameroon was not always easy.

“The constant barrage of catcalls and requests for money on top of the daily marriage proposals and questions about what I was doing over there were hard to handle on some days,” she recalled. “It was very difficult sticking out like a sore thumb everywhere I went. Sometimes it’s nice to feel invisible.”

But through the difficult times, McRoy said her experience was worth it.

“It isn’t easy, and it’s not always sweet smelling, or clean, or even fun, but it’s an adventure of the highest caliber,” she said. “I had my highest highs and lowest lows during my Peace Corps experiences, and I can’t wait to do it again.”

The Peace Corps taught McRoy several lessons and emphasized what matters most.

“I learned how important relationships are. Some of my fondest memories of Peace Corps are the friendly conversation and camaraderie shared while preparing a meal,” she recalled.

“The memory of playing with my neighborhood kids brings tears to my eyes even now. I wish that I could squeeze them one more time.”

McRoy hopes to inspire UT students to join the Peace Corps.

“I’d really love to see people open their minds and hearts to other cultures and people around the world. There is so much more out there.”

Applicants interested in the Peace Corps typically need to have a bachelor’s degree and should expect to be abroad for about twenty-seven months. Applicants chosen for the Peace Corps are given a living allowance that “enables them to live in a manner similar to the people in their community” and are paid $7,425 after their service. Transportation, dental care, and health care are covered by Peace Corps.

For more information about Peace Corps email Amanda McRoy at utkpeacecorps@gmail.com or call 865-974-0428.

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C O N T A C T :

Amanda McRoy (865-974-0428, utkpeacecorps@gmail.com)

Liu will speak at 1 p.m. on Tuesday in Thompson-Boling Arena. The event is open to the public and free parking is available in G-10 parking garage.

The common reading selection is a key component in UT’s efforts to orient and engage new students in academic and campus life. Freshmen also must submit creative projects on one of the book’s themes and attend a small-group discussion session.

“By the time students have read the book, done their creative projects, and participated in a discussion group, they have a good feel for what college work is going to feel like,” said Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Susan Martin. “As a bonus for our students, we plan the Life of the Mind common reading program with the intent of having the author come to campus to talk to students. It’s a rich experience to meet the author, hear him speak, and even have the opportunity to ask him a question.”

The Accidental Asian: Notes of a Native Speaker, was a New York Times Notable Book and was featured in the PBS documentary Matters of Race. It is an essay montage with themes ranging from race, language, and global politics to the feelings of inadequacy and ambivalence that often accompany the college transition.

Liu, a second-generation Chinese-American, is a graduate of Yale and Harvard and a former speechwriter and deputy domestic policy adviser for President Bill Clinton.

His other books include The True Patriot and The Gardens of Democracy, both co-authored with Nick Hanauer; Guiding Lights: How to Mentor and Find Life’s Purpose, which was named the official book of National Mentoring Month; and Imagination First, co-authored with Scott Noppe-Brandon of the Lincoln Center Institute, which explores ways to unlock imagination in education, politics, business, and the arts.

Liu lives in Seattle, where he also teaches at the University of Washington and leads the Guiding Lights Network, a national mentoring organization dedicated to promoting great citizenship. He also hosts an acclaimed television interview program called Seattle Voices.

Liu has served on the boards of the Washington State Board of Education, the Seattle Public Library, Demos, Washington State Mentors, the League of Education Voters, and the Swedish Medical Center Foundation. He has served on the national leadership councils of Communities in Schools and the Association of American Colleges and Universities.

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C O N T A C T :

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

Elizabeth Schonagen, First Year Studies program (865-974-2792, schonagen@utk.edu)

In addition, Olympic gold medalist Benita Fitzgerald Mosley—an alumna and new Alumni Board member—is USA Track & Field’s (USATF) chief of sport performance. She oversees USATF’s high-performance and athlete development programs, Team USA management, elite athlete services, sport science and medicine, anti-doping, coaching education and certification, and national championship meet management. Mosley, a 1984 graduate of the College of Engineering, won gold in the 100-meter hurdles at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, becoming the first African American woman and second American woman, after Babe Didrikson Zaharias in 1932, to accomplish the feat.

The Olympics begin July 27 and continue through August 12. A schedule of the competitions can be found at www.london2012.com/schedule-and-results.

The following UT alumni will compete on US national teams for the 2012 games:

• Tamika Catchings, 32, will try for her third gold medal as part of the women’s national basketball team. Catchings, a forward, played with the team during its gold medal-winning performances in 2004 and 2008. Currently playing for the Indiana Fever in the WNBA, Catchings was part of the undefeated 1997–1998 national championship-winning Lady Vols. At UT, Catchings also was a four-time All-American, and she was named Naismith Women’s College Player of the Year in 2000. She graduated in 2005 with a degree in sport management.
• 

  Photo courtesy of USA Basketball.

  Candace Parker, 26, will return for her second Olympic appearance with the US women’snational basketball team, after helping the team win the gold in 2008. Currently playing with the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA, Parker helped lead the Lady Vols to back-to-back NCAA national titles. She also was named the Naismith Women’s College Player of the Year for 2008. Parker graduated in 2008 with a major in sport management.

• Dee Dee Trotter, 29, is returning to the Olympics for the third time after her gold medal-winning performance in the 4 x 400 meter relay at the 2004 Olympics. In 2008, a knee injury kept Trotter from competing in the Beijing games. This summer, she will run in the 400-meter dash and the 4 x 400 meter relay. Trotter also won gold medals in the 2003 and 2007 World Championships. She graduated in 2005 with a degree in sociology.
• Justin Gatlin, 30, will return to London to try to bring home another gold to accompany the one he earned for the 100-meter dash at the 2004 summer Olympic Games in Athens. That year, Gatlin also won a bronze medal in the 200-meter dash and a silver medal in the 4 x 100 meter relay, and he will be competing in the relay again this year. Gatlin attended UT from 2000 to 2002, winning six NCAA titles during that time.
• Aries Merritt, 26, will head to the Olympics for the first time this year to compete in the 100-meter hurdles. Merritt holds the UT school record in the 55-meter hurdles, and is tied for third in the 60-meter and 110-meter hurdles. As a UT student in 2005, Merritt won the Ed Murphey Award for most outstanding performance, as well as the Most Valuable Track Athlete Award. In 2006 Merritt was undefeated in every 55-meter, 60-meter, and 110-meter hurdles race he finished. In the 2012 World Indoor Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, he won the gold medal for the 60-meter hurdles. Merritt attended UT from 2005 to 2007.
• Tianna Madison, 26, will travel to her first Olympic Games to compete in the 100-meter dash and the 4 x 100 meter relay. In her sophomore year at UT, Madison won the 2005 NCAA and SEC Indoor and Outdoor titles in the long jump. She was an All-American, and in 2005, she was named the SEC Indoor Women’s Field Event Athlete of the Year. After leaving UT, Madison turned her focus from the long jump to sprinting. She attended UT from 2004 to 2006.

In addition, two current students and seven alumni will be competing on behalf of other countries.

• Hannah Wilkinson, 20, will make her Olympic debut playing for the New Zealand women’s soccer team. A native of Whangarei, New Zealand, Wilkinson is a 2012 UT signee and part of new Lady Vols soccer coach Brian Pensky’s initial signing class. Wilkinson represented New Zealand at the 2011 Women’s World Cup and the 2010 FIFA Under-20 Women’s Cup.
• Jamol James, 20, will be running for his native country of Trinidad and Tobago in the 100-meter dash and the 4 x 100 meter relay. In 2012 James was named a first-team US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Outdoor All-American. James will be a sophomore this fall.
• Jangy Addy, 27, will represent Liberia for the second time in this year’s Summer Olympics. Addy will compete in the decathlon, an event for which he won the gold medal in the 2011 All-Africa Games. Born in California, Addy is eligible to compete for Liberia because he is a direct descendant of two Liberian citizens. While at UT, Addy was a team captain and an SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He also set a collegiate decathlon record in the 110-meter hurdles and a world heptathlon record in the 60-meter hurdles at the 2008 SEC Outdoor Championships. Addy graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and electronic media in 2008.
• Rhian Wilkinson, 30, will enter her second Olympic Games as part of the Canadian women’s soccer team. A native of Quebec, Wilkinson was a member of the Lady Vols soccer team from 2000 to 2003 and was named SEC Freshman of the Year in 2000. She helped the program win its first SEC tournament in 2002. At UT, Wilkinson ranks first in career assists and is tied for third for total goals. Wilkinson has played for the Canadian women’s national soccer team since 2003. She graduated in 2004 with a degree in speech communications.
• Marie-Eve Nault, 30, will make her Olympic debut also playing for the Canadian women’s soccer team. Nault played alongside fellow Quebecer Rhian Wilkinson on the Lady Vols soccer team from 2000 to 2003, and was twice named the defensive most valuable player by her teammates. Nault started all twenty-seven of the Lady Vols’ SEC matches during her time with the team. In total she scored nine goals, six of which would prove to be match-winners.
• Hassaan Stamps, 32, was named national teams coach for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A relay and hurdles standout at UT, Stamps was on UT’s 2001 and 2002 NCAA national championship teams. A two-time team captain, Stamps is also the 2002 winner of the Will Pritchett Award. He graduated in 2003 with degrees in sport management and psychology.
• Octavio Alesi, 25, will swim for Venezuela’s Olympic team for the second time. He will be part of the men’s 4 x 100 meter freestyle relay team. He competed in the 100 meter butterfly in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In his senior season at UT (2007-08), Alesi was named second team All-SEC as a member on the 200 medley relay at the SEC Championships and garnered All-American honors at the NCAA Championship.
• Barry Murphy, 26, will make his Olympic debut swimming for Ireland. He will swim the 50 meter freestyle and the 100 meter breaststroke. In the 2009 NCAA Championships, Murphy set a new UT record by finishing the 50 meter freestyle in 19.14 seconds. He also earned All-American honors for his efforts in the 200 meter freestyle relay and the 400 meter freestyle and medley relays.
• Martina Moravcikova, 23, will compete in her first Olympics swimming for the Czech Republic. She will compete in the 200 meter breaststroke. She made history last year setting a new Czech Republic long course record in the 100 meter breaststroke clocking in 1:09:23. In her time at UT, Moravcikova was named an All-American in four events, including earning first-team honors as a member of the fourth-place 400 meter medley relay team.

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C O N T A C T :

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

The College of Engineering hosted the AT&T Middle School Introduction for Engineering Systems (MITES) program where minority and female students—groups underrepresented in engineering—got an up-close look at the in-demand field and had fun doing it. The program was for African-American, Hispanic/Latino American, Native American, and female seventh- and eighth-grade students.

“The objective was to provide an introduction to engineering, showcase the applications of math and science, and learn what engineers do in the real world,” said Richard Bennett, coordinator of curriculum content for pre-college summer programs. “The students performed hands-on activities to learn what engineers do and also used iPads to document their activities in construction, medicine, and energy, so they could get a feel for how engineers operate today.”

Participants also explored campus, competed in engineering challenges, cultivated friendships, and gained a jump-start on their academic careers.

Another important component of MITES was emphasizing the importance of mathematics to engineering.

“The math portion of the MITES program was developed with selected material that corresponds to the Knox County eighth-grade math curriculum,” said Michael Gilbert, a mathematics lecturer. “We used interactive, in-class worksheets and follow-up questions for out-of-class assignments to reinforce the concepts we covered.”

Students also worked on projects with researchers in the National Science Foundation-funded Center for Ultra-wide-area Resilient Electric Energy Transmission Networks (CURENT). CURENT focuses on research, education and technology for sustainable energy systems, with an emphasis on power transmission systems.

“Students learned about electricity fundamentals, electromagnetism, motors, generators and solar and wind power,” said Rebecca Oldham, a program resource specialist for CURENT. “The engineering design program challenged students to apply their knowledge through hands-on projects such as building solar cars and designing windmill blades to power a light. Through these activities, we hoped to inspire creativity, problem-solving skills and an interest in engineering.”

The MITES program began in 1997, facilitated by the college’s Engineering Diversity Programs Office. Two one-week sessions were held this year, June 17–22 and June 24–29. Since the beginning of the program, MITES has provided the summer experience to 294 middle school students and has grown from twenty-one participants in 1997 to thirty participants in 2011. AT&T is the corporate sponsor for this year’s program.

Student participants included:

• Tabre Abernathy from Athens
• Miki Benson from Bothell, Washington
• Dayna Blackburn from Chattanooga
• Amy Brown from Pensacola, Florida
• MacKenzie Burton from Sparta
• Nathanael Byers from Kingston
• Allison Campbell from Knoxville
• Trinity Coward from Lavergne
• Jordan Cowen from Spring City
• Sarah Cox from Fayetteville
• Tommie Curry Jr. from Memphis
• Savanna Davis from Fayetteville
• De’Arrion Dorsey from Memphis
• Jessica France from Memphis
• Micah Garcia from Hermitage
• Lindsey Jones from LaFollette
• La’Tia Key from Memphis
• Kortland Martin from Humboldt
• Carrington McGowan from Memphis
• Wilfred Odo from Memphis
• Brieana Ogilvie from Memphis
• Kate Parkes from Fayetteville
• Dorrington Reid III from Humboldt
• Justin Sisk from Fayetteville
• Michael Spitler from Maryville
• Robert Steward from Memphis
• Kainen Stoner from Ten Mile
• Roddrick Tooles from Memphis
• Kestrel Troutman from Sevierville
• Russell Weatherford from Edison
• Erick Williams from Memphis

For more details on the MITES program and other programs, visit www.engr.utk.edu/edp/pre_college.

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C O N T A C T:

Travis Griffin (865-974-1931, travisg@utk.edu)

Kim Cowart (865-974-0686, kcowart@utk.edu)

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

Applications for qualified candidates are now being accepted.

“Diversity, civility, and community are core campus values,” said Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek. “They enhance the academic environment and support a robust educational experience for its students. Diversity is a key component of our Vol Vision strategic plan and effort to become a Top 25 public research university.”

The vice chancellor for diversity will report to the chancellor and serve on the chancellor’s cabinet. He or she will work closely with deans, department heads, directors; the Chancellor’s Commissions for Blacks, LGBT people, and Women; the Council for Diversity and Interculturalism; and other campus leaders.

The new vice chancellor will be responsible for:

• helping to recruit and retain diverse faculty and staff;
• increasing the enrollment and retention of diverse undergraduate, graduate, and professional students;
• promoting a campus environment that appreciates individual differences, values equal opportunity for all, and serves to eliminate barriers based on factors such as race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, or covered veteran status;
• establishing systems of accountability for diversity matters throughout the university; and
• other duties as assigned by the chancellor.

Applicants for the new vice chancellor position should:

• have a doctorate or terminal degree. A master’s degree is required.
• have sufficient academic credentials to be a faculty member.
• be knowledgeable about Affirmative Action, Equal Employment Opportunity, LGBT issues, and inclusion, particularly in higher education or similarly complex organizations.
• have experience in supervising employees, managing a budget and implementing programs.
• be a visionary leader with management skills necessary to enhance diversity and equity issues in a scholarly setting.
• be involved in national associations and conferences related to promoting diversity and inclusivity.
• understand how being culturally competent will help students perform in a multicultural workforce and global economy.
• be an effective communicator.
• understand how a major research university works.

The UT search committee is chaired by Bob Rider, dean of the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences. Members are Vincent Anfara, president of the UT Faculty Senate and head of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies; Avery Howard, an undergraduate student; Ernest Brothers, assistant dean of the Graduate School; Wanda Costen, associate professor in the Department of Retail, Hospitality and Tourism Management; Shane Colter, office of information technology; R.J. Hinde, associate dean and professor, College of Arts and Sciences; Margie Nichols, vice chancellor for communications; Mary Papke, English professor; Anton Reece, director of the Student Success Center; Jennifer Richter, associate director of the Office of Equity and Diversity; Todd Skelton, graduate student; and Donna Thomas, director of the Thornton Athletics Student Life Center.

Applications, due by August 22, 2012, should include a cover letter, a resume or curriculum vitae, and five or more references. Electronic applications are encouraged and should be sent to Gary Daugherty at gdaugherty@parkersearch.com or Porsha L. Williams at pwilliams@parkersearch.com. Applications should be mailed to Daugherty or Williams at Parker Executive Search, Five Concourse Parkway, Suite 2900, Atlanta, Georgia 30328.

For more information, contact Rider at 974-2201 or the search firm at (770) 804-1996.

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C O N T A C T :

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

Avon Rollins

The keynote speaker is Avon W. Rollins Sr., director and CEO of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center in Knoxville, and president and CEO of Rollins & Associates, a management consulting firm. Rollins also will be presented with the 2012 College of Communication and Information Diversity Award.

Alice R. Bowling Wirth, a lecturer in the college’s School of Communication Studies and director of the college’s Diversity Student Leaders Society (DSLS), said the banquet is DSLS’s major fundraiser for the year.

“The funds raised from this year’s banquet will provide our students with support, programs and experiences that will help prepare them for their futures as professionals,” Wirth said. “The activities in which DSLS members engage inspire students to believe in themselves, to become leaders, and to embrace and value the importance of diversity and inclusion in building stronger social, business, and civic communities.”

Rollins retired from the Tennessee Valley Authority in 1994 as manager of minority resources development for the seven-state utility. He was responsible for generating more than $30 million in funding from federal, state, and private sources to reinvest in the minority community.

Rollins is a past member of the UT Chancellor’s Associates and the Knoxville College President’s Round Table and serves as an adjunct professor to historically black colleges through the National Urban League’s Black Executive Exchange Program.

In addition to his background in business and education, Rollins was involved in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. He was a co-founder of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee and worked with Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. His non-violent civil disobedience work led him to be incarcerated 31 times during the struggle for civil rights for African Americans.

Rollins has received recognition from various national, state, and local organizations, including the National Business League and the Booker T. Washington Foundation. The National Civil Rights Museum of Memphis and the East Tennessee Minority Professional Association dedicated their annual Heritage Award in honor of him. He has twice received the Minority Business Advocate Award presented by the US Department of Commerce. In 1993, the National Black Caucus of State Legislators presented Rollins with their “National Builders Award.” In 1994, the National Association of Human Rights Workers dedicated its annual conference to him.

Rollins’ commitment to human rights has been described in more than a dozen books covering the history of the Civil Rights movement and the struggle for minority economic development in the US. The ninety-fourth session of the Tennessee General Assembly honored Rollins for his many accomplishments, which also have been recorded in the US Congressional Record.

In addition to the keynote speech, the program will include creative diversity presentations, music, and dancing. Tickets to the banquet are $30 each and tables of ten are available for $300. To order tickets, contact Beth Cole at 865-974-1540 or bethcole@utk.edu.

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C O N T A C T :

Alice R. Bowling Wirth (303-748-9452, awirth@utk.edu)

DISoriented features three Asian American women as they present dynamic, solo performances on how they are working to “DISorient” themselves from external stereotypes and internal expectations. Comic sketches, contemporary dance, and audience improv games will punctuate each performance.

The first, “All Atheists Are Muslim,” is written and performed by Zahra Noorbakhsh. As an Iranian Muslim, Zahra must explain to her father that she is moving in with her white, atheist, American boyfriend. This comedic piece explores the complex issues of religion, race, and inter-generational conflict.

The second piece, “Soft Tissue: Secret Agent Bucket,” is written and performed by Colleen “Coke” Nakamoto. On her journey to womanhood, Coke, an Okinawan-Japanese American, suffers shame and guilt as she learns about her body. She is released from her guilt upon realizing she is not alone in the world. “Soft Tissue” explores issues of sexuality, loneliness, sexism, and racism.

Last but not least, “Fortunate Daughter” is written and performed by Thao P. Nguyen. Thao, born of one country but bred in another, grapples with living in America and being raised Vietnamese. Her inner tension culminates in a trip home to meet her grandmother. This touching performance examines the impact of war and formation of sexual identity.

DISoriented will be performed on January 19, 2012, at 7:00 p.m. in the Carolyn P. Brown University Center Auditorium. Admission is free.

DISoriented is sponsored by OMSL, the Cultural Attractions Committee, the Women’s Coordinating Council, and the Asian American Association. For more information, visit http://www.utk.edu/events/events/index.php?com=detail&eID=50441.

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CONTACT:

Pa Nhia Yang (Email: pyang1@utk.edu, Phone: 865-974-6861)

Safe Zone training explores LGBT issues in an honest and open way and provides an opportunity for participants to become an LGBT allies. Training sessions will take place on the following dates:

• Friday, February 17, 9:00 a.m. to noon in the University Center Crest Room
• Friday, April 13, 9:00 a.m. to noon in the Multicultural Student Life Center

Safe Zone awareness-building is part of the Chancellor’s Civility and Community initiative and is administered through the Office of the Dean of Students. UT’s Employee and Organizational Development provides the training through small group activities, information-sharing, and large group discussions that explore commonly held myths and beliefs of the LGBT community.

Those interested in the training should register through UT Human Resources Employee and Organizational Development or the Safe Zone training link on the Commission for LGBT People’s website.

Special departmental training can also be arranged. For more information call 974-6657 or e-mail safezone@utk.edu.

Safe Zone is a voluntary network of faculty, staff, and students who believe that every member of the community should have an equal opportunity to grow and learn in a safe and open environment. Safe Zone training explores LGBT issues in an honest and open way and provides an opportunity for participants to become LGBT allies.

A session has been set for undergraduate students on November 6. More sessions for faculty, staff, and graduate students will be held during the spring semester. The training is part of the Chancellor’s Civility and Community initiative.

For a full schedule visit http://safezone.utk.edu/training.html.

UT’s Safe Zone project is administered through the Dean of Students Office. UT’s Employee and Organizational Development provides the training through small group activities, information-sharing, and large group discussions that explore commonly held myths and beliefs of the LGBT community.

To find out more or schedule a session for your department, call 974-6657 or e-mail safezone@utk.edu.