The Vol Court spring 2013 program will run through March 12. The workshops will be held at 5:15 p.m. on Tuesdays in Room 102 of the James A. Haslam Business Building.

The Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, housed in the College of Business Administration, is hosting the program. Vol Court will offer students, UT employees, and the community the opportunity to learn from entrepreneurs and business experts about the essentials of getting a company off the ground.

Workshop presenters are from various organizations throughout Tennessee, and all have experience with entrepreneurial companies.

The March 12 session will include a pitch competition in which the top presenting individual or team will win $1,000 and the second-place team will win $500. Students attending Vol Court will have the opportunity to better prepare themselves for the upcoming campus-wide Undergraduate Business Plan Competition.

Session topics are:

• Feb. 5: How to Develop a Business Model
• Feb. 12: Marketing to Your Customers
• Feb. 19: Determining Your Legal Structure
• Feb. 26: How to Choose and Set Up the Business Structure
• March 5: Understanding Financial Statements
• March 12: Pitch Competition

Vol Court is sponsored by the UT Federal Credit Union, the UT Research Foundation, Morehous Legal Group, Tennessee Alumnus magazine, and Pershing Yoakley and Associates.

To learn more about the presenters, sponsors, and each session, visit www.facebook.com/VolCourt.

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CONTACT:

Joy Fisher (865-974-0520, joy.fisher@tennessee.edu)

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

The list can be viewed on the Office of the Registrar website.

To qualify for the dean’s list, an undergraduate student must earn a term grade point average of 3.80–4.00 (summa cum laude), 3.65–3.79 (magna cum laude), or 3.50–3.64 (cum laude). Students must complete at least 12 credit hours, not counting work taken on a satisfactory/no-credit basis, to be eligible.

The list is searchable so media outlets can quickly find the students in their circulation or viewing areas.

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C O N T A C T :

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

Two UT traditions—the Clifton M. Jones Student Leadership Conference and the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service—have merged this year.

The event kicks off in the University Center and will last from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The morning includes three sessions offering more than thirty different programs and speakers focusing on five different topics: social justice and servant leadership, growing in leadership, seasoned leadership, branding leadership, and impact careers and professional leadership.

Sam Davidson

The luncheon keynote speaker is Sam Davidson, co-founder of service organization Cool People Care and author of three books.

Then, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., the students will split into groups and work on service projects with various community agencies, including Beardsley Community Farm, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Water Angels Ministries, and Habitat for Humanity, The Center for Leadership and Service is hosting the conference.

Jessica Copeland, administrative assistant for the center, said she thinks the conference will “appeal to everyone from the newly developing leader to the senior leaders that are looking to bridge their student leadership experience into their professional careers.”

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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)

In support of becoming a Top 25 university, the Division of Student Life is combining the offices of the Parents Association and Student Orientation to create one office to serve students and their families. The Office of New Student and Family Programs will align goals related to ensuring student transitions to UT as well as parental involvement. The office will streamline services for new students and parents, as well as promote student success and development from orientation to graduation. All programs and services including orientation sessions, Parents Association, and services related to both offices will continue with an enhanced staffing and service delivery model.

The office is excited to kick off the new year training orientation leaders and the welcome leader student coordinators while providing two orientation sessions in early January and planning for the summer orientation program and fall Welcome Week. The office will continue to offer services to all Parents Association members such as weekly e-mails, the TENNESSEE Family magazine, parent calendar, Family Weekend events, and key resources to enhance the student experience at UT.

Transition is a significant part of the college experience for both parents and students. Attending orientation is the first step for students and parents to learn about the university. This is an exciting opportunity to enrich the Tennessee family experience. With this change and as the division’s mission indicates, the Office of New Student and Family Programs will support students and families to positively impact the success of students from orientation to graduation.

“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)

UT’s Center for Children’s and Young Adult Literature helps people discover the best new books for children and teens. Center director Miranda Clark helped compile this list of books that will help kids learn about various winter holidays.

The newer books, which are noted, can be viewed at the CCYAL on the fourth floor of the Communications Building or accessed through the center’s collection on GoodReads.

Other books come at the recommendation of the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, which was one of the nation’s first centers dedicated to children’s literature.

“They are a well-recognized source of expertise in the world of children’s literature,” Clark said. “Our center recommends CCBC as a source for retrospective bibliographies on a variety of topics.”

Hanukkah stories

While the Candles Burn: Eight Stories for Hanukkah by Barbara Diamond Goldin (ages 8 to 11). Eight stories about Hanukkah— one for each night. Covers many aspects of Hanukkah without too much repetition.

Just Enough is Plenty: A Hanukkah Tale—Barbara Diamond Goldin (ages 5 to 11). Malka’s family invites a stranger to celebrate with them and finds he has some surprises for them.

Hanukkah Lights, Hanukkah Nights—Leslie Kimmelman (ages 2 to 4). A family celebrates each night of Hanukkah differently.

The Hanukkah Hop!—Erica Silverman (ages 3 and up). Rachel and her family prepare for a lively Hanukkah celebration. In the center’s collection.

It’s A Miracle! A Hanukkah Storybook—Stephanie Spinner (ages 4 to 8). Owen gets to light his family’s menorah each night, and each night his grandmother tells another story about a family member.

Kwanzaa stories

Seven Candles for Kwanzaa—Andrea Davis Pinkney (ages 3 to 9). Shows contemporary American families celebrating Kwanzaa in ways children will recognize.

The Sound of Kwanzaa—Dimitrea Tokunbo (ages 4 to 8). Introduces each of the seven principles of Kwanzaa with a definition and example.

Kwanzaa: A Family Affair—Mildred Pitts Walter (ages 9 and up). Interprets the background, principles and symbols of Kwanzaa through one family’s celebration.

Multicultural and historical Christmas stories

Daddy Christmas and Hanukkah Mama—Selina Alko (ages 5 and up). Sadie’s family celebrates both Hanukkah and Christmas and has twice the fun. In the center’s collection.

Home for Christmas—Jan Brett (ages 3 and up). This Scandinavian-style holiday tale is about Rollo, a mischievous young troll with little patience for doing chores, who runs away from home and encounters a series of animal families, with whom he lives and plays. In the center’s collection.

Going Home—Eve Bunting (ages 5 to 9). Carlos learns about his heritage on a Christmas trip to Mexico.

Peiling and the Chicken-Fried Christmas—Pauline Chen (ages 8 to 10). Peiling convinces her family to celebrate Christmas, but it doesn’t go quite the way she planned.

Jingle Bells: How the Holiday Classic Came to Be—John Harris (ages 4 and up). Fictional, but inspired by actual facts, this is the story of James Pierpont, music director at the Unitarian Church in Savannah in the 1850s, and what may have inspired him to compose this famous holiday song. In the center’s collection.

What a Morning! The Christmas Story in Black Spirituals—John Langstaff (ages 3 and up). Biblical quotes match up with African-American songs to tell the Christmas story.

Truce: The Day the Soldiers Stopped Fighting—Jim Murphy (ages 12 and up). Tells the story of the 1914 Christmas truce during World War I through background and first-hand accounts.

A Midnight Clear: Stories for the Christmas Season—Katherine Paterson (ages 12 to 16). Twelve contemporary stories explore Christmas themes like love, giving and pilgrimage.

Elijah’s Angel: A Story for Chanukah and Christmas—Michael J. Rosen (ages 7 to 11). A Jewish boy and an African-American woodcarver become friends and share their cultures.

The Carpenter’s Gift: A Christmas Tale about the Rockefeller Center Tree—David Rubel (ages 5 and up). Combines the Rockefeller Center celebration with Habitat for Humanity through the story of a man who donates trees for both. In the center’s collection.

Tree of Cranes—Allen Say (ages 5 to 7). A Japanese boy learns about Christmas from his American mother; two stories about promises overlap.

A Child’s Christmas in Wales—Dylan Thomas (ages 8 and up). Thomas, an acclaimed poet, tells stories from his childhood Christmases.

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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)

UT’s Engineering Research Center, CURENT, has collaborated with Knox County Schools for a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) outreach event called Family Engineering Night at Sequoyah Elementary School from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 6.

The event is expected to draw more than 200 K-5 students and their families to take part in 10 hands-on engineering activity exhibits provided by CURENT. Activities include solar cars, bridge design and homemade prosthetic hands. Farragut High School’s Robotics Team also will be exhibiting student-designed robots.

Family Engineering Night was organized by Andrea Allen, K-12 science instructional coach for Knox County Schools; Principal Alisha Hinton and Science Lab Instructor Erin McCollum from Sequoyah School; and Research Assistant Professor Chien-fei Chen and Adam Hardebeck, communications specialist, from CURENT.

Events such as Family Engineering Night help fulfill CURENT’s educational outreach initiatives to spark student interest in STEM fields from an early age and assist in the creation of a new generation of engineers from more diverse backgrounds.

The Center for Ultra-wide-area Resilient Electric Energy Transmission Networks (CURENT), headquartered on the UT campus, is a collaboration between academia, industry, and national laboratories. The center has been jointly funded by the National Science Foundation and the US Department of Energy with $18.5 million for five years.

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C O N T A C T :

Adam Hardebeck (865-974-9707, ahardebe@utk.edu)

The project is a joint effort of Veterans at UTK, the student group for veterans; the Center for the Study of War and Society; and the Office of Veterans Affairs, part of the Office of the University Registrar.

The board will be displayed during the all-day ceremony on November 12, when the names of fallen service men and women will be read.

To sign the board, visit 209 Student Services Building anytime between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 30, through Friday, November 9.

Last year, UT joined in the National Day of Remembrance Project started by Eastern Kentucky University by having campus volunteers read the names of the more than 6,300 veterans who have died since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. This year, members of the community are invited to join in the reading of names—and to add the names of their loved ones who have died while serving in the military at any time in history.

Anyone interested in reading names and/or adding the name of a loved one who died while serving in the military is asked to e-mail Regina Lewellyn at rlewellyn@utk.edu.

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C O N T A C T :

Regina Lewellyn, Veterans Affairs Assistant (865- 974-1500, rcoving1@utk.edu)

The forty-acre complex will open early in the spring semester. The two-year construction project is on track to wrap up in mid-January, just in time to host the full gamut of intramurals and student activities. More than 10,000 students participate in UT’s sport clubs and intramural programs each year.

Funded solely through student activity fees, the new complex will significantly improve intramural programming and provide much more flexibility and convenience in scheduling of games and practices for sport clubs.

Most games are now played on the 2.5-acre RecSports field, while others are scheduled off campus due to space limitations.

The new complex will have an open-air seating pavilion and a central building which will serve as a field and equipment house, three sand volleyball courts, two softball fields, and eight multi-purpose fields that can be used for flag football, lacrosse, soccer, and other sports. The complex also will have plenty of parking and terraced seating for spectators on several fields.

Student Life Vice Chancellor Tim Rogers said that having natural and artificial turf will provide more flexibility to play intramurals and tournaments year round when inclement weather hits.

“This has been a great need for a long time. We are pleased that our students will soon get to enjoy the new complex,” Rogers said.

RecSports Director Rex Pringle anticipates the new complex will spark additional growth in the number of student teams, particularly in flag football, soccer, softball, and sand volleyball.

The pavilion, the central building, and the utility/maintenance building are now being built and artificial turf is being installed. The complex connects to the city’s Third Creek Greenway and is just three miles from campus by car or by way of the greenway.

The university will provide transportation from campus to the site to accommodate game schedules.

Rogers said the university has worked with students for more than twelve years on how best to address the need for field space. More than twenty-five sites were evaluated before the site was chosen in 2009. Because the campus is bordered by downtown Knoxville, Cumberland Avenue, and Fort Sanders along with the Tennessee River, railroads, and major interstates, it was difficult to find a large parcel of flat land near the campus.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET for the Volunteers’ game against the University of Akron Zips. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. CSS will televise the game.

Fans are encouraged to follow @UTGameday on Twitter for the latest updates on traffic, weather, gate information and game day events such as the Vol Walk and band march. For a comprehensive list of all gameday information, please visit utsports.com/gameday.

Season tickets and select individual game tickets are available at http://www.uttix.com. Please be cognizant about purchasing counterfeit tickets, as all counterfeit tickets will be confiscated at the stadium gates and the patron(s) denied admission.

Parking

Due to campus construction, fans are encouraged to arrive early. For complete information on game day parking, stadium regulations and activities, see utsports.com/gameday.

Only fans with permits can park on campus. UT encourages others to use shuttle buses from the Old City, the Knoxville Civic Coliseum and the Market Square area of downtown Knoxville and Farragut High School in west Knoxville.

Limited public accessible parking spaces and fully accessible shuttle buses to the stadium are available on the UT Agriculture Campus off Neyland Drive.

Game Day Activities

The traditional Vol Walk will start at 5:15 p.m. on Volunteer Boulevard near Circle Park, as the members of the football team proceed down Volunteer Boulevard and then continue down Peyton Manning Pass to the stadium.

The Pride of the Southland Marching Band will begin marching at 5:50 p.m. at the intersection of Pat Head Summitt Street and Volunteer Boulevard and will then follow the same path as the Vol Walk.

From 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., the Volunteer Village commercial display area will be open on the lawn of the Humanities and Social Sciences Building. Pregame festivities will be available for fans of all ages.

Fans also can attend the College of Arts and Sciences’ Pregame Showcase. Held two hours before each home game kickoff in the University Center Ballroom, the showcase is a free thirty-minute presentation by a UT faculty member. This week, at 5:30 p.m., Nathan Kelly, associate professor in the Department of Political Science, will discuss The Politics of Income Inequality in the United States.

Stadium Security

UT reminds visitors that all items, including purses, are subject to search at the gates. Bags larger than 12 inches by 12 inches by 12 inches cannot be brought into the stadium, and items larger than this standard size, as well as other prohibited items, cannot be stored at any stadium gate.

Prohibited items include the following:

• alcoholic beverages, cans, bottles or coolers;
• large bags or parcels, including backpacks and large purses;
• radios without headphones;
• artificial noisemakers;
• open umbrellas;
• video cameras;
• stadium seats with arms; and
• weapons of any kind, including pocketknives.

Fans can bring the following items inside the stadium, provided they meet the size requirement:

• cushions and seats without arms;
• small diaper bags that accompany infants; and
• small cameras, pagers, cell phones, and binoculars.

Under state law, no smoking will be allowed anywhere inside the stadium. Fans cannot leave the stadium and be readmitted.

Commercial solicitation in front of Neyland Stadium from Middle Way Drive to Gate 10 is prohibited starting four hours before kickoff and continuing until the game is over.

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CONTACT:

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

Highlights of the weekend include the fourth annual Family Weekend Silent Auction, the Big Orange Tailgate, and a Sunday brunch. Programming on Friday night provided by Student Activities and the Parents Association include the Fall Fest Street Fair and Ben Rector Concert.

The annual event kicks off with check-in at the Black Cultural Center at 5:00 p.m. Those who have made a donation to the Parents and Families Fund, which benefits student scholarships and programs, will enjoy a small donor reception. While events are going on, the UT Bookstore will stay open until 8:00 p.m. offering a 20 percent discount to Parents Association members.

Other Friday night highlights include a guided tour of Ayres Hall and the Min Kao Building, a Writers in the Library Undergraduate Showcase, and a Lady Vols Volleyball match against SEC opponent Arkansas.

On Saturday, the Parents Association will host almost 4,000 guests and students for the Big Orange Tailgate in Circle Park. This year’s tailgate will once again be a zero-waste event. All materials from the tailgate will be either composted or recycled. During the tailgate, attendees will see the Vol Walk and then make their way to Neyland Stadium to watch the Vols take on the University of Akron Zips. The Silent Auction also will be open to browse, with items such as autographed sports memorabilia, golf packages, artwork, jewelry, and more.

On Sunday, parents will have the chance to have brunch with their students in the Presidential Court Café, as the weekend comes to a close.

Throughout the weekend, Family Weekend registrants will enjoy discounted or free admission to many events and Knoxville venues, such as the McClung Museum, the UT Gardens, the East Tennessee History Center, the Knoxville Museum of Art, and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

Registration for Family Weekend is for UT Parents Association members and their families. For a complete schedule of events including locations and times, visit parents.utk.edu.

Fourteen aspiring entrepreneurs—representing ten Knoxville-area high schools— learned career skills through hands-on activities at the camp, which was a joint effort of UT’s Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Entrepreneurs of Knoxville, and Ultimate Life Institute.

The camp included workshops, forums with local entrepreneurs, tours of local businesses, one-on-one mentoring, and long days of developing business plans—all focused on providing the young aspiring entrepreneurs with the skills, mindsets, and mentoring to help them achieve business success.

“In one week, we would develop a business plan around something we were passionate about. I didn’t believe it was possible,” said Brandon Harris, a senior at Austin-East High School. “We produced a video, designed business cards and a poster, and presented our plan to a panel of entrepreneurs.”

The week’s activities ended with a “trade show,” where the students set up booths to explain their businesses to guests, judges, and family members, aiming to win a cash prize.

Judges, guests, and family members thought the students’ work was impressive.

“I was blown away by the business plan presentations and what the students created in only one week,” said Leo Knight, founder of EOK. “They accomplished all of it after we kept them busy every day in the classroom and interacting with local entrepreneurs.”

Prize money recipients were:

• First place ($300): Brandon Harris, a senior at Austin-East High School, and Jacob Grayson, a sophomore at Bearden High School, for “Predator Athletics,” an innovative athletic shoe that could be adapted to more than one sport.
• Second place ($200): Emily Bright, a 2012 graduate of Christian Academy of Knoxville, with “Fixy Female,” a business to teach single women how to handle tasks frequently done by men.
• Third place ($100): Shay McKinney, a sophomore at West High School, with “ReBiRth,” a business to make and sell inspirational messages from recycled materials.
• Fourth place ($100): Mackenzie Lee, a freshman at Bearden High School, with “Abstract Impressional,” a business to make jewelry and art objects from used art class paint brushes. The sale of the objects would provide funding for new brushes, thereby ensuring a steady supply of raw material for the business.

“We were very pleased with the results of this first camp,” said Tom Graves, operations director for the Anderson Center. “Developing entrepreneurial talent is a key component of our mission, and the earlier we can inspire and mentor young entrepreneurs, the greater the likelihood they will become successful value-creators.”

Plans are under way for a July 2013 camp. Contact Graves at tgraves10@utk.edu for more information.

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C O N T A C T :

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

Chapters Delta Zeta and Alpha Chi Omega moved in earlier this week. The women of Kappa Delta are moving in this weekend.

UT expects a total of seven houses to be completed this fall, with as many as 270 women living in the development by the end of the semester.

Sorority Village will have thirteen houses and one administrative/meeting building once it is completed next year. The administrative/meeting building will also open this fall.

Sorority fall recruitment begins Sunday, August 19 and events will take place at the Panhellenic Building on Cumberland Avenue and the three open houses in Sorority Village. Nearly 900 women are registered to participate in fall recruitment.

The university has accommodated several sorority chapters that expected their houses to be completed this month. Most women are in residence halls. The Sigma Kappa sorority chapter is moving into an unoccupied house in Fraternity Park on a temporary basis while their house is being completed.

All new property is subject to compliance reviews and a fire marshal inspection before they open. In the works for more than six years, work began on the Sorority Village infrastructure in the fall of 2009.

Some roads have been narrowed or closed since the spring, while others have been widened and reopened. Work continues on the new Student Union, a new residence hall, the new Natalie L. Haslam Music Center, the John Tickle Engineering Building, and development of Sorority Village at Morgan Hill.

Several roads that were closed for a large part of the summer will reopen by Saturday, including:

• One lane of Phillip Fulmer Way between Cumberland Avenue and Middle Way Drive
• Middle Way Drive at the intersection with Phillip Fulmer Way, which will bring Hill traffic back to its regular flow. Summer traffic on the Hill had been reversed to accommodate the closure of Middle Way Drive
• Peyton Manning Pass

Also opening by the start of classes on Wednesday, August 22: the Rock, UT’s beloved outcropping of personal expression. The Rock has been fenced off for a month due to construction of the Natalie L. Haslam Music Center.

Several roads will remain closed, including:

• One lane of Andy Holt Avenue just west of the pedestrian walkway is closed as part of the Melrose Avenue residence hall construction, but the sidewalk is open.
• The section of Andy Holt Avenue next to the University Center and the Haslam Business Building is permanently closed. It will become a pedestrian plaza as part of the new Student Union complex.
• Chamique Holdsclaw Drive will be closed from Pat Head Summitt Street to Lake Loudoun Boulevard until December 2012 for the addition to the Lawson Athletic Center Football Training Facility.

The east sidewalk on Pat Head Summitt Street north of Volunteer Boulevard will remain closed for ongoing work on the music building.

UT expects slower pedestrian traffic once classes begin due to construction through the center of campus. The following routes have been recommended to avoid the Student Union site:

• To reach the north side of the Hill or north of Cumberland Avenue, the best route is to walk north along Melrose Place, then east between Hodges Library and the Tyson House, cross Volunteer Boulevard north of the Haslam Business Building, then north to Cumberland Avenue, then east toward the University Center.
• To reach the south side of the Hill or Neyland Stadium, the best route is via the newly paved pedestrian path on the north side of Staff 9 lot near Neyland Stadium.

Students, faculty, staff, and visitors should look for signs indicating these pathways, which will be posted throughout campus. People should avoid seeking shortcuts to steer clear of all construction sites.

Several parking lots have been added to UT’s inventory and other lots have been changed to accommodate student, faculty, and staff needs.

The UT Bookstore will be open this weekend for students needing textbooks and supplies. Shuttle buses will run from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, between the Volunteer Hall parking garage, Presidential Courtyard at the corner of Melrose Avenue and Francis Street, and the University Center.

Detailed driving directions and temporary parking information can be found on the Welcome Week webpage. Locate your residence hall and other important buildings on the campus map.

For more information on construction and improvement projects across campus, visit the Cone Zone website.

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C O N T A C T :

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

Commuter Students

Another 150 student commuter spaces at Church St. United Methodist Church surface lot – designated as lot C-26 – available from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday but subject to closure during special events*

Another 140 commuter spaces in Poplar Street Lot designated as C-18 – available from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday but subject to closure during special events *

Spaces (52) have been added in a lot at Laurel Avenue and 16th St.—designated as C-9

*effective on Monday, August 20.

Resident (Non-Commuter) Students

Due to construction, the lot at Lake Ave. and Volunteer Blvd. West (N-15) has been redesignated for noncommuters.

Faculty and Staff

Sixty-five staff spaces have been added to Caledonia Ave. (Staff Area 37), which was formerly a noncommuter lot. This substitutes spots lost when Staff Area 23 closed for the new residence hall site.

Forty-one spaces have been added to Lake Avenue (Staff Area 12), just west of Melrose Ave.

UT Parking and Transit Services will be open throughout the weekend to accommodate move-in schedule and permit sales.

For more information, contact Mark Hairr at 974-6031.

Move-in begins Saturday, August 18, for more than 7,300 new and returning students who will converge on UT’s twelve residence halls.

“Academically, these students are in the top 10 percent in Tennessee,” Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek said. “They are representative of a Top 25 university, and it will be evident to them that we’re working on our facilities and programs to give them the educational experience expected from a top-tier public research university.”

New and returning students will arrive on campus to see construction work dotting the landscape. A record-amount of building and renovation is under way, including a new Student Union, the John Tickle Engineering Building, and the Natalie L. Haslam Music Center.

The Class of 2016 comes with an average ACT score of 27 and average GPA of 3.89. About 44 percent had average high school GPAs of 4.0 or higher.

About 89 percent of this year’s freshmen are Tennessee residents; about 19 percent of them are minority students.

Richard Bayer, assistant provost and director of enrollment services, said the university received about 14,400 applications for the seats in this year’s freshman class. That’s up 5 percent over last year.

“We’re growing and changing, all with an eye on becoming a Top 25 university—and students and their parents have taken note,” he said. “The increase in applications shows people understand that UT is a great educational value.”

As in previous years, about 99 percent of the in-state, incoming freshmen qualify for the state’s lottery-funded HOPE, which provides up to $6,000 per year toward tuition and fees. The lottery scholarship is a factor in the significant rise in freshman qualifications over the last several years.

To make sure that money is not a stumbling block for the state’s academically qualified students, UT offers several need-based scholarship programs. This year, about 52 percent of the institutional scholarship dollars—those awarded by UT—are merit-based, and 48 percent are need-based. In 2005–2006, about 99 percent of UT’s institutional scholarships were merit-based.

Of this year’s in-state freshmen:

• 552, or about 13 percent, are receiving the Tennessee Pledge Scholarship which, when combined with other federal, state, and institutional aid, covers mandatory costs—tuition, fees, room and board, and a book allowance. This year, the scholarship is available to students whose families have adjusted gross incomes of up to $40,000, which is about 200 percent of the federal poverty level. The average income of Pledge families is $21,757, compared to about $125,000 for all in-state students.

• 138, or about 3 percent, are receiving the Tennessee Promise Scholarship. The only program of its kind in the state, the Promise Scholarship is for students from eligible public high schools across the state. Promise scholarships are valued at up to $8,396 per year plus a $1,200 book allowance. The average family income of Promise recipients is approximately $45,000.

• 132, or about 3 percent, are receiving Achieve the Dream grants. The program—for high-achieving students from middle-income Tennessee families—provides four-year grants of up to $3,000 per year. The average family income of recipients is approximately $79,000.

Enrollment numbers are not finalized until the fourteenth day of class.

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C O N T A C T :

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

A small parking lot on the north side of Hess Hall will be converted into an open-air seating area, sidewalks on both sides of Melrose Avenue will be widened and improved, and additional angled parking will be available on the north side of the street. Handicapped parking spots and a new entrance will be added to the front of the International House.

Hodges Library and the I-House will remain open during the road work, with pedestrian access and employee parking available in the Staff 12 lot next to the I-House.

Limited access to Melrose Avenue for local traffic will be granted on July 26-27. No on-street parking will be permitted until the road reopens on August 4.

For more information on campus road and construction projects, visit the Cone Zone at conezone.utk.edu.

Even kids who get bored with required reading can find summer reading a refreshing change.

And—don’t tell the kids this—summer reading can help maintain and develop their reading level. It’s also a good activity for parents and kids to do together.

“No matter the time of year or age, kids should be reading,” said Miranda Clark, director for the Center for Children’s & Young Adult Literature. “Get them as excited about reading as they are about other activities.”

Here are some tips from Clark for sparking your child’s love of reading this summer:

• Let them have their way. Take your children to a bookstore or library and let them pick out their own books. “Summer is about freedom, for kids especially,” said Clark. “So giving them the freedom to choose their reading material is key to getting them to read in the summer.”
• Crank up the car’s stereo with an audio book. Whether you’re traveling or at home, audio books are also a good reading alternative during the summer, Clark said. Parents can go online to the American Library Association’s website and search for award-winning audio books, including those that have won the prestigious Odyssey Award given to the best audio book for children and young adults.
• Share the love. Parents’ involvement in their children’s reading habits is important in developing children’s critical reading skills. “Help your child learn how to know themselves as a reader,” Clark said. “It’s important we help our children become critical readers. Sharing a book with your child is even better because you can help them notice elements of the writing or illustration then connect those observations to their daily life.”
• Anything goes. Reading chapter books or novels is wonderful, but reading a comic book or graphic novel is good, too. “Reading is all about acquiring language and being exposed to quality literature and great writing and vocabulary,” Clark said. “I think in the summer, reading is reading, and if kids are reading something they love, that should be good enough for us.”

The Center for Children’s & Young Adult Literature has published a list of award-winning children’s and young adult books as part of their The Best of the Best 2012 Workshop being held today. To see the whole list and to learn more about the center, visit the website.

Here’s a peek at some of the books on that list:

Kindergarten through third grade

• A Hen for Izzy Pippik by Aubrey Davis, illustrated by Marie LaFrance—An eastern European folktale about a girl’s kindness and morality in the face of adversity.
• 999 Tadpoles by Ken Kimura—When their pond becomes too crowded, a mother and father toad must move their young to a bigger pond, facing danger along the way.
• Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Daniel Salmieri—Dragons may love tacos, but watch out when you give them spicy salsa!

Third through sixth grades

• Aliens on Vacation by Clete Barrett Smith—When Scrub discovers his grandmother’s bed and breakfast is actually used by aliens to vacation on Earth, he quickly has to learn how to keep his grandmother’s secret while ensuring the B&B stays open.
• Squish: Super Amoeba by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm—A fun and funny comic book-style novel about a young amoeba’s journey through life.
• The Shark King by R. Kikuo Johnson—A graphic novel about a young shark’s life in Hawaii.

Fifth through eighth grades

• Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos—Winner of the 2012 Newberry Medal and the Scott O’Dell Award, this novel follows young Jack Gantos and his experiences with a very unusual neighbor.
• Chomp by Carl Hiassen—When Wahoo Cray’s animal wrangler father begins starring on a new reality TV show called Expedition Survival, one crazy thing after another prompts everyone to question whether anyone will actually survive the program.
• Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt—A coming-of-age tale about 14-year-old Doug Swieteck who is trying to find his way in a new town where it seems everyone is barred against him.

Seventh grade through young adult

• Pandemonium by Chris Wooding, illustrated by Cassandra Diaz—A graphic novel about a young man named Seifer who is abducted and forced to replace his missing look-a-like Prince Talon Pandemonium in his royal duties.
• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green—Though Hazel’s cancer has always been terminally diagnosed, when handsome Augustus Waters walks into Cancer Kid Support Group, her entire world is turned upside down.
• Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley—As Cullen Witter’s world crashes down around him, he is forced to re-examine everything he once thought he knew.
• The Scorpio Races by Maggie Staaifvater—Every November, the Scorpio Races test the skills and determination of each competitor. Not everyone lives, and only one victor crosses the finish line.

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C O N T A C T :

Miranda Clark (865-974-2305, mclark22@utk.edu)

Living Light

Living Light, the university’s energy-efficient, solar-powered house, is traveling to Chattanooga as part of a multi-city tour of the state from July 20-29.

This is the home’s last stop before it comes back to Knoxville where it will reside at the UT Gardens.

The 750-square-foot home will be on the corner of Manufacturers Road and Cherokee Boulevard in front of Renaissance Park in downtown Chattanooga.

The award-winning house will be open for tours from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. on most weekdays and from noon to 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Tours of the home are free and open to the public.

To schedule a private tour, please call 864-974-5211 or e-mail livlight@utk.edu.

Living Light became an educational exhibition known as the Tennessee Tour in November 2011 after returning from the US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, an international, solar home design competition among collegiate teams. It placed eighth overall and earned high marks in several categories including architecture, energy production, and engineering.

The house has been toured by nearly 50,000 people in its visits to Knoxville, Nashville, Memphis, and Washington, DC.

“This project has been a part of our students’ and faculty members’ lives for three years now—from concept to design, development to construction, competition to exhibition,” said Scott Wall, director of the School of Architecture. “Being able to share the sustainable design and solar-power technologies developing at UT with the world has been a remarkable thing. We are very proud of what the Tennessee Tour has achieved.”

The house was recently on exhibit in Washington, DC as part of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. It was one of only seventeen projects chosen to represent the nation’s land-grant universities during the festival, which commemorated the 150th anniversary of the founding of land-grant universities and the US Department of Agriculture.

Living Light team members recently won an Honor Citation from the Tennessee chapter of the American Institute of Architects for their work on the home.

The house arrives in Chattanooga in time for the AIA Tennessee Convention, which will be held July 25-27.

The Tennessee Tour is a joint effort of the UT College of Architecture and Design, the UT College of Engineering, and UT Extension—the outreach unit of the UT Institute of Agriculture. It showcases the work of more than 200 students and nine academic programs, as well as the sponsorship and involvement of alumni, businesses, and industry partners like the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Once back in Knoxville, Living Light will undergo a year of testing by faculty and students who will be collaborating with the Electrical Power Research Institute.

For more information about the Tennessee Tour and the Living Light House, visit livinglight.utk.edu.

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C O N T A C T:

Kiki Roeder (865-974-6713, kroeder@utk.edu)

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

UT expects seven houses to be completed this fall, with as many as 270 women living in the development by the end of the semester. UT anticipates at least three houses opening in time for fall classes, which begin August 22.

Sorority Village will have thirteen houses and one administrative/meeting building once it is completed next year. Sorority fall recruitment is set for August 19—26 at the Panhellenic Building on Cumberland Avenue and at the completed properties within Sorority Village, with transportation provided between the two locations.

The chapters with houses opening in this first phase are:

• Delta Zeta
• Alpha Chi Omega
• Kappa Delta
• Delta Delta Delta
• Alpha Delta Pi
• Sigma Kappa
• Kappa Kappa Gamma

The administrative/meeting building will also open this fall. The university is funding a portion of the facility for its administrative offices and meeting space. Alpha Kappa Alpha is funding the other portion and will have a dedicated space within.

All new property is subject to compliance reviews and a fire marshal inspection before they open.

In the works for more than six years, work began on the Sorority Village infrastructure in the fall of 2009.

Chapters are funding their houses in full through private donations and mortgage agreements that will be paid through rent and chapter fees. Each house is estimated to cost between $3 million and $5 million. Once construction is complete, the total private investment in Sorority Village is expected to exceed $45 million.

Houses were bid as separate projects through the state Building Commission, and UT is managing the construction contracts. The houses range from 9,000 to 17,000 square feet, with the largest houses accommodating up to forty-eight women.

View a few commonly asked questions about the development.

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CONTACT:

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