Adams, twenty-three, a two-time alumna of the college and CPA for Ernst & Young in Nashville, passed away unexpectedly in 2011. The Casey Adams MAcc Scholarship Endowment was established with funds donated by members of the TEI Nashville chapter, including those from the area’s largest firms and friends and colleagues of Casey’s mother, Donna Adams, also a CPA. The national branch of the TEI matched funds donated by the Nashville chapter.

The establishment of the endowment, which will be awarded on an annual basis, was announced at the thirty-sixth Annual Warren Slagle Accounting Day. Adams’ father, John, expressed appreciation on behalf of his family.

“Thank you all for honoring our beautiful and precious daughter, Casey Nicole Adams,” said John. “This scholarship will make it possible for someone to fulfill his or her dream, as it was hers to enroll and complete the MAcc program at UT.”

Friends and classmates of Casey Adams are encouraged to consider contributing to the scholarship by contacting UT’s College of Business Administration Office of Development at 865-974-6083.

For more information about the College of Business Administration, visit http://bus.utk.edu.

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C O N T A C T :

Meredith Hulette (865-974-7392, mhulette@utk.edu)

Each day, stories and videos about faculty will be featured on the Tennessee Today website, http://tiny.utk.edu/FAW12.

Students, alumni, faculty, staff, and others are invited to send a “shout out” to their favorite faculty member and read what others are saying. Find the shout out page at http://tiny.utk.edu/shout.

A variety of special events also have been planned:

Monday, February 13

• Women’s basketball game—The Lady Vols play Kentucky at 7:00 p.m. in Thompson-Boling Arena. Faculty will be saluted during the game. Faculty and staff can purchase tickets for $7. Visit the UT Ticket Office, call 865-656-1200 or order online at http://tinyurl.com/7dm9waf or at UTTIX.com, using promotional code UTKBB12.
• “Like” stickers—Students can get “like” stickers to give to their instructors. The stickers will be handed out during the morning on the Pedestrian Walkway and on the University Center Plaza.

Tuesday, February 14

• Ready for the World Café—The café begins its ten-week spring run today with Irish cuisine and prize drawings for faculty. The luncheon is from noon to 1:00 p.m. in the UT Visitors Center, 2712 Neyland Drive. Guest chef Garrett Scanlan, noted Irish-born local chef and star of “90 Miles with Chef Garrett,” will oversee the food and menu design for the week. Tickets are $12, and the UT faculty/staff discount applies. For tickets, see Marcia in 110 Jessie Harris Building or call 865-974-6645. For more information about luncheon, see http://www.utk.edu/tntoday/2012/02/07/rftw-cafe-spring-luncheon-series.
• Distinguished Faculty Reception—The invitation-only reception sponsored by Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek will be held from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. in the rotunda of the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy.

Wednesday, February 15

• Coffee and doughnuts—Grab-and-go stations with free coffee and doughnuts for faculty will be set up from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at Ayres Hall, the Pedestrian Walkway (the Volunteer Boulevard end) and Morgan Hall. The breakfast is provided by the Thornton Center, Student Success Center, the Center for International Education, and the Office of Multicultural Student Life.
• Men’s basketball game—The Vols play Arkansas at 8:00 p.m. in Thompson-Boling Arena. Faculty will be saluted during the game. Faculty and staff can purchase tickets for $7. Visit the UT Ticket Office, call 865-656-1200 or order online at http://tinyurl.com/7dm9waf or at UTTIX.com, using promotional code UTKBB12.

Thursday, February 16

• Coffee and doughnuts—Grab-and-go stations with free coffee and doughnuts for faculty will be set up from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at Ayres Hall, the Pedestrian Walkway (the Volunteer Boulevard end), and Morgan Hall. The breakfast is provided by the Thornton Center, Student Success Center, the Center for International Education, and the Office of Multicultural Student Life.
• Initiating A Better Work/Life Balance—noon to 1:15 p.m., University Center Crest Room. This interactive workshop, sponsored by the Tennessee Teaching and Learning Center, will explore ideas for better time management. RSVP to tenntlc@utk.edu.
• Faculty Pub—The Faculty Pub will be open from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Bridgeview Grill on Neyland Drive, with free parking in the staff lot across the street. The Boling, Brown, and Holloway Jazz Trio (faculty members Mark Boling, Keith Brown, and Rusty Holloway) will be performing and there will be free appetizers, compliments of Aramark, giveaways and special recognition of faculty.

All week

• Showcasing faculty books, research—Books authored by UT faculty will be on display throughout the week in the Dixie Marie Wooten Commons West of Hodges Library (Melrose entrance). The display also will highlight faculty members who have made their scholarship openly available online at the Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange (TRACE) digital archive. Faculty members are invited to learn how to preserve and showcase their published and unpublished work in SelectedWorks at trace.tennessee.edu.
• UT Bookstore Discount—The bookstore will offer a 20 percent discount to faculty and staff with their UT ID. The discount will not include textbooks, special orders, select trade books, and minimal select general merchandise (such as the “We Back Pat” shirts).
• Aramark freebies and discounts—With their UT ID card, faculty can enjoy: free tea with entrée purchase at McAlister’s deli located in the Arena Café; free donut with small coffee purchase at Dunkin Donuts at Volunteer Hall on White Avenue; $5 Friday at the Presidential Court Café and $5 Friday at the Southern Kitchen; free tall coffee at Starbucks with the purchase of a breakfast sandwich or pastry.

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C O N T A C T :

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034 or 865-789-1692, ablakely@utk.edu)

From left: Randy Boyd, president and CEO of Radio Systems Corp.; Jake Baron, UT alumnus and creator of Casenova; and Tom Graves, director of operations for the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

KNOXVILLE—The designer of a single-strap knapsack that reduces stress on the back is the latest recipient of a $12,500 grant from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Boyd Venture Fund.

The fund is administered through the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the College of Business Administration.

Jake Baron, UT alumnus and creator of Casenova, was awarded the seed money for his company, Baron Innovations, LLC. He is the second recipient of money from the fund.

As part of the grant, the Anderson Center will connect Baron to a mentor who will help him build his business.

Casenova is a single-strap backpack that redistributes weight evenly throughout the body to reduce stress on the back. Its design, which is pending patent, and Neoprene construction makes it waterproof and lightweight. The product includes strategically placed pockets for easy access to phone, sunglasses, and water bottles, while providing comfort and enhanced security against theft.

The idea for Casenova was born in the fall of Baron’s junior year. He was walking back to his apartment after a long day of classes and as he trekked up and down hills on campus, the weight of his traditional backpack began causing noticeable pain.

He decided to design a better alternative. Baron tested Casenova with UT students.

“All the students in the test were extremely pleased with the added benefits incorporated into Casenova’s unique design,” he said. “I couldn’t have accomplished all that I did without the support, mentoring, and guidance from the Anderson Center faculty.”

The grant will allow Baron, a December 2011 graduate in accounting, to finalize a web-based ordering system and place an initial inventory order with his factory in China.

The Boyd Venture Fund is available to any UT Knoxville student-owned business and is awarded each spring and fall.

“Creating new local businesses is the cornerstone to a community’s success,” said fund benefactor Randy Boyd, president and CEO of Radio Systems Corp. “These businesses create jobs, pay taxes that fund other investments such as education, and support the local community with philanthropy. I cannot imagine a better return on investment than supporting future generations of entrepreneurs.”

The grant from the Boyd Venture Fund is the third Anderson Center competition that Casenova has won. The initial Casenova prototype won first place and $5,000 in the center’s spring 2010 Undergraduate Business Plan Competition. The next fall, Casenova finished second in the Vol Court Pitch Competition.

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C O N T A C T S :

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

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

Scientific data is growing in scale and complexity across all scientific disciplines, which is leading to an increased need for professionals who specialize in scientific data curation research and education. The need for professionals specifically trained in the management and curation of scientific data is growing.

In response to this need, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) provided funds to develop SciData as a two-year master’s program. Eight students with science background or interest in science data and information are now being recruited. They will study information sciences with courses designed to build specialties in digital data curation and an emphasis on scientific publishing, leading to a master’s degree in information sciences.

Students are now being recruited for a two-year degree program to begin August 2012. The student award and support includes:

• tuition cost coverage;
• stipend to study and work in the Knoxville area;
• laptop computer;
• health insurance;
• travel to England in the summer of 2013 for science e-publishing study; and
• practical experiences with science agencies.

The deadline for admission submissions for the SciData program is April 27. Potential students should go to scidata.sis.utk.edu/admissions to learn more about the program and its admission requirements.

The principal investigator on SciData is Suzie Allard, associate professor and associate director of the School of Information Sciences at UT. She is joined by co-principal investigators Carol Tenopir and Peiling Wang, both professors in the program with extensive science information expertise.

SciData’s partners include IMLS, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Information International Associates, the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, and the Office of Scientific and Technical Information.

The School of Information Sciences is a part of the College of Communication and Information at the University of Tennessee. SIS is recognized nationally and internationally as an interdisciplinary program of excellence in the information sciences. Graduates of the school’s programs are knowledgeable, skillful, and ethical users of information and information technology in their educational, professional, and personal endeavors. For more information, visit www.sis.utk.edu.

IMLS is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The institute’s mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. For more information, visit www.imls.gov.

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C O N T A C T :

Donna Silvey (865-974-2148, dsilvey@utk.edu)

That just might be the case on our campus over the next several weeks. Facilities Services is working with a contractor to determine the damage and wear and tear to the roofs on eighty-three buildings, including the Middlebrook Pike Building and the UT Conference Center.

The core of the assessment involves taking thermo graphic surveys by helicopter flyovers throughout campus. Special technology and equipment is used to identify changes in temperature and moisture that better pinpoint damage, specific problem areas, and potential problems down the road.

Dave Irvin, associate vice chancellor for Facilities Services, said at least twenty-four roofs are in critical need of repair. Some of the damage is related to the April 2011 storms, but others are the result of years of deferred maintenance. The goal is to make the critical repairs on all twenty-four buildings this summer.

“This project will give us a much more detailed plan of action for the twenty-four roofs, but also help to develop long-range plans for maintenance and repair of roofing on all of our buildings,” Irvin said.

Many of the repairs will be covered by insurance, where damage is apparent from the storm. This assessment will help provide a better picture for documenting storm damage that is not as apparent, particularly on flat roofs.

The helicopter will fly about 1,200 feet above ground level and hover over individual buildings for varying periods of time. However, all of the tests are dependent on weather.

This project is part of a recent $12.5 million commitment from Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek to address critical maintenance including roofs, windows, and issues within classrooms, laboratories, and offices. Of the 220 buildings on our campus, more than 30 percent are fifty years old or older. Seventy-five percent are at least twenty-four years old.

Faculty, staff, and students may also notice more Facilities Services and contract workers on rooftops as part of the project. The surveys are expected to take less than a week to complete.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, does too, and provides strong educational value for every tuition dollar, according to The Princeton Review‘s “150 Best Value Colleges for 2012″ list released today.

The list ranked UT among the seventy-five best values in public higher education, and for the first time, noted UT’s commitment to diversity and civility.

The Princeton Review ranks American colleges based on undergraduate academic quality, affordability, and availability of financial aid for its annual “Best Value” list. The seventy-five public and seventy-five private colleges and universities were selected from more than 650 institutions in the US.

“We work very hard to be good stewards of our resources by delivering a high-quality education in as efficient a manner as possible,” said Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek. “We are proud to be included in the ‘Best Value’ list again this year.”

This year’s “Best Value” rankings described UT as offering students “the great program diversity of a major university,” opportunities for research or original creative work in every degree program, and “a welcoming campus environment” with “a great sense of unity” and acceptance of diversity. The profile also noted that need-based and merit-based scholarships “are plentiful” for those who apply.

Tennessee’s lottery-funded Hope Scholarship covers nearly half of a student’s tuition and fees. Almost all entering Tennessee freshmen at UT qualify for a Hope Scholarship, and continue to receive the funds as long as they maintain required grade point averages.

UT has significantly increased its funding for need-based scholarships during recent years. These funds are provided in addition to Hope funds. The Pledge Scholarship is available to students whose family’s annual gross income is $40,000 or less. The Promise Scholarship is available to students in Tennessee high schools who historically have been under-represented among the UT student body. Each of these scholarships cover essentially all the costs of tuition, fees, and books.

The Princeton Review is an educational services company known for its test-prep courses, university admission services, and its annual college, business, and law school rankings.

The “150 Best Value Colleges for 2012″ rankings are available at www.usatoday.com/news/education/best-value-colleges.

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C O N T A C T :

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