“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.

–

CONTACT:

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

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

Larsen Jay, the nonprofit’s founder and executive director, wants to take the charity nationally. Through skills he’s learned at UT, he’s poised to do just that. Jay graduates today from UT’s Executive Master of Business Administration for Strategic Leadership program.

Starting next year, the Knoxville-based charity will expand to one other city—Nashville, Indianapolis or Tampa—with plans to spread to twenty target cities around the country in coming years and eventually to expand internationally.

Jay has received requests from across the country and from people in Australia and England who are interested in his work.

“The goals are simple: Do another one and prove it can be successful again,” said Jay, a former television and film producer.

Since its inception in 2008, Random Acts of Flowers has delivered flowers to almost 20,000 people. The 100 percent recycling green charity receives donated used flowers from weddings, special events, churches, funeral homes, and retailers. The flowers are pulled apart and rebuilt into professional-looking arrangements.

“We’re trying to make one person’s day better with somebody else’s garbage,” Jay said. “We’re helping create an industry that’s a receptacle for the second-hand flower market. There really isn’t an industry that deals with what to do with used flowers. But it’s often the number one question brides and funeral homes have.”

Through UT’s intensive year-long executive MBA program, Jay gained “the ability to think on a much bigger level and an enormous toolbox of practical knowledge that’s going to help build this into a national charity,” he said. “I learned skills and made connections I didn’t have before.”

The organization’s business model, he said, is simple—an endless supply of free flowers, countless numbers of people who could use a smile, and a large team of volunteers.

“We fit into one little sliver of the market that no one else touches,” Jay said.

The idea for the charity was born out of one of the darkest periods of Jay’s life. In summer 2007, a ladder collapsed from underneath him while he was fixing the roof of his workshop in North Knoxville. He landed face down on the concrete, breaking his left arm, left and right wrists, right elbow, right femur, nose, and ten facial bones.

During his time in the intensive care unit, the trauma unit, and then a rehabilitation center, he received multiple deliveries of flowers every day from friends and family around the country. When he was able to leave his room via wheelchair, he noticed many of the patients on his hospital floor had “no flowers, no plants, no visitors, and no life” in their rooms, he said.

So he and family members loaded up his wheelchair with his excess flowers and delivered them room by room.

“The reactions from the people in the rooms were unbelievable,” Jay said.

A year later, he established Random Acts of Flowers. The organization has about 300 volunteers and a number of partner hospitals, nursing homes, and hospices. The liaisons there identify people who haven’t had visitors or who are having a rough time. Deliveries are made several times every week.

The organization is supported through financial donations, fundraising events, and grants from corporations and foundations. It delivers 600 to 800 bouquets a month.

“I know virtually nothing about flowers. I’m a TV and film producer,” Jay said. “But I know about happiness and the impact a moment of kindness and compassion can have on a person.”

To learn more about Random Acts of Flowers, visit www.randomactsofflowers.org.

To learn about UT’s Executive MBA program, visit the program’s website.

—

CONTACT:

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

As the years passed, he realized the experience made him want to go into hospital administration—because he knows that’s a career where he can have a positive impact.

Today, Haag takes a major step toward that goal when he receives his MBA from UT.

“I know a little about hospitals,” said Haag, of Hendersonville, Tennessee. “I was at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital for three months. I see hospitals as a place of healing.”

Haag’s tragedy occurred one Christmas Eve; he was eight years old and riding in the car with his father and two brothers. The crash killed his father and middle brother and severely injured Andrew and his oldest brother. Andrew suffered a broken lower back and major abdominal injuries, leaving him unable to walk without forearm crutches and leg braces.

Already big fans of University of Tennessee football, Haag and his brother, Eric, received phone calls after the accident from then-UT Head Football Coach Phillip Fulmer and quarterback Peyton Manning.

“I remember looking across the hall and seeing my brother’s excitement while talking on the phone,” remembers Haag. “Then my phone rang. It was Coach Fulmer and Peyton Manning. They were in Florida for the Citrus Bowl, and they called us! There are no words to describe what that means to a child at a time like that.”

Over the years, Fulmer remained in contact with the family, bringing both Haag and his brother under his wing as student equipment managers in the Vols football program. With the obvious tie to sports, Haag originally thought his path would be sports management or marketing.

“In my senior year as a marketing major, I decided that sports wasn’t the path I wanted to travel,” Haag said. “I kept thinking about my childhood experiences and realized that the hospital setting was where I could have the most impact. I wasn’t interested in the clinical side —I wanted administration—so I knew I needed to get my MBA.”

While earning his MBA, Haag has worked as a graduate assistant in the Center for Executive Education and as an administrative intern at UT Medical Center.

“Being in the hospital strengthened my commitment to the path I am on,” he says. “Whether wearing a white coat in the patient’s room or a business suit in the accounting office, caring for patients is the first priority.”

—

C O N T A C T :

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

Boonstra graduates from UT’s Aerospace and Defense MBA program today.

Boonstra had earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. He joined the military while in college.

On September 11, 2001, he was based in Kentucky as U.S. Army helicopter pilot with the prestigious 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment Airborne, also known as the Night Stalkers.

He was at home when the first plane commandeered by a terrorist hit the World Trade Center.

“I told my wife, ‘This is no accident,’ and I headed out the door for the base. I knew something very foreboding was happening.”

Boonstra was walking in the door at his office when the second plane hit the Twin Towers. The elite military team around him stood silent and focused.

“We all just looked at each other and silently started preparing–boxes being packed, gear put in order,” Boonstra said. “We knew. Even in the midst of the tragedy, I felt such pride that we were ready. We didn’t know how, why, or what, but we were ready.”

The unit was deployed almost immediately. “The 160th was smaller then,” Boonstra said. “It is the only unit I know of that has been constantly deployed since 9/11.”

Boonstra’s deployments included two tours of duty in Afghanistan and thirteen tours of duty in Iraq. He was part of the Jessica Lynch rescue, providing aviation support for the ground forces that went in to get her.

There were other rescue missions for Boonstra, but the details aren’t things he can talk about.

“Rescue operations always touch something in a soldier. Being able to bring someone home to enjoy the freedoms we are fighting for is a great honor,” he said.

Boonstra retired in 2009 and now lives Tucson, Arizona He is a program manager in advanced missile systems for the Raytheon Company, which specializes in defense, homeland security, and other government markets.

“As I get increasing levels of leadership, I thought it was important to understand the business side of my industry,” he said, explaining why he opted for UT’s ADMBA program.

Boonstra said the lessons he learned in his almost twenty-five years of military service have helped him in the business world and in the classroom.

“What makes a successful business is very much like what makes a good special ops unit,” he said. “You need a high-reliability organization with processes and procedures for getting things done. But you also need leaders who can make decisions based on gut and intuition.

“In business and in the military, that intuition is based on your experiences, years of learning, pattern recognition, and the ability to think on your feet. These traits are prominent in many of my classmates. The ADMBA faculty and class of 2012 are another exceptional team of which I am proud to be a part.”

—

C O N T A C T :

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

The university-wide fall commencement ceremony is set for 9:00 a.m. Saturday, December 15, at Thompson-Boling Arena. The university will honor alumnus Charles O. “Chad” Holliday, chairman of the board of Bank of America and former CEO of DuPont, with an honorary doctorate in engineering. He will be the featured speaker.

Several graduate hooding ceremonies will take place Friday across the campus. All ceremonies are being webcast.

The schedule is as follows:

Friday, December 14

College of Business full-time MBA Hooding Ceremony, 10:00 a.m., Alumni Memorial Building Cox Auditorium. Watch online.

College of Business Executive MBA Hooding Ceremony, 1:00 p.m., Alumni Memorial Building Cox Auditorium. Watch online.

Graduate Hooding Ceremony, 4:30 p.m., Thompson-Boling Arena. Watch online.

Saturday, December 15

Fall Commencement, 9:00 a.m., Thompson-Boling Arena. Watch online.

Friday’s graduate hooding ceremony and Saturday’s commencement ceremony will be shown on UTTV, the campus television channel. UTTV is channel 65 on campus and channel 194 on Comcast digital cable.

For more information, including details on parking, visit the commencement website.

—

C O N T A C T :

Karen Simsen (865-974-5186, karen.simse@utk.edu)

Students who log 100 or more community service hours qualify for medallions, which will be available for students to wear at the May 2013 commencement.

Jessica Copeland, administrative assistant at the Center for Leadership and Service, said the center created the medallion to recognize the achievements of graduates and as an incentive for students to log their service hours online, using a tool the center had already created for their website.

Almost any type of community service, on or off campus, counts toward a student’s 100 hours.

Students looking for opportunities to volunteer can visit the Center for Leadership and Service website and check the “Get Involved” tab for programs and organizations that need volunteers. Once students log 100 hours of community service, they can request a Service Medallion. The Center for Leadership and Service will then verify the student’s service by contacting his or her supervisors for each volunteer project.

Organizations that need volunteers also can visit the site and fill out a volunteer request form. If the request meets certain university requirements, the Center for Leadership and Service will help find volunteers for the organization.

Organizations can find the volunteer request form here.

Students may log community service hours here.

—

C O N T A C T :

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

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

Wilson also will deliver the college’s commencement address to graduates and their families at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, May 12, in Thompson-Boling Arena.

“As the top executive of one of the largest and best-to-work-for U.S. corporations, Alan Wilson is a master communicator,” said CCI Dean Mike Wirth. “His remarkable career as an entrepreneur and business leader underscores the importance and centrality of communication and information in all career fields and inspires our students to believe that there is no limit to what they can accomplish.”

Wilson earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from UT in 1980, and then served as a captain in the U.S. Army, completing tours of duty in Germany, the U.K., and the U.S. He worked for Proctor & Gamble for nine years in product supply before joining McCormick in 1993 as director of procurement for retail products. He was promoted the following year to vice president of corporate procurement and served a variety of roles in the company before being named its top executive in 2008.

McCormick & Company Inc. is a global leader in the manufacture, marketing and distribution of spices, herbs, seasonings, specialty foods, and flavors. In 2010, Fortune Magazine named McCormick one of the “100 Best Companies To Work For.”

Wilson is the inaugural and current president of the UT Knoxville Alumni Board of Directors and serves on the Board of Visitors of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He also serves on the boards of directors of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, the Greater Baltimore Committee, and the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation. Wilson also is a member of the Maryland Economic Development Commission and the Business Roundtable for Education.

The Donald G. Hileman Award is named for the first permanent dean of the College of Communications, the forerunner to the College of Communication and Information. The award was established in 1994 in celebration of the college’s 25th anniversary. It is awarded to college alumni who have made notable contributions to the field of communication and information. Past recipients include two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and noted science writer for the New York Times, John Noble Wilford; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning; and former Esquire magazine publisher Alan N. Greenberg. For a complete list of past Hileman Award winners, visit http://cci.utk.edu/AlumDevel/hileman.

—

CONTACT:

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

The ceremony will take place at 9 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 11, at Thompson-Boling Arena on UT’s campus.

More than 2,900 undergraduate and graduate students, who have completed degree programs during the summer or fall semesters, will be awarded diplomas. Five graduates will receive commissions as second lieutenants in the U. S. Army.

Students earning post-graduate degrees will be honored in a graduate hooding ceremony at 4:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 10, at the arena.

“We are thrilled to welcome Governor-elect Haslam to share his message with our graduates,” said Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek. “His story is one of hard work, relationship-building and leadership, so his advice to our students as they enter their next phase of life will be valuable. As our incoming chair of the Board of Trustees, I’m pleased to have him participate in commencement.”

Haslam, a Knoxville native, began working at age 13, pumping gas at one of a few service stations owned by his family. He attended Emory University in Atlanta, where he volunteered with the Young Life organization, a Christian ministry that reaches out to adolescents, and worked summers on the grassroots political campaigns for Sen. Howard Baker Jr. and Sen. Lamar Alexander, who at that time was campaigning for governor.

After graduating from Emory, Haslam returned to Knoxville and began traveling throughout the country, scouting locations for new travel centers. The small chain of stores grew into what is now Pilot Flying J. Haslam served as president and a director of the company from 1980-1999. During his time at the helm, the company grew from 800 employees to more than 14,000 in 39 states. He continued to serve on the board until 2003 when he was elected Knoxville mayor.

He has served two successful terms as mayor, balancing seven consecutive budgets, tripling the city’s Rainy Day Fund and recruiting and retaining thousands of jobs for the city. On Nov. 2, he was elected Tennessee’s 49th governor and will officially take office on Jan. 15, 2011.

Parking for commencement is available at any student parking area on campus. Parking for disabled persons is available in the Neyland Drive garage (G-10). For a campus parking map, visit http://www.utk.edu/maps/campus/.

For more information regarding the ceremony, call the registrar’s office at 865- 974-2101 or visit http://registrar.tennessee.edu/.

The graduate hooding will be webcast live at http://tinyurl.com/24b9l86.

The undergraduate commencement ceremony will be webcast live at http://tinyurl.com/2bg8zpd.

—

C O N T A C T :

Beth Gladden (865-974-9008, beth.gladden@tennessee.edu)

In his commencement address, Raja Jubran, founder and chief executive officer of Denark Construction Inc., offered five suggestions for a successful future: be a leader; stand up for what you believe in; make the right choices; take care of your family; and take care of your community and give back to it. Jubran also reminded graduates to thank everyone who helped them along the way — parents, community, alumni and faculty.

Jubran earned his civil engineering degree from UT Knoxville in 1981. He has led the management team of Denark, a general contracting and engineering company, since its incorporation in 1985. He is also a former member of the college’s Board of Advisers and the recipient of its 2004 Nathan W. Dougherty Award for outstanding achievements in engineering.

As its top students, the college recognized Zachary Dixon, an aerospace engineering major; Mark May, a chemical engineering major; and Timothy Wentz, a computer engineering major.

Daniel Smith was recognized as the winner of a Society of American Military Engineers Award. This Society Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) Award of Merit is a national award given to only 20 ROTC Air Force cadets in the nation by central military service board.

Lt. Col. Michael S. Angle, a professor of aerospace studies at UT Knoxville, officially commissioned seven graduates into the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army. Brittany Arnold, Andrew Jackson, Garrett Karnowski, Sharon King, Christopher Riley, Smith and Benjamin Yeager are now second lieutenants.

Wayne Davis, dean of engineering, led the ceremony’s academic procession which included associate deans, department heads and faculty representatives. Susan Martin, provost and senior vice chancellor, and Brad Fenwick, vice chancellor for research, also attended the ceremony.

—

C O N T A C T :

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

More than 4,323 undergraduate students were eligible to participate in this week’s commencement ceremonies, which combines graduates from the spring and summer terms. Students receiving advanced degrees also were recognized this week in a graduate hooding ceremony. Master’s degrees were awarded to 647 students, 93 earned doctoral degrees and five earned educational specialist degrees.

During the week’s ceremonies, 24 graduates also received commissions as second lieutenants in the United States armed forces.

Individual college commencement ceremonies held over Wednesday, Thursday and Friday featured many notable speakers — from a Nobel laureate to a national championship winning football coach — who offered graduates sound words of wisdom and advice.

Former Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore was in attendance Friday at the commencement ceremony for the College of Arts and Sciences, both as a guest speaker and as an honoree. Gore received an Honorary Doctor of Laws and Humane Letters in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and later spoke to graduates.

Graduates may face a stagnant entry-level job market, according to Russ Coughenour, director of UT’s Career Services. Fields such as engineering, accounting and logistics are still doing well but, overall, things are slow, he added.

“We have sensed a little more energy in the entry-level market recently, but it isn’t necessarily turning into hires,” he said. “As always, companies seek to hire the top 20 percent of graduates. As the market gets better and the general unemployment rate gets closer to five rather than 10 percent, we expect that companies will offer additional entry-level opportunities. Hopefully, that will be this fall.”

Pictures, webcasts and information from the various ceremonies can be found at http://www.utk.edu/commencement/spring10/.

—

C O N T A C T :

Kristi Hintz (865-974-3993, khintz@utk.edu)

Former Vice President Al Gore addresses graduates at the College of Arts and Sciences commencement ceremony.

KNOXVILLE — The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, honored former Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore with an honorary degree today at the College of Arts and Sciences commencement exercises.

The degree, an Honorary Doctor of Laws and Humane Letters in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, is just the third to be granted by UT Knoxville.

The honoree shared his thoughts and advice with the 1,030 graduates and their families and guests, estimated to be well over 13,000 people.

Gore acknowledged the economy’s improvement but focused more on another important issue — the climate crisis — and how the 2010 graduating class can be part of the solution.

“Just as this occasion offers an opportunity to make an assessment of how those who came before you have done, the day will come not too many years from now when a future generation will assess what you and those of us who are still around have done over these next few years and decades.

“I want them to look back at this day in time and ask of us ‘how did you find the moral courage to rise up and solve a crisis that somebody said was impossible to solve?’ I believe in my heart that we are going to solve this crisis. I believe that this is the greatest opportunity that our society has ever had. And I’m excited about the fact that from this day forward you’re going to be a part of all of the great work our society is doing.”

Gore received a standing ovation following the address. UT Knoxville Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek introduced the former vice president, emphasizing his contributions to the state and nation.

“Throughout his distinguished career, Mr. Gore has represented the state of Tennessee admirably as a public servant and as a private citizen,” Cheek said. “His appreciation for and personal interest in the institution of higher education is apparent, and his role in bringing environmental concerns to the forefront of our national dialogue is commendable. It is fitting that he be awarded an honorary degree from the flagship institution of his home state.”

Gore was co-winner, with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for informing the world of the dangers posed by climate change. He is the author of the best-selling books “Earth in the Balance” and “An Inconvenient Truth” and also is the subject of an Oscar-winning documentary.

Gore, whose career in public service and business has spanned four decades, is chairman of Current TV, an Emmy-award-winning, independently owned cable and satellite television nonfiction network for young people based on viewer-created content and citizen journalism. He also serves as chairman of Generation Investment Management, a firm that focuses on a new approach to sustainable investing, and as a visiting professor at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tenn. In addition, he chairs the Alliance for Climate Protection, a nonprofit organization designed to help solve the climate crisis.

A native of Carthage, Tenn., he was inaugurated as our nation’s 45th vice president on Jan. 20, 1993, and served eight years. In that role, he served as president of the Senate, as a member of the National Security Council and led of a wide range of administration initiatives. Prior to serving as vice president, Gore was twice elected to the U.S. Senate from Tennessee, in 1984 and 1990. He represented Tennessee’s 4th Congressional District — the seat also was held by his

Former Vice President Al Gore is awarded an honorary doctorate from UT Knoxville at the College of Arts and Sciences commencement ceremony.

father, Al Gore Sr. — in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1976 to 1982.

Nominations for an honorary degree must be considered and approved by a committee of the UT Knoxville Faculty Senate, the campus administration and the UT Board of Trustees. Previous honorary degree recipients have been Dolly Parton and Sen. Howard H. Baker Jr.

Today’s ceremony was one of 14 held on campus this week as more than 4,300 students received degrees. Photos and an archived version of the webcast can be found online at http://www.utk.edu/commencement/spring10/.

—

C O N T A C T :

Kristi Hintz (865-974-3993, khintz@utk.edu)

Richmond had no intention of majoring in environmental studies when she first arrived at UT from Cleveland, Tenn. She originally planned to study pre-med and go in to prosthetics, helping amputee patients. But during her freshman orientation, Richmond received a flier for Students Promoting Environmental Action in Knoxville (SPEAK), and something clicked.

Richmond (center) takes a stand on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

At her first meeting, Richmond heard Professor John Nolt speak about preserving the environment for future generations, and that struck a chord with her.

“He spoke about how places he enjoyed when he was young were no longer around and that we need to take care of the planet for those who come after us,” Richmond said. “That resonated with me because I’ve always been interested in helping others, and what better way to do that? Without a clean environment, we can’t have healthy people.”

Richmond was so motivated at that meeting, “I couldn’t leave without getting involved,” she said.

Since that meeting, Richmond has been a leader in SPEAK, Tennessee Alumni and Students for Sustainable Campuses (TASSC), Southern Energy Network and the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE).

Richmond doesn’t see her involvement in environmental causes as an optional interest. She believes the world is in a critical moment, facing climate change and irreparable damage.

“Generations beyond us may not be able to enjoy what we have,” she said. “I don’t have a choice. This is what I have to do.”

Among the many accomplishments in her efforts to help make orange green, Richmond is particularly proud of her role in helping to establish TASSC during her freshman year. The organization works with student-led environmental groups across the state to promote sustainability at Tennessee colleges and universities. One of the products of TASSC is the Sustainable Campus Fee, or “green fee,” seen on many Tennessee campuses. Thanks to the hard work of Richmond and her cohorts, Tennessee is tied with California for the number of colleges and universities — eight — with green fees.

“Most people don’t think of the South and think of progressive work for sustainability,” Richmond said. “But there is a younger generation in the South that wants a future of clean energy.”

Richmond talks to UT football fans about wind energy at the Wind Turbine Tailgate.

Other notches in Richmond’s belt include staging a wind turbine tailgate at the 2008 Tennessee-Georgia football game, which consisted of setting up a couple dozen wooden windmills on the lawn of the Claxton Education Building and speaking to Vol fans about wind turbine energy; helping to allocate $400,000 over four years for an on-site solar photovoltaic grid, which would use solar light to generate electricity and feed it into the campus’ electricity grid; instituting a pilot plan for a revolving fund through UT’s green fee that aims to save the campus money; and, of course, helping to groom the next generation of green student leaders.

Richmond believes UT Knoxville is a leader in campus sustainability because of its student activists, and that isn’t going to go away just because she is graduating.

“We have a lot of interest from students who want to be involved in sustainability efforts, and who want to lead,” she said. “I’ve really enjoyed being able to help build new leaders, and there are definitely some promising students on their way up.”

Richmond won’t miss out on any of the action though. She plans to stay in Knoxville and continue her work with SACE, working with students at campuses across the state providing guidance for clean energy initiatives. She’s currently working on a plan for promoting clean energy at the Bonnaroo music festival this summer, where she’ll represent SACE, raising awareness of environmental issues in the 2010 elections, and letting students know how they can get involved.

Continuing her work with SACE is a perfect fit for Richmond.

“I’ve really loved campus organizing and working with students. You’re only a student for so long, and you only get this experience once.”

She hopes to return to UT in 2011 to begin law school, perhaps preparing for a future in environmental law.

Norene and Lillian Napper

The Napper sisters of Dallas, Texas, are graduating from UT College of Law on a high note — literally.

In addition to being aspiring lawyers, Norene, 26, and Lillian, 24, are musicians who have performed for alumni, faculty, staff and students at a number of events.

“We perform as ‘The Napper Sisters,’ playing Americana, bluegrass and country music at a variety of venues where we sing; play fiddle, guitar and mandolin; and clog dance,” Norene Napper said.

Although they’re a couple of years apart in age, the sisters came to the College of Law at the same time.

“We chose UT because of our family connections with Tennessee and the reputation of the school itself,” Lillian Napper said. “Not only was our grandmother born and raised outside of Nashville in the Spring Hill area, but our cousin graduated from UT’s College of Law a year before we came. After we visited the law school and met the people here, we were extremely impressed and interested in all of the opportunities that UT had to offer.”

The Napper sisters have worked as student advisers to incoming students and as graduate assistants. Both have participated in the judicial externship program: Lillian with the Knoxville Criminal Courts and Norene with the Tennessee Supreme Court. And both have taken part in the clinical programs at UT: Lillian with the Advocacy and Innocence Clinics and Norene with the Mediation Clinic.

“We are now both graduating with a concentration in advocacy and dispute resolution,” Lillian said. She is interested in the criminal defense field while her sister is interested in combining music and the law through sports and entertainment law.

The sisters plan to return to Texas and take the bar exam there in July.

“Regardless of pursuing a career in the legal profession, music and dance will always remain an important part our lives,” Lillian said.

The Napper Sisters will be performing at the College of Law hooding ceremony to be held at 5 p.m. Friday in Thompson-Boling Arena.

Quiteka and Quineka Moten

Identical twins Quiteka and Quineka Moten of Memphis — who go by “Teka” and “Neka” — have been repeatedly honored for promoting cultural diversity at UT Knoxville.

Teka Moten, who majored in sociology and interdisciplinary programs with a concentration in legal studies, has been active in Student Government Association and the Council for Diversity and Interculturalism. She has been involved in Project GRAD, UT LEAD Summer Institute and Big Brothers-Big Sisters. And, back in 2006, when the Geier Consent Decree was lifted by the courts, she organized a forum to inform student of issues affecting diversity enrollment at UT.

In 2009, Teka Moten received the 2009 Gene Mitchell Gray Pioneer Award, a Chancellor’s Honor for a student for proactive contributions in promoting cultural diversity. This year, she received an African-American Image Award for Collegiate Achievement.

Neka Moten, majored in Africana Studies and interdisciplinary programs with a concentration in legal studies, carried on the family tradition when she received the 2010 Gene Mitchell Gray Pioneer Award at the Chancellor’s Honor Banquet for her work in revitalizing the Mahogany Soul Café tradition at UT. The café gives students a place to come together and express themselves through poetry, music, dance, art and other forms of expression.

Neka Moten also has been active in Minority Student Affairs, Project Grad and Big Brothers-Big Sisters.

The Moten twins – who have been roommates for much of their time at UT — both plan to attend graduate school.

“Attendance is probably the funniest thing (for twins) on the first day of class,” Teka Moten said. “You’ll see a professor mark out an ‘extra’ Moten, only to be corrected when he or she completes roll.”

The College of Arts and Sciences graduation is at 8:30 a.m. Friday in Thompson-Boling Arena.

Darla and Cynthia Coley

Identical twins Darla and Cynthia Coley of Maryville soon will trade their seats in the classroom for seats at the front of the classroom.

The sisters, who turn 22 later this month, are graduating with different degrees, but both are planning teaching careers.

Darla Coley majored in history with minors in geography and secondary education, and she plans to be a high school history or geography teacher. Cynthia Coley majored in child and family studies with a concentration in early childhood education, and she plans to teach kindergarten through third grade.

“We both decided to attend UT because it is close to where we live and also because members of our family are huge Tennessee football fans,” Darla Coley said.

Although they only had two classes together during their time at UT, the sisters say attending the same university — and having similar majors — has provided a great support system.

“I always have someone to talk to who knows what I’m going through because she’s going through it too,” Darla Coley said.

“The best part about having my twin on campus is that I see her all the time and so we share a lot of the same experiences, whether good or bad.”

Darla Coley will be in the Arts and Sciences graduation ceremony; Cynthia Coley will be in the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences graduation ceremony at 8:30 a.m. Thursday in Thompson-Boling Arena.

—

For more 2010 UT Commencement stories, see http://www.utk.edu/tntoday/tag/commencement-2010/

—

C O N T A C T :

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

UT Knoxville nursing students were the only nursing students to work on one unit of Parkwest Hospital. Most area hospitals have students from multiple nursing programs working as part of their required clinical experience. The dedicated educational unit (DEU) at Parkwest gave the UT nursing students a more hands-on clinical experience.

The students worked on the unit two at a time for 12-hour shifts. They were placed around the clock, seven days a week to maximize learning.

Allie Brown, the UT faculty member on the unit, explains that this arrangement not only benefits the students but the nursing staff as well.

“I have been on other units where in a five-day period, there were three different nursing schools with students,” Brown said. “It is very difficult for nurses to really know how to help students when they constantly shift from nursing program to program and even from beginning students to advanced students, all within a week. By having only one school on the entire unit, all levels of personnel are able to embrace the students and make the learning environment a more positive place.”

“Often, students will graduate and never have any idea of what happens on the night shift and many start out working nights,” Brown said. “By exposing them to alternate shifts before graduation, we are preparing them more for the real-world work environment they will encounter.”

Nursing senior Jeremy Mills agrees that this particular arrangement has been a great part of UT Knoxville’s nursing program.

“While I certainly had much experience in the hospital by this point, I still walked in nervous and unsure of my own skill set. The DEU changed everything for me,” Mills said. “By the end of the second DEU shift, I knew in my heart that I could definitely be a nurse.”

Clinical settings are fast-paced and demanding. “Having students all vying for the attention of single, occasionally over-extended nursing instructor can lead to a hectic day, especially considering that the average clinical day is only around six hours,” Mills said.

With longer shifts and more personal contact, the DEU provides a clearer picture of what it’s like to be nurse.

“The nursing student, for the first time, gets a true sense of what it means to work a 12-hour shift as a nurse,” Mills said. “The student starts with report, maintains total patient care throughout the day, and ends by giving report to the oncoming nurse. I had certainly never worked a 12-hour shift before the DEU, and this was the first time that I saw what it really means to work as a nurse in a hospital environment.”

Gary Ramsey, chair of the undergraduate program at the UT Knoxville College of Nursing agrees that the DEU experience is valuable.

“This level of exposure in the hospitals is more in-line with the realities that professional nurses face. Nurses in the profession may work at all hours, weekends and weekdays and for long shifts. Students do not get a taste of this in their normal clinical experiences. This partnership truly shows our students what being a professional nurse is like.”

The DEU learning model means that the college can educate a larger number of nurses in a better way, Ramsey said.

Staff on the unit agreed to collaborate with faculty to be preceptors, educators and clinical expert role models for the students. Staff were prepared for their teaching role through a one-day workshop provided by the College of Nursing to introduce the concept of the DEU, review the curriculum, clinical course content and expected clinical outcomes and explore teaching/learning strategies to facilitate clinical learning.

“This model of education means that we can increase the number of students in the program while utilizing the same number of faculty,” Ramsey said. “It’s more efficient, and it provides more personalized instruction needed to create an optimal learning environment for nursing students.”

Thanks to this experience, Mills not only has a better understand of the profession but has a job waiting for him after graduation.

“I fell in love with the unit almost immediately,” he said. “I’m excited beyond belief that I was able to get a position on the unit and look forward to assisting the future UT nursing students.”

DEU models are unique. Only one other nursing program in the southeast — UT Health Science Center — follows a similar model. The University of Portland was the first hospital in the country to employ this particular model, which UT Knoxville followed closely.

“These arrangements are so rare that there is not even much information and/or research about them,” Ramsey said. “That is why we are also using this as a case study and will be publishing research about the trends yielded from this learning model.”

For more information, please contact Gary Ramsey, chair undergraduate program, (865) 974-7623.

C O N T A C T :

Kristi Hintz, UT media relations, (khintz@utk.edu, 865-974-3993)

Gary Ramsey, College of Nursing, (gramsey1@utk.edu, 865-7623)

Eight ceremonies will be webcast and archived for viewing later.

More than 4,300 undergraduate or graduate students will receive degrees from UT Knoxville this spring. For additional information about the ceremonies, visit http://www.utk.edu/commencement/spring10/.

The televised commencement schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, May 12

• 8:30 a.m. College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
• 11:30 a.m. College of Engineering
• 3:30 p.m. College of Communication and Information. The webcast can be viewed online.

Thursday, May 13

• 8:30 a.m. College of Education, Health and Human Sciences. The webcast can be viewed online.
• 1 p.m. College of Nursing
• 4:30 p.m. Graduate Hooding

Friday, May 14

• 8:30 a.m. College of Arts and Sciences. The webcast can be viewed online.
• 2 p.m. College of Business Administration. The webcast can be viewed online.
• 5 p.m. College of Law. The webcast can be viewed online.

There are a total of 13 commencement ceremonies to be held on campus during the week. Only the commencement ceremonies being held inside Thompson-Boling Arena are to be televised.

Information for the media, including event registration, can be viewed at http://www.utk.edu/tntoday/2010/05/04/capacity-crowd-commencement-al-gore/.

—

C O N T A C T :

Whitney Holmes (865-974-5460 or 865-235-3302 or wholmes7@utk.edu)

Karen Collins (865-974-5186 or 865-216-6862 or karen.collins@tennessee.edu)

Brad Vaughan and Beth Wilson

KNOXVILLE — There’s nothing wrong with a little friendly competition between husband and wife.

Just ask Beth Wilson and Brad Vaughan, married UT Knoxville College of Law students who are graduating together this week.

Although they are graduating together, Brad started a year before Beth, working on the first year of his MBA while she was a first level law student.

“I was able to give her some insight on how to make it through that year without having to worry about her strong performance knocking me down in the class rankings. Now, even though we’re still technically competing for positions in the class, that’s much less of a concern, and we think of our individual performances as being part of ‘Team Wilson-Vaughan.’”

Good thing for Brad, because Beth has given him a run for it.

“My grades are actually a little better than Brad’s but we’re both very proud of each other,” said Beth, who is graduating fifth in the class with highest honors. Brad also is graduating with honors.

Beth and Brad competed against each other in the final round of the this year’s Advocates’ Prize competition, a sort of intramural competition within the College of Law, which they say is the closest battle they’ve waged against each other.

Brad teamed up with another law school student, Chris Collins, with Beth competing against them on her own. While Brad ended up winning the prize for Best Oralist, Beth won the overall competition, which included oral arguments and brief writing.

“It’s a running joke among our law school friends that it would be entertaining to watch us argue about whose turn it is to do the dishes with all the ‘lawyering’ that happens,” Beth said.

But both will agree that they make a great team and have had a special understanding of the demands of the program.

“I think the best part about being in the same program is that we both understand very clearly the pressures that the other is facing and what it takes to perform well under that pressure. We’ve both come to understand early mornings and late nights, and even though we have completely different interests and work styles, we’ve managed to make all of that work together,” Brad said.

Somewhere among those late nights, both Beth and Brad have been able to get involved in a slew of extracurricular activities and rack up several honors and awards.

Beth was selected for College of Law Moot Court awards this year, as well as the McClung Medal, the Susan B. Devitt Award and the Judge James Haynes Prize. She also won the Ray Jenkins Trial Competition and was nominated to the Order of the Barristers, based on her moot court experiences.

Brad will be one of only five members of this year’s law class to graduate with a dual JD-MBA degree. Though a seemingly difficult feat, Brad graduated the MBA program with a 4.0 GPA. In the law program, he was selected for membership on the Tennessee Law Review and later served as an acquisitions editor for the publication. He also served as a member of the National Moot Court team, of which Beth was later a member for two years.

Brad and Beth met as undergraduates at UT Knoxville and became close friends when they shared a political communications class together.

“As it turned out, we had many mutual friends and similar interests,” Beth said. “We were both Baker Scholars, honors students, members of the Student Government Association, Issues Committee members and resident assistants.”

They started dating the summer after Beth graduated from undergrad and before she started law school classes. They married this past August and will graduate together at 5 p.m. Friday, May 14, in Thompson-Boling Arena.

And their hard work won’t end there.

The dynamic duo is preparing for the Georgia bar exam and have jobs already lined up in Atlanta.

Beth will work for Alston and Bird, in the ERISA litigation group. Brad will work with Smith, Gambrell and Russell.

For more 2010 UT Commencement stories, see http://www.utk.edu/tntoday/tag/commencement-2010/.

C O N T A C T :

Kristi Hintz, UT media relations, (khintz@utk.edu, 865-974-3993)

Students began the program during summer 2008.

“Our first group of graduates are truly amazing students,” said Kate McClernon-Chaffin, College of Social Work distance education coordinator. “They are incredibly gifted and have thrived in the distance ed program. They have been well received in the community through our field practicums, and I believe they are ready to practice in their communities.”

The distance version of the Master of Science in Social Work (MSSW) program is identical to its on-campus counterpart, requiring 36 hours for a graduate degree for advanced standing student in social work, but has the added flexibility of learning from the student’s remote location.

The college offers the MSSW program through distance education for students who live outside a 25-mile radius of the Knoxville or Nashville campuses. Classes are taught by a variety of online technologies and some face-to-face Saturday meetings held at a central location.

The first class graduates at 2 p.m. CT Sunday, May 16 in the War Memorial Building on the Nashville campus, 600 Seventh Ave.

Beth Simpson-Cullor is one of 13 students graduating this month and received the Chancellor’s Award for Professional Promise prior to graduation.

“For many social workers in the Tennessee area, it would be practically impossible for them to meet their goal of earning their MSSW without the distance education program because of time constraints,” Simpson-Cullor said. “The social work program is essentially the foundation necessary for me, and other practitioners, to build a better community, a better country and a better world. The implications of a small little distance education program can be far-reaching, and that is so inspiring and empowering!”

Joan Benefield, another graduate, was able to work as a case manager at the Partnership for Families, Children and Adults, serving Hamilton, Bradley, Meigs, Polk and McMinn counties while completing her degree, because of the flexibility of the MSSW program.

“An example of how the distance program complemented my work is that I could apply knowledge and skills learned to casework concerning the disabilities of some of my clients,” Benefield said.

Joining Simpson-Cullor and Benefield will be Amber Lawson, who has accepted the position of program coordinator for the Cleveland, Tenn., Regional Intervention Program. She plans to conduct additional outpatient therapy at Hiwassee Mental Health Center, where she completed her graduate internship.

“I don’t feel that I missed out on anything by not being in a traditional classroom,” Lawson said. “I was able to attend classes from home without having to drive hours to a campus and, for the most part, having a flexible schedule that I could work around my other obligations.”

The program accepts new students each summer, with completion occurring within a one- or two-year track. Applications for admission are now being accepted for summer 2010. Contact Kate McClernon-Chaffin, kmcclern@utk.edu, or (615) 256-1885, for more information.

For more 2010 UT Commencement stories, see http://www.utk.edu/tntoday/tag/commencement-2010/.

C O N T A C T :

Caroline Bowers, assistant director, UT Distance Education, (cbowers1@utk.edu, 865-974-5134)

Kate McClernon-Chaffin, distance education coordinator, UT College of Social Work, (kmcclern@utk.edu or 615-256-1885)

Kristi Hintz, UT media relations, (khintz@utk.edu, 865-974-3993)

When the nuclear engineering major at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, wasn’t in class or the library, or playing her clarinet in the Pride of the Southland Marching Band, she was planning science bowls and community service events.

As president of the UT Student Chapter of the American Nuclear Society, Young’s hard work and dedication prompted membership to skyrocket 50 percent compared to the previous year. Her enthusiasm and leadership inspired fellow students to reach out into the community in the form of fundraisers and events to motivate children to follow in their footsteps.

“Our major outreach event was the Science Night for elementary school children. We went to six different elementary schools in the area and taught the children science experiments,” Young said. “We also tried to promote nuclear science and technology and encourage them to like math and science. Hopefully they will remember their science night and dream to be engineers like us.”

As a youngster in Memphis, Young always gravitated towards mathematics and science. But it wasn’t until she came to UT Knoxville that she discovered her innate passion for nuclear engineering. She remembers when Professor Lee Dodds, head of the nuclear engineering department, came to speak to her engineering fundamentals class. Instantly, she was hooked.

“There are so many reasons to become a nuclear engineer– interesting work, many job opportunities, a way to make a difference for the world’s energy needs,” Young said. “Also, I knew that being so close to Oak Ridge would bring extra opportunities for my nuclear experience, and I would learn so much from professional nuclear engineers and scientists.”

UT Knoxville’s guiding light did not stop there. In addition to giving her a strong foundation in general engineering, UT Knoxville’s Career Services helped Young land her first summer internship at Dominion Virginia Power in Richmond, Va. That summer internship has now turned into her first real job out of college as a nuclear core design engineer in Dominion’s Nuclear Analysis and Fuels Department.

“Being a nuclear engineering student at the UT Knoxville was awesome,” Young said. “The faculty and staff are very helpful, supportive and knowledgeable. Studies were challenging and unlike any other major on campus. I had a graduating class of about 40 students, which meant we were all very close.”

While Young is extremely excited to embark on her new career and “get paid to do what she loves,” she will miss her fellow engineering students, friends and life in Big Orange country.

“I will miss the atmosphere of being a Tennessee Volunteer on game days. I have a lot of great memories from college.”

Pang, who is graduating this month with a Master of Fine Arts degree from the School of Art, specializes in video art installations, using the training and experience he received as a broadcasting technician and videographer for the Associated Press.

Pang worked in the AP bureau in Beijing, China, both before and during the 2008 Summer Olympics, shooting and editing video and transmitting it via satellite to the world.

“It was quite an extraordinary experience,” Pang said. “The AP, as well as all other major media, had done a lot of advance planning for covering the Olympics, so I had been part of that planning. Even though I had already quit the AP and come to UT, I went back and helped with coordinating satellite uplinks during the Beijing Olympics.”

Prior to working at the AP, Pang graduated from the Communication University of China with a bachelor’s degree in digital art with a concentration in digital video technology. He came to UT in 2007 with his wife, Rachel, so they could both attend graduate school. After he arrived, he began to explore the artistic value of video production.

“Even though I was heavily involved in the technical engineering aspects of television production, I have always kept an interest in the aesthetic value of video as a medium of artistic expression,” Pang said. “So I decided to pursue an advanced degree from the beginning. I could have studied mass communication, but I decided to pursue a fine arts degree here at UT instead.”

Pang said the two fields use the same video production technology, but instead of the broad scope of mass communication, he wanted to explore “the focused, narrow personal expression that comes with art.”

As a graduate teaching associate in the School of Art, Pang taught undergraduate classes in video and cinema as art as well as establishing a digital image inventory for the school.

He and Rachel, who works in the Department of Chemistry, have produced videos for the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources and the College of Communication and Information. Away from the university, Pang organized four Handheld Film Festivals at the Downtown West Regal Cinema in Knoxville for students to showcase their pieces. He also has displayed his video installation work and photography at UT’s Ewing Gallery on campus and Gallery 1010 in downtown Knoxville.

Pang’s MFA thesis show, “Samsara,” features a video projected onto a collection of screens arranged like the traditional Tai Chi symbol of a circle surrounded by eight rectangles. “Samsara” is Sanskrit for the cycle of birth, death and rebirth within Buddhism and Hinduism, and refers to the common human experience of passing through the big and small pains and sufferings of life. The nine-minute video includes images of Pang, his wife, scenes from Knoxville and archival footage from China.

“This piece expresses my concerns about all the things that happen around me,” he said. “There’s happiness, there’s sadness, there’s agony in life, and I wanted to express that through the representation of Tai Chi, a traditional symbol in China for many thousands of years.”

Pang said he’s open to any professional or artistic opportunities he can find after graduation, but he hopes to be able to stay in the area.

“I love Knoxville,” he said. “Coming from a big city like Beijing, there is a huge difference. Knoxville is small in comparison and can be uneventful from a journalism perspective, but I find peace here, and that is important.”

View more examples of Pang’s art at http://www.harrisonpang.com/.

—

C O N T A C T :

Harrison Pang (hpang@utk.edu)

Rachel Rui (865-974-3141, jrui@utk.edu)

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

The Army ROTC Rocky Top Battalion will commission 11 current ROTC cadets as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army during the ceremony, which will take place at 6 p.m. in the University Center ballroom. It is open to the public.

Castro was a platoon leader with the 82nd Airborne Division in September 2006 when he was injured. He had just relieved other paratroopers atop a house outside Youssifiyah, Iraq, after a night of fighting. A mortar round hit, killing two other paratroopers and sending shrapnel tearing through Castro’s body. It broke his arm and shoulder and shredded the left side of his face.

Castro awoke six weeks later at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. His right eye was gone and he was completely blind in his left eye.

After 17 months of recovery, Castro sought a permanent assignment in the Special Operations Command, the small, elite units that drop behind enemy lines on combat missions. He was placed with the 7th Special Forces Group where he is now an executive officer.

He isn’t involved in active combat, but rather has management duties. He also helps train the unit in Spanish, an important skill since they regularly deploy to train South American troops.

Castro remains an avid athlete and has participated in several long distance road races. He has participated, with a guide, in the Army Ten-Miler and the Marine Corps Marathon. In 2008, he participated in the Bataan Memorial Death March Marathon in New Mexico, the Boston Marathon and the U.S. Air Force Marathon. In June 2009, Castro participated in the Midnight Boogie 50-mile ultramarathon.

Castro will be on campus the morning of May 13 and is available to meet with people. He also invites the public to join him and his guide on their morning run. For information about these opportunities, contact Lt. Col. Dave Leach at dleach1@utk.edu or Maj. John Wells at jwells12@utk.edu.

C O N T A C T :

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