Former Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana will deliver the Ashe Lecture on August 27, and journalist and author Tom Brokaw will give the Baker Distinguished Lecture on November 13.

The center will highlight its first decade of work with an exhibit and reception in the Baker Center Rotunda on September 4.

“This is an exciting time for the Baker Center,” Director Matt Murray said. “Senator Baker, who celebrates his eighty-eighth birthday on November 15, wanted to create a place where the campus and community could learn more about major issues facing our country.

“He also envisioned a place where students and faculty could nurture a ‘think tank’ atmosphere and become a source of expertise in the national discussion. We’ve made great strides toward that goal, and we’re excited as we plan the center’s future, focusing especially on energy and environmental issues, governance, and global security.”

Here’s the fall lineup. Events are free and open to the public unless other noted:

August 27—1:30 p.m., Baker Center Toyota Auditorium—Lugar will present Ashe Lecture.

August 29—3:30 to 5:00 p.m., Toyota Auditorium—Joshua Fu, UT associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, will talk about modeling in climate change as part of the Baker Forum on Energy and the Environment.

September 4—4:30 to 6:00 p.m. Tenth anniversary reception will be held in the Baker Center Rotunda.

September 17—5:30 p.m., Toyota Auditorium—Constitution Day panel discussion will feature several UT faculty members: Suzie Allard, associate professor of information sciences; Michael Berry, professor of electrical engineering and computer science and director of the Center for Intelligent Systems and Machine Learning; Brandon Prins, associate professor of political science; and Glenn Reynolds, law professor.

September 26—3:30 to 5:00 p.m., 416 Dougherty Engineering Building—Jim Shortie, a professor at Penn State University, will talk about agricultural and environmental economics as part of the Baker Forum on Energy and the Environment.

October 12—10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Toyota Auditorium—Working in collaboration with UT and city officials, students will develop suggestions for a parking policy for the future renovated Cumberland Strip. Check bakercenter.utk.edu for more information about how to participate.

October 24—6:00 to 7:30 p.m, Toyota Auditorium—Panelists from several universities will discuss emerging challenges to global security.

October 24—3:30 to 5:00 p.m., Toyota Auditorium—J.B. Ruhl, David Daniels Allen Distinguished Chair in Law at Vanderbilt University, will talk about environmental law as part of the Baker Forum on Energy and the Environment.

November 6—12:40 to 2:10 p.m., Toyota Auditorium—2013 Women’s Leadership Summit. The topic will be “Sustainable Quality of Life.” Co-sponsored by UT Center for Sustainable Business and Development.

November 13—1:30 p.m., University Center Auditorium—Tom Brokaw will give the Baker Distinguished Lecture. A Patrons Lunch will be held prior to the lecture. Cost is $250 per person and reservations are required. The free public lecture will be held at 1:30 p.m. in University Center Auditorium, 1502 Cumberland Avenue.

November 14—3:30 to 5:00 p.m., Toyota Auditorium—Bruce McCarl, a professor of agricultural economics at Texas A & M University, will talk about biofuels and climate change as part of the Baker Forum on Energy and the Environment.

Established in 2003, the Baker Center seeks to further the public’s knowledge of the US government and public policy and to encourage civil leadership and public service. The center sponsors programs to encourage informed discussion, with a special focus on engaging young people in policy issues and public service.

For more information about the Baker Center, visit bakercenter.utk.edu.

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CONTACT:

Nissa Dahlin-Brown (865-974-8681, nissa@utk.edu)

The lecture will be in the Carolyn P. Brown Memorial University Center Auditorium at 7:00 p.m. It is free and open to the public and is sponsored by the Issues Committee.

Ellsberg worked for the RAND Corporation in the late 1960s on Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara’s study of US decision-making in Vietnam, also known as the Pentagon Papers. Ellsberg copied the report and sent it to the New York Times, the Washington Post, and seventeen other newspapers. Although he was indicted for stealing government documents, the case was dismissed because of government misconduct.

The case was also important because the New York Times successfully appealed a government injunction that had stopped them from printing the papers, claiming it violated prior restraint laws.

Ellsberg said he leaked the papers because he felt the public had a right to know what the government was doing, and he opposed the Vietnam War.

Ellsberg is a senior fellow of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and the author of three books: Papers on the War; Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers; and Risk, Ambiguity and Decision. In December 2006 he won the Right Livelihood Award, known as the Alternative Nobel Prize, “for putting peace and truth first, at considerable personal risk, and dedicating his life to inspiring others to follow his example.”

Ellsberg has worked in the US State and Defense departments, and served two years at the US Embassy in Saigon. His 1962 dissertation on decision theory and behavioral economics is considered a landmark in the field and inspired what is known as the Ellsberg paradox.

He currently lives with his family in Kensington, California, and writes and lectures on dangers of the nuclear era, US interventions, and the need for patriotic whistleblowing.

For more information about Ellsberg, visit ellsberg.net.

For more information about the lecture and other events, visit activities.utk.edu.

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C O N T A C T :

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

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

The three-day event will feature presentations, panel discussions, and open forums with social media experts from Nike, Dunkin’ Donuts, and McCormick & Company, as well as advertising, marketing, and public relations agencies from Knoxville and the Southeast. Sponsors for the event include Coca-Cola, WBIR-TV, Calhoun’s, and Latitude 35.

Kevin Kirksey, senior director of North American brand communications and digital for Nike Inc. and a 1998 UT advertising graduate, will give a keynote address titled “Storytelling and Social Media.”

“A great story will engage, inspire, and ultimately move the masses,” Kirksey said. “An innovative social plan is no longer a chapter in that story, it’s a thread that holds the narrative together.”

Kirksey, a native of Bristol, Tennessee, began his career in account management at the New York offices of Young & Rubicam and Ogilvy & Mather. His accounts included KFC, Sony, United Airlines, and new businesses. He then drove brand awareness at ESPN, focusing on programming including SportsCenter, the X Games, and 30 for 30.

Kevin Kirksey

Kirksey now leads North American advertising efforts for Nike’s running, basketball, football, soccer, sportswear, women’s training, athletic training, and action categories.

Additional speakers include:

• Laura Bower, senior vice president and director of public relations and social media for The Tombras Group, who earned an MBA in finance from UT in 1992.
• Andrew Foust, digital business development manager for McCormick & Company Inc., and a 2004 UT advertising graduate.
• Margo Hughes, field marketing manager for Dunkin’ Donuts and a 2008 UT advertising graduate.
• Curtis Rose, senior vice president and director of technology strategy and innovation for Erwin Penland and a 2003 UT advertising graduate.

The conference also will feature UT’s own campus communicators, with professionals from Athletics, Alumni Affairs, and the McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture sharing their expertise in utilizing social media to share the university’s stories.

Communication and Information Dean Mike Wirth said UT Social Media Week, now in its second year, has an outstanding lineup of speakers.

“As social media have an ever greater impact on how we communicate, market, and interrelate, the opportunity to listen to and interact with top US social media experts will provide the attendees with a truly remarkable learning opportunity,” Wirth said. “This event is just one example of how our college is developing an innovative curriculum to address the ever-changing environment within which our graduates will be working.”

The three-day event is scheduled as a lead-in to the Social Slam social media conference, set for Friday, April 5, at the Knoxville Convention Center. Social Slam features nationally acclaimed speakers and experts in all aspects of social media. For more information, visit the Social Slam website. 

For more information on UT Social Media Week, including the full schedule of events and speakers, visit the College of Communication and Information website.

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C O N T A C T :

Courtney Childers (865-974-5108, childers@utk.edu)

Charles Primm (865-974-5180, primmc@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 event, “CHINA Town Hall: Local Connections, National Reflections,” is part of a national day of programming on China involving sixty cities throughout the United States.

UT’s program will begin at 7:00 p.m. with an in-person talk from Robert Daly, director of the Maryland China Initiative at the University of Maryland. The webcast with Locke will begin at 8:00 p.m.

The event, which will be in the Humanities and Social Sciences building, Room 60, is free and open to the public.

This is the sixth annual CHINA Town Hall, sponsored by the National Committee on US-China Relations. As the presidential election approaches, the US-China relationship is in the news for both economic and geopolitical reasons. The town hall is an effort to help Americans understand the relationship between the two countries and answer questions on the issues.

Stephen A. Orlins, president of the National Committee on US-China Relations, will moderate the webcast.

During the pre-webcast talk at UT, Daly will address US-China interactions in higher education. He is a China specialist who has served as a diplomat with the US Information Agency with a focus on US-China relations. He also has worked as a consultant and interpreter for American car and energy companies and for non-profit organizations.

Locke has been ambassador to China since August 2011. Previously, as Secretary of Commerce, he was point person for achieving the president’s National Export Initiative. He also served two terms as governor of Washington, where he helped double the state’s exports to China.

For more information on the CHINA Town Hall event, visit National Committee on United States-China Relations website.

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CONTACTS:

Suzanne Wright (865-974-4267, swright5@utk.edu)

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

UT welcomes fans to campus this Saturday for the Volunteers’ game against the University of Florida. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m., with gates opening at 4:00 p.m. ESPN will televise the game.

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.

Saturday’s game is sold out. However, season tickets are available at 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.

ESPN College GameDay

ESPN will broadcast its live ESPN College GameDay program in Circle Park, outside Neyland Stadium, from 9:00 a.m. to noon, Saturday. Fans will be admitted to a viewing area near the show stage no earlier than 7:00 a.m. Saturday morning. Only fans with permits can park on the UT campus.

The following items are prohibited before and during the show:

• Food or drink;
• Vulgar signs;
• Signs promoting .com, .net or .org websites;
• Religious signs;
• Political signs;
• Bookbags, purses, or bags of any kind; and
• Markers, pens, pencils, or dry-erase boards.

Throwing items is also prohibited during the live telecast.

Stadium Security

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.

UT reminds visitors that sportsmanlike behavior is expected throughout the day, and entering the field before, during, or after the game is prohibited. Anyone who attempts to do so will be arrested and face university sanctions as well.

Under state law, smoking is prohibited in Neyland Stadium at all times. 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.

UT reserves the right to examine the contents of any container brought into the stadium. To protect the safety of our fans, players, officials, and staff, the following items are prohibited. Please do not attempt to bring these or similar articles in the stadium. Items will not be stored at the gate and/or stadium and cannot be retrieved after the game.

• Alcoholic beverages
• Cans, bottles, coolers
• Outside food, snacks, beverages
• Radios without headsets
• Open umbrellas
• Video cameras
• Stadium seats with arms
• Bags or parcels, including backpacks and purses, larger than 12″x12″x12″
• Weapons
• Artificial noisemakers

Permissible Items

The following items are permitted inside Neyland Stadium:

• Cell phones
• Binoculars
• Radios with headsets
• Diaper bags when accompanied by an infant
• Limited use of cameras. Game action may not be filmed. Consideration of other spectators is expected.

Parking and Traffic

Since on-campus parking is limited to fans with permits, UT encourages the use of shuttle buses to campus. Shuttles travel 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.

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

Game Day Activities

The annual Tim Kerin Memorial Food Drive will be held outside Neyland Stadium to benefit Knoxville’s Second Harvest Food Bank. Collection centers for financial donations will be set up around the stadium prior to the game. Fans are encouraged to bring nonperishable food items to a Second Harvest drop-off point near the Communications Building. Kerin, the long-time head trainer at Tennessee, died suddenly in 1992. The food drive has been held in his honor ever since.

The traditional Vol Walk will start at 3:45 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 4:20 p.m. at the intersection of Pat Head Summitt Street and Volunteer Boulevard and will then follow the same path as the Vol Walk. This Saturday, the marching band will be joined by a sixty-five-member bagpipe band.

Because of the potential for large crowds at both the Vol Walk and the band march, fans are encourage to consider entering the stadium when gates open at 4:00 p.m. and view the band march from the ramp areas on the west side of the stadium.

The Volunteer Village commercial display area will be open from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on the lawn of the Humanities and Social Sciences Building, offering festivities 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 4:00 p.m., Hap McSween, Chancellor’s Professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, will discuss Exploring Asteroids with the Dawn Spacecraft.

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C O N T A C T :

Jimmy Stanton (865-974-4167, jimmystanton@tennessee.edu)

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