Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet will be next year’s Life of the Mind common reading selection for UT freshmen.

“I invite the campus community to join the Class of 2017 in reading the book and participating in the discussion and related activities that will be held in the fall,” said Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Susan Martin in announcing the book’s selection.

Now in its tenth year, Life of the Mind is part of First Year Studies 100, a zero-credit, pass-fail class that gives students their first taste of college studies and requires them to complete online lessons on alcohol awareness, financial literacy, plagiarism, technology, civility, and succeeding at UT.

Before arriving on campus, freshmen are to read Eaarth and complete a written response. During Welcome Week, students will hear McKibben speak and attend a small-group discussion session led by a UT faculty or staff member. More details on McKibben’s visit will be announced soon.

Intending to select a book about sustainability for the 2013–14 academic year, Life of the Mind coordinators assembled a committee of faculty, students, and staff to select this year’s book. Although they considered a variety of nonfiction and fiction books, committee members said they chose Eaarth, published in 2010, because it was “clear and direct,” “a really powerful book,” and “accurate, timely, well-written, and well-researched.”

“McKibben’s name is synonymous with climate change,” said John Nolt, philosophy professor and member of the book selection committee. “It will be a huge benefit to our students to get to hear him speak.”

UT debuted its new sustainability major this year, making it one of the first large universities in the Southeast to offer such a program. The interdisciplinary curriculum is intended to equip students to be change makers in producing a sustainable society and environment.

UT is also well known across the nation for its student-initiated campus environmental fee, which funds sustainability efforts on campus.

Ruth Darling, assistant provost for student success and First Year Studies programs, said Eaarth should have wide appeal on campus.

“The theme of Eaarth relates so well to what UT represents and how we are thinking about sustainability,” she said. In connection with this theme, First Year Studies is partnering with the Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment and the Tennessee Valley Authority to support a service-learning workshop for faculty planning to teach FYS 129 seminars that focus on some aspect of sustainability. More information about this opportunity and other initiatives, including Life of the Mind programming, will be posted soon.

McKibben has written ten books, including The End of Nature and Deep Economy that have helped shape public opinion about climate change, alternative energy, and the need for more localized economies.

McKibben formerly worked as a staff writer at the New Yorker and is a contributor to Rolling Stone, the Atlantic, National Geographic, and the New York Review of Books.

McKibben formerly worked as a staff writer at the New Yorker and is a contributor to various magazines, including Rolling Stone, the Atlantic, National Geographic and the New York Review of Books.

He has received Guggenheim and Lyndhurst Fellowships, as well as the Lannan Prize for nonfiction writing in 2000.

He is a scholar in residence in environmental studies at Middlebury College and lives in Vermont with his wife, the writer Sue Halpern, and their daughter.

Life of the Mind committee members were Darling, committee chair; Chris  Cox, professor and associate department head in chemical and electrical engineering; Paul Erwin, professor and director of the Department of Public Health; Joanne Logan, associate professor in biosystems engineering and soil science; Thura Mack, library professor; Mike McKinney, professor of environmental sciences and director of UT’s new sustainability major; Nolt; Nate Sanders, professor in ecology and evolutionary biology; Tricia Stuth, associate professor of architecture; Stella Bridgeman-Prince, assistant director, Student Success Center; Melissa Shivers, assistant vice chancellor, Student Life; Michael Croal, graduate student in public policy administration and First-Year Studies graduate teaching assistant; and undergraduate student members Evan Ford and Elisabeth Spratt.

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C O N T A C T :

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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C O N T A C T :

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

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

FYS has announced that its Life of the Mind program for the Class of 2017 will focus on environmental sustainability.

The Life of the Mind program gives first-year students their first taste of UT academic life. A common reading book is used as a tool to challenge students’ thinking and engage them in discussion about important issues and their transition to college.

Life of the Mind books should:

• expose students to the Ready for the World international and intercultural initiative;
• represent a transition or journey that can be related to the first-year experience at UT;
• target specific campus initiatives or current global events;
• have a living author, editor, or representative who can visit campus and talk to students; and
• have fewer than 350 pages and cost less than $20.

To suggest a book that has the theme of environmental sustainability, visit http://torch.utk.edu/lifeofthemind/suggestion.shtml. Nominations meeting the above criteria will be reviewed by a team of faculty, staff, and students to determine the final nominations that reach the book committee in fall. The final selection will be announced before the end of the fall 2012 semester.

The common reading selection for the Class of 2016 is Eric Liu’s The Accidental Asian: Notes of a Native Speaker, a thematic memoir that challenges readers to consider identity as something both accidental (coming from family and other peoples’ expectations) and intentional (created and/or adopted by one’s own choosing). From other themes such as race, language, and global politics, to the feelings of inadequacy and ambivalence that often accompany the college transition, The Accidental Asian: Notes of a Native Speaker is sure to make for a great discussion this fall.

Faculty, staff, and graduate teaching associates are being sought to serve as discussion leaders.

The author visit and discussion will take place on Tuesday, August 21, sometime between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m. The Discussion Leader training will take place on the day of your choosing, either Monday or Tuesday, August 13 or 14, between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. More information on Discussion Leader responsibilities can be found on the Life of the Mind website.

Sign up to be a discussion leader online.

Eric Liu

KNOXVILLE— An election year is the perfect time consider what it means to be American.

With that in mind, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has chosen The Accidental Asian: Notes of a Native Speaker by Eric Liu as next year’s common reading selection for its Life of the Mind program.

“I invite the campus community to join the Class of 2016 in reading the book and participating in the discussion and related activities,” said Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Susan Martin, who recently announced the book selection on behalf of the Life of the Mind committee.

Martin said the book will provide a good platform for discussion.

“In what President John F. Kennedy once called a nation of immigrants, questions remain: Is ‘Americanness’ something one is or does? What do our multiracial identities—African-American, Asian-American, Chinese-American, etc.—say about how we make sense of the world around us?

“These are among the questions our freshmen will explore next year in the Life of the Mind program,” she said.

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

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

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

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

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

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C O N T A C T :

Elizabeth Schonagen (865-974-3523, schonagen@utk.edu)

The hour-long panel discussion begins at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 18, in the Carolyn P. Brown Memorial University Center Auditorium.

Life of the Mind is a common reading experience that gives first-year students their initial taste of academic life at UT Knoxville. This year, for the first time, Life of the Mind is part of FYS 100, a zero-credit, satisfactory/no-credit course required for all first-year students.

This year’s book is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot, an award-winning science writer. It’s the story of an African American woman whose cervical cancer cells, taken during a biopsy and cultured without her knowledge or permission in the 1950s, have been integral in developing the polio vaccine, unlocking secrets of cancer and viruses, helping understand the effects of the atom bomb and contributing to the development of in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping. The cells are known as HeLa, a name derived from the initial letters of her first and last names.

Students were required to attend at least one of the four panel discussions to fulfill FYS 100 requirements.

During this panel discussion, first-year students will hear from several undergraduates currently active in research at UT, including some students who work with HeLa cells. The student-researchers will describe the work they are doing, how their ideas evolved into their, research and how they found their faculty research mentors.

The October 18 panel will be moderated by undergraduate faculty research mentor Mark Littmann, professor of journalism and electronic media and Hill Chair of Excellence in Science Writing. Also featured will be Sharon Pound, from the Office of Research, who will talk about how the office can help students find research opportunities.

Undergraduate researchers who will sit on the panel include:

• Madelyn Crawford, junior in biological science, who works in a microbiology lab, researching the structure-function of a protein. Crawford is a Haslam Scholar and is on the editorial review board for Pursuit: The Journal of Undergraduate Research.
• Melissa Lee, a Haslam Scholar sophomore in biological sciences, who is studying the circadian rhythm in Professor Rebecca Prosser’s research lab.
• Eric Martin, senior in engineering physics, who is studying a thermoelectric material using soft x-ray spectroscopy to explore how the material converts heat to electricity. Martin is the recipient of two physics department fellowships and a Chancellor’s Honors research grant.
• Marybeth Parker, senior in materials science and engineering, who is conducting research with a focus on Maus’s Salt, which exhibits magnetic frustration and defects that have interesting qualities. Parker is engaged with ORNL through its Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship.
• Mark Remec, a Haslam Scholar sophomore in mathematics and biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, who is conducting biophysical research with Associate Professor Elias Fernandez.
• Ryan Rickels, senior in biological sciences, who is doing HeLa cell research.
• Mark Walker, senior in nuclear engineering, who is involved in research at ORNL, and has interned with the US Department of Energy in Washington, DC. Walker’s research involves nuclear safeguards, and he hopes to pursue policy development in nuclear security. He is a Haslam Scholar and a recipient of the Goldwater Foundation Scholarship.

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C O N T A C T :

Stephanie Dixon (865-974-2125, sdixon7@utk.edu)

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

"The Faceless Donation," by freshman Rachel Byrd

KNOXVILLE—After reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, freshman Rachel Byrd created a painting to illustrate Lacks’ great contribution to modern medicine—and the lack of knowledge about her, as a person, in the scientific community.

Byrd’s work was named the top project among the creative responses submitted as part of this year’s Life of the Mind program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Life of the Mind is a common reading experience that gives first-year students an initial taste of academic life at UT Knoxville. This year, for the first time, Life of the Mind is part of FYS 100, a zero-credit, pass-fail course for all first-year students.

This year’s book is by award-winning science writer Rebecca Skloot. It is the story of an African American woman whose cervical cancer cells, taken during a biopsy and cultured without her knowledge or permission in the 1950s, have been integral in developing the polio vaccine, unlocking secrets of cancer and viruses, helping understand the effects of the atom bomb, and contributing to the development of in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping. The cells are known as HeLa, a name derived from the initial letters of her first and last names.

To satisfactorily complete FYS 100, students had to read the book, attend Skloot’s lecture, participate in a discussion session, and submit a creative response related to the book’s themes.

This year’s creative response finalists came from a wide range of majors, from engineering to arts and sciences to nursing. The top five winners were recognized at the 50th Anniversary of African American Achievement Grand Gala on September 23, and all finalists will be recognized at a Ready for the World Cafe luncheon on November 15. Several projects were chosen for honorable mention in two categories, “YouTube favorites” and “visual arts.” Students receiving honorable mentions also will be invited to attend the Ready for the World Cafe luncheon.

All finalists will have their artwork displayed throughout Knoxville for the remainder of the semester, including in the Carolyn P. Brown University Center and the downtown YWCA for First Friday.

For her painting titled The Faceless Donation, Byrd, a studio arts major from Germantown, Tennessee, will receive an iPad2 and a $100 gift certificate to the UT bookstore.

The 2011 Life of the Mind program’s top five creative project finalists are, left to right, Rachel Byrd, top winner; Maverick Echivarre, Chelsa Conner, and Eboni Smith. Nathan Sharp was not present for this photo.

The other top five finalists are Chelsea Conner, an animal science major from Kingsport, Tennessee, for her poem, Sometimes; Maverick Echivarre, from Antioch, Tennessee, majoring in materials science and engineering, for writing a musical script, Henrietta’s Life, Death, and Legacy; Eboni Smith, a pre-professional major from Memphis, Tennessee, for her poetic presentation Little Girl Lost on YouTube; and Nathan Sharp, a computer science and engineering major from Hermitage, Tennessee, for his short story, Diffraction. The top five finalists will receive a $100 gift certificate to the UT bookstore.

Remaining top ten finalists are Shea Lowe, a business and marketing major from Douglasville, Georgia, for her essay, Pieces of Me; Emily Pearson, undecided, from Winchester, Tennessee, for her work titled Court Argument; Hunter Todd, from Dyersburg, Tennessee, majoring in architecture, designed a building model for The HeLa Center; Savannah Pickard, studying kinesiology from Nashville, Tennessee, for her artwork in pencil, charcoal and watercolor; and Beatriz Fulgueiro Santana, a biological sciences major from Antioch, Tennessee, for her poetic presentation, Minute Glance at Henrietta Lacks. These top ten finalists will be given a $100 gift certificate to the UT bookstore.

Honorable mentions in the visual arts category include Macy McCarty, undecided, for her pen-and-ink drawing; Leslie Crisp, undecided, for her portrait, Henrietta Lacks; Marina Johnson, a pre-professional major, for her photograph; Kate Libby, studying nursing, for her drawing; and Elise Placher, a pre-professional major, for his pencil drawing, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.

Honorable mentions in the YouTube favorites category are by Harper Law, undecided, for his video titled There’s Hope; and Matt Wessner, an electrical engineering major for his video.

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C O N T A C TS :

Stephanie Dixon (865-974-2125, sdixon7@utk.edu)

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

The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.in the University Center auditorium.

Life of the Mind is a common reading experience that gives first-year students their initial taste of academic life at UT Knoxville. This year, for the first time, Life of the Mind is part of FYS 100, a zero-credit, satisfactory/no-credit course required for all first-year students.

This year’s book is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, an award-winning science writer. It’s the story of an African American woman whose cervical cancer cells, taken during a biopsy and cultured without her knowledge or permission in the 1950s, have been integral in developing the polio vaccine, unlocking secrets of cancer and viruses, helping understand the effects of the atom bomb, and contributing to the development of in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping. The cells are known as HeLa, a name derived from the initial letters of her first and last names.

Four panel discussions related to the book have been planned, and students must attend at least one to fulfill FYS 100 requirements.

The September 20 panel will be moderated by Rita Geier, a civil rights pioneer and icon who now serves as associate to the chancellor at UT Knoxville. Thirty-nine years ago, out of fear that historically black Tennessee State University would be neglected by an expanding, predominantly white UT, she sued the state to desegregate its higher education system. Her lawsuit culminated in the “Geier Consent Decree,” which paved the way for diversity efforts and gave more than 1,300 black students Geier-funded scholarships to attend state universities. At UT, Geier has helped lead intercultural efforts and implement the goals of the university’s diversity plan and Ready for the World initiative.

Panelists include:

• Amadou Sall is a professor in Africana studies, a cross-cultural and interdisciplinary field which examines aspects of blacks in Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean, Asia, and Europe. His research crosses multiple fields of anthropology, education, geography, music, and political science in hopes of furthering the understanding of critical issues affecting people of African descent in all the societies where they live. In conjunction with his seminar on the history, economics, politics, society, and cultures of Ghana, Sall leads regular research trips to West Africa.

• Charles Houston serves as director of programs and diversity initiatives and is co-chair of this year’s campuswide “Fifty Years of African American Achievement” celebration. His family has a long history of achievement at UT: His brother, Wade, was head basketball coach in the early nineties, and his nephew, Allan Houston, who graduated in 1993, went on to play in the NBA after being the school’s all-time leading basketball scorer.

• Loida Velazquez is a retired adjunct professor and principal investigator who has worked on educational issues related to the Hispanic community for several decades. A Puerto Rican native, she is a member of Knoxville’s Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and does research in multicultural education and the cultural impact of Hispanic immigrants in Tennessee.

• Sgt. Nicole Collins has been with the UT Police Department for five years. In addition to serving as the international/minority student liaison and rape aggression defense instructor, she is responsible for recruiting personnel and maintaining departmental accreditations.

• Bethany K. Dumas holds both a law degree and a doctorate in English linguistics. She is currently a professor in the English Department and chair of the linguistics program. Her primary research areas are language variation and language and law. She has two books in progress: Writing and Using Effective Jury Instructions and Varieties of American English. She consults in legal cases and offers courses and workshops on variation and language and law topics. She is currently working on the role of dialect in non-fiction books.

The final panel of the semester, to be held October 18, will be “Undergraduate Research at UTK: Be Inspired, Get Involved!” It will be moderated by Mark Littmann, professor and Hill Chair of Excellence in Science Writing.

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C O N T A C T :

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

Life of the Mind (LOTM) is a common reading experience that gives first-year students their first taste of academic life at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The book is used as a tool to challenge students’ thinking and engage them in discussion about important issues and their transition to college. LOTM is the centerpiece of First Year Studies 100: The UT Connection, a required course for all first-year students.

This past August, more than 4,000 first-year students, 160 faculty and staff discussion leaders, and more than 200 undergraduate Welcome Leaders participated in the LOTM program. Participation continues through the semester as first-year students attend faculty-led panel discussions, focusing on the various themes presented by the book.

Each year, the LOTM committee reviews dozens of books nominated by the campus community before making the final selection for the program. This year’s LOTM book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, tells the story of an African American woman whose immortal cells changed the face of science. This New York Times best-seller raised a number of issues, from research in medicine and science to racism, ethics, politics, and socio-economic divides.

If you know of a book you think would be a good LOTM selection for next year, we want to hear about it.

Please keep in mind that the LOTM book should be written by an individual who is living and able to come to campus. Preference will be given to titles which include themes that:

• Expose students to UT’s Ready for the World international and intercultural initiative

• Challenge student thinking and encourage campus dialogue targeted toward specific campus initiatives and/or current global events

• Represent a transition or journey that can be related to the first-year experience at UT

• Are broad, cross-disciplinary, and able to be built upon with programming throughout the fall semester

To nominate a book for consideration by the LOTM selection committee, please visit http://torch.utk.edu/lifeofthemind/suggestion.shtml and fill out the electronic nomination form. Be sure to share with us why you think the book would be a good LOTM selection.

The hour-long panel discussion, which begins at 5:30 p.m., will be held in the Alumni Memorial Building auditorium.

Life of the Mind is a common reading experience that gives first-year students their initial taste of academic life at UT Knoxville. This year, for the first time, Life of the Mind is part of FYS 100, a zero-credit, pass-fail course for all first-year students.

This year’s book is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, an award-winning science writer. It’s the story of an African-American woman whose cervical cancer cells, taken during a biopsy and cultured without her knowledge or permission in the 1950s, have been integral in developing the polio vaccine, unlocking secrets of cancer and viruses, helping understand the effects of the atom bomb, and contributing to the development of in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping. The cells are known as HeLa, a name derived from the initial letters of her first and last names.

Four panel discussions related to the book have been planned, and students must attend at least one to fulfill FYS 100 requirements.

The first panel discussion, held on August 18, drew more than 549 students. More than 900 students have RSVP’d for the second panel.

The September 8 panel will focus on legality and ethics in research. It will be moderated by Glenn Graber, professor of philosophy and chair of UT’s Institutional Review Board, a role which requires him to be well-versed in biomedical ethics, ethics in health care, religion and professional ethics, the ethics of cloning and suicide, and the allocation of health-care resources. A UT faculty member for 40 years, Graber has taught several thousand undergraduates, hundreds of graduates, and chaired dozens of theses and dissertations.

Panelists include:

• Dr. Paul Erwin, director of the Department of Public Health at the University of Tennessee. Erwin is a board-certified physician in internal medicine and public health and preventive medicine and also has a master’s degree and doctorate in public health. Prior to coming to UT in 2007, he worked with the Tennessee Department of Health for sixteen years, the last twelve years of those as director of the East Tennessee Regional Health Office.
• Catherine Crawley, communications coordinator for NIMBioS, the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, an organization promoting interdisciplinary approaches to research. She is key organizer of the “Research Experience for Veterinary Students” program that gives undergraduates majoring in math, biology, veterinary science, and related fields the chance to work with UT professors during the summer on various research projects.
• Annette Mendola, a lecturer in the department of philosophy, specializing in bioethics and clinical ethics. Prior to graduate school, she worked in the inpatient psychiatric division of a small county hospital in upstate New York, an experience which sparked her interest in bioethics, especially clinical ethics and mental health ethics. Today she is an active member of the Ethics Committee at UT Medical Center and teaches ethics classes for Medical Explorations, a pre-health program at UTMC. Her teaching interests include clinical ethics education, feminism, and all areas of practical ethics.
• Brenda Lawson, a compliance officer and administrator of the Institutional Review Board that regulates all research activities involving human subjects on the UT Knoxville Campus.

The third panel, on September 20, will be linked to the fiftieth anniversary of African-American undergraduates being admitted to UT. It will focus on how people with diverse backgrounds have made important contributions to the advancement of diversity and inclusivity on campus. Moderated by Rita Geier, senior fellow at the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy and associate to the chancellor, the panel will include Charles Houston, chair of the fiftieth anniversary committee; Amadou Sall, lecturer in Africana Studies; and Loida Velazquez, Hispanic community leader.

The final panel discussion will be held on October 18. It will focus on UT research and how undergraduates can get involved. Moderated by Mark Littmann, professor of journalism and electronic media, the panel will include Sharon Pound from the Office of Research and a number of undergraduates, some who are actively involved in HeLa cell research.

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C O N T A C T :

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

In fact, it’s a true story, and the subject of the award-winning book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. The book’s author, Rebecca Skloot, will visit the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, campus on Monday, August 15. The lecture begins at 9:00 a.m. in Thompson-Boling Arena, and is free and open to the public. Parking will be available in the G10 parking garage, next to the arena.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is the university’s 2011 Life of the Mind book selection. Life of the Mind is a common reading experience that gives first-year students their initial taste of academic life at UT Knoxville. The program is in its eighth year.

“The Life of the Mind program was created to give our incoming freshmen this common experience, but also to foster international and intercultural awareness,” said Sally McMillan, vice provost for academic affairs. “This book covers issues including health, poverty, science, racism, and family relationships. This year is also the fiftieth anniversary of African American undergraduates at UT, so the book is significant as it examines the contributions of an African American woman to the foundation of modern medicine.”

The nonfiction book tells the story of Henrietta Lacks, a young mother of four whose cancer cells were biopsied during treatment in 1951. Unlike other cells, those cells continued to grow and reproduce in laboratory conditions and became known as HeLa cells. The cells are still in widespread use today and are one of the most commonly used cells in medical research. They have been vital in the development of the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, and in vitro fertilization.

The book—which has been named a best book of 2010 by more than sixty critics and sources—chronicles Skloot’s relationship with Lacks’s children and other relatives, who were unaware of the use of their mother’s cells for many years. Family members have received no income from the use of their mother’s cells and remain largely uneducated and living in poverty.

Skloot is an award-winning science writer whose work has been published in The New York Times Magazine, Discover, and O, The Oprah Magazine, among others. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is her debut book which took more than ten years to research and write. It has won numerous awards and is being made into a television movie for HBO. Skloot also is now president of the Henrietta Lacks Foundation, which provides grants, funded by proceeds from the book, to the Lacks family as well as others with similar needs, including descendants of research subjects used in the famous Tuskegee Syphilis Studies and others.

This year, for the first time, Life of the Mind is part of a zero-credit, pass-fail course that all first-year students must complete between orientation and the first few weeks of class.

As part of the course, students will read the book, attend a discussion session and the author’s lecture and complete a creative project. Students also must attend at least one of four panels led by UT’s faculty and top researchers focused on the book’s themes from science and medicine to legality, ethics, and issues of race and socio-economic divides. Students also complete technology and academic success tutorials and participate in activities designed to help them make the transition from high school to college.

“This year, the administration is doing what we can to ensure that the program places a bigger emphasis on student participation and establishes a multitude of programming related to the book’s themes,” said McMillan.

For more information on the Life of the Mind series, please visit http://torch.utk.edu/lifeofthemind/.

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C O N T A C T :

Beth Gladden (865-974-9008, bgladden@utk.edu)

The LOM book is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, written by Rebecca Skloot, an award-winning science writer.

For the first time, the Life of the Mind will be part of a new First-Year Studies course, FYS 100: The Volunteer Connection. This will be a zero-credit, pass-fail course that all first-year students must complete between orientation and the first few weeks of class.

As part of the course, students will read the book, attend a discussion session and a lecture by the author, and complete a creative project. Students also complete technology and academic success tutorials and participate in activities designed to help them make the transition from high school to college.

“We believe The Volunteer Connection will add structure to the Life of the Mind program and increase the participation rate,” said Sally McMillan, vice provost for academic affairs. “We invite the entire campus community to read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, participate in related campus events, and encourage our incoming students as they engage in this exciting program.”

At least 150 faculty and staff members are needed to serve as Life of the Mind discussion group facilitators. Their responsibilities will include:

• Reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. (The Provost office will provide facilitators with free copies of the book.)
• Attending a facilitator orientation in early August to discuss the book with colleagues and get ideas for leading an engaging discussion.
• Reviewing up to thirty creative projects submitted by the students in your discussion group via Blackboard and generating feedback. (Blackboard experience is not necessary; training will be provided.)
• Leading a one-hour discussion with a small group of freshmen at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, August 15, and ensure that attendance is taken. Facilitators also will be invited to attend Skloot’s presentation at 9:00 a.m. on the same day.
• Complete a brief survey about your experience.

To volunteer to be a facilitator, go to http://torch.utk.edu/lifeofthemind/leaders/ and complete the brief form. A representative of the Provost office will then contact you to provide additional information and send you a copy of the book.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, published just last year, has received wide acclaim, including selection as a New York Times Notable Book and the Amazon.com editors’ choice for the Best Book of 2010, and is being made into a movie, produced in part by Oprah Winfrey.

The book tells of the African American woman whose cervical cancer cells, taken during a biopsy and cultured without her knowledge or permission in the 1950s, have been integral in developing the polio vaccine, unlocking secrets of cancer and viruses, helping understand the effects of the atom bomb, and contributing to the development of in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping. The cells are known as HeLa, a name derived from the initial letters of her first and last names.

Skloot’s book weaves together many important themes, including African American history, research, and medical ethics. She explains the science of HeLa cells but also introduces readers to the Lacks family and their journey in understanding what happened to Henrietta.

“Henrietta’s family did not learn of her ‘immortality’ until more than twenty years after her death, when scientists investigating HeLa began using her husband and children in research without informed consent,” Skloot’s website says. “And though the cells had launched a multimillion-dollar industry that sells human biological materials, her family never saw any of the profits.…The story of the Lacks family—past and present—is inextricably connected to the dark history of experimentation on African Americans, the birth of bioethics, and the legal battles over whether we control the stuff we are made of.”

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks was chosen during a three-month process during which the LOM committee reviewed more than one hundred nominations from the campus community. Members cited the book’s broad, cross-disciplinary nature and relevance to the campus’s celebration of fifty years of African American achievement as reasons for its selection. The University of Wisconsin and North Carolina State University also have used this book for similar programs. For more information about the book and the author, visit http://rebeccaskloot.com/the-immortal-life/.

For questions about UT’s LOM program, contact Drew Webb at fys100@utk.edu.

CONTACT:

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

Life of the Mind is a common reading experience for all first-year students that gives them their first taste of academic life at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The book is to be used as a tool to challenge students’ thinking and engage them in discussion about important issues and their transition to college.

Each year, the Life of the Mind committee reviews dozens of books as potential selections for the program. If you know of a book that you think would be a good LOTM selection, please let us know about it.

Life of the Mind books should include themes that

• Expose students to the Ready for the World international and intercultural initiative.

• Represent a transition or journey that can be related to the first-year experience at UT.

• Target specific campus initiatives or current global events.

• Are broad and cross-disciplinary in nature and can be built upon with programming throughout the fall semester.

• Challenge student thinking and encourage campus dialogue.

In addition, the Life of the Mind book should be written by an individual who is living and able to come to campus to meet with students.

To suggest a book, go to http://torch.utk.edu/lifeofthemind/suggestion.shtml.

Late last month — merely a week into their freshmen year of classes at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville — 15 students traveled to St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes, just outside New Orleans, to assist Remote Area Medical (RAM). They were accompanied by several upperclassmen, student staff members and Provost Susan Martin.

This weekend, another 13 first-year students will be traveling to assist with another RAM clinic in Cleveland, Tenn.

The New Orleans trip was an extension of the Life of the Mind program, a component of Ready for the World, the university’s international and intercultural initiative. Through Life of the Mind, all freshmen are asked to read a common book during the summer, submit a creative response to the text and participate in discussion sessions during the first week of classes. This year’s book is “Mountains Beyond Mountains,” Tracy Kidder’s best-selling story of Dr. Paul Farmer, who founded Partners in Health and has done extensive work to fight tuberculosis, AIDS and other illnesses in Haiti, Peru and Russia.

The upcoming trip was planned by the instructors of two First Year Studies 129 classes — Dr. Paul Erwin, director of UT’s Department of Public Health, and Sally McMillan, vice provost for academic affairs. Both have incorporated “service learning” as part of their classes and have encouraged their students to directly engage their local community with the values they are learning in the classroom.

In addition to students from the two FYS 129 classes, five students who went on the New Orleans trip are also going to Cleveland because they want to help with another RAM clinic.

“This year’s Life of the Mind book is about one man who has made — and continues to make — a tremendous impact on the world by giving of himself,” said Provost Susan Martin, whose office oversees the program. “These trips not only elaborate on the book’s theme, but also emphasize the importance of service learning. The RAM experience gives our students a chance to learn by giving of themselves. It broadens their horizons and gives them insight into what it means to be a Volunteer.”

Students on the New Orleans trip said the experience helped them forge friendships, discover more about careers they might enjoy and gave them a great sense of personal accomplishment.

“I am not saying that my first class was not important, or attending my first game was not mind blowing, but this trip really helped me figure myself out,” freshman Emily Kennedy said. “Going into this trip, I was just another freshman without a major trying to make friends. … Coming back, I have made friendships and life choices I thought would never come so easily. I went into the trip wanting to be a missionary who might someday work with doctors. I came out of the trip strongly considering pre-med.”

Marianela D’Aprile said she spent most of her time translating for Spanish speakers.

“I feel arrogant saying this, but it’s possible that, without my help, it would have been virtually impossible for these people to receive the aid they needed and to understand what their health problems were and what they needed to do,” she said. “I also felt as if my being there made them feel more comfortable and less like strangers or foreigners in the clinic.”

Mary Nethaway helped make glasses during the RAM trip to New Orleans.

“I can’t even begin to describe the joy that our patients had when picking up their glasses; for some that meant being able to finally see clearly for the first time in years. It changed my life just to see the look on their faces and to receive hugs and praises for helping them see,” she said. “Volunteering with Remote Area Medical was one of the most fulfilling things I have done with my life thus far. I know I’m still young, but the sense of purpose I received from helping hundreds of people already made me feel like I made a difference in the world.”

Provost Martin, who accompanied the students to New Orleans, said these RAM trips provide valuable lessons that build upon what students learn in the classroom.

“The Cleveland trip, like the New Orleans trip, will give this a group of students the chance to experience another place, another culture and circumstances very different from what they might be accustomed to,” she said.

In Cleveland, the students will work from 5:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the weekend RAM clinic, directing traffic, registering patients and making eyeglasses. Thousands of patients are expected to visit the clinic during their stay.

RAM is a nonprofit, volunteer, airborne relief corps that provides free health, dental and eye care, veterinary services, and technical and educational assistance to people in remote areas of the United States and the world.

Students going on the Cleveland trip are Ellen Bier of Johnson City, Tenn; Madison Bishop of Savannah, Tenn.; Meagan Castelow of Colllierville, Tenn.; Phillip Goldfarb of Baltimore; Sam Gosey of Johnson City, Tenn; Bethany Jones of Knoxville, Tenn; Emily Kennedy of Kingsport, Tenn; Kelsey Murphy of Murfreesboro, Tenn.; Brandon Parkison of Memphis; Brian Payne of Tullahoma; (Barbara) Briana Phillips of Johnson City, Tenn.; Michael Porter of Bartlett, Tenn; and Cody Walker of Columbia, Tenn.

Kennedy, Murphy, Phillips and Walker also went on the New Orleans trip. They will be accompanied by McMillan and provost’s office staff members Craig Bleakney and Drew Webb.

CONTACT:

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

"Mountains Beyond Mountains" author Tracy Kidder with grand prize winner Jan Urbano and Drew Webb from the Provost's Office.

KNOXVILLE — Jan Urbano’s colored pencil drawing depicting vivid scenes from this year’s Life of the Mind book, “Mountains Beyond Mountains,” was the grand prize winner in the program’s creative response contest.

Now in its seventh year, the Life of the Mind program encourages all first-year students to read a common book during the summer, submit a creative response and then participate in discussion groups led by faculty and staff during their first week on campus. “Mountains Beyond Mountains” is a biography of Dr. Paul Farmer, and it features themes that include Haiti, health, poverty, science and religion.

“We were amazed at some of the thoughtful creative responses students submitted after reading the book,” said Sally McMillan, vice provost for academic operations. “Students sent us essays, poems, artwork, original songs, multimedia presentations – all sorts of projects. You could tell that ‘Mountains Beyond Mountains’ really made them think and, for many of them, sparked a desire to find something they can do to make the world a better place.”

To view the Top 25 creative response projects, visit http://torch.utk.edu/lifeofthemind/projects/.

Urbano received an iPad for his winning creative response, which received more than 300 votes on the Life of the Mind website.

The first runners-up, who each received an iPod Touch were Marianela D’Aprile for her watercolor book and essay; Kyle West for his original song; Elise Heuberger for her essay; and Amanda Mitchell for her photo collage video.

The second runners-up in the creative response contest, who each received a $50 UT Bookstore gift certificate, were Austen Ashworth for her poem; Matthew Reecer for his P-O-V-E-R-T-Y multimedia presentation; Kyoungho Cho for his graphic design; Jaclyn Earle for her pen and ink drawing; and Kelsey Walton for her poetic composition.

Last week, “Mountains Beyond Mountains” author Tracy Kidder visited campus to give a lecture, meet with freshmen and sign copies of his book. At Thursday night’s lecture, he talked about what it was like to get to know Farrmer, who founded Partners in Health and has worked extensively to improve health conditions in some impoverished areas of Haiti, Peru and Russia.

On Friday, Farmer had breakfast with some of the creative response winners and then met with a class of honors students and a group of communications students.

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C O N T A C T :

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

Kidder will give a lecture and sign copies of his book at 7 p.m. today in the Alumni Memorial Building Cox Auditorium. Although this event is open only to university freshmen, it can be viewed via live webcast at http://160.36.161.128/UTK/Viewer/?peid=a8e64c2d21914025b4789a3749747d2f.

Also, the top creative responses submitted by first-year students in response to the book have now been chosen and the student winners will be announced at tonight’s event. The Top 10 finalists will join Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek and Kidder for a special breakfast celebration on Friday. In addition, the winner will receive an iPad, four runners-up will receive iPods and five runners-up will receive bookstore gift certificates.

Kidder will spend part of Friday speaking to students in two classes.

Now in its seventh year, the Life of the Mind program encourages all first-year students to read a common book during the summer, submit a creative response and then participate in discussion groups led by faculty and staff during their first week on campus.

“Mountains Beyond Mountains” is the biography of Dr. Paul Farmer, and it features themes that include Haiti, health, poverty, science and religion.

The event is open only to university freshmen and will take place at 7 p.m. in the Alumni Memorial Building’s Cox Auditorium.

However, for non-freshmen interested in seeing the lecture, it can be viewed live via webcast.

Now in its seventh year, Life of the Mind encourages all first-year students to read a common book during the summer, submit a creative response to the book and participate in discussion groups led by faculty and staff during their first week on campus. The goal is to provide a common experience for freshmen that will help them bond, grow academically and ultimately improve their chances for success in college.

Listed on The New York Times’ 2003 Notable Books list, “Mountains Beyond Mountains” is the story of physician and anthropologist Dr. Paul Farmer as he works to relieve the suffering of some of the poorest people on earth while revolutionizing international health. In keeping with Life of the Mind’s goal to foster international and intercultural awareness, the book’s themes include health, poverty, science, religion and more.

The title, drawn from a Haitian proverb, expresses a common Haitian understanding that opportunities are inexhaustible and that when one great obstacle is surmounted, the next great one comes into clearer view.

“What’s so great about ‘Mountains Beyond Mountains’ is that it focuses heavily on one person’s quest to help those suffering in places we hardly ever think about,” said Drew Webb, student engagement coordinator in the provost’s office. “It almost makes the reader uncomfortable as they begin to recognize what kind of issues they’ve been ignoring. We were really interested to see how our students reacted to the book and what kind of conversations resulted from those reactions.”

This year, Life of the Mind tried some new things.

In the past, students were asked to submit essays about the Life of the Mind book. This year, students could submit any type of creative response – up to three pages, three minutes or three megabytes. Students submitted paintings, drawings, essays, poetry, pottery, multimedia presentations and more.

Life of the Mind discussion leaders and committee members reviewed all of the creative responses and chose the top 25. Starting today, for just a few days, the campus community can view those top projects and vote on their favorites at http://torch.utk.edu/lifeofthemind/projects/.

The public vote will be used by Life of the Mind program administrators to choose the top 10 projects and designate the overall winner. The top 10 finalists will join Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek and Kidder for a special breakfast celebration on Friday. In addition, the winner will receive an iPad, four runners-up will receive iPods, and five runners-up will receive bookstore gift certificates.

Also, this past weekend, which was the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, 15 freshmen went on a Life of the Mind trip to St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes, just outside New Orleans, to assist Remote Area Medical (RAM) with a medical clinic. All freshmen were invited to apply for the trip by writing a short explanation of why they wanted to go.

The students worked from 5:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and half a day on Sunday at the RAM clinic. “They directed traffic, registered patients, and assisted with vision testing and dental work, among other duties.”

“Our students had heard of the effects of Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf oil spill,” said Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor Susan Martin who accompanied the students to New Orleans. “This trip helped them understand what those catastrophes meant to the people who live and work in the Gulf region and gave them an opportunity to help.”

The experiences also showed students that everyone has the ability to effect change in the world, Martin said.

For more information on Life of the Mind, visit http://torch.utk.edu/lifeofthemind/.

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C O N T A C T :

Abbey Taylor (865-974-9409, ataylo30@utk.edu)

Drew Webb (865-974-2704, cwebb13@utk.edu)

All first-year students were eligible to apply for this trip, and these students were selected because of their written explanation of why they wanted to participate.

This trip is an extension of the Life of the Mind program for incoming freshmen. Life of the Mind is a component of Ready for the World, the university’s international and intercultural initiative, and asks all freshmen to read a common book during the summer, submit a creative response to the text and participate in discussion sessions during the first week of classes. This year’s book is “Mountains Beyond Mountains,” Tracy Kidder’s best-selling story of Dr. Paul Farmer, who founded Partners in Health and has done extensive work to fight tuberculosis, AIDS and other illnesses in Haiti, Peru and Russia.

Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor Susan Martin, who will be accompanying the students, said she believes this trip will be a worthwhile learning experience for these freshmen.

“This service project — the first of several planned that relate to the themes in ‘Mountains Beyond Mountains’ — will give this group of students the chance to experience another place, another culture and circumstances very different from what they might be accustomed to,” she said.

The experiences also have the opportunity to show them their ability to effect change in the world.

“Our students have heard of the effects of Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf oil spill. Now they’ll have a chance to see what those catastrophes have meant to the people who live and work in the Gulf region and what they can do to help,” Martin said.

The students and Provost Martin will work from 5:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the RAM clinic, directing traffic, registering patients and making eyeglasses. Thousands of patients are expected to visit the clinic during their stay.

RAM is a nonprofit, volunteer, airborne relief corps that provides free health, dental and eye care; veterinary services; and technical and educational assistance to people in remote areas of the United States and the world.

Freshmen going on the trip are Ethan Carman of Germantown, Tenn.; Marianela D’Aprile of Martin, Tenn.; De’Marcus Finnell of Chattanooga, Tenn.; Valencia Guein from Clarksville, Tenn.; Jasmine Hammons of Bradenton, Fla.; Emily Kennedy of Kingsport, Tenn.; Kelsey Murphy of Murfreesboro, Tenn.; Richie Ness of Cleveland, Tenn.; Mary Nethaway of McKenzie, Tenn.; Molly Payne of Kingsport, Tenn.; Barbara Phillips of Johnson City, Tenn.; Ashley Smith of Gulfport, Miss.; Travis Sullivan of Farragut, Tenn.; Lyhanna Usher of Memphis, Tenn.; and Cody Walker of Columbia, Tenn.

Upperclassmen accompanying the group are Leslie Price of Morristown, Tenn., and Angela Sessoms of Fayetteville, Tenn.

CONTACT:

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

Staff members with the students in New Orleans:

Drew Webb (931-319-7997, cwebb13@utk.edu)

Craig Bleakney(615-336-3424, CraigBleakney@gmail.com)

Sally McMillan

Each fall, first-year students read a common book in the Life of the Mind program. The goal of Life of the Mind is to provide a common experience for freshmen that will help them bond and grow academically, and ultimately improve their chances for success in college. An important part of Life of the Mind is participation in discussion groups led by faculty and staff members during Welcome Week. I invite you to lead a discussion group.

This year students will read a book titled “Mountains Beyond Mountains.” It is Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tracy Kidder’s best-selling biography of Dr. Paul Farmer. Topics include Haiti, health, poverty, science, religion, and more. See a review at http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/14/books/a-season-in-hell.html.

We are planning multiple programs related to the book’s themes, including service learning opportunities.

Based on feedback from students and faculty members, we will make a few changes this year that will focus on increased student participation and streamlined processes for discussion leaders. We also will have a “custom version” of the book available for students to purchase at the bookstore. That book will include UT Knoxville and Ready for the World logos and a welcome letter from the chancellor and provost that explains the importance of the Life of the Mind program.

The provost’s office will host sessions for discussion leaders to talk about strategies for engaging freshmen with the book. Leaders also will receive discussion guides and background materials. We are working on developing a Blackboard site that will enable students to submit their Life of the Mind “homework” electronically. This year, we will allow students not only to write essays, but also to submit other creative responses — including drawings, videos, poems, etc. To keep your job manageable, we are working to automate feedback to students so that you don’t have to do any “grading.”

To stress the importance of the Life of the Mind program, we are scheduling discussions at times when there are no conflicts with other Welcome Week activities. Discussion groups will be held from 1-2 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 16, and Tuesday, Aug. 17.

Please join us as we reach out to our first-year students. I think you will enjoy this year’s book, and I ask you to contact Drew Webb at LOM@utk.edu to volunteer. Please be sure to indicate what day(s) you prefer. We will deliver the UT version of the book to you when we receive it from the printer.

Walls will speak to students at 11 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 17, in the Cox Auditorium of the Alumni Memorial Building. A book signing will follow. Her memoir “The Glass Castle” is the Life of the Mind book chosen for incoming first-year students to read during the summer. The event is geared towards UT students, but her talk will be available live and in archived format online at www.utk.edu/go/1h.

Life of Mind is part of UT’s Welcome Week and helps new students transition to college by giving them a shared experience through small discussion groups led by faculty members.

Wall’s compelling work spent more than 100 weeks on the New York Times’ best-seller list and has sold more than 2 million copies. The novel details growing up with her three siblings in the desert American Southwest and then in a West Virginia mining town.

Her story reflects on the unorthodox parenting methods of her mother and father, who at times neglected Walls and her siblings, but also managed to show them love and teach them to face their fears. Walls tells of going without food and indoor plumbing while being encouraged to read Shakespeare and dream of the beautiful glass house the family would one day build together.

Walls left West Virginia on her own at the age of 16 to move to New York City and enroll in Barnard College, after which she went on to become a well-known columnist for New York magazine and MSNBC.com. Walls speaks at colleges, corporations and business associations about overcoming hardship and the keys to turning adversity to your advantage

“The Glass Castle” has been taught at universities in courses on literature, psychology, parenting, child development and poverty. It has won numerous awards including the Christopher Award, the American Library Association’s Alex Award and the Books for Better Living Award.

Her visit kicks off a yearlong series of programming focused on “Our World in Need,” themed with a particular emphasis on the issue of poverty. Exhibits, lectures and film screenings will highlight the plight of the impoverished both across the United States and the world and link the campus community to new and existing programs that help serve others.

To learn more about UT’s Life of the Mind program, visit http://torch.utk.edu/lifeofthemind.