Eight faculty and students in the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences gathered to celebrate academic and professional honors during the 2023 Chancellor’s Honors Banquet and Academic Honors Banquet. The awards highlight individuals embodying the Volunteer Spirit though their extraordinary research, creative activity, and impactful contributions to the university and beyond.

This year’s honorees include:

Leia Cain: Angie Warren Perkins Award

Named for the first dean of women at UT, the Angie Warren Perkins Award honors outstanding leadership in campus governance or administration at the level of department head, director, or below.

Leia K. Cain is an assistant professor of evaluation, statistics, and methodology. She received her PhD from the University of South Carolina. In her research, Cain utilizes narrative and arts-based methods to explore the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ populations in higher education spaces.

What does being a Volunteer mean to you? How has UT empowered you to make a difference in a way you might not have imagined elsewhere?

“When I first read the Volunteer Creed (“One that beareth a torch shadoweth oneself to give light to others”), I knew immediately that UT was where I wanted to establish the roots of my career. I strongly believe that part of our mission as academics is to create positive change for our students and community, ensuring lasting impacts that ripple out from their actions throughout their lives—and it seems like UT’s mission aligned perfectly with that belief. I hope that I can make a positive impact on others through my teaching, scholarship, and service, thereby lighting the way for others who also hope to make a difference.”

Frances Harper: Excellence in Teaching Award

Excellence in Teaching is bestowed by the Office of the Chancellor and the Teaching Council of the Faculty Senate to honor outstanding work in the classroom.

Frances Harper is an associate professor of STEM (mathematics) education in the Department of Theory and Practice in Teacher Education (TPTE). Her research broadly focuses on issues of equity and justice in mathematics education, teacher education, and family and community engagement, particularly within urban contexts. She views research and teaching as transformative when done in collaboration with students and communities.

What does being a Volunteer mean to you? How has UT empowered you to make a difference in a way you might not have imagined elsewhere?

“Being a Volunteer is characterized by a passion for promoting social change through conscientious service and leadership (not volunteerism or saviorism). Embodying this Volunteer spirit involves listening to and learning from the diverse perspectives of community partners to support and co-lead collaborative efforts that truly benefit communities. UT’s commitments to community engaged scholarship have allowed me to prioritize community collaboration and perspectives across everything I do.”

 2023 Extraordinary Campus Leadership and Service Award

The Extraordinary Campus Leadership and Service awards recognize graduating students who are extraordinary campus leaders for their significant service to others.

Mary Grace Myers is a senior from LaFollette, Tennessee. She served UT as the 2022 Student Alumni Associates president and the 2020–2023 College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences Dean’s Undergraduate Advisory Board chair, and was a member of the Dean of Students’ Rocky Top Roundtable, Senior Impact Council, UT Alumni Board of Directors, Chancellor’s Associates, and Delta Gamma.

What does being a Volunteer mean to you? How has UT empowered you to make a difference in a way you might not have imagined elsewhere?

“When you become a UT student, you begin a lifelong journey of being a Volunteer. To me, to be a Volunteer means commitment to serve with humility, to lead where you are, and to encourage others along the way. Over the past four years, I have been inspired by the great leadership of fellow students, student organizations, campus leadership, academic professionals, and UT alumni. As Tennessee Volunteers, we put others before ourselves, we fill needs when we see them, and work to leave things better than we found them without desiring recognition. I truly believe that there is no place quite like the University of Tennessee. Whether you are on campus for a game day with thousands of Vol fans, or simply walking down ped to class, the pride and passion for our university is evident. Being surrounded daily by the Volunteer spirit has inspired me to give back to the university through leadership and service, and has encouraged me to make the most of my college experience. You get out of experiences what you put into them, and being involved has helped me grow as a leader and grow in my love for the university. There are many opportunities to serve at UT, and I am thankful for how campus leaders provide students the opportunity to discuss needs on our campus. I also have loved having the opportunity to serve alongside fellow student leaders, as there is so much that we can learn from one another. The people that I have met along my UT journey have helped shape me into the person I am today, and I will carry the lessons that I have learned here into my life as an alumni. I have loved UT, and I want all students to love UT, and hope that the generations to come will also find their place on campus to be a Volunteer.”

Jada Laws is a senior from Memphis majoring in psychology and minoring in public health on the pre-medicine track. During her time at the University of Tennessee, she has been heavily involved in numerous student organizations including the Student Government Association, UT Ambassadors, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Undergraduate Research, Phi Beta Kappa honor society, Global Medical Brigades, Student Alumni Associates, and the Senior Impact Council. Upon graduating, she will continue working in the field of research until she goes to medical school.

What does being a Volunteer mean to you? How has UT empowered you to make a difference in a way you might not have imagined elsewhere?

“Being a Volunteer is a commitment to service. I believe that if you possess skills and resources that can help others, you should use those as a guiding light to better the people and environment around you. I can wholeheartedly say that UT has helped me foster my leadership skills to serve the campus and Knoxville community. Coming into college, I made it my mission to make an impactful mark on this campus to leave in good faith knowing that I left Rocky Top better than I found it. With the help of ample resources, intentional faculty, and encouraging classmates, I can go into my next steps in life not only knowing that I was able to light the way for future Volunteers but will also rest assured that I have the tools needed to make a difference no matter where I go.”

2023 Extraordinary Community Service (Students and Student Organizations)

The Extraordinary Community Service Award honors students and student organizations that exhibit the Volunteer spirit in the community.

Brooklyn Barnes is a Chancellor’s Honors student from Milan, Tennessee, studying kinesiology and neuroscience. On campus, she is vice chair of the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences Dean’s Undergraduate Advisory Board, communications director and secretary for the Kinesiology Student Association, and student building manager in the Student Union.

What does being a Volunteer mean to you? How has UT empowered you to make a difference in a way you might not have imagined elsewhere?

“Being a Volunteer means serving your community in a way that empowers and inspires. Growing up in a small town, I always tried to find ways to get involved in my community and make a positive impact. When I arrived on campus, I immediately tried to find ways to get involved in my on-campus community, and quickly after I branched out to the Knoxville community. UT provides the same passion as I do about what it means to be a Volunteer and the importance of being an active member of your community, which has given me a sense of support to go out and share that passion to positively impact and inspire my new community.”

Gene Mitchell Gray Pioneer Award

The Gene Mitchell Gray Pioneer Award recognizes a student or group for promoting cultural diversity and enrichment on campus.

Miranda Rutan (she/her) is a second-year doctoral student in the higher education administration program in the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences. She serves as the graduate research assistant for CEHHS’ Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, where she primarily supports educational programming and resource development.

What does being a Volunteer mean to you? How has UT empowered you to make a difference in a way you might not have imagined elsewhere?

“Being a Volunteer means being part of a greater community. As Volunteers, we have a responsibility to support, to care for, and to challenge one another as we grow into our better selves. At UT, I found genuine connections built on vulnerability and trust that offered me the space to engage creatively in caring and advocating for community.”

2023 Notable UT Woman Award

The Notable UT Woman Award recognizes a female faculty or staff member, student, or alumna whose accomplishments bring great distinction to the university.

Samantha Ehrlich is a reproductive and perinatal epidemiologist whose research focuses on pregnancy exposures, behaviors, and outcomes related to diabetes and obesity in pregnant people and their children. Ehrlich received her MPH in maternal and child health and doctoral degree in epidemiology from the University of California, Berkeley. Before coming to UT, she was a postdoctoral research fellow in the Women’s and Children’s Health Section at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research. Ehrlich serves on the editorial boards for PLOS One and BMC Pregnancy And Childbirth, and is currently the communications director for the American Diabetes Association’s Pregnancy and Reproductive Health Interest Group. She teaches Biostatistics and Epidemiology III.

What does being a Volunteer mean to you? How has UT empowered you to make a difference in a way you might not have imagined elsewhere?

“My students and research collaborators, both here on the main campus and across the river at the UT Medical Center, are very important to me. Their intelligence and determination have inspired me to go above and beyond what I thought was possible; it is a true honor to work with them.”

Torchbearer

Torchbearer is the highest honor the university gives to its undergraduate students. Recognition as a Torchbearer reminds us all that those who bear the Torch of Enlightenment shadow themselves to give light to others.

Diba Seddighi is a senior pursuing her Bachelor of Arts degree in global health equity through the College Scholars Program. Following graduation, she will complete a fellowship year in which she will conduct health disparity research at the National Institutes of Health. Seddighi is excited to continue pursuing her passion for health equity in all her future endeavors.

What does being a Volunteer mean to you? How has UT empowered you to make a difference in a way you might not have imagined elsewhere?

“As a Volunteer at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, I am part of a community that values diversity, leadership, and service. The university has provided me with countless opportunities to engage in research, community service, leadership opportunities, academic development, peer mentoring, and so much more. I have received so much guidance and support from faculty, staff, and students alike. Knowing that I am part of a community that cares deeply about making a positive impact and encouraging others to do the same through service leadership has helped me tremendously grow as both an academic and a community member. I couldn’t imagine a better place to have spent the last four years, and I will always be a Vol for Life.”

“This is a passion, a deep, deep calling, for me to do this,” -Kimberly R. Hill on Project Excellence.

By Vanessa Slay, CEHHS Student Reporter, Class of 2024 (March 24, 2023)

“I never thought I would be there; I always thought it wasn’t for me,” Darrius Jackson says in an interview with the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (CEHHS) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Jackson is one of three Austin-East Magnet High School students who received full-ride scholarships to UT through Project Excellence and the schools’ Flagship partnership.

“Opportunity and diversity,” says Kimberly Hill, a doctoral candidate in Higher Education Administration, director of Project Excellence and Community Engagement Coordinator. “Students who come from flagship schools have such a mixed talent that is sometimes overlooked, and a program like Project Excellence puts a spotlight on those students who have immense talent, are extremely resilient, and are creative thinkers. It allows them to shine and arrive on college campuses prepared, ready to lead, and not just be spectators.”

Hill calls the development of Project Excellence a “labor of love” amongst herself and the multiple faculty members and departments who lent their support. Noting her time working with Karen Boyd, a Professor of Practice, Director of Undergraduate Education, and Program Coordinator for Undergraduate Leadership studies in the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (ELPS) department at UT, they noticed a general lack of diversity in the students who were applying for the ELPS program. They spent time building strategies to increase diversity in ELPS when Hill began to think bigger.

How can you inform students of ELPS before they set foot on campus? While other programs existed, such as Project Grad and Upward Bound, Hill believed there needed to be a specialized pre-college program at CEHHS. Boyd agreed and took the initiative to spread the idea across campus.

In time the program was launched under ELPS and after seeing the tremendous success of the second cohort of students and with great belief in the importance of the program, Ellen McIntyre, Dean of CEHHS, made it a part of the whole of CEHHS.

Including Project Excellence in CEHHS creates an even more fantastic opportunity for students.

The Project Excellence program currently takes up to 20 high school juniors and seniors at Austin-East and prepares them for college. Over the course of 10 to 15 weeks, junior students are aided and taught by instructors from the university and other community leaders. “This is not just content we are teaching out of a textbook,” says Hill. “These students are being taught by actual community leaders and getting real-life experiences, examples, and lessons from real-life leaders.”

The 11th-grade students receive a certificate and experience that helps with self-efficacy, time management, and communication with instructors.

As the students progress into their senior year, they are also offered the opportunity to apply for a credited program in which they can earn up to 5 hours in undergraduate leadership studies classes. These classes provided at UT are the same classes that leadership minors take, ELPS 201 and 211. Students in these classes acquire leadership skills, principles, and engagement skills for use in the community; the credits can be applied toward a minor in Leadership Studies at UT, but students are not required to pursue a degree in ELPS.

Hill notes that this past December, the seniors in the program spearheaded a community discussion based on youth mental health and are in the process of planning a city-wide mental health summit focused on the youths in the Knoxville area. These students realized how important it is for them, their current classmates, and future classmates to arrive on campus emotionally healthy and how to scout resources.

“Some of these students are very strategic thinkers; they realize they don’t have to be in the front to lead, some of them are behind the scenes planning, some of them are ‘includers,’ rallying the troops,” Hill comments on the students.

Current UT student majoring in Journalism and Electronic/Creative Media and former Project Excellence student Kyniya Hutchinson recalls her experience: “The most important lesson I learned was how to use my strengths and weaknesses to my advantage. I discovered how your values affect your ability to lead.”

Hutchinson says that she was interested in Project Excellence because “it was a great way to dip my toe into college while also learning how to develop something I was already doing in my academic career…It demonstrated to me that I could learn and gain new experiences while also preparing me for the next chapter of my life, college.”

She’d also like to encourage the next class entering the Project Excellence program to take advantage of the opportunities that come their way, identify their values and stay true to themselves, but to understand that they will change, learn, and grow. “Find the light to your torch and never let it go out as you light your way to graduation.”

While Hill is piloting this program at Austin-East, she aims to open it to all of the university’s flagship schools and let it grow into a state-wide standard. “Dreaming bigger, we envision this being a national program,” Hill hopes. Some evidence of this is already spreading into another part of UT’s CEHHS in the Nutrition Department as they launch their first pre-college program in the Summer of 2023.

While not all students who participate in Project Excellence go on to attend the university,” They are blossoming and bringing their peers along with them,” said Hill. She comments on one student who chose to go to college out of state and became President of the Student Body as a Freshman.

Throughout Knoxville, several former students are doing their best to make impacts in the community, serving on advisory boards across the city.

Hill would also like to thank several faculty members and community members who were essential in the advancement and development of the program: Tyvi Smalls, the Vice Chancellor of Diversity and Engagement, and Javiette Samuels, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Engagement and Director of Community Engagement and Outreach, Kristina Gordon, an Associate Dean, Academic Affairs and Engagement & Director, Tammi Campbell, Austin-East Magnet High School Principal, Tanisha Fitzgerald-Baker, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Manager at Knoxville Utilities Board, Pastor Daryl Arnold of Overcoming Believers Church, and the numerous instructors in the ELPS program who give their time to instruct these rising leaders.

If you would like to contribute time or resources to Project Excellence, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Kimberly R. Hill at krhill@vols.utk.edu or call 865-806-8400.

You can also watch a video about Darrius Jackson’s surprise admission to UT Knoxville here.