Leadership Transition

Dr. Robert Smith greets members of the UT Martin community

Dr. Robert Smith, president emeritus of Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania, has returned to UT Martin as interim chancellor. Smith served as dean of UT Martin’s School of Arts and Sciences from 1987 to 1999 and is credited as a co-founder of the WestStar Leadership Program. He began his term June 1 after former chancellor Dr. Tom Rakes returned to a full-time teaching position May 30.

MBA Expands

man standing in crop field
UT Martin alumnus John Chester on his farm in Greenfield, Tennessee

The UT Martin online MBA program will include a concentration in agriculture, beginning with the fall 2015 semester. Students will complete traditional MBA coursework with 12 additional hours in agricultural business. The online MBA program was also ranked 16th on the 2015 Best Online Programs for Veteran’s list, published May 19 by U.S. News & World Report.

Record Acceptance

room of VetMed students in white lab coats
Jason Roberts (right), associate professor of animal science, explains a concept to his students.

Eighteen UT Martin students have been accepted into veterinary school programs beginning this fall, seven of whom will begin classes at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The previous acceptance record was 10 students, set in 2013.

Miss Tennessee 2015

Hannah Robinson
Hannah Robison, a senior UT Martin chemistry major, claimed the title of Miss Tennessee 2015 at the scholarship pageant in Jackson. She will spend the coming year serving as Gov. Bill Haslam’s official spokesperson for character education. Robison competed in the Miss America Scholarship Pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Sept. 13.