Seizing opportunities is nothing new for William Mackall (Martin ’90). The UT Martin Hall of Fame football player and award-winning undercover police officer was ready to answer the call when he came upon a man who was choking. Mackall, 40, was raised in Panama City, Florida, where he played several high-school sports and eventually caught the eye of college football recruiters.
UT is a leader in the development of alternative fuels, the university is enjoying its best year in recent history in terms of state funding, and Dr. Bill Bass has solved the mystery of “The Big Bopper”—these and other stories in this edition of UTopics.
Being national professor of the year is a momentous honor. But for Donna Boyd (Knoxville ’81, ’84, ’88), the award has added significance. She’s a “second generation” professor of the year, having studied under a UT anthropology professor who won the honor in 1985.
He may not be able to tell you if the X-Files really exist, but Trey Halterman thinks he has been successful during his 2-1/2 years as an FBI special agent. “I’ve arrested drug dealers, protected the U.S. from people who want to cause harm to the country, assisted Hurricane Katrina victims, and managed major cases that will lead to arrests and prosecutions.”
Tracking a group of 200 illegal aliens in the remote Sonoran Desert may not sound like your typical day’s work, but U.S. Border Patrol agent Chris Frazier finds it frightening, exciting, and frustrating. “It involves a great deal of stamina and a good balance of all my senses,” says the Knoxville native and 1997 UT Knoxville public relations grad, who works in the Tucson, Arizona, sector.
Most of us have some special accomplishments of which we’re proud, and so does Nan Schumaker. Her accomplishments are just a little more spectacular than most people’s. They include graduating from the FBI Academy, leading investigations, and contributing to a national championship.
T. J. Waters (Chattanooga ’90) took a proactive approach to expressing his patriotism. He was selected by the Central Intelligence Agency to join the first post–9/11 spy class. His book about the experience, Class 11, was published recently by Dutton, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
A book about butterflies, solving the mystery of The Big Bopper’s death, a fat camp for pets, and other stories in this issue’s installment of UTopics.
Despite overwhelming odds, Jim Hammond is hopeful that the hundreds of cadets he has trained to be Iraqi police officers will make a difference in Iraq’s transition to democracy. Hammond, a UT Chattanooga alumnus, urges the cadets to put aside political and ethnic differences. He believes, as his cadets do, that together they can help create better lives for everyone in a country ripped apart by violence.
The UT Institute for Public Service serves as a conduit for the knowledge of UT faculty members and consultants and puts that knowledge to use solving real-world problems. Through its four agencies, IPS provides training and technical assistance to state and local government leaders, law enforcement personnel, and industry innovators.
Blood pools on the kitchen floor. Droplets spatter the cabinets. In a small room off the cottage’s entryway, crime-scene investigators study blood spatters on the wall and bloody handprints on the floor. In the bedrooms, they photograph more bloodstains, looking for clues about the crimes that left these gruesome settings.
Josh Wolcott came to UT to study art. He dreamed of being a sculptor and a teacher. He never dreamed he’d be creating synthetic human bodies to blow up. But the graduate student’s career took an unexpected turn in April 2005 when an interesting offer came into the art department from the National Forensic Academy, which trains crime-scene investigators.
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