It must be true that opposites attract. Garry and Betsy Phillips didn’t agree on much of anything before they married. But today the couple agrees on one thing for sure—the United States must succeed in stabilizing a democratic government in Iraq. The stability of the whole Middle East hangs in the balance.
Teresa Harman Bell appears to have it all—she’s a professional pharmacist, a wife, and the mother of four. You would never guess that a car accident 17 years ago, while she was a UT Martin student, changed her and her family forever. Bell may be haunted by the disastrous car crash, but thanks to friends at UT Martin and in the Martin community, her good memories outweigh the bad.
As Debbie Ingram, UT Alumni Association president, travels to events, she solicits stories of how education has positively influenced the lives of UT alumni. Though their stories are different, Kayvon Sadrabadi and Paige Pettit credit education with altering their lives.
A career in natural resources management conjures up thoughts of working in serene settings, protecting the environment, being a friend to wildlife, and teaching young and old to appreciate the outdoors. Jereme Odom (Martin ’98) does all that and more as a Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency officer. He enforces hunting, fishing, and boating laws, manages state-owned land, and conducts youth programs.
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.
This was a good day for Mike and Molly Morel. Any day that their son, Brent, is remembered, is a good day for the Morels. USMC Captain Brent Morel (Martin ’99) died in combat on April 7, 2004, near the city of Fallujah while attacking an insurgent position in Iraq. For those who knew him, his heroic actions spoke volumes about a life lived in service to others and to his country.
The old maxim “never succeed a winning coach”—or a popular chancellor—may sound like good advice. But Dr. Thomas A. Rakes, the new chancellor at the University of Tennessee at Martin, prefers to think about the work ahead in a different light.
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.”
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.
Appreciation for the arts and cutting-edge surgery skills seem worlds apart. But Dr. David LaVelle (Martin ’75, Health Science Center ’79) easily connects the dots. Once a cast member on the stage of UT Martin’s Vanguard Theatre, this talented orthopedic surgeon is equally comfortable discussing plays or describing an innovative surgical hip-repair procedure he performs at Campbell Clinic in Memphis.
Alternative fuels--a topic that sparks political, social, intellectual, and cultural debates. As gasoline prices continue to fluctuate, nearly everyone has an opinion about fuel production and consumption and, ultimately, about how to rescue the motorist at the pump, curb U.S. dependency on foreign oil, and lessen adverse effects on the environment.
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