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Gardens Gala

HGTV host and designer Vern Yip hugs Donna David-Beltz at the second annual UT Gardens Gala. David-Beltz (Knoxville ’76, ’79) was the winner of a spirited auction for a home design consultation by Yip, who served as the celebrity emcee of the benefit. The gala raised more than $30,000 to support student internships and the gardens’ ability to serve its communities.

Sponsored by HGTV HOME, UT Gardens Gala: A Rainbow of Iris was held in the UT Gardens in Knoxville in April. Celebrating the gardens’ first full year as Tennessee’s official botanical garden, the gala took the theme of the state flower, and irises were everywhere. Tom Parkhill (Knoxville ’49), an award-winning tall-bearded iris hybridizer, was honored for his horticultural contributions. Vern Yip, HGTV host and designer, was the celebrity guest and emcee and thrilled the crowd with his stories. View photos of the event at tiny.utk.edu/UTGardens-Gala.

Shutterbug Fun

Photos of Institute of Agriculture employees, coolest bugs and landscapes were among 307 entries in the 2013-14 UTIA-wide photo competition. Students, faculty and staff across the organization’s statewide system contribute photos each year in a spirited competition to capture the essence of who the institute is and what it does. Reflecting the diversity of UTIA’s research, education and outreach, the contest featured 22 categories with multiple winners in each.


You may view photos at the UT Library’s Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange (TRACE) at trace.tennessee.edu/utiaphoto.

Fifty and Fabulous


This year the Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries celebrates 50 years of service to students in the Institute’s College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. The department is planning a grand celebration Sept. 11-13 and will have special events at the institute’s Ag Day celebration on Oct. 4. “Like” the department’s Facebook page or visit fwf.ag.utk.edu to keep up with plans for the events.

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