Before a campus audience in the new Student Union auditorium, Donde Plowman was officially recognized as UT Knoxville’s ninth chancellor in an investiture ceremony in November 2019.
“Today we celebrate this university and the great leaders and thinkers who came before us,” she said during the event. “The hard work of everyone on this campus has put us on the path of greatness, and I could not be more excited about the future.”
Ellen McIntyre, former dean of the Cato College of Education at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, joined the university in January as dean of the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences. Amber Williams, former assistant vice chancellor for academic services and enrollment management at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, also came to UT in January as the first vice provost for student success.
Academic Excellence and Scholar Announcements
In February, UT was named a top-producing Fulbright Student campus following a blockbuster year for Fulbright Student awards, with 17 current students and recent graduates offered fellowships and another eight named alternates. UT ranks seventh among public research universities and is the top-ranked Southeastern Conference school.
Hera Jay Brown, who graduated in August 2018, was named a 2020 Rhodes Scholar—the ninth current or former student to earn this prestigious honor. Natalie Campbell, a senior who serves as student body president and advocates for people with disabilities, was selected for a Mitchell Scholarship, one of the top undergraduate awards in the country.
Celebrating the Volunteer Spirit
It was a story talked about all over the world: A young fan created a homemade shirt to show his love for the Volunteers, and the VolShop offered to print the boy’s design for him as a gesture of appreciation. Sales of that T-shirt raised $952,101 for STOMP Out Bullying.
On Feb. 25, the UT Knoxville family marked its 225th anniversary in true Vol style—with a day of celebration and service projects. At the end of the day, all leftover food—which coincidentally totaled 225 pounds—was donated to local nonprofits by the Food Recovery Network.
