Author: khintz

An expert in Internet law, Glenn Reynolds, professor in the College of Law, reviews “Cyber War” by Richard Clarke and Robert Knake for the Wall Street Journal.

KNOXVILLE — Author, professor, minister and commentator Michael Eric Dyson will be deliver the keynote address at the Multi-Cultural Graduation Celebration on Saturday, April 24, at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Doors open at 4 p.m. at the University Center Auditorium. The event begins at 4:30 p.m. The event is free and open to UT students and the Knoxville community.

Dyson has authored more than 15 books, including “Come Hell or High Water: Hurricane Katrina and the Color of Disaster,” “April 4, 1968: Martin Luther King’s Death and How it Changed America,” and most the most recent, “Can You Hear Me Now?: The Inspiration, Wisdom, and Insight of Michael Eric Dyson.” His writings are known for combining cultural criticism and biography, focusing on race, religion, popular culture and contemporary issues in the African- American community.

He is a professor of sociology at Georgetown University where he teaches courses in theology, English and African-American studies. Last year he started his own radio show on WEAA-FM in Baltimore. “The Michael Eric Dyson Show” premiered April 6, 2009, with inaugural guest Oprah Winfrey.

There will be a book signing reception at the Black Cultural Center, located at 1800 Melrose Ave., immediately following the event. For additional information, including disability accommodations, contact the Black Cultural Programming Committee at 865-974-6861 or visit the website.

The Multi-Cultural Graduation Celebration is hosted by the Black Cultural Programming Committee and the Office of Minority Student Affairs. The event aims to unite, honor and bring together UT Knoxville students to celebrate the milestone of graduation.

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C O N T A C T :

Rebekah Winkler (865-974-8304, [email protected])

Demetrius Richmond (865-974-6861, [email protected])

KNOXVILLE – Recent changes to the way the federal government distributes and manages student loans will affect how University of Tennessee, Knoxville, students receive financial aid.

The changes, which recently passed into law, shift the processing of federal student loans away from private lenders and to the U.S. Department of Education. UT Knoxville students should see few, if any, changes, although many of them will need to complete additional paperwork:

• Students currently receiving federally backed student loans must complete a new master promissory note (MPN) to cover the new direct loans from the government.
• Current students with existing federally backed loans managed by private lenders will have the option to consolidate their loans into the direct loan program.
• New loan recipients, including incoming freshmen and transfer students, now will complete forms directly from the Department of Education to receive their loans.

The changes go into effect beginning with the summer term.

Students can find information on the new process and links to the online MPN at the UT Knoxville financial aid website.

More than 12,000 UT Knoxville students receive some form of federally backed student loan, totaling more than $110 million each year.

Students or parents with questions about the changes are encouraged to call the UT Knoxville Office of Financial Aid at (865) 974-3131.

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C O N T A C T :

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, [email protected])

KNOXVILLE — Samuel Doty, a senior at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has been selected for a U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) to study Russian in Russia during the summer of 2010.

Doty, of Unicoi, is majoring in psychology, French and Russian. He plans to attend graduate school in social psychology.

“I’d like to become a specialist in conflict resolution. A language background, especially in a language as globally critical as Russian, will provide opportunities for involvement in the international political and policy arenas,” he said. “I’m very excited about the upcoming summer because I think the CLS program will enable a formative learning experience to guide my future education and career.”

This year, the U.S. Department of State has selected approximately 575 U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to study Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Indonesian, Persian, Russian, Indic (Bangla/Bengali, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu) and Turkic (Turkish and Azerbaijani) languages.

The students will spend seven to 10 weeks in intensive language institutes this summer in 15 countries where these languages are spoken. They also will support their language acquisition through cultural immersion activities. CLS program participants are expected to continue their language study beyond the scholarship and apply their critical language skills in their future professional careers.

The 2010 CLS program received nearly 5,300 applications. Students from a range of academic disciplines and U.S. colleges and universities from all 50 states were selected for scholarships in 2010 through a merit-based selection process.

The CLS program was launched in 2006 to increase opportunities for American students to study critical-need languages overseas and is part of a wider U.S. government effort to dramatically expand the number of Americans studying and mastering critical-need languages.

CLS program participants are among the more than 40,000 academic and professional exchange program participants supported annually by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs to promote mutual understanding and respect between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The CLS program is administered by the Council of American Overseas Research Centers and the American Councils for International Education.

For further information about the CLS program or the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, see http://www.clscholarship.org and http://exchanges.state.gov.

C O N T A C T :

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, [email protected])

KNOXVILLE — Maj. Gen. Douglas Carver, the U.S. Army Chief of Chaplains and a 1973 alumnus of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, will speak at the Army ROTC Spring Military Formal on Saturday and meet with campus officials and the campus ministries before heading back to Washington, D.C., next week.

A native of Rome, Ga., Carver earned his bachelor’s degree in religious studies from UT.

After serving on active duty for six years after graduation, he resigned his commission to enter the ministry.

He went on to earn his master of divinity degree from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., and a master’s degree in strategic studies from the Army War College in Carlisle, Pa.

He was commissioned as an Army chaplain in June 1984 and became the 22nd Chief of Chaplains in July 2007.

Carver has served as a field artillery officer and Army chaplain in a myriad of assignments worldwide. He spends most of his time traveling to military installations, meeting with soldiers and their families and developing programs for them. He also advises senior Army leadership on the spiritual well-being of the military.

“With prolonged military operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan, there’s never been a greater need to focus on the comprehensive fitness of our soldiers and their families,” said Lt. Col. Dave Leach, head of the UT Army ROTC Program. “The Army has taken a holistic approach to ensure the Army family has all the necessary resources to cope with the stressors associated with the current operating environment.”

C O N T A C T :

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, [email protected])

Barbara Bodine

KNOXVILLE — Barbara K. Bodine, a retired U.S. ambassador to Yemen — the reputed land of the Queen of Sheba, home of the three wisemen and burial spot of Cain and Abel — will discuss the future possibilities of the United State’s relationship with Yemen on April 28.

Free and open to the public, the event will begin at 7 p.m. in the Toyota Auditorium at the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy, 1640 Cumberland Ave. Her appearance is sponsored by the Baker Center and the Center for International Education through its Great Decisions Program. Funded by the Ready for the World initiative, Great Decisions has brought a series of speakers from around the country to UT this semester to address our nation’s most pressing foreign policy issues.

Since the failed Christmas bombing attempt over Detroit, Yemen has reappeared on the American radar as a terrorism threat and much has been written on the country’s poverty, governance inadequacies and security challenges. Bodine will talk about whether Yemen is the next front in the war on terror, or an opportunity to commit the resources, people and will to help Yemen change course.

Bodine is a lecturer and diplomat-in-residence at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, where she teaches courses on the Iraq War, U.S. diplomacy in the Persian Gulf region and Yemen. She also serves as the director of the scholars in the Nation’s Service Initiative, an intern and fellowship program for students pursuing careers in federal service.

In the U.S. Foreign Service, Bodine spent more than 30 years focusing on the Arabian Peninsula and greater Persian Gulf issues. From 1997 to 2001, Bodine served as an ambassador to Yemen, and in spring 2003, she was the senior State Department official and the first coalition coordinator for reconstruction in Baghdad and the central governorates. She also has had several assignments in the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.

Since leaving her governmental career, Bodine has been a senior fellow at the Kennedy School of Government and the Robert Wilhelm Fellow at MIT. Bodine is a regular commenter for PBS NewsHour, CNN, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, among other media.

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C O N T A C T :

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, [email protected])

Vern Granger

KNOXVILLE — Vern Granger, undergraduate admissions director for the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has been named president-elect of the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling.

His nomination was approved by the membership on April 20.

Granger has been at UT since September 2009. Prior to that, he worked in admissions at North Carolina State University.

The Southern Association for College Admission Counseling is a nonprofit, professional association founded in 1966 as a chartered affiliate of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC). The organization includes about 1,600 members from secondary schools, colleges and universities, and educational consulting firms in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and the Caribbean. Members work together to promote high professional standards in the college admission process by exchanging ideas, sharing common goals and preparing counselors to serve students in the transition from high school to college. Additionally, more than 250 non-voting associate members from 30 other states participate in the association.

C O N T A C T :

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, [email protected]@utk.edu)

KNOXVILLE – UT Knoxville students will perform and compete in this year’s Carnicus, a lighthearted spoof of the popular MTV show “Jersey Shore,” this weekend.

This is the 81st year for Carnicus, a singing and drama competition among student groups presented by UT Knoxville’s All Campus Events.

“A Fist Pumping Carnicus” will feature skits performed by 13 student organizations. The fun begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 23, and Saturday, April 24, in the Cox Auditorium in Alumni Memorial Building.

Participating organizations are Alpha Chi Omega and Kappa Kappa Gamma, Alpha Delta Pi and Alpha Omicron Pi, Alpha Tau Omega, Baptist Collegiate Ministry, Chi Omega, Delta Zeta and Zeta Tau Alpha, Kappa Delta and Kappa Sigma, and Phi Mu and Phi Sigma Kappa.

Skit themes include “Shrek,” “Hercules,” “Toy Story,” “The Bible: SNL Transition” and more. Winners from the skit competition will be announced after the performance. Trophies are awarded for the first, second and third place skits, as well as for the best actress and best actor.

After Carnicus trophies have been presented, each organization’s score is combined with scores from other All Campus Events (ACE) competitions throughout the academic year, including the Volunteer Challenge, Homecoming and All Sing. The group with the largest overall score will be awarded the ACE Cup.

ACE is a component of the Central Program Council, which represents seven committees under the Office of Student Activities. The goal of this student-driven organization is to plan campus events that have become longstanding UT traditions. Each year ACE organizes Volunteer Challenge, Homecoming, All-Sing and Carnicus. For more information, contact the Office of Student Activities at (865) 974-5455.

Tickets to Carnicus are $10 for UT students, $13 for UT faculty and staff, and $15 for the general public. Tickets can be purchased at the UT Central Ticket Office or through Tickets Unlimited at (865) 656-4444 and http://www.knoxvilletickets.com.

C O N T A C T :

Rebekah Winkler (865-974-8304, [email protected])

Kerri Killgore Lovegrove (865-974-5455, [email protected])

KNOXVILLE — The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is among the nation’s most environmentally responsible institutions, according to The Princeton Review, one of the nation’s top education service and evaluation companies.

UT Knoxville is one of only five universities in Tennessee to be included in the company’s newest guidebook, “Guide to 286 Green Colleges,” and is mentioned for its “Make Orange Green” program and other initiatives.

UT Knoxville’s Make Orange Green environmental effort has been recognized across the state and nation as one of the top campus sustainability programs.

“Ensuring our campus is sustainable is a top strategic goal for UT Knoxville,” said Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek. “Advancing our green initiatives is vital to our campus and the best way to prepare our students for the green economy of the 21st century.”

The Princeton Review noted the student environmental initiative fee, which funds environmental stewardship programs. The fee also funded the purchase of 3,375 blocks of green power for the university, a purchase that was equivalent to removing 732 cars from the road for a year.

UT Knoxville was the first university in the state to institute a student-initiated fee for the purchase of green power.

The Princeton Review also recognized the campus’ 2007 sustainable building policy that makes the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system the standard for all new construction and renovation projects exceeding $5 million. Two new buildings, the Min Kao Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Building and the Student Health Center, currently are being built to LEED standards.

UT Knoxville also was noted for being a 2009 recipient of the Energy Efficiency Leadership Award at the first annual Summit for Campus Sustainability, a conference organized by the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy to discuss insights on campus sustainability.

In another step toward increasing campus sustainability, UT Knoxville recently adopted a Climate Action Plan as part of being a signatory to the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment. The commitment lays the groundwork for the nation’s higher education community to take a leadership role in mitigating human influence on climate in day-to-day operations, curriculum and research. The plan is available online.

Last summer, The Princeton Review gave UT Knoxville a “green rating” of 85 in its 2010 edition of “The Best 371 Colleges.” Of 697 schools that received green ratings in 2009, only the 286 institutions that scored in the 80th or higher percentile are featured in the new “Guide to 286 Green Colleges.”

The Princeton Review’s green rating is a numerical score from 60 to 99 that provides a measure of a school’s performance as an environmentally aware institution as well as its efforts to provide and continually develop an environmentally beneficial student experience.

Developed by The Princeton Review in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the “Guide to 286 Green Colleges” is the first, free, comprehensive guidebook focused solely on institutions of higher education that have demonstrated an above-average commitment to sustainability in terms of campus infrastructure, activities and initiatives.

The guidebook, including criteria and methodology for the green rating, can be downloaded at http://www.usgbc.org/campus.

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C O N T A C T :

Kristi Hintz (865-974-3993, [email protected])

Automated Electronic Defibrillator

KNOXVILLE – The University of Tennessee Police Department has added Automated Electronic Defibrillators (AEDs) to patrol cars. The devices were placed in vehicles this morning.

UTPD officers are the first responders to emergencies on campus, including medical emergencies.

“The number of people on campus daily, in addition to special events, demonstrates the need for the UT Police to be able to respond quickly to incidents of medical distress,” Interim Chief Debbie Perry said. “We are committed to being able to provide a prompt and professional response.”

Police Captain Keith Lambert said the survival rate for a person in cardiac arrest is increased by an AED. Also, he said according to the American Heart Association, more than 250,000 people die in the United States from cardiac arrest each year and the survival rate decreases by 7 to 10 percent for each minute that passes without a defibrillator.

All UTPD officers receive Red Cross certification for CPR and AED use.

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C O N T A C T :

Keith Lambert (865-974-6631, [email protected])

Bridget Hardy (865-974-2225, [email protected])

Forbes Walker

KNOXVILLE — Forbes Walker, associate professor of biosystems engineering and soil science at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, will deliver this week’s UT Science Forum lecture, “Developing Conservation Agriculture Systems in Africa.” His talk will begin at noon on Friday, April 23, in Thompson-Boling Arena Dining Room C-D.

The UT Science Forum is a weekly event where leading science researchers share their discoveries and discuss the frontiers of their fields in a way that the general public can understand.

UT Science Forum programs are free and open to the public. Attendees are welcome to bring their lunches or purchase lunch at the Café at the Arena.

For three years, Walker and other UT faculty members have been working with people in Lesotho in southern Africa to develop conservation agriculture cropping systems for small-holder farmers.

“We believe we can not only increase agricultural productivity,” Walker said, “but also have significant environmental benefits from reduced erosion. We were awarded a grant from USDA and will receive another that will enable us to continue work for five more years and expand the focus to Malawi and Mozambique.”

Walker will explain the collaboration and talk about developing the agricultural farming system. The team also plans to establish an experimental learning program for research, teaching and extension faculty and students from Tennessee to visit Lesotho.

The UT Science Forum is sponsored by the UT Office of Research. The final presentation of the semester will be on April 30 when Suzanne Lenhart, professor of mathematics, talks about “The Power of Optimal Control: From Confining Rabies to Improving CPR.”

For questions about the UT Science Forum, contact Mark Littmann, [email protected] or 974-8156, or Mike Clark, [email protected] or 974-6006.

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C O N T A C T :

Bridget Hardy (865-974-2225, [email protected])

KNOXVILLE – University of Tennessee Knoxville faculty, students and staff were recognized for their service and accomplishments at the Chancellor’s Honors Banquet held Monday at the Carolyn P. Brown Memorial University Center.

Hosted by Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek, the annual event honors members of the campus community. Among the top awards presented were:

Macebearer: Bruce Ralston is associate department head of geography and has been with the university since 1976 in numerous administrative roles. The Macebearer — the top faculty honor — leads the faculty in processionals during commencement exercises for a full academic year. Ralston’s research specialties include GIS systems, geospatial analyses and transportation geography. Ralston currently is building a suite of mapping tools for use with the 2010 Census and recently began developing tools for free mapping services, such as Google Earth. For the past 25 years, Ralston has helped students learn the most state-of-the-art technologies and techniques, often attending seminars that he funds personally, as well as working closely with industry to prepare students for employment in the field.

Alexander Prize: Professor Daniel Roberts is responsible for teaching Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, a required course for all biology majors. His consistently positive student evaluations, innovative teaching tools and impressive research record have distinguished him as a caring, yet challenging teacher. Named for former UT president and now Sen. Lamar Alexander and his wife, Honey, the award recognizes superior teaching and distinguished scholarship.

Jefferson Prize: Lynn Sacco, assistant professor of history, specializes in 19th- and 20th- century gender history. Her book, “Unspeakable: Father-Daughter Incest in American History,” combines the medical, legal and social history of a crime whose taboo status for the most part kept it out of the historical record. Made possible by an anonymous donor, the Jefferson Prize honors the principles of Thomas Jefferson and his pursuit of freedom and knowledge.

L.R. Hesler Award: Peter Liaw, professor of materials science and engineering and the college’s Ivan Racheff Chair of Excellence, joined the faculty in 1993. His pursuit of research funding has resulted in more than $20 million in education and research funds for the university, including a multi-million dollar grant from the National Science Foundation to create the International Materials Institute. The award is named for the longtime department head and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

The Torchbearer award is the highest honor given to a student. Cheek presented the 2010 Torchbearers with medals, and they each passed the ceremonial torch at the event. The honorees are:

John DiChiara, a political science major from Pinson, Tenn., is in his fourth year as a resident assistant. He served as an orientation leader and as a counselor for the Center for Courageous Kids Medical Camp in Kentucky, where he facilitated programming for 50 campers with varying medical needs. He been accepted into the Teach for America Program and will be working in Chicago for two years after graduation.

Amanda Fortner is a speech pathology student from Lobelville, Tenn. Her community service includes working with families at the Ronald McDonald House and assisting the elderly in her hometown. On campus, Fortner holds leadership positions in SGA, Mortar Board, her sorority and as an orientation leader.

Ashley Hughes, a psychology major from Knoxville, serves as president of the United Residence Halls Council and as the housing liaison for Student Government Association. In addition to her roles within student housing, Hughes has served as an orientation leader, a member of the Dance Marathon morale committee, and was chosen as an Emerging Leader, a selective interdisciplinary leadership program offered to only 25 students each year.

Samuel Mortimer, a fifth-year architecture student from Chattanooga, is an advocate for issues of environmental and social concern. As SGA senator for the College of Architecture and Design, Mortimer led a drive to change the HOPE Scholarship, successfully lobbying the legislature for the scholarship to cover the final year of studies in five-year programs. Recently, he served as lead designer on a UT team participating in the Environmental Protection Agency’s P3 Competition, earning a top honor nationally for the sustainable design project.

Jamil Price is a journalism and electronic media major from Lebanon, Tenn. He serves as press secretary for SGA, student representative on the Student Affairs Council, chair of the Student Alumni Associates, and as an Ambassador Scholar and orientation leader. He also serves on the Dean’s Undergraduate Student Advisory Council for the College of Communication and Information.

Todd Skelton, a College Scholars student from Surgoinsville, Tenn., has served as president of the Honor’s Council for two years. Skelton founded and chairs the Honors Ambassador Program and Host-a-Student program and currently serves as the founding editor-in-chief of “Pursuit,” the university’s undergraduate research journal.

Jeff Wilcox, from Fayetteville, Tenn. graduated from the university’s enterprise management program in the fall. During his time at the university, Wilcox served as president of the Student Government Association and on nearly 20 university committees, as well as being heavily involved in Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity.

The full list of all faculty, staff and student awards is available online.

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C O N T A C T :

Beth Gladden (865-974-9008, [email protected])

In this WATE-TV story about the shortage of primary care doctors, College of Nursing Dean Joan Creasia talks about how nursing practitioners — if called upon to help make up for the shortage — can provide an exceptional quality of care.

KNOXVILLE — Peter V. Zarubin, scientific adviser to the director of the high-energy laser design bureau — “Granat” — in Moscow, will discuss recently declassified information on the laser race between the USSR and the U.S. during the Cold War during a visit to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, on April 22.

Free and open to the public, the event will begin at 7 p.m. in the Toyota Auditorium at the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy, 1640 Cumberland Ave.

By examining the roles and actions of scientists, politicians, government officials and military personnel who participated in the Soviet High Energy Laser Research and Development programs from 1963 to 1980, Zarubin will look at the inside realities of the laser weapon race.

From 1967 until 1990, Zarubin worked in the Soviet Ministry of Defense Industry as technical director and director of Laser and Laser Systems Chief Directorate. Zarubin was deeply involved in the Cold War as one of Russia’s scientists and administrators, integral to the development of high-energy lasers, and as one of the leaders of the Soviet equivalent of the U.S. Strategic Defense Initiative, “Star Wars.”

Zarubin was the winner of the Soviet state prize for science and technology in 1980 and the Russian government prize for science and technology in 2002.

The Baker Center, which opened at UT in 2003, develops programs and promotes research to further the public’s knowledge of our system of governance, and to highlight the critical importance of public service, a hallmark of Baker’s career.

For more about the Baker Center, see http://www.bakercenter.utk.edu.

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C O N T A C T :

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, [email protected])

KNOXVILLE — The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s nuclear engineering graduate program is now a top 10 program, according to the U.S. News and Word Report 2011 graduate rankings. The program was ranked ninth in the country, rising three spots from last year.

UT’s law, education and logistics programs also were ranked among the best in the nation. Each spring, the magazine ranks graduate programs in a variety of academic disciplines among public and private colleges and universities in the United States.

“Growing and enhancing our graduate programs is a top priority for the University of Tennessee, Knoxville,” said Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek. “Along with these top-ranked programs, we seek to build upon our other graduate degree and professional programs. We’re improving our opportunities for fellowships and assistantships that will help us attract more graduate students which, in turn, will enhance our creative and scholarly activity and ultimately our economic impact on the local and state economy. Increasing the number of doctoral students we produce is a key element in our becoming a top 25 university.”

College of Engineering Dean Wayne Davis said the college’s latest rankings will help recruit highly qualified candidates for the UT Knoxville-ORNL Graduate Fellowship Program, a new program designed to attract top graduate students in science and engineering.

“In view of the resurgence of interest in the nuclear engineering field, I am pleased to see that our nuclear engineering graduate program was ranked ninth in the country by the U.S. News and World Report,” he said. “We are anticipating a renewed emphasis on graduate student recruiting throughout the College of Engineering with the new UT Knoxville-ORNL Graduate Fellowship Program, and the fact that our nuclear engineering program is one of the best in the country will be a definite asset in attracting high-caliber candidates to UT.”

UT’s College of Engineering’s overall graduate program was ranked 43rd among public universities and 73rd nationally.

UT’s College of Business Administration’s supply chain and logistics graduate program, which has been consistently ranked among the best by U.S. News, was ranked seventh among public universities and 12th nationally.

The College of Law’s clinical training program was ranked seventh among public universities and 18th nationally. The overall law program ranked 29th among all public universities and 60th nationally.

“Our clinical programs represent the best of what we do — training future attorneys through a unique connection between legal theory and practice,” said Douglas Blaze, dean of the College of Law. “We also are proud that the overall law program has been able to maintain its place among the best nationally despite challenges and budget constrictions. We will continue to build on our strengths to improve our standing as one of the best public institutions for training lawyers.”

The College of Education, Health and Human Sciences’ overall graduate program ranked 33rd among public institutions and 47th nationally in the new 2011 report.

Three additional College of Engineering specialty programs were ranked. The college’s civil engineering program ranked 39th among public universities and 58th nationally; the electrical engineering program ranked 38th among public universities and 66th nationally; and the mechanical engineering program ranked 39th among public universities and 67th nationally.

Each year, U.S. News ranks graduate programs in the areas of business, education, engineering, law and medicine. These graduate rankings are based on two types of data: expert opinion about program quality and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school’s faculty, research and students. For the rankings in all five areas, indicator and opinion data come from surveys of more than 1,500 programs and some 12,400 academics and other professionals that were conducted the previous year.

Several other programs are ranked alternately, every four years. Other UT graduate programs that appear in the new report for their most recent rankings include:

• The College of Veterinary Medicine’s graduate program ranked 11th among public universities and 14th nationally in 2007.
• The College of Social Work’s graduate program ranked 15th among public universities and 26th nationally in 2008.
• The School of Art’s MFA in printmaking ranked third among public universities and fourth nationally in 2008; the overall MFA program was ranked 24th among public universities and 50th nationally in 2008.
• The College of Nursing’s graduate program ranked 48th among public universities and 72nd nationally in 2007.
• The College of Allied Health Science’s graduate speech pathology program ranked 25th among public universities and 30th nationally in 2008.

U.S. News ranked UT Knoxville 52nd among public universities and colleges in its list of best schools for undergraduate education in the 2010 report.

The 2011 graduate rankings are now online. U.S. News also will feature the material in its annual America’s Best Graduate Schools guide book.

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C O N T A C T :

Kristi Hintz, [email protected], (865) 974-3993

Lab-scale Anaerobic Digester

KNOXVILLE — A team of researchers from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, will be showcasing technology they developed to improve the quality of life for rural residents on April 24-25 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

The demonstration is for the National Sustainable Design Expo, which brings together professional scientists, engineers and business leaders to view innovations designed to advance economic growth while reducing environmental impact. The researchers’ work is also a contender in the Environmental Protection Agency’s People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) award competition, which is part of the expo and offers winnings up to $75,000.

Qiang He, a civil and environmental engineering assistant professor, Shawn Hawkins, a biosystems engineering and soil sciences assistant professor, and Chris Cox, a civil and environmental engineering professor, will be demonstrating their solution to environmental hazards caused by animal agriculture waste.

He, the project’s principal investigator, notes that animal agriculture produces 13 trillion pounds of waste every year in the U.S., which represents more than 300 times more waste than the amount of domestic wastewater processed in U.S. municipal wastewater treatment plants.

“The large amount of animal waste from farms with livestock and dairy production operations poses one of America’s most serious pollution problems because the natural decomposition of livestock manures releases large quantities of pathogens, excess nutrients, organic matter, solids, methane, ammonia and odorants to the environment,” He said, adding that this can contaminate surface and ground water and contribute to global climate change.

To mitigate this problem, the researchers have designed technology that would reduce waste while producing a source for energy.

Called “anaerobic co-digestion,” the waste treatment technology uses microorganisms that do not need oxygen to break down the waste, thus emitting biogas instead of environmentally harmful carbon dioxide. Biogas is a renewable source of green energy that can combusted for heating and cooling, generation of electricity and potentially converted in liquid transportation fuel.

He said this technology provides a solution to sustainable development in rural communities with the ability to reduce environmental pollution and produce green energy.

“The implementation of the anaerobic co-digestion design concept will contribute to the improvement of quality of life for residents through the reduction of environmental pollutants,” He said. “And due to the fact that green energy is highly desirable, electricity generated from biogas could greatly improve the economics of livestock operation, while at the same time cutting greenhouse gas emission.”

The researchers plan to build pilot-scale anaerobic digesters to be used as educational tools in local communities. They also are in the process of garnering support to build a full-scale anaerobic digester at a local dairy farm. The goal is to implement their technology in larger scales in communities across the U.S. Winnings from the EPA’s P3 Award competition would help them do this.

Now in its sixth year, the competition consists of two phases. The first phase began at the start of the academic year when the researchers received $10,000 grants to do their projects. In this second phase, a panel of judges from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) will evaluate the 42 teams’ project reports and National Sustainable Design Expo exhibits. Based on the judges’ scores, the AAAS will make recommendations to the EPA about which teams should receive the EPA’s P3 Awards and the opportunity for more funding.

Up to $75,000 is given to the best student designs to be used to further the projects, implement them in the field and move them to the marketplace.

The UT Knoxville researchers are hopeful their project will win.

“This will be an important contribution to sustainable development of not only our local communities, but also communities throughout the country and around the globe,” He said.

Undergraduate civil and environmental engineering students Reese Deblois, David Jacobs, Caroline Sneed and Tim Stephens; graduate students Estaban Zamudio-Canas, Yan Zhang and Zhenwei Zhu; and Farragut High School students Edward Ko, Michael Hsueh and Julia Hsu also are contributing to the project.

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C O N T A C T :

Whitney Holmes (865-974-5460, [email protected])

KNOXVILLE – Three graduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, are recipients of the 2010 National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship. The NSF awards are given to students based on their potential as young scientists and for intellectual merit and broader impact. The fellowships are used to further their research.

Emily Austin, an ecology and evolutionary biology graduate student, Michelle Russell, a psychology graduate student and Todd Schoborg, a biochemistry and cellular and molecular biology graduate student, each will receive $30,000 over the next year.

Austin’s research aims to understand if global warming alters how fungi decompose wood of different tree types. Her work is important because decaying wood is considered to be a natural reservoir of carbon. Currently, the wood in forests decomposes slowly. However, if warming alters the kinds or the amount of fungi on a log, or the activity of the fungal community, decomposition rates could accelerate, thus increasing the amount of carbon that is released into the atmosphere.

“Emily is one of the most creative young scientists I’ve had the opportunity to work with. Her experience working as an ecosystem ecologist and a molecular ecologist enables her to work in an emerging area — linking microbial community composition with function. Emily is smart, motivated, curious, a good mentor and a good communicator,” said Aimee Classen, assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and Austin’s faculty mentor.

Russell’s research focuses on the implications of forgiveness for relationships. She will analyze data of newlywed couples to determine the implications of forgiveness for subsequent marital satisfaction, depression and self-esteem. She also will examine the implications of forgiveness for forgiven partners’ subsequent negative behavior.

“Michelle is a fantastic student and is on her way to being a brilliant scholar. I am not surprised she received this award. I am excited to see what comes out of her research,” said James McNulty, psychology associate professor and Russell’s faculty mentor.

Schoborg’s area of research examines how chromatin, a supramolecular structure formed by proteins and DNA, is organized within the cell nucleus. This organization is key to numerous regulatory processes that may lead, for example, to stem cell differentiation or cancer.

Specifically, Schoborg is interested in understanding the role that chromatin insulator proteins play in gene expression regulation and in the control of mobile DNA sequences, which are the origin of numerous mutations in our genome.

“Since the beginning, Todd impressed me as a self-sufficient student, highly motivated and with a strong commitment to perform at the highest level. He enjoys doing research, but most importantly, he enjoys the thinking process behind all the work,” said Mariano Labrador, assistant professor with the department of biochemistry and cellular and molecular biology and Schoborg’s faculty mentor.

The NSF’s fellowship program aims to help ensure the vitality of the human resource base of science and engineering in the U.S. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees.

NSF fellows are anticipated to become knowledge experts who can contribute significantly to research, teaching and innovations in science and engineering. These individuals are crucial to maintaining and advancing the nation’s technological infrastructure and national security as well as contributing to the economic well-being of society at large.

Past fellows include numerous Nobel Prize winners, U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, Google founder Sergey Brin and “Freakonomics” co-author Steven Levitt.

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C O N T A C T:

Whitney Holmes (865-974-5460, [email protected])

Liechtenstein state capitol forum and parliament

KNOXVILLE — Hansjörg Göritz, associate professor in the College of Architecture and Design at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has been recognized internationally as designing one of the most creative brick structures in the world.

Göritz is the prime laureate recipient of the 2010 Wienerberger AG Brick Award. Wienerberger AG, the largest producer of bricks in the world and Europe’s largest roof tile manufacturer, holds a biennial award competition to recognize unique brick structures and their architects. The award is given to five projects worldwide, with one prime laureate winner.

Göritz was recognized for Liechtenstein’s new state capitol forum and parliament, which was designed by his Germany-based firm, HansjörgGöritzArchitekturstudio. The structure was selected from among 45 state-of-the-art brick structures worldwide, out of 260 nominees from 32 countries.

An international jury, including world renowned architects Maurizo Masi, Vladimir Plotkin, Radu Mihailescu and former Brick Award winners Andrea Deplazes and Thomas Rau, selected the winning projects.

The award was presented to Göritz on April 8 at the Liechtenstein Museum in Vienna.

Liechtenstein state capitol forum and parliament

“Hansjörg brings outstanding credentials of international practice to his role as a faculty member,” said John McRae, dean of the College of Architecture and Design. “His recognition as a designer is superb, including this most recent international brick award, which is yet another demonstration of his knowledge of materials and construction in design. Hansjörg brings this knowledge and expertise into the studio and classroom in a meaningful way, giving the students insights into practice at the highest level.”

Göritz, born in Hannover, Germany, founded HansjörgGöritzArchitekturstudio in 1986 when he was only 27 years old. He has lectured across Europe and first visited UT Knoxville in 2006 as a guest presenter and visiting critic. Both Göritz and his firm have received numerous awards.

HansjörgGöritzArchitekturstudio was part of an international European competition in 2000 to design and implement a Liechtenstein state capitol forum and parliament, the first home for parliament in the bicentennial history of the country since its sovereignty in 1806. After seven years of planning, the grand opening ceremony was held in early 2008.

For more information about Wienerberger AG and the Brick Award, visit http://www.wienerberger.com/.

C O N T A C T :

Kristi Hintz, (865-974-3993, [email protected])

KNOXVILLE — The Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy, in partnership with the Latin American studies, Global Studies and political science programs, will host César Montúfar, professor of global social studies at the Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar in Quito, Ecuador, on Thursday.

Free and open to the public, the event will begin at 7 p.m. in the Toyota Auditorium at the Baker Center, 1640 Cumberland Ave., at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Montúfar, a member of the National Assembly of Ecuador, will discuss the dominance of left-wing populist governments in the Andes like those of Hugo Chávez, Rafael Correa and Evo Morales. The lecture will focus on the left wing populists’ social ideology, constitutional model, economic model and perspective of creating a new internal order with links to countries such as Russia, China and Iran.

Montúfar has published extensively on the politics of the Andean region, especially with regard to Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia and Venezuela. He also has studied topics including border conflicts among Andean neighbors, governance, neoliberal policies and constitutional assemblies.

The Baker Center, which opened at UT in 2003, develops programs and promotes research to further the public’s knowledge of our system of governance, and to highlight the critical importance of public service, a hallmark of Sen. Baker’s career.

For more about the Baker Center, see http://www.bakercenter.utk.edu.

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C O N T A C T :

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, [email protected])

KNOXVILLE — More than 150 UT Knoxville students are spending this week working at Camp Koinonia, a weeklong residential outdoor education program for 120 East Tennessee children with disabilities.

The camp started Sunday and runs through Friday at the Clyde M. York 4-H Training Center in Crossville.

The UT students come from a variety of academic programs including therapeutic recreation, special education, child and family studies and psychology. Prior to staffing the camp, the UT students take a 14-week course to learn how to work with children with disabilities.

The campers come from special education programs and special schools in Anderson, Blount and Knox counties. All of them have multiple disabilities, including hearing and visual impairment, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, spinal bifida and autism.

Camp Koinonia was developed in 1977 at Virginia Tech under the leadership and direction of Gene Hayes, now a UT professor of exercise, sport and leisure studies. The idea was to provide a meaningful, experiential learning opportunity for university students while involving children and young adults, some with severe disabilities, in outdoor activities that they would not be able to do otherwise.

In 1984, Hayes moved to UT Knoxville and brought Camp Koinonia with him. The name Koinonia comes from the Greek and means “fellowship” and “caring community.”

Some of the activities campers participate in include horseback riding, canoeing, nature crafts, sport and games, ropes course activities, music and movement, and cooking. Throughout the week there will be special events such as hay rides, an ice cream social and a dance — the students’ favorite activity.

C O N T A C T :

Jamil Price, (615-517-0332, [email protected]) — at the camp

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, [email protected])