The University of Tennessee at Martin Faculty and Staff Newsletter | May 18, 2020

addendaUT Martin to hold virtual Memorial Day

Commemoration Ceremony May 22UT Martin will hold its annual

Memorial Day Commemoration Ceremony virtually at 9 a.m., Friday, May 22, in lieu of the traditional in-person service. The event is closed to the public and all participants will engage in social distancing in order to comply with CDC COVID-19 control guidelines.

The Memorial Day Commemoration Ceremony will be live streamed on the UT Martin Facebook and YouTube and will be archived for later viewing. The program will also be broadcast on WUTM-FM 90.3 “The Hawk.”

Army Master Sgt. Conrad Begaye, senior military science instructor at UT Martin, will serve as this year’s keynote speaker. As an Airborne Ranger, Begaye served in Operation Freedom’s Sentinel in Afghanistan (2016-17), Operation Enduring Freedom in campaigns V and VIII in Afghanistan (2005-07) and Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq (2003-04). Before coming to UT Martin in January, he had previously been assigned to Fort Campbell, Fort Benning and the Caserma Ederle Army base in Vicenza, Italy.

In his service since 1999, Begaye has been awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with Valor, the Army Commendation Medal (3 Oak Leaf Cluster), the Ranger Tab, Parachutist Badge, Combat Infantrymen’s Badge and the Expert Infantrymen’s Badge.

Lt. Col. Rodric McClain, professor of military science, will serve as the master of ceremonies, and Kerri Arnold, Miss Tennessee Volunteer, will sing the national anthem at the start of the program. Begaye

will speak after the invocation by Dale Willis and comments by UT Martin Chancellor Keith Carver are given. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Dana Hagan will offer the benediction, and Chloe Lollar, a UT Martin alumna, will play taps.

Memorial Day is observed annually on the last Monday in May and serves to honor those who have died in the protection of the United States of America. Originally known as Decoration Day, it was renamed upon becoming a federal holiday in 1971.

For more information, contact

Dorothy Gillon, UT Martin coordinator of public occasions, at dgillon@utm.edu.

Master Sgt. Conrad Begaye

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page 2 | addenda | May 18, 2020

YoUTMs

In Memory

Margie Dillon, longtime member of the UT Martin nursing faculty, died May 5, 2020, at the age of 84. In her time at UT Martin from 1970-1988, Dillon served as a nursing professor and the chair of the nursing department. Dillon was proceeded in death by her husband Dr. William (Bill) Dillon, a UT Martin professor emeritus of biological sciences.

Dr. Lajuan Davis, associate professor of business communication, and Dr. Sean Walker, associate professor of behavioral management, presented their paper titled “Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Psychological Processes Impacting Evaluations of Prospective Job Applicants” at the Spring 2020 Academy of Business Research Conference, held via Zoom, March 26. Walker and Davis were among over 153 presentations during the three-day conference and received the “Best Paper Award” from the conference.

Wynette Epps, longtime child-care assistant in the infant room of the Margaret N. Perry Children’s Center, died May 4, 2020. Epps received her undergraduate and graduate degrees at UT Martin and began working at the day care in 1980. According to Leanne Snider, Perry Children’s Center director, Epps was the most patient teacher she had ever worked with. “It takes a special kind of person to work with young children, but it takes a very special type of person to work with infants. She always knew what each child needed, and she provided opportunities for the youngest ones to grow and flourish.”

UT Martin faculty honored for service,

achievementThe UT System and UT

Martin recognized six faculty members as award recipients during the May 2 UT Martin virtual commencement.

Dr. Abigail Shelton, associate professor of chemistry, received the Coffey Outstanding Teaching Award for demonstrating strength in teaching and contributing to the teaching profession through extracurricular achievements, leadership qualities and scholarly activities. The Coffey Outstanding Teaching Award was established in 1998 by Mai and Charlie Coffey. Shelton has taught chemistry at UT Martin since 2012. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Western Kentucky University and doctoral degree from the University of Florida.

Dr. Rachna Tewari, associate professor of agricultural economics, and David McBeth, professor of art, were the recipients of the Cunningham Outstanding Teacher/Scholar Award. The Cunningham

Outstanding Teacher/Scholar Award was established in 1993 by James R. Cunningham, an attendee of the UT Junior College in the 1930s.

Tewari began working at UT Martin in 2013 after earning her doctoral degree in agricultural and applied economics from Texas Tech University the same year. Tewari also holds a Master of Science degree in agricultural business and economics from West Texas A&M University, a Master of Business Administration in agribusiness from Symbiosis International University in India, and a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from A.N.G R. Agricultural University in India.

McBeth began teaching 3D studio art at UT Martin in 1992 as an assistant professor before earning tenure in 1998 and the designation of a full professor in 2002. McBeth was also the 2019 recipient of the Harold Love Outstanding Community Service Award. He holds a

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town hall zoom1 P.M., mAY 20

To help provide the UT Martin community with up-to-date information about our response to COVID-19, Chancellor Keith Carver and members of UT Martin’s leadership will be hosting a virtual town hall meeting on Wednesday, May 20, at 1 p.m. If you’d like to ask a question related to our

COVID-19 response, please submit your question before or during the meeting to social@utm.edu.

Click here to participate via Zoom.

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bachelor’s degree in elementary education and art from Friends University and a Master of Arts in ceramics and photography, as well as a Master of Fine Arts in ceramics and drawing from Fort Hays State University.

Mark Hewitt, lecturer of educational studies, received the Outstanding Academic Advisor Award for his academic-advising work with students. Hewitt has worked at UT Martin since 2008 and has both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in elementary education from Indiana University.

Dr. Jack Grubaugh, professor of biological sciences, and Dr. Richard Robinson, professor of communications, were the recipients of the University of Tennessee Alumni Association Outstanding Teacher Awards. Recipients of this award on each UT campus are nominated by students, faculty and alumni based on classroom performance, scholarship and service.

Grubaugh began teaching at UT Martin in 2010 and served as chair of the Department of Biological Sciences for five years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Central College, a master’s degree in biology from Western Illinois University and his doctoral degree in ecology from the University of Georgia.

Robinson has taught communications and served as the faculty adviser for WUTM-FM 90.3 “The Hawk” since 2001. Robinson holds a bachelor’s

degree in journalism from the University of Central Arkansas, master’s degree in journalism with a focus in radio, TV and

film from the University of Arkansas, and a doctoral degree in mass communications from Southern Illinois University.

For more information, contact the Office of University Relations at 731-881-7615.

Dr. Abigail Shelton, David McBeth and Dr. Rachna Tewari were awarded the Coffey and Cunningham Outstanding Teacher/Scholar Awards during the virtual commencement May 2.

Continued from page 2

Mark Hewitt was awarded the Outstanding Academic Advisor Award, and Dr. Richard Robinson and Dr. Jack Grubaugh were the recipients of the University of Tennessee Alumni Association Outstanding Teacher Awards.

Educational Outreach changes name to Office of Regional Centers and Online Programs

The UT Martin Office of Educational Outreach has changed its name to the Office of Regional Centers and Online Programs to offer more transparency for services provided to students in the

region and beyond. “It goes beyond trying to find

us on a website; it is essential to help tell our story as we serve and educate students locally, regionally, and even nationally,” said Erica Bell, director. “We

are providing the educational touchpoint for West Tennessee and beyond.”

The Office of Regional Centers and Online Programs is responsible for the five UT Martin centers in Jackson,

Parsons, Ripley, Selmer and Somerville, plus UTM Online, dual enrollment programming, occupational licensure educator preparatory program, distance learning classroom

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UT Martin Advisory Board discusses effects of COVID-19 on enrollment, budget

The UT Martin Advisory Board met May 8, during the annual summer meeting to discuss the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the campus, the strategic enrollment plan, the proposed budget for the 2020-21 fiscal year and an update on the improvements made to the university’s Clery Act compliance.

UT Martin Chancellor Keith Carver addressed the board concerning the recent UT System announcement to reopen all UT campuses in the fall, reassuring the members that the university will continue to monitor the pandemic and take all precautionary measures needed to ensure the safety of students, faculty and staff. Carver referenced three scenarios the reentry taskforce has been challenged to weigh including a return to all in-person classes in the fall, a hybrid semester involving online courses at the beginning with a transition to residential classes later or continuing all classes online.

“President Boyd announced that we would be working to being open as a residential college experience in the fall, certainly that would be ideal, but only if it’s safe and only if we see things improving,” Carver said. “Even if we do return

residential in the fall, things will look a lot different here.”

Carver also addressed feedback he has received from UT Martin students, saying the transition to online classes during the spring semester worked for the emergent need to social distance but has also reinforced the need for a residential college experience, which student representative Lauren Carter agreed with. So far, six UT Martin students have tested positive for COVID-19, contracting the disease after leaving campus, but are now recovering.

Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Dr. Philip Acree Cavalier, and Vice President of Ruffalo Noel Levitz, enrollment and fundraising management organization, Dr. Lew Sanborne, presented the third phase of the strategic enrollment plan, which involves finalizing the written strategic enrollment plan and estimating cost projections before implementing the strategic plan. The plan will focus on student recruitment, retention and success in order to help the university’s enrollment and budget through undergraduate and graduate development plans.

“We have a very thoughtful plan that is based on data and

market research that allows us to get ahead of what might be coming with some of the downturns with the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Cavalier.

According to Sanborne, the strategic plan created for UT Martin reflects the university’s unique mission and commitment to student success. The plan includes new graduate and undergraduate programs on the main campus and centers.

“It’s been a crazy time, we’re really working hard to make this as normal as we can for our students, but even given all of the challenges that we’re undergoing, I am still excited about the strategic enrollment plan, still encouraged about the development of these new academic programs and the hopes for getting folks back together for the fall if it is safe,” said Carver.

Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Petra McPhearson presented the proposed budget for the 2020-21 fiscal year; however, the base budget does not reflect any adjustments for the effects from COVID-19 or the $5.1 million awarded through the CARES Act. Of the $5.1 million, $2.5 million is required to assist students for any disruption expenses incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. The

university is currently receiving guidance from the state to determine how the remaining $2.5 million can be awarded.

The advisory board approved the annual operating budget, including the proposal to not increase student tuition for the 2020-21 academic year.

The board also introduced two new members: Dr. Philip Smartt, faculty representative, and Emma Hilliard, student body representative, as well as reelected Art Sparks as the board chairman for an additional two years.

Smartt, professor of natural resources management, is the current Faculty Senate president and will begin his term on as the faculty representative on July 1. He will replace Dr. Chris Caldwell who has served on the advisory board since its inauguration. Smartt has taught at UT Martin since 2003.

Hilliard is a junior health and human performance major from Bells, whose term will officially begin July 1. She will represent the student body on the advisory board for the 2020-21 academic year and replace Lauren Carter.

The next scheduled meeting of the UT Martin Advisory Board will be held Sept. 18.

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Local community benefits from face shields created at UT Martin

MASKS- UT Martin provided West Tennessee Healthcare Volunteer Hospital and Reelfoot Rural Ministries personal protective equipment in order to help better serve the Northwest Tennessee community. The masks were made using 3D printing technology and will be used for direct patient care. The hospital and the ministry program paid for materials, and the university secured headbands provided by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, acetate and also cut and assembled the mask shields. (Left) Darrell Blaylock, Donna Barfield and Dana Lawrence of West Tennessee Healthcare Volunteer Hospital are pictured with two recent UT Martin graduates, Garrett Hay and Grayson Lambert, receiving their masks in front of the hospital. (Below) Dr. Greg Moore and Rev. Robert Craig, of Reelfoot Rural Ministries, purchased the masks for the vision and dental clinics sponsored by Reelfoot Rural Ministries to offer low-cost services for the counties of Obion, Lake, Dyer and Fulton residents who cannot afford health care.

Click here for the latest

UT Martin COVID-19 updates.

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UT Martin joins other UT campuses opening in-person classes this fall

The UT System plans to welcome students back to each of its campuses this fall.

“We are planning for a safe return to campuses in the fall and will do everything possible to protect the health of our students, faculty and staff,” said UT President Randy Boyd. “We will continually monitor the local and state health data and policies and be prepared to adjust and communicate our plans when needed.”

The UT System created a systemwide task force in April, led by Dr. Jon McCullers, professor and chair of infectious disease at the UT Health Science Center, to advise on policies and procedures that would prioritize

the safety and wellbeing of UT’s students, faculty and staff. In addition, each campus has created a local task force to look at specific needs for their campus community. The campus task forces are analyzing various scenarios, specifying campus needs, and recommending guidelines and actions.

The UT System announced the transition of in-person spring classes to an online platform on March 11, growing UT’s online semester credit hours (SCH) from less than 60,000 on March 1 to more than 567,000 by March 23.

“The faculty and staff have been heroic in their efforts,” Boyd told the UT Board of

Trustees at a special meeting on April 24. “It’s been inspiring to see how hard they’ve worked to make sure the students are successful.”

The UT System has a comprehensive resource guide that provides information and resources surrounding COVID-19: tennessee.edu/coronavirus/.

In December 2019, the global health-care community identified a new respiratory virus that originated in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, and has since been labeled 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease or COVID-19 by the World Health Organization.

operations, and other academic programming across the region.

The name change was determined through a survey of students, staff and community members. Bell said the new name will help the office become more accessible to students, campus faculty/staff, and community members.

“We are committed to providing quality education to students where they are, while ensuring access to support services and resources needed to be successful,” she said. “Whether students start their UTM journey in high school, at one of our five regional centers, online, or a blend, the Office of Regional Campus and Online Programs will be here to support them.”

For more information, contact Bell at ebell@utm.edu.

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Elliott receives One UT Collaboration and Innovation GrantSteve Elliott, associate

professor of mathematics and statistics at UT Martin, with the guidance of Dr. Charley Deal, vice chancellor for university advancement, was awarded a connect grant by the One UT Collaboration and Innovation Grants program to further the “Martin-Lone Oaks STEM Collaborative” with Lone Oaks Farm, UT Institute of Agriculture.

Deal served as the executive director of Research, Outreach and Economic Development at the time of the application process.

According to the One UT Collaboration and Innovation Grants website, the connect grant encourages community outreach through projects like Elliott’s to “connect the university with the world to inspire the next generation of creative thinkers and thoughtful leaders.”

The Martin-Lone Oaks STEM Collaborative offers

opportunities for elementary education majors at the UT Martin Parsons, Ripley, Selmer and Somerville Centers to visit elementary school classrooms in their freshman and sophomore years. They will incorporate Read to Be Ready science unit starters in K-3 classrooms to foster an interest in STEM programs through reading lessons. The collaborative will also sponsor field trips to Lone Oaks Farm for the elementary school students.

In addition to Lone Oaks Farms, Fayette County, Lauderdale County, Henderson County and McNairy County schools have agreed to participate in the initiative, allowing UT Martin center education majors to visit their schools and lead Read to Be Ready lessons.

The goals of the collaboration include providing education majors with early clinical experiences in classrooms, introducing Tennessee

Department of Education unit starters to the K-3 and college students, spreading awareness of the resources offered at Lone Oaks Farm, and equipping the education majors for a strong performance on their edTPA assessments.

In addition to Elliott’s connect grant, UT Martin collaborated in multiple grant proposals. The selected programs that also received funding are as follows:

•“Mental Health Services on Campus and Student Retention/Graduation”

•“UT Webinar Series and Symposium: High Impact Practices in Online and Hybrid Education”

•“System-wide Student Data Definition Work Group”

•“Sharing Best Practices in Teacher Education: Ethics for Educators”

•“Growing Supplier Diversity in and Around UT Campuses.”

The One UT Collaboration and Innovation Grants initiative was created to support

innovative ideas and advance the UT System through student success, research, and outreach and engagement. The program, which was open to faculty and staff at all campuses, institutes and field offices, awarded 25 projects across three categories of educate, discover and connect with more than $1 million.

For more information, contact Dr. Todd Winters, interim executive director of research, outreach and economic development, at winters@utm.edu.

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addendaPublished weekly during the academic year and biweekly during the summer by UT Martin, Martin, TN 38238

Randy Boyd – President, University of Tennessee System • Dr. Keith Carver Jr. – Chancellor • Sarah Knapp – Addenda Editor UT Martin is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA employer. E05-0425-00-001-20

You Tell Me•Question – Is the Fitness Trail that circles Pacer Pond closed?

•Answer – The Fitness Trail is not closed, but improvements are in progress that affect usage at certain points along the trail. The Physical Plant is repairing the Fitness Trail bridges at various locations of the walking track, and one bridge is closed only while repairs are being made. Also, sanitary sewer installation work is occurring near the Perry Children’s Center, and a small loop of the trail is closed during the installation of that specific portion of the sewer line. The Fitness Trail is available for walking and running. Participants are encouraged to use good social distancing practices and to avoid group activities on the trail.

Submit your questions anonymously to the Suggestion Box link at www.utm.edu/suggestionbox.

Blankenship donation furthers fundraising efforts for Phase II construction of Fine Arts Building

UT Martin received a $500,000 donation from Bill Blankenship, 1955 UT Martin alumnus and noted university donor, to continue Phase II of the Fine Arts Performance Center project.

The facility will be used by the Fine and Performing Arts programs at UT Martin, as well as host guest performers, academic speakers, fundraising events, conferences and regional competitions.

“The new concert hall will provide the venue sorely needed to give all UTM students access to the highest-caliber touring acts, while also providing a large-audience capacity space with great acoustics for our own UTM music ensembles,” said Dr. Julie Hill, chair of the Department of Music.

The construction of Phase I of the Fine Arts Building was finished in 2013, completing the first half of the project. Construction for Phase II will cost $40 million overall and requires a six percent match, or $2.4 million, to receive state funding. The university has already raised over $595,000 for Phase II, which is 23 percent of the goal.

Blankenship, who also contributed to the Fine Arts Building Phase I construction and for whom the Blankenship Recital Hall in the Fine Arts Building is named, believes it is important to give back to the university that gave him so many opportunities while he was a student.

“It’s only reasonable to give back to the place that gave you so much,” Blankenship said in an interview for Tennessee Alumnus magazine. “I want to be at the forefront of giving back, especially if it means the leaders of tomorrow will gain all that they can while at UT Martin and be prepared to go out into the world and be positive forces of change.”

For students and faculty,

a new performance center would provide practice and performance spaces that are not currently readily available or adaptable to each specific department.

“Outside of the music department, the new Concert Hall will provide increased programs for experiential learning and internships to all UTM students across a variety of disciplines on our campus combining opportunities in marketing, business and much more,” said Hill.

The performance center is expected to contribute over $400,000 annually to the Northwest Tennessee economy through programs and partnerships in music, visual arts, children’s programming,

dance and film.“A new concert hall will

provide our students, faculty and guests with a modern facility to showcase growth and talent. Having a concert hall of this caliber will contribute to social and economic growth within the region and will bring community pride and revenue to the area,” said DaeShuana Aldridge, a junior music major from Paris. “With this new ‘big-city’ concert hall, UTM will provide a cultural gem, impacting a far greater region than the borders of our campus.”

For more information, contact Dr. Charley Deal, vice chancellor for university advancement, at cdeal@utm.edu.