UT Martin 2021 Chancellor's Annual Report

THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE AT MARTIN 2021 CHANCELLOR’S ANNUAL REPORT

FROM THE CHANCELLOR

The life of a university comes into clear focus through its alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends. As you might expect, university donors are found in each of these important groups, and at no time in UT Martin’s history have donors stepped forward in more significant ways to positively impact future generations of students.

Donors come from many backgrounds, and while the majority have a special affinity for – or connection to – the university, each person shapes the university in his or her own way. Every gift is important, and some gifts are even transformational. These donor profiles remind all of us that each gift matters.

In this 2021 Chancellor’s Annual Report, you will meet donors who committed to the university in different ways. You’ll see the impact they are making now and get a glimpse of how their gifts will translate into brighter futures for the students we don’t yet know. From donors who are just beginning careers to those who are sharing the fruits of lifetime success, all are inspired by the opportunity to change lives.

In addition to seeing the faces of donors and reading about the lives they change, you’ll read about other 2021 highlights. The common thread is a university that is changing our communities, the state and beyond in positive ways. Those changes almost always begin because someone sees the university shaping the world for the better. These stories remind all of us that change begins with us, and we’re grateful to everyone who believes in the university and the people who make the University of Tennessee at Martin a special place.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Dr. Paul Blaylock ................... 4

John Clark 6

Highlights (Jan.-March) 8

Dr. Harold Conner Jr. .......... 10

Reggie Hill 12

Highlights (April-June) 14

H.J. Maxedon ......................... 16

Zach Mills 18 Highlights (July-Sep.) 20

Charlie & Bettye Moore .... 22

Rosann Nunnelly 24 Highlights (Oct.-Nov.) 26

Jerry & Gwen Reese .......... 28

Jim & Barbara Wingett 30 Highlights (Dec.) 32

Philanthropist Roll of Honor 33

Dr. Keith S. Carver Jr. Chancellor

Editor’s Note: Student testimonials are from UT Martin students who have personally benefited from a donor’s gift or are from a demographic or academic area that has.

DR. PAUL BLAYLOCK

At age 16, Dr. Paul Blaylock attended his first class as a freshman on the UT Martin campus. He quickly became a campus leader, eventually becoming student body president his senior year.

After graduation from UTM, Paul attended and graduated from UT Health Sciences Center and later received his law degree from Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College. Blaylock has worked more than four decades as both a trauma physician and as a trial attorney in the Portland, Oregon, area.

He is also working to create his own legacy at UT Martin through several gifts, including the funding of a new inspirational, outdoor classroom that will be named the Blaylock Inspirational Oracle.

“I believe in the power of education and try to learn something new every day of my life. My newest project will provide space for students to go, relax, reflect, and create their own experience like I was able to enjoy,” Blaylock said.

“I chose UT Martin because of the welcoming environment. Martin has the same small-town atmosphere that I grew up in, so I knew it would be a great home away from home for me. The administration and professors are no doubt some of the best in the country, and they made me feel right at home my freshman year.”

-GRACIE

LUSK

Fulton County, Ky.

JOHN CLARK

After earning his bachelor’s degree in 1973 from UT Knoxville, John Clark returned home to Northwest Tennessee to complete his master’s degree from UT Martin in 1975. He worked in the banking industry for 40 years before retiring, and currently serves as the interim director of the UT Martin Horace and Sara Dunagan Chair of Excellence in Banking.

In addition to his years of support for the College of Business and Global Affairs, Clark and his wife, Janie, recently made a generous donation to the UT Martin Beef Cattle Facility. The donation is given in honor of John’s grandparents, parents and children, as well as the eight generations of the Clark family who have lived on Silver Gates Farms between Sharon and Dresden since 1849.

The state-of-the-art Beef Cattle Research Facility will be the first of its kind in Tennessee and will provide hands-on teaching experiences for students preparing for careers in agriculture, animal reproduction, nutrition, genetics and health. The Beef Cattle Research facility will also be used by the Weakley County Schools’ agricultural program to provide hands-on learning opportunities for high school students.

“I am very familiar with UTM, and throughout my 40-year banking career, we were able to live on our family’s farm. Beef cattle have been in that farm’s history ever since it became a farm. …,” John said. “UT Martin is a quality institution, and it’s a good resource for our area. I just wanted to support it in ways that made sense for us.”

“Throughout my time at UT Martin I have had many opportunities to meet new people and build many new connections for my future. I have also had the opportunity to grow as a leader through the various organizations that I am a part of. Whether it be through my fraternity, Alpha Gamma Rho, or leading the student government meetings as Speaker of the Senate for the past two years, I have many new and exciting opportunities through UT Martin.”

-ETHAN BLEDSOE

Fentress County

JANUARY

• The university received a $150,000 pledge by John Clark and his wife, Janie, to support UT Martin’s new Beef Cattle Research Facility. John is a 1975 UT Martin alumnus and the interim director of the UT Martin Horace and Sara Dunagan Chair of Excellence in Banking. The state-of-the-art facility will be the first of its kind in Tennessee and will provide hands-on teaching experiences for students preparing for careers in agriculture, animal reproduction, nutrition, genetics and health.

• A new bike-share program began through a grant awarded by the UT Martin Center for Sustainability and supporting funds from the Department of Agriculture, Geosciences, and Natural Resources. The program provides alternative transportation for students who attend classes on the university’s teaching farm. The initial funding allowed the purchase of five bikes and docking stations located outside of Brehm Hall and the Boling University Center.

FEBRUARY

• A new specialty license plate was released that features the new Skyhawk attack logo created by DVL Seigenthaler, the Nashville office of global marketing and communications firm Finn Partners. The license plates are available for purchase to Tennessee residents upon request at local county clerk offices. The new plate replaced the previous design that debuted in 2003.

• Thirteen UT Martin students, along with Dr. Dexter Davis, associate professor of sport business, experienced the largest single-day sporting event in the United States firsthand as they assisted NFL staff Feb. 7, 2021, at Super Bowl LV in Tampa, Florida. The group worked with the Host Committee at the NFL Experience and other events to help enforce COVID-19 safety guidelines, including social distancing and mask regulations. They also worked inside Raymond James Stadium on Super Bowl Sunday, providing operational support to supplement the stadium staff throughout the event.

• The College of Business and Global Affairs received a $1 million pledge from James D. “Jim” and Barbara Wingett to continue funding the already-established James Duncan Wingett Scholarship Endowment. The endowment benefits students majoring in accounting and finance. The Wingetts met while attending UT Martin in the 1980s.

• The Arbor Day Foundation awarded UT Martin the 2020 Tree Campus Higher Education designation for its dedication to effective forest management and promoting student engagement in conservation practices. The university met five required standards for sustainable campus forestry to earn the distinction; established a tree advisory committee and a campus tree care plan; allocated annual expenditures for the tree program; hosted an Arbor Day observance; and sponsored student servicelearning projects.

2021 HIGHLIGHTS

• Dr. Mark McCloud was appointed as the university’s chief diversity and inclusion officer by Chancellor Keith Carver. He had served as interim in the position since August 2020. The position provides strategic leadership in creating a welcoming and inclusive university. Among his accomplishments since accepting the interim appointment was establishing the Skyhawk RISE Program (Retention, Inclusion, Success and Equity) to help serve underrepresented student populations.

• Dr. Erik Nordberg was named dean of the Paul Meek Library. He joined UT Martin from Indiana University of Pennsylvania where he served as dean of the libraries. He also worked at Wayne State University and Michigan Technological University in various library leadership roles and served as executive director of the Michigan Humanities Council.

• Reggie Hill, a 1977 UT Martin graduate, made a gift to fund the Skyhawk RISE Program. The RISE Program will serve incoming students from underrepresented communities through experiential learning, mentorship and other support. (See above entry for Dr. Mark McCloud.)

MARCH

• UT Martin’s successful management during the pandemic prompted the announcement that the university would open fully in person for students who attended the university in fall 2021. The inperson opening for fall semester applied to the main campus and the university’s five regional centers in Jackson, Parsons, Selmer, Somerville and Ripley.

• Help is on the way to increase the number of qualified science and math teachers in West Tennessee. UT Martin received a National Science Foundation award totaling $1.2 million over five years to recruit 25 individuals who have science, math or engineering degrees to complete master’s degrees and teach STEM subjects. Lauderdale County Schools, Obion County Schools and the Gibson County Special School District are partners that will help select the new teachers and assist with their training as part of the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program.

• Athletic director Kurt McGuffin announced Ryan Ridder as the new head men’s basketball coach. Ridder joined the Skyhawks after four successful seasons as head coach at Bethune-Cookman University where he led the team to the 2017-18 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference regular-season championship.

DR. HAROLD CONNER JR.

A product of the civil rights era of the 1960s, Dr. Harold T. Conner Jr. attended segregated schools in West Tennessee throughout high school, and later became the first African American student to participate in the UT Martin’s engineering co-op program. He continued to break barriers as his professional career advanced, being named the first African American to be honored as a graduate of the UT Knoxville, chemical engineering program.

It was the UT co-op program that launched his impressive 55 years of service on Department of Energy and nuclear-related projects. Most of his career was spent in Oak Ridge where his service included decades of leadership and community service. He is currently senior engineering advisor for Strata-G Corporation.

Dr. Conner supports the Harold T. Conner Scholarship, named in honor and memory of his father, the Rev. Harold T. Conner Sr., the first Black administrator at UT Martin after the university was desegregated in 1969. He first served the university as assistant dean of students and then assistant vice chancellor for student affairs.

“I’m proud to support the Harold T. Conner Scholarship,” Conner said. “My dad was a trailblazer in education and beyond, and the scholarship in his name supports diversity for UT Martin’s student population.”

“UT Martin has a great community that cares for everyone.”

-DARREN PERRY Madison County

REGGIE HILL

Reggie Hill, originally from Paris, graduated from UT Martin in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration before attending the UT College of Law.

Prior to his retirement in 2020 from Lifepoint Health as the chief compliance and policy officer, Hill served for more than 30 years with Waller, Lansden, Dortch and Davis attorneys in Nashville, where he was a partner and former co-chair, as well as head of the firm’s health-care industry group.

Reggie made a generous gift to fund the Skyhawk Retention, Inclusion, Student-Success and Equity, or RISE Program, which was established to help create a strong foundation for incoming students from underrepresented communities through experiential learning, mentorship and continued support. He currently serves as the chair of the UT Martin Chancellor’s Roundtable, is a member of the UT Martin Elam Society and also serves on the UT College of Law’s Deans Council and the UT President’s Council.

“We’re living in a diverse world, and I hope the program will prepare students to live, work and succeed in a diverse world,” Hill said. “Learning from people who are different than themselves will help all our students succeed.”

“The RISE program has been extremely beneficial to me,” Braxton Robinson, RISE participant, said. “Each class offers new ideas – the program has encouraged me to go further in life, and told me what I need to do to be successful.”

“I love how much UT Martin truly cares about their students’ careers and futures. UTM has given me the opportunity to try new things and become more involved on campus, which has made me a lot less timid and shy.”

-NYLAN BARR

Shelby County

APRIL

• Alexis Millsaps, of Columbia, Tennessee, earned one of five statewide student Harold Love Community Service Awards in April 2021 from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. She then was announced as one of three Paul and Martha Meek Leadership Award recipients during May 8 commencement when she received her bachelor’s degree in communications from UT Martin.

• The Department of Communications presented Milan, Tennessee, native John Denton with its 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award during the annual Communications Awards Ceremony on April 15. The virtual program included recognition of outstanding UT Martin communications students. A 1992 UT Martin graduate, Denton currently covers the NBA and college football in Orlando for the Associated Press. He previously worked for the Jackson Sun, Florida Today, and from 2009-2021, he traveled across the globe providing game coverage for the NBA’s Orlando Magic.

• Two West Tennesseans were honored for their leadership, service and achievements during the 22nd African American Leadership Conference held virtually April 20. Ray Jones, of Brownsville, retired Haywood High School basketball coach, received the Outstanding Leadership Award, and Matthew Marshall, president and CEO of United Way of West Tennessee, received the Emerging Leader Award.

• The Skyhawk golf team claimed both the team and individual titles at the 2021 OVC Championships held at The Shoals on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The title came five years to the day that the team earned its first-ever Ohio Valley Conference golf championship.

• UT Martin and the UT Martin McNairy County Center/Selmer held an invitation-only ribboncutting ceremony April 30 for the newly acquired UT Martin Coon Creek Science Center. University officials, including UT President Randy Boyd and Chancellor Keith Carver, attended the ceremony. As one of the most important fossil sites in the U.S., the UT Martin Coon Creek Science Center is a 70-million-year-old exposed seafloor deposit that is home to almost 700 preserved marine species. The 240-acre property was acquired by lease in April 2020 by the university from the Pink Palace Family of Museums in Memphis after years of partnership for institutional field research, community outreach and instruction.

MAY

• Vietnam War veterans who are alumni of the Alpha Upsilon Chapter of the Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity were honored May 15 during the chapter’s annual Founders Day celebration held at the Martin Parks and Recreation Complex. Fourteen of the 17 living alumni returned for the event that included the presentation of Vietnam War veteran pins as part of the Founders Day luncheon program. Twenty-one AGR alumni served in Vietnam.

• The Tennessee Department of Education and UT Martin announced in May that all Tennessee high school students and teachers have access to free, virtual workshops, office hours and classes on how to succeed on the ACT, one of the most important college entrance exams offered to high school students across the country.

• A virtual ceremony marked the 21st year for the university to observe Memorial Day during its annual commemoration event May 28 at the main campus. The 9 a.m. ceremony was held between the Boling University Center and Paul Meek Library and livestreamed on the university’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. The program was also broadcast live on WUTM 90.3 “The Hawk.” Col. Ardis Porter, a retired U.S. Army officer, served as the commemoration speaker.

JUNE

• Dr. Ray Witmer and Anthony Prewitt were recognized by UT President Randy Boyd when he presented them President’s Awards during the 2021 summer Board of Trustees meeting in Memphis. Witmer, professor of engineering, and Anthony Prewitt, interim director for multicultural affairs, were among six recipients from across the UT System. President’s Awards recognize exceptional achievement and are the highest honor a UT employee can receive from the university.

• UT Martin received the largest single commitment in its history Thursday, June 24, when Melanie Smith Taylor and her family announced that Wildwood Farm in Germantown, Tennessee, will be transferred to the university upon her death. A property appraisal announced Aug. 20, which includes the property value and $3 million in new construction, confirmed the total commitment’s value at $79,534,920 – the largest ever to the UT System. The gift will allow UT Martin to increase educational program offerings in veterinary health technology and other agricultural disciplines. The gift will also provide opportunities for UT Martin to collaborate with the UT Institute of Agriculture.

• The WestStar Leadership Program’s annual graduation ceremony is a traditional event for class members who complete the program. However, the 2020-21 WestStar class experience was anything but traditional. Class members graduated Tuesday, June 22, at Madison Downs Venue in Jackson following 18 months in a seven-month program. The class began in-person sessions in December 2019, transitioned to virtual sessions through June 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and then resumed meeting in person in March 2021 to complete the program.

• The proposed Innovation and Product Realization Facility at UT Martin received a new name: the Tennessee Entrepreneurial Science and Technology Hub or the “TEST Hub.” The $17.5 million, 50,000-square-foot facility is a joint effort by UT Martin, Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology and Dyersburg State Community College to support and expand workforce and economic development in rural Northwest Tennessee

• Three academic programs at the University of Tennessee at Martin earned state, regional or national rankings. The Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies ranked second in the nation among similar programs by bestvalueschools.org. The university’s concentration in environmental management ranked ninth in the nation by www.study.com. The UT Martin Department of Agriculture, Geosciences, and Natural Resources offers a bachelor’s degree in natural resources management with the environmental management concentration. UT Martin’s Online MBA ranked second in Tennessee and 18th in the South by www.onlinembareport.com.

H. J. MAXEDON

H. J. Maxedon, of Selmer, graduated from UT Martin in 1952 and UT Knoxville in 1954. He is a semi-retired financial advisor.

Maxedon was one of the first scholarship donors and volunteer leaders of the UT Martin McNairy County/Selmer Center when it opened in 1998. Over the past 15 years, Maxedon has generously given outright and through his estate, making him the largest donor to the UT Martin McNairy County/Selmer Center and one of the premiere donors of the UT Martin campus.

He currently sits on the UT Martin McNairy County Higher Education Advisory Board and received the 2021 UT Philanthropist of the Year award.

“UT Martin has been a part of my life for most of my life,” Maxedon said. “I credit UT Martin for part of my success, and I’m greatly thankful for this campus and its personnel.”

“I chose to attend UT Martin because it is close to home. I love that UT Martin is a small campus community filled with amazing opportunities. We have one of the best nursing programs in the state, and I knew that I wanted to be a part of something to set me on a path of being a great nurse. I also feel as though UT Martin is filled with people and places to network with so that once I graduate I can be prepared to start my career.”

-JAKIYA BOND

Madison County

ZACH MILLS

Zach Mills is a 2021 UT Martin graduate from Parsons. While at UTM, Mills was active in Collegiate FFA, 4-H, Operation Christmas Child and was a founding member of the Agriculture Education Society, which focuses on professional development.

Mills says one of the main reasons he chose to attend UTM was because of the relationships between faculty and students. And UT Martin delivered. While at UTM, Mills became a mentee of Dr. Diana Watson, who he describes as his “college mom.”

“We still talk about every two weeks,” Mills said.

Mills is now an agriculture educator at South Gibson High School, which he calls his “dream job.”

Shortly after his graduation, Mills established the UT Martin Ag Education Scholarship endowment to give back to his alma matter. “When I was a kid, there was a character in the movie “Robots” who said ‘see a need, fill a need.’ There was a need, so I filled it.”

“Being able to form relationships with students inside and outside of the classroom is my favorite part of working at UTM,” Dr. Watson said. “Getting to know students personally and being able to have a positive impact on their lives make this job the most rewarding and fulling job I have ever had.”

“UTM has given me an amazing support system. I have had the opportunity to grow and learn as a future educator under a caring and knowledgeable faculty.”

-SYDNEY PATE Carroll County

JULY

• The Conference of State Bank Supervisors named a UT Martin student team as winner of the 2021 Community Bank Case Study Competition. The team included four students from the College of Business and Global Affairs and one student from the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences. The CSBS announced the competition results July 15 at www.csbs.org. The annual competition is open to undergraduate students in all fields of study as an opportunity to gain valuable first-hand knowledge of the banking industry.

• After missing 2020 because of the pandemic, the State 4-H Roundup and All-Star Conference returned to UT Martin to celebrate the outstanding project work and leadership accomplishments of senior high 4-H members. The event took place July 19-23, 2021, and welcomed approximately 300 high school age 4-Hers from across Tennessee to the main campus.

• The COVID-19 pandemic challenged educators and students in multiple ways. UT Martin students who lost merit scholarships during the pandemic and who did not meet the grade-point-average requirement at the end of the 2021 spring semester to retain merit scholarships had these scholarships reinstated to start the 2021-22 academic year. A total of 508 students benefited from the scholarship reinstatement.

• Dr. Joey Mehlhorn, professor of agricultural economics and chairholder for the Gilbert Parker Chair of Excellence in Agriculture and Natural Resources, was appointed in July as graduate studies dean. He had served as the interim dean since 2019. Mehlhorn joined UT Martin in 2003 as a faculty member and has held numerous leadership positions since joining the university.

• Seventeen members of the spring 2021 graduating class were accepted into veterinary schools. Dr. Jason Roberts, professor of animal science and director of the Veterinary Health Technology Program, said that the group is one of the largest to be accepted from UT Martin.

AUGUST

• Randy Boyd doesn’t hide his enthusiasm for entrepreneurs. The UT System president and businessman was clearly in his element when the “Everywhere You Look, UT” statewide tour made a stop Aug. 25 at the UT Martin Regional Entrepreneurship and Economic Development Center in downtown Martin. Known as the REED Center, the facility houses the Tennessee Small Development Center and supports existing and potential business owners with individual consultant services, group training services and associated technical resources. The tour began Aug. 3 and traveled to more than 50 counties celebrating UT’s impact across Tennessee.

• In conjunction with UT’s “Everywhere You Look, UT” statewide tour, the Regional Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (REED) Center opened its new coworking space named The Runway with a grand-opening celebration Aug. 25 at 240 Lindell Street in Martin. The Runway serves as an office space for entrepreneurs, small business owners and remote workers to connect and collaborate on various projects.

2021 HIGHLIGHTS

• Two-term Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam talked about his new book “Faithful Presence: The Promise and Peril of Faith in the Public Square” during an Aug. 11 program sponsored by UT Martin’s WestStar Leadership Program. The noon event was held at the Southwest Tennessee Development District in Jackson. The program was part of the “Lunch Learn Leadership” series sponsored by UT Martin’s WestStar Leadership Program and offered to WestStar alumni throughout the year.

• Bachelorsdegreecenter.org ranked UT Martin’s online agricultural business degree 11th nationally in their “15 Best Online Bachelor’s in Agriculture and Agribusiness for 2021” list. UT Martin was the only Tennessee university included in the list.

SEPTEMBER

• UT Martin kicked off its fourth and most ambitious capital campaign, “RISE,” Sept. 11, during the home football opener when university officials announced a goal of $175,000,000. UT Martin seeks partnerships and invites donors to RISE to the challenge throughout this comprehensive campaign effort.

• A Voter Registration Tailgate event to register Tennessee voters was held Sept. 11 at Hardy M. Graham Stadium. The event supported National Voter Registration Month and was sponsored by the Office of Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett and the university’s Student Government Association.

• Students and their families enjoyed various events during the annual Family Weekend, Sept. 10-12, at the main campus. The weekend included a 5K, a tailgate and football game, and concerts hosted by Martin’s annual Tennessee Soybean Festival.

• UT Martin graduate aluma Emily Keeton, an adjunct instructor at the Parsons Center and 8th grade English and language arts teacher at Decatur County Middle School, competed on “Wheel of Fortune,” Thursday, Sept. 16, as part of the gameshow’s Teacher Week. Although Keeton did not win the game, she did leave with a trip to Barbados.

• A group of volunteers organized by the UT Martin Office of Alumni Relations traveled to Waverly, Tennessee, Sept. 18 to assist with clean-up efforts following the devastating flooding that occurred Aug. 21. Other UT Martin groups that assisted with relief efforts at different times were students and faculty representing the University Scholars Program; Level 3 nursing students from the UT Martin Parsons Center; and a faculty member and students from the Social Work Program.

CHARLIE AND BETTYE MOORE

Long-time UT Martin supporters Charles and Bettye Moore are no strangers to Weakley County. The couple was raised in Sharon and even attended high school together. Charles attended UT Martin and graduated from UT Knoxville with a degree in mechanical engineering.

Both Charles and Bettye had long careers with Boeing. Charles served as a senior specialist with the NASA Apollo space program, and Bettye was an administrative aid for senior management.

After their retirement, the Moores returned home to Northwest Tennessee and now live in Union City.

In 2006 they established the Charles and Bettye Moore Scholarship Endowment to help Sharon and Weakley County students who strive to earn a college degree.

“Bettye and I have been impressed that over the last 14 years since we started the scholarship, every single student has graduated,” Charles said. “Not one of them dropped out. We’ve gotten to know our scholarship recipients – we even attended one’s wedding! These students have really become ‘our’ kids.”

The couple currently serve as co-chairs of UT Martin’s “RISE” capital campaign.

“Growing up in Martin, my love for UT Martin started early. I knew from an early age all that UTM had to offer, and I did not want to miss out on those opportunities. I’m so glad I chose UTM because I have had the best college experience.”

-MADISON VINCENT Weakley County

ROSANN NUNNELLY

In 2019, Rosann Nunnelly and her late husband, Bill, established a scholarship endowment for Hickman County students, which at the time, was the largest gift in UT Martin history.

Bill was raised on a cattle and feed grain farm in Hickman County before attending and later graduating from UT Martin in 1970. After a military career, Bill was a successful businessman and entrepreneur.

The Nunnelly Scholarship awards from the gift give preference to students from Hickman County, while students from Dickson, Giles, Lawrence, Lewis, Maury and Humphreys counties are also eligible to receive scholarships.

Sadly, Bill died in 2022, but Rosann continues to support the scholarship that bears their names. “Bill has said he grew up at UTM, and that experience helped set him on the road to success,” Rosann said. “Bill never forgot his Hickman County roots and saw the gift to UT Martin as a wonderful way to give something back. That’s just what Bill and I wanted to do,” she said.

“UT Martin was a great choice that I did not know at the time would bring me so many relationships, so much opportunity, and so many memories outside of my little hometown. UTM has enabled me to get a great education and college experience at little to no cost, and that is something I feel that most people attending college cannot say.”

-EMMALEE MATTHEWS

Hickman County

OCTOBER

• The WestStar Leadership Program highlighted Fayette County during its annual mini-session Oct. 7 at the UT Martin Somerville Center. WestStar alumni gathered in Fayette County for the first time in an annual event designed to feature counties not visited during the leadership program’s eight regular class sessions.

• Crystal Hayslett, of Atlanta; Wayne McCreight, of Martin; Crawford Gallimore, of Murfreesboro; and Melanie Smith Taylor, of Germantown, received alumni awards from the during Homecoming festivities Oct. 9. Hayslett is the recipient of the 2021 Outstanding Young Alumni Award, which honors a university alum under 40 years of age for outstanding achievement in his or her chosen profession. McCreight and Gallimore received the 2021 Outstanding Alumni Award, which honors a university alum over 40 years of age for outstanding achievement in his or her chosen profession. Taylor, a 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist in equestrian, received the 2021 Chancellor’s Award for University Service, which honors an individual or individuals for exemplary service to the university.

• A groundbreaking ceremony was held Oct. 9 during Homecoming for the new Blaylock Inspirational Oracle. The structure will be named for Dr. Paul Blaylock, a UT Martin graduate from South Fulton, Tennessee, who has worked more than four decades as both a trauma physician and as a trial attorney in the Portland, Oregon, area. The structure will be designed as an open-air Greek Parthenon and will be located near the Boling University Center. Some of the expected uses include as a reflection area for students and alumni, an outdoor classroom and as a meeting space.

• UT Martin and Nile University officials announced a dual MBA-Executive MBA program agreement Oct. 13 during a Zoom call that linked the universities virtually. Nile University is in Giza City, Sheikh Zayed District, which is about 28 minutes driving distance south of Cairo, Egypt. The agreement allows Nile University students to take UT Martin’s core courses and MBA capstone course, in addition to enrolling for courses at Nile University. Students who successfully complete the curriculum will be awarded the dual degree from the university’s AACSB-accredited program.

• Members of the UT Martin-TVA Investment Challenge team finished first among 27 universities competing in the Student Managed Investment Fund Consortium held Oct. 28-29, 2021, in Chicago. Student portfolio managers were enrolled in Finance 411, a class taught by finance professor Dr. Mahmoud Haddad. The team received $1,000 for finishing the conference in first place.

2021 HIGHLIGHTS

NOVEMBER

• Former Tennessee state senator and Dresden, Tennessee, native Roy Herron discussed his latest book publication at a public event Nov. 2 in the Paul Meek Library. The book, entitled “Faith in Politics: Southern Political Battles Past and Present,” was published by the University of Tennessee Press and provides a selection of his writings over four decades as a legislator, attorney, teacher and Methodist minister. The UT Martin alumnus served as Tennessee state representative from 1987 to 1997 and state senator from 1997 to 2013, representing Weakley County and West Tennessee.

• Thirteen UT Martin agriculture students attended the 2021 Agriculture Future of America Leaders Conference, Nov. 11-14, in Kansas City, Missouri. This is the largest number of UT Martin students selected to attend. The AFA Leaders Conference includes four tracks that provide different personal and professional-development skills based on each student’s year in college and past involvement with the conference.

• Three UT Martin students won second place Nov. 12 at the Association for Computing Machinery Mid-Southeast Conference. The annual conference, which met in Gatlinburg, allows computer science students to present their undergraduate research and get to know regional professionals.

• A USDA Delta Health Care Services grant was awarded to the UT Martin Criminal Justice Program for its De-escalation Techniques and Emergency Response Project. The two-year DETER Project is funded at $547,293 and will develop a public-health training facility to deliver de-escalation and emergency health intervention education and training to reduce the injury and mortality rates of police-citizen encounters. Jackson State Community College and Carey Counseling Center, Inc., will partner with the university for the project, which includes the purchase of a VirTra judgmental useof-force simulator and real-life de-escalation training. Drs. Brian Donavant and Cindy Boyles, both criminal justice faculty members, wrote the grant and will guide the project.

JERRY AND GWEN REESE

Growing up in rural West Tennessee, Jerry and Gwen Reese understand the challenges students from rural America encounter while pursuing their dreams.

Jerry grew up in Lake County, attended UT Martin on a football scholarship, and made a career in college and professional football. While Jerry was pursuing his dream, Gwen made a name for herself as well working in UT Martin admissions to recruit students during the 1990s.

Today, after leading the NFL New York Giants to two National Football League Championships, Jerry and Gwen have moved back to Tennessee and continue to invest in UT Martin.

They are members of the “RISE” capital campaign cabinet and continue to be loyal donors to many programs on campus.

“We continue to stay engaged in our alma mater because we know how important the campus is to the financial and intellectual growth of the region and because the campus changed our lives for the better all those years ago. Even when we were out of state chasing our dreams, we still held UT Martin in our hearts, and it drives us daily to make sure our campus has the tools necessary to provide a quality experience for the students.”

“UT Martin, other than giving me the opportunity to play collegiate football, it gave me an opportunity to have a new experience in life. Moving 16 hours away from home to go to school wasn’t the easiest decision to make. But once I got in Martin, I realized that if you let Martin treat you right, it most definitely will.”

-TYLER LARCO Miami-Dade County, Fla.

JIM AND BARBARA WINGETT

Natives of Northwest Tennessee, Jim and Barbara met at UT Martin where he studied business management and she studied education.

Jim has almost 40 years of experience in the financial services sector encompassing commercial banking, insurance, investment banking and investment management. He co-founded Wolf River Capital Management in 2008, a Memphis-based, SEC-registered investment advisory firm focused on debt and structured debt backed by financial services companies.

Jim’s civic activities include board membership at Agape Child and Family Services, a Christcentered ministry dedicated to providing children and families with healthy homes.

In 2017, he joined the UT Martin College of Business and Global Affairs Advisory Board. Jim is also the current chair of the UT Martin Chancellor’s Roundtable and continues to share his time, talent and treasure with his and Barbara’s alma mater.

“We chose to support student scholarships at UT Martin because we have witnessed firsthand the positive impact donor investment has on the lives of students, and we gain much joy in knowing that our generosity might help a student become a more productive citizen after he or she graduates.”

“UTM has allowed me to grow as a person in so many ways. With the help of my professors, I have been able to better myself as an artist and have been provided countless opportunities to present my work in shows and galleries. I’ve also been lucky enough to get an internship on campus. I believe UTM has given me every opportunity I could need or want as a student and more.”

-BRIA MCCAY Sumner County

• UT Martin was recognized April 27, 2022, for its support of the Red Cross following the Dec. 10, 2021, tornado outbreak in Northwest Tennessee. The American Red Cross of Mid-West Tennessee presented its 2022 Outstanding Community Partner Award to the university during the annual Heroes Luncheon held April 27 in Jackson at Union University’s Carl Grant Events Center. The annual event honors local individuals and organizations for service and raises funds to support the Red Cross. The Red Cross contacted Chancellor Keith Carver the day following the outbreak and requested space to house trucks and supplies. The university found ways to do much more and provided space in the Boling University Center for an emergency command center, housed volunteers in a residence hall, and provided the requested space for vehicles and supplies. The Red Cross continued operations at the university through December and served Dresden, Kenton, Samburg and Tiptonville.

• The Weakley County Farmers Co-op established a veterinary science professorship at UT Martin. The Weakley County Farmers Cooperative Professorship in Veterinary Science will fund an additional veterinary science faculty member whose duties will include a 50% university teaching appointment. The remainder of the professorship will be focused on service to the cooperative and its members. The partnership will promote and develop agriculture education, research and outreach in Weakley County and surrounding communities. Dr. Amber Moore accepted the professorship appointment and began work in January 2022. She is a Crockett County native and graduate of both UT Martin and the UT College of Veterinary Medicine.

• The university received a $126,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to support a survey of West Tennessee historical records collections. The project, titled “Surveying the Impact of COVID-19 on Cultural Collections in Western Tennessee,” will be led by Sam Richardson, chief archivist and curator of the J. Houston Gordon Museum, and other UT Martin faculty and staff members.

• UT Martin’s Regional Entrepreneurial and Economic Development (REED) Center is one of three entities to be awarded a grant through the Small Business Administration’s inaugural Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Catalyst competition. The REED Center joined the Southern Illinois Research Park at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and the Murray State University Center for Economic and Entrepreneurial Development (CEED) in applying for the $150,000 award. As the lead applicant, the SIU Southern Illinois Research Park Corp. will split the award with UT Martin and Murray State to develop a sustainable rural partnership network and a research and development ecosystem in the north delta region.

• Mary Jo Dougherty, longtime Camden, Tennessee, resident and University of Tennessee supporter, will be remembered for her community involvement and generosity. She died Dec. 21, 2021, at the age of 90. She was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Lew Dougherty, both of whom began their long support for the University of Tennessee in 1977.

• UT Martin’s award-winning campus radio station WUTM 90.3 “The Hawk” celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2021. The station began Sept. 15, 1971, in a small brick building on the corner of Hurt Street and Moody Avenue.

ANNUAL REPORT

Gifts of $500,000 or More

Paul Blaylock, MD, JD

Gifts of $250,000 or More

James and Janet Ayers

Michael and Ann Swaim Karen Lesla Hale Young

Gifts of $100,000 or More

William L. Blankenship Mary Jo Dougherty*

Brittany Kasprack Joanne F. Lillegard Terry and Mary Jane Murphree R. Van Swaim Shirley Grooms Swaim* The Tucker Foundation

Gifts of $50,000 or More

Milo and Shirley Borden John and Jane Clark

Jerry Crosser

Timothy and Janice Crossett

Sylvia Collier Davis

FB Financial Corporation Hamilton-Ryker Group, Inc. J. Reginald Hill

Samuel E. Landrum

Scott and Lora McDonald Bill Nunnelly*

Rosann Nunnelly Stan Pritchett

Richard S. Regen Jr.* William M. Stott* James and Alonna Tosh

Gifts of $25,000 or More

Alexander Thompson Arnold, PLLC

Robert V. Anthony

Betsy Ross Foundation, Inc.

Phil and Tracey Bivens Warren and Patricia Carmichael

Dennis D. Cavin Mary B. Cavin*

Coca-Cola Foundation

Sandy and Martha Edinger

Susan Holly Gallup

Melissa K. Hendrix

Walter Hoffmann and Ann Johnson

Gerald M. Holloway

Martha Ingram

Mary C. Jarrett*

McRae Jarrett* Mel Mattison

Charles and Bettye Moore

Paul and Amy Perkins

Todd Putvinski

Ripley Gas and Water Security Bank & Trust Company

Alison Lee Smith

Michael and Justine Tidwell

Tyson Foods

UT Federal Credit Union Weakley Farmers Co-op

Jim and Barbara Wingett Karen Young Wright*

Gifts of $10,000 or More

Jerry and Clara Jo Arnold John and Kathy Barker Randy and Jenny Boyd

Raymond A. Bratcher* Hal and Melanie Bynum Cade Cowan Delta Dental of Tennessee Nick and Cathy Dunagan Wilburn and Joellen Evans Brent and Heather Feathers John and Elizabeth Foote Keith and Linda Fowler

Steven Gale*

Paula M. Gale Todd and Jennifer Hampton David and Dana Hart

Elizabeth Ann Hopper James and Andrea Hopper Trevor and Mary Ann Hurst Yukari Hyde Richard and Lisa Jackson

Clayton E. Klutts Chuck and Kathy Latham Gail M. Latimer Garette and Sarah Lockee Lynn M. Alexander Family Foundation Mike and Patricia MacIntyre MidwayUSA Foundation George L. Nelson Janice W. Noble Dee Fields Pritchett Rodeo Boosters Club, Inc. SouthEast Bank Tennessee Farmers Cooperative Cary and Lalania Vaughn

Gifts of $1,000 or More

Albemarle Corporation

Lynn M. Alexander Dale and Julie Allen Alpha Delta Kappa - Omicron Chapter Alpha Upsilon AGR Alumni Association Sudie W. Alston Bill and Dianne Austin Patrick and D’Ann Averwater Stephen and Mary Ann Baker Lauren N. Ballard

Bancshares of Ripley, Inc. David and Kelly Barnes

Barton Investments

Elizabeth Bashian

Robert and Mary Beard William and Annie Bearden Bart A. Belew Will and Denise Bell Jack and Cynthia Bendure Benefits First, LLC

James R. and Teresa J. Bentley Brad and Betsy Biggs David and Diane Black

Boeing Company Foundation

Emory and Melinda Bradley

Joe and Phyllis Brasher

Brayton Foundation

Jason and Jill Brigance

Otha and Mary Britton

Harold and Doradean Brockwell

Charles G. Brown

Gary and Carolyn Brown

Cheryl Browne

Glenn and Jamie Bruce

David H. Bryan

Barry and Pamela Buckley

Nathan and Pamela Burke

Alex and Kate Bynum

Stephen and Alice-Catherine Carls

Jerry and Linda Carpenter

Chris and Kathy Carroll

Bob and Kay Carroll

Keith and Hollianne Carver

Roger and Diedre Castaldo

Glad and Wanda Castellaw

Charles and Michelle Cavaness

Central Distributors, Inc.

Monty C. Taylor and Hui C. Chen

Chickasaw Electric

Cheri D. Childress

Key and Amy Chu

Anne P. Church*

Martha Clendenin*

Phillip and Mitsy Clendenin

Robert E. Clendenin Jr. Cathy Coleman

Charles and Gwendolyn Coleman Will David and Patti Coleman

Andy and Susanne Collins

Commercial Bank and Trust Conner Real Estate

Randall and Kimberly Cooper Ed and Shannon Cotter

Coy Lutz Memorial Scholarship Fund

Richard Gallagher and Nicolle CristGallagher

David and Heard Critchlow

Patrick and Karen Culumovic

George and Bonnie Daniel

Mary Daves

Charley and Shannon Deal

Neal and Kelli Deere

Elwood and Denise Doss

Christopher and Tracy Dowell

Marvin Downing

Cody and Glenna Dunagan

Ann Duncan

Robert and Sarah Duncan

Brian and Emily Dunn

Beverly Eaton

Carol A. Eckert

Jerry and Gerry Emmons

Timothy and Heather Erskine William and Jennifer Esposito

Joe and Vicki Exum

ExxonMobil Foundation

F and M Consulting, Inc.

Carla W. Field

First Bank

First Citizens National Bank FirstBank

Walter and Heidi Fletcher

Danny and Beth Forrester

Friends Of Dolores Gresham

Friends of Skyhawk Tennis Donald and Naiema Frieson

Fuller Partners Real Estate

Jana L. Fuqua

Dawn Gunter Gabriele

Emery and Judith Gathers

Linda D. Gaw

Kent and Mary Ann Gearin

Frank and Jan Gibson Michael and Edie Gibson Bettye L. Giles

Nicholas and Tymikia Glenn

Donald and Polly Glover

Rusty and Candy Goad

Golden Circle Insurance Agency, Inc. Jay and Elisa Goss Roy Neil Graves

Jeff Gregory

Carolyn P. Gresham

Darcia D. Gresham

Darryl and Sarah Gresham

Bud and Virginia Grimes Jacky and Nell Gullett

Monice Hagler

James and Mary Lee Hall

Geoffrey and Meg Kinnard Hardee Charles and Marita Harding Monica C. Heath

David Heebner

Trudy T. Henderson

William and Constance Hensley

Bobby and Barbara Higgs Linda Sue Highers

David Coffey and Julie Hill Michael and Nancy Hinds

Dickey and Waldeen Hinson

Troy and Sherry Hodges

Adam and Andrea Holland

Robert and Patricia Holt HTL Advantage

Michael and Kris Huber

William and Stephannie Hurt

John and Laurinda Ingram

Richard and Melba Jackson

Tracy and Kathy Jackson

Christopher and Jackie Johnson William and Ashley Jones

Ben Jones

Kimberly A. Jones

Mark and Kathryn Joyner

Fred and Edith Kaserman

Kerry Killebrew Advertising

Richard and Connie Killebrew

Bedford and Donna Kirkland Ron and Carol Kirkland

Kiwanis Club of Martin

Ed and Elaine Knight

Louis and Stephanie Kolitsch KPMG Foundation

Kent and Elizabeth Landers

David and Jennifer LaVelle

Leaders Credit Union

Visual Art Society

Rodger P. Lewis

Helen Lindamood

Thomas and Frances Lindow Mathew and Sandra Lipscomb David and Sarah Long David and Jennifer Lusk Linda Luther Mark and Stephanie Malin Mike and Rita Maness

Dennis and Donna Maple Martin Rotary Club

Jackie and Shelby Matthis Lee and Ann Carol (A.C.) Mayo

David and Donna McBeth

Stephen B. McConnell

Wayne and Diane McCreight

Dennis and Linda McCurry Barry McIntosh Jr. Matthew and Amy McLean Chad and Taylor McMackin D. Kevin McMillan

Christopher and Petra McPhearson Anne Meek*

Joey and Sandy Mehlhorn Lee and Amber Mills Ross Mitchell

Daniel and Phyllis Montgomery

Robert and Patricia Moore Amy Moser

Ernie and Penny Moser Patricia and Hunter Mountjoy Murphy Funeral Home & Florist

Thomas and Sandra Murray Scott and Angela Mushkin Michael and Teresa Nacarato

Robert and Jeanie Nanney NEA Machine and Fabrication

Ned Ray McWherter Charitable Foundation, Inc. Ronnie and Carol Neill Stewart and Martha Nelson Northwest Tennessee Development District

Joseph and Lee Ann Norville John and Anita Oliver Grover and Pat Page Frank and June Parker Victor and Carol Parkins

Walter Parrish and Judy Colonnese

Frank and Vanessa Paulino

Randy and Margaret Perry

Gregory and Lorraine Phelps

Pine Bluff Sand and Gravel Company

Daniel A. Pittman

Raymond and Donna Pollard

Vernon and Aloha Prather Mike Prather

William K. Preslar Anthony Prewitt

Jack and Sheryl Price

Marshall and Martha Priest James and Suzanne Pritchett

Tom and Carol Pulliam Linda Ramsey

Gary Rapp Jr.

Charles and Judy Rayburn

Arnold L. Redman

Jerry and Gwen Reese

Rehabilitation Corporation of Tennessee RFW Construction Group, LLC

Bryant and Lori Rhodes Amy and Bill Rhodes Amy Richards

Lou and Selise Ridolfi Ripley Power and Light

Jim and Martha Rippy

Scott and Shelley Robbins

Ryan and Cherie Roberts

Constance Y. Robinson

Richard C. Robinson R. Lemoyne Robinson

Ryan and Molly Roy Richard Rucker

Ruthville Baptist Church

Safelite Fulfillment, Inc.

Amadou and Yaye-Mah Sar

Ronald and Carolyn Schomaker

Allen and Carolyn Searcy

Security Bank

Brian and Dana Self

Victoria A. Seng Kimaria L. Seymour Joel and Christy Shaffer

Johnny and Vera Shanklin Jack and Barbara Shannon Rod and Lucianne Shoffner Sara Sieber Larry Silvey

Jason and Julie Simpson Barrie S. Smith

Brian W. Smith

Ray and Marie Smith Clinton Smith

Robert and Ramona Smith

Ray and Wilma Smith Melinda A. Solmon

Southwest Tennessee Development District Art and Tammy Sparks

Otis W. Stanfield

State Farm Companies Foundation

Ryan and Whitney Stover

Keith and Jeanna Swafford Swaim Realty Mark Swaim

Ledley B. Symmes

John and Betty Ann Tanner

Tate Family Foods, LLC Charles Taylor

Scott and Whitney Taylor

Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation

Tennessee Road Builders Association

Samuel and Gale Tharpe

The Citizens Bank Thomas and Paula Thomas

TLM Associates, Inc.

Ahmad and Nazanin Tootoonchi Trane Company

Jimmy and Barbara Trentham

Andrew and Rebekah Usery

Joel Usery and Becky Fox-Usery

UT Martin Black Alumni Council

John and Lily Van Dyck

Brett and Tracy VanderMeeden

Steve and Vicki Vantrease

Volunteer State Student Assistance Scholarship

William and Mary Vowell Alexander and Linda Waddell Will and Kimberly Wade

Wendell E. Wainwright

Walker Diesel Services John and Lelia Warner

Weakley County Young Professionals Sheldon and Joyce Wells Phil and Brenda Wenk James and Cathie Wesner

West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation West Tennessee Industrial Association, Inc.

West TN Young Farmer/ Homemakers Leadership Development

James H. Westbrook Jr.

Larry and Kay White

Tim and Ruth White Josh and Allison Whitledge Danny Whittle David and Aime Whittle

B. Ralph Wilkerson*

Judy O. Wilkerson

Robert and Michelle Williams Clay and Harriet Wilson Paul and Jaclynn Wilson Rita Winter Todd and Susan Winters Thomas and Patty Witty Jerry and Cynthia Woods John and Patricia Woolfolk Earl and Jenna Wright Richard and Connie Wright Charles L. Youngerman Jeremy and Gretchen Zahn

New Legacy Society MembersDeferred Pledges

Melanie Taylor

* deceased

The Philanthropist Roll of Honor is compiled yearly to honor the alumni, friends and organizations that support UT Martin and its mission. We wish to publicly recognize these donors. The report is a list of gifts to UT Martin beginning January 1, 2021, and ending December 31, 2021. Each entry was carefully reviewed and every effort made to ensure accuracy. If there are errors or omissions, please contact the Office of University Advancement at 731-881-7628.

The Chancellor’s Annual Report is produced by the UT Martin Office of University Relations and the Division of University Advancement.