2024 Alumni and Philanthropy Awards Honor the Volunteer Spirit
UT College of Arts and Sciences faculty, staff, and campus and community colleagues gathered Thursday, October 17 to celebrate the 2024 Alumni and Philanthropy Awards, honoring the exceptional achievements and contributions of Volunteers for Life whose dedication and generosity help shape the future of the college and its students.
Former Vols quarterback and UT sociology graduate Sterling Henton helped electrify the evening as the master of ceremonies, channeling the high excitement and energy that he showed in Neyland Stadium in years past. Interim Executive Dean Robert Hinde particularly enjoyed Henton’s enthusiastic, sports-announcer-style introduction and resounding high-five as he was welcomed to the stage.
“That was life changing,” quipped Hinde, who was joined in presenting the awards by Wayne Wolfson of the Dean’s Advisory Board and student ambassadors Bella Thomas-Wilson, Kendyl Moore-Taliafaro, and RoseMarie Villegas.
Nine alumni and friends of the college were recognized in five award categories.
“We are gathered to honor the exceptional achievements and contributions of our alumni and donors, whose dedication and generosity continue to shape the future of our college and its students,” said Hinde. “As we celebrate these outstanding individuals, we are reminded of the power of education and the impact that our college has on the world.”
Alumni Promise Award
Alumna Bijoyita Roy received the Alumni Promise Award, which acknowledges “rising star” alumni who have exhibited exceptional talent and achieved significant levels of accomplishment in the early to middle stages of their careers. Roy was unable to attend the dinner, so it was accepted on her behalf by Gladys Alexandre, Charles P. Postelle Distinguished Professor and head of the Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology.
Roy is a research and development scientist in molecular biology and currently a lead scientist in RNA Technology Development at the biotechnology company Moderna, which has developed groundbreaking innovations in drug development in the last decade, including helping to mitigate the Covid-19 pandemic with its vaccines.
Professional Achievement Awards
Three alumni earned the Professional Achievement Award, which recognizes those who have accomplished a high degree of success in their chosen fields—including the visual/performing arts, scholarly pursuits, and general professional achievement.
Alumnus Heith Copes is a leader in the field of criminology and qualitative criminological research, known for the deep thought and inquiry he brings to his work. He describes himself as a regular person whose job happens to be diving into the criminal world. As an ethnographer, he seeks to learn about and share other people’s stories.
“My time in the College of Arts and Sciences was transformative, both academically and personally,” said Copes. “Faculty pushed me to be better throughout the program, while supporting me along the way. I have no doubt that my professional success is due largely from the mentoring I received. I am grateful for my experiences in the Department of Sociology and the lasting impact it has had on my life.”
Renee Fister, associate provost at Murray University in Kentucky, received her master’s and PhD degrees in mathematics at UT. She has published and presented on numerous research projects focusing on applications of modeling to biology and the use of optimal control theory. She has held numerous leadership positions at Murray State, leading to her current role as the associate provost.
“I am honored and humbled with the Professional Achievement award from this world-renowned university,” said Fister. “I would not be where I am today without the encouragement and support during my time at UT and through my career from Professors Suzanne Lenhart, Lou Gross, and many others in the Department of Mathematics.”
The third Professional Achievement Award went to metal sculptor Preston Farabow, a leader in the Knoxville creative artist makers and business community as owner of Aespyre Design. He often opens his Ironwood Studios shop to other artists, blacksmiths, and student apprentices. He offers hands-on learning opportunities as an integral part of his business and is establishing a new educational venture called insPYRE for at-risk youth and students to learn blacksmithing and metalworking skills.
“What an incredible honor it is to receive this award, and to be recognized by my Volunteer community,” said Farabow. “The lessons I learned while attending UT, specifically what it means to truly be a Volunteer, have benefitted me in every chapter of my adult life, including my business practices. It is with this Volunteer spirit that I am entering into the next chapter of my professional life, giving back to my community through my nonprofit school of metalwork.”
Volunteer Service Award
Elizabeth Stowers earned this year’s Volunteer Service Award, given to someone who goes above and beyond in giving back to the college and in recognition of their long-term, exceptional, and continuing service of Vol leadership.
Stowers has served since 2018 as the volunteer chair of the $10 million-dollar private goal for the capital campaign to rebuild UT’s Jenny Boyd Carousel Theatre. She has helped shape the project’s vision, developing creative ways to publicize and fund the project and organizing donor events to make connections across the Vol community.
Stowers is a graduate of Oklahoma State University who settled in Knoxville following her husband’s career in the Air Force. A Vol by choice, she has boosted her adopted hometown with service to multiple non-profit organizations and is deeply passionate about the value of a vibrant artistic community at Rocky Top.
“The university is such a pillar of our community, especially in the arts,” said Stowers. “So many colleges are closing their theater departments, their art departments, but UT has embraced it and wants to do more. I’m so honored and humbled to be a part of that process and that we have backing for something that’s just so important for the human soul. That’s why I’m so grateful for this award. It’s a pleasure to work for the university in achieving these goals.”
College Philanthropist Award
This year’s recipients of the College Philanthropist Awards are Watty and Christopher Hall and Carolyn Thompson. This award honors alumni whose generosity has made a profound impact on the College of Arts and Sciences over an extended period of time—individuals who truly believe in the power of giving and the potential of the college’s faculty and students.
The Halls, both UT English alumni, have been tremendous supporters of the college, including their recent gift to the English department to create the Hall Professor of American Literature.
“Watty and I received instruction from remarkable professors in the UT English department in the 1970s,” said Christopher Hall. “That has led to a lifetime passion for modern literature and the performing arts.”
Christopher, a longtime Tennessee attorney, and Watty, owner of The Brooks Collection, a popular boutique in Collierville, Tennessee, share a passion for students and reading, for the transformative experiences that it brings, and for the effect it has had in enriching lives, expanding a sense of joy in the world, and the way it deepens readers’ connection to place.
“Chris and I had a truly wonderful experience with the English department during our tenure at UT,” said Watty Hall. “The ability to think critically that our professors taught us has served as a strong foundation for our respective professional endeavors.”
Thompson graduated in English, went on to medical school, and established a successful practice as an obstetrician-gynecologist. In recent years she transitioned from fulltime medical practice to a role as chief medical officer for a healthcare tech start-up company and established a consultancy practice for entrepreneurial companies developing medicine-related products.
Her generous contributions to the college exemplify a profound commitment to the transformative power of education and community enrichment. She has strategically directed her support towards initiatives with far-reaching impacts, notably gifts to the arts and sciences that demonstrate her forward-thinking approach.
“Coming to UT was inevitable for me—I grew up knowing ‘Rocky Top’ my whole life,” said Thompson. “So, to have gone here and had such a great experience and to now still be involved and be able to give back, it means the world to me.”
Thompson’s substantial donation to the English department underscores a belief in the humanities’ role in fostering critical thinking and cultural awareness. Her endowments of study-abroad opportunities have opened doors for students to gain invaluable global perspectives, fostering a diverse and inclusive academic environment.
Dean’s Distinguished Alumnus or Alumna Award
William Haltom earned the 2024 Dean’s Distinguished Alumnus Award, which recognizes a lifetime of exceptional achievement and service and celebrates the enduring impact of an alumnus whose career and contributions have left an indelible mark.
Haltom holds two UT degrees, a 1975 bachelor’s degree in history and a 1978 juris doctor degree that launched him in his law career. He forged a path as a public intellectual, newspaper columnist, and author, writing nine books that cover topics as diverse as the life of Senator Howard Baker, the virtues of seersucker suits, and the emergence of women’s full-court basketball at UT.
“I can’t even tell you what this award means to me,” said Haltom. “Next to my faith and my family, this is the most important institution in my life. It really is a family.”
He has generously given his time to the college and served on multiple boards and committees that help guide the university’s progress, a passionate involvement that exhibits the best of the Volunteer Spirit.
“What I have done in life, I’ve done because I came here,” he said. “My life has been shaped because of this university.”
Those attending the dinner echoed Haltom’s sentiment with applause as the ceremony closed, celebrating the generosity and engagement of all the alumni being honored and the opportunity for fellowship with the wide range of arts and science Volunteers.
By Randall Brown