In a few weeks, we enter a new decade. As with most milestones, it is an opportunity to reflect on what we have accomplished and what we want to do in the next decade. Looking back, I am grateful for the opportunity I have had to work with a talented group of faculty and staff in the College of Arts and Sciences. Your hard work and dedication shows in our students’ successes and their impact on our state and our world as well as a constant research and creative impact. Thank you for all you do to serve the University of Tennessee.
During this past semester, we celebrated our alumni successes and faculty achievements. We dedicated the Judith Herbert Writing Center. We congratulated Natalie Campbell on being the first UT student to be named a Mitchell Scholar and Hera Jay Brown on being named UT’s ninth Rhodes Scholar. We welcomed more than 800 first-year students to our college and surpassed our goal during the Big Orange Give by 161 percent to raise more than $120,000 for the college in one day.
We also kicked off the UT 225 celebration with stories about illuminating research and sparking creativity. We will continue the celebration in the new year and highlight the Volunteer spirit, forging leaders, and what we envision for the next 225 years of the university.
In the spring semester, we will celebrate… the Apocalypse! What began with the Marco exhibit Visions of the End in the McClung Museum has now grown into a semester full of apocalyptic-themed courses, lectures, events, and other opportunities for the UT community to discover the breadth and depth of intellectual revelation as it applies to history, science, the arts, and human interactions. Learn more online and join the fun on social media by following #apocalypseUTK.
Thank you again for your service in teaching, research and creative activities, and outreach at the university. I am honored to work with you and look forward to the future of our college and our university.
I hope you enjoy the winter break with your friends and family and make time for yourself to rest and relax. I will see you in the New Year!
Happy Holidays,
Theresa Lee
Dean, College of Arts & Sciences