If you have applied for a grant or external funding, there is a good chance you have worked with Drew Haswell, research coordinator for the College of Arts and Sciences.
Originally from Texas, Haswell received his BA in music from UT with a concentration in studio music and jazz guitar. While completing his degree, Haswell spent two years working for the main business office in the Office of Information and Technology.
“My supervisor at the time encouraged me to apply into UT’s temporary help pool because that was how she got her foot in the door at UT,” Haswell says. “She assured me that my dedication to learning IRIS and my work ethic would help me find somewhere viable to grow into.”
Haswell ended up in the sponsored projects accounting group, which manages the accounting for externally funded projects – a job he knew virtually nothing about at the time.
“I spent the next two years asking more questions than people probably cared to answer and ultimately was able to co-present several training sessions regarding post-award finance issues,” Haswell says. “With this increased visibility, the Office of Research and Engagement eventually recruited me into their Office of Sponsored Programs office to serve as a proposal coordinator where I was able to continue learning the nuts-and-bolts of research administration.”
He joined the college in at the end of the 2017 spring semester as research coordinator, working for the associate dean for research and facilities. In this role, he reviews external funding requests for compliance, manages arts and sciences research incentive funding, generates research-related activity reports for the college and departments, and coordinates the annual space inventory for arts and sciences administration managed facilities.
“Being involved in the wide breadth of research and scholarly activities that occur in the College of Arts and Sciences is my favorite thing about my job,” Haswell says. “From the natural and social sciences to the humanities and performing/visual arts, we have such a diverse group of faculty, staff, and students. It is truly a privilege to be able to interact with all of these brilliant people and do my part to help them achieve funding for their incredible ideas.”
When he is not on the third floor of Ayres Hall, Haswell is hiking, biking, climbing, and enjoying the outdoors. He is a passionate musician who loves collecting vinyl records and going to see live music, stand-up comedy, and art shows. He is also passionate about photography and says being a photographer is his dream job.
“I get a twinkle in my eye when I think about pursuing photography as a profession,” Haswell says. “I spend as much of my free time as I can wandering through the beautiful wilderness of East Tennessee. I love capturing the perfect frame of the mountains, waterfalls, and the diversity of wildlife – I love finding salamanders! A picture really can say a thousand words and invoke a thousand feelings, and I love to preserve the memories and share them with my friends and family.”
Haswell is deeply grateful to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville for the opportunities he has had during his academic career and current job as research coordinator.
“We have an incredibly strong community and culture here,” Haswell says. “I have learned so many things from some truly great mentors…from studying jazz music with living jazz legends, to studying campus policy with our lead administrators, and studying research administration with real-deal rock star scientists and professionals. I enjoy serving the greater UT community and helping as many people as I can, and I look forward to many more years and connections at UT.”