Centennial Alumni Nominees

In asking the roughly 370,000 living alumni to nominate just 100 UT grads from the last century as potential Centennial Alumni, the selection committee received almost 500 total nominations. The final 100 were selected by a committee of current and former UT alumni and university leaders.

Hooper, Betty

In response to the Alumnus solicitation of Centennial Alumni nominees, Betty Hooper sent an email. In it, she asked that the magazine not overlook “all the graduates who have made many smaller, but very positive contributions.” Excellent point and to acknowledge it, the magazine added the “Everyman/Everywoman” profile to the Centennial collection.

All Nominees

Abbott, Charles Scott (Knoxville ‘78)

Charles Abbott is co-inventor of the board game Trivial Pursuit. He also is owner of Canada’s North Bay Battalion hockey team of the Ontario Hockey League. For his work to build this hockey club, Abbott was inducted into the Brampton (Ontario) Sports Hall of Fame in 2005. He also owns C. Scott Abbott Racing Stable.

Abbott, Monica (Knoxville ‘07)

Considered the best women’s softball pitcher in the U.S., Monica Abbott was signed by Texas’ Scrap Yard Dawgs team in the National Professional Fastpitch League in 2016 to a six-year, $1 million contract—the most lucrative from an American professional franchise to a female athlete in any team sport. Abbott played for Team USA in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. As a college senior, she set the record for most strikeouts in a season and became NCAA Division I softball all-time leader in career wins, strikeouts, shutouts, innings pitched, games started and games pitched.

Adams, Hayley (Knoxville ’01, 07)

Hayley Adams is founder and director of Silent Heroes Foundation, which is based on the belief that humans and animals are intricately connected to their environments and has as its mission protection of Africa’s iconic wildlife through innovative conservation. Adams has nearly 20 years’ experience in wildlife veterinary medicine and is internationally acclaimed for her work with animals in Africa, particularly endangered species.

Adams, Molly (Knoxville ‘84)

Molly Adams is executive vice president of global product development for Disney Consumer Products and leads a global team who bring stories to life for four powerhouse brands: Disney, Pixar, Marvel Comics and Star Wars. Adams has more than 20 years of retail and product experience that includes a centralized, integrated product development team that supports Disney’s licensed and vertical retail business models including Disney Store, DisneyStore.com, and franchise licensing and commercialization in North America.

Addy, Jangy (Knoxville ’07, ‘09)

Jangy Addy is a Liberian decathlete who was flag-bearer for Liberia at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, where he finished 20th in decathlon. In 2008, he was named SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year; named to ESPN The Magazine’s Academic All-American first-team and became just the fifth UT athlete to eclipse the 8,000-point barrier in the decathlon. He also competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Anderson, James (Knoxville ‘85)

James Anderson and fellow UT Knoxville graduate Paula Pell (Knoxville ‘86) were comedy writers for Saturday Night Live (SNL) and creators of the web series Hudson Valley Ballers, which entered its third season in 2017 with Anderson and Pell playing ex-SNL writers running a bed and breakfast in New York’s Hudson Valley.

Anderson, Lee (Chattanooga ‘48)

Lee Anderson was an esteemed Tennessee journalist whose career spanned 70 years at the Chattanooga Free Press, where he was named editor in 1958 and president and publisher in 1990. Anderson also was a Civil War expert and co-conceived “Confederama,” a tourist attraction featuring 5,000 miniature figures depicting battles near Chattanooga. Later, Anderson and a partner opened a similar attraction in Gatlinburg focused on the Cherokee Indian removal in 1838. He died in 2016.

Andrus, Mark (Knoxville ‘79)

Mark Andrus is the 8th Episcopal Bishop of California, one of the church’s largest dioceses. He was installed as bishop in 2006 — a position of oversight for a diocese of 27,000 people in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo counties, and the cities of Los Altos and part of Palo Alto, California. At UT, he earned a degree in plant science.

Ashby, Jeffrey (Knoxville ‘93)

Jeffrey Ashby, a UT Space Institute grad, is a retired NASA astronaut and a veteran of three space shuttle missions in 1999, 2001 and 2002. He also is a mechanical engineer, former naval aviator, test pilot and a retired captain in the U.S. Navy. He now works for Blue Origin, a privately funded aerospace manufacturer and spaceflight services company started by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos. Ashby is chief of mission assurance for the Kent, Washington-based company.

Ashe, Victor (Knoxville ‘74)

Victor Ashe was U.S. ambassador to Poland from 2004 to 2009 following a lengthy career in Knoxville and Tennessee politics. Ashe was mayor of Knoxville from 1988 to 2003, longest in the city’s history and a member of the Tennessee General Assembly from 1968 to 1983. He was a member of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Reserves from 1967 to 1973. He received a bachelor’s degree in history from Yale University before graduating from the UT College of Law.

Atkins, John DeWitt Clinton (Knoxville 1846)

John Atkins was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Tennessee before and after the Civil War. He also represented Tennessee in the Confederate Congress. Atkins later served as U.S. Commissioner of Indian Affairs under President Grover Cleveland. He died in 1908.

Ault, Sherry (Knoxville ’05, ‘06)

Sherry Ault is a Knoxville businesswoman whose firm, S2A Integration, specializes in design/assist and integrated project delivery approaches to harmonize work between architecture and engineering design teams and general contractors and subcontractors. She also has developed a software program that resulted in a second business venture, InTwine.

Auma, Beldina (Knoxville ’85)

Beldina Auma is a senior communications officer in the World Bank’s Africa region. She works on various aspects of communications: nation, sector, outreach, strategic linkages and media. She is currently working on implementing a communications program for the bank’s Africa Diaspora Program, which includes strategic links with key diaspora groups, such as the Congressional Black Caucus, Constituency for Africa and the African American Unity Caucus.

Austin, Richard Wilson (Knoxville 1878)

(Knoxville 1878). Austin served as U.S. Consul to Glasgow, Scotland from 1906 to 1907 and represented Tennessee’s 2nd District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1909 to 1919. He was U.S. marshal for Eastern Tennessee from 1897 to 1906. During the House debate on the 19th Amendment in 1918, Austin, referring to U.S. Rep. Jeannette Rankin of Montana, argued, “The highest, best, and strongest evidence that women’s suffrage is a success has been established in this House by the enviable record made by our colleague from Montana, who has won the respect, confidence, and admiration of the members and officials of this House.” He died in 1919.

Avia, Robin Klehr (Knoxville ‘76)

. Robin Klehr Avia is regional managing principal and chair of the executive committee of the board of directors for Gensler, the global design firm. She is a leader in the world of design and last year was awarded UT’s 11th honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts. Avia oversees the firm’s northeast and Latin America regions, which employ more than 1,000 people from offices in New York City, Boston, Morristown, Toronto, Sao Paulo, Costa Rica and Mexico City. Gensler is ranked as the No. 1 firm in the world by Architectural Record.

Ayers, Edward (Knoxville ‘74)

Edward Ayers is a historian, professor, administrator, and ninth president of the University of Richmond, serving from 2007 to 2015. In 2013, he was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Barack Obama at a White House ceremony. Ayers now is president emeritus and Tucker-Boatwright Professor of the Humanities at Richmond. He was named National Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in 2003.

Bailey, Guy (Knoxville ‘79)

Guy Bailey is a sociolinguist and the first president of the University of Texas–Rio Grande Valley. He previously was the president of the University of Alabama, president of Texas Tech University and held earlier positions at Emory University, Texas A&M University, and Oklahoma State University before serving as dean of liberal arts at University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Baker, Nannette (Knoxville ‘78)

Nannette Baker serves as a magistrate judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri in St. Louis. Before her appointment, she was a judge on the Missouri Court of Appeals. She became the first African-American woman to serve as chief judge of the court of appeals in 2008 and before that was circuit court judge in St. Louis.

Bandy, Kevin (Knoxville ‘93)

As Cisco’s senior vice president and chief digital officer, Bandy is responsible for the strategy and execution of Cisco’s digital portfolio growth efforts. Previously, he was senior vice president for enterprise transformation at salesforce.com, which followed serving in leadership with IBM, where he oversaw sales and distribution for the eastern U.S. and the Caribbean.

Barnes, Laura (Knoxville ‘84)

Laura Barnes is retired former vice president for patient care services and chief nursing officer at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital in Knoxville. Her career at the hospital included serving as director of the Child Health Education Center and Children’s Home Health Care; coordinator and later director of Child Life; as well as assistant director of nursing and head nurse and staff nurse with the intensive care unit. Barnes also was charge nurse and a staff nurse at Fort Sanders Presbyterian Hospital in Knoxville. She is a member of the UT Knoxville College of Nursing Advisory Board.

Barnett, Frank (Knoxville ‘59)

Frank Barnett’s many careers included FBI special agent; founding partner of the Baker, Worthington, Barnett and Crossley law firm; executive assistant to former Tennessee Gov. Winfield Dunn; statewide campaign manager for President Richard Nixon; and both lieutenant governor and governor of American Samoa. Barnett brought China as exhibitor to the 1982 World’s Fair, helped form the Tennessee Center for International Studies in Knoxville and was general development officer for the U.S. Agency for International Development in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Barnett died in 2016.

Bates, Bill (Knoxville ‘83)

After his playing days as a Vol, Bill Bates played safety for 15 seasons with the NFL Dallas Cowboys. In 1983, as a rookie, he earned the NFC special teams player of the year award. He was an All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection in 1984 and played for the Super Bowl champion Cowboys in 1992, 1993 and 1995.

Beall III, Samuel E. (Knoxville ‘73)

Samuel Beall III, better known as “Sandy,” co-founded Ruby Tuesday in 1972. He has served as Ruby Tuesday chairman and chief executive officer and former president, CEO and chairman of Morrison. He is strategic partner with Arlington Capital Advisors and a principal at Beall Investments.

Beard, William (Knoxville ‘80)

Maj. Gen. William G. Beard is a retired deputy commanding general for U.S. Army Reserves, U.S. Army Pacific after 39 years of active duty and reserve service. Beard’s military officer career began in 1980. His decorations include two Legion of Merit honors; three Bronze Star, three Meritorious Service and three Army Commendation medals; the Joint Service Commendation medal; and the Combat Action, Parachutist, Air Assault, Egyptian Parachutist and German Parachutist badges.

Beasley, Cheri (Knoxville ‘91)

Cheri Beasley is a justice on the North Carolina Supreme Court. She previously served on the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Her election to the high court makes her the first woman to be elected to any statewide office in North Carolina without first being appointed by the governor.

Beaumont, Hugh (Chattanooga ‘27)

Hugh Beaumont was an actor who played the unflappable, dependable father, Ward Cleaver, on the 1950s hit show Leave it to Beaver. He earlier played the role of private detective Michael Shayne in a series of movies in the 1940s. Beaumont also was a television director. He died in 1982.

Beierschmidtt, Aron (Knoxville ‘13)

As an undergraduate, Aron Beierschmidtt also established his company, Foundation Games, also known as Foundation Mobile. The company has released six video games, two of which have hit the million-download mark. One of these, Lumi, was named Apple Game of the Week and Editor’s Choice in 2012. Today, Beierschmitt is CEO of Foundation Games, which has 50 full-time employees and offices in the United States, Australia, the Philippines and Pakistan.

Bell, Matthew (Knoxville ‘10)

Matthew Bell is a nurse anesthetist who served in the U.S. Army and was deployed to Afghanistan, where he worked as a trauma and flight nurse and was awarded the Bronze Star. Bell also was a founding member and CEO of the healthcare education software startup iCare Academic, which was acquired in 2010 by Wolters Kluwer Health. His second startup, E2 Medical Software, developed an iPhone application named E2 Calc, designed for anesthesia providers to calculate crucial information pertinent to patients undergoing surgery rapidly and accurately.

Bellanfant, Robert (Knoxville ’09)

Robert Bellenfant is founder and CEO of Technology Advice, an organization of 250 team members dedicated to educating, advising, and connecting buyers and sellers of business technology. A graduate of the Haslam College of Business, he was named a Nashville Emerging Leader Award in the Technology category.

Bennett, Isaac (Knoxville ’84)

As vice president of capital markets with Farm Credit Bank of Texas, Isaac Bennett manages a portfolio of $6.4 billion. Guiding a team of 12, Bennett, a UT Institute of Agriculture graduate, travels the country financing agricultural and agribusiness enterprises. His finance work also spans food and fiber industries, telecommunications, and utilities.

Bestvina, Mladen (Knoxville ’84)

Mladen Bestvina is a Croatian-American mathematician working in geometric group theory. Bestvina earned a doctorate from UT Knoxville and is now a distinguished professor in the University of Utah mathematics department. He is a three-time medalist at the International Mathematical Olympiad (silver medals in 1976 and 1978 and a bronze in 1977).

Bhatti, Colleen Cruze (Knoxville ’11)

The New York Times has described entrepreneur farmer Colleen Cruze Bhatti as the “Buttermilk Ambassador” and featured her in her signature Cruze Farm Girl apron and cowboy boots. A UT Institute of Agriculture graduate, Bhatti has also won acclaim in the pages of Southern Living and Garden and Gun for her promotion of locally sourced food and of products from her family’s 550-acre dairy in east Knox County, Tennessee.

Bilbrey, Mickey (Knoxville ‘71)

Mickey Bilbrey, now retired, is the former president and CEO of Quorum Health Resources, one of the nation’s largest healthcare management and consulting firms. Bilbrey’s career, which included serving as president and CEO of UT Medical Center from 1989 to 2004, spanned more than three decades in all aspects of hospital operations, management and consulting. Bilbrey also previously served as president of Quorum Intensive Resources and as vice president of Quorum’s Eastern Division operations.

Bohan, David (Knoxville ‘70)

David Bohan is chairman and founder of Bohan Advertising in Nashville and was Tennessee’s first assistant commissioner for tourism. Advertising Age named Bohan its Southeast Small Agency of the Year in 2014. Bohan is the only Nashville advertising executive named to the national board of the American Association of Advertising Agencies. He is a member of the UT College of Communication and Information Board of Visitors and of the UT President’s Council.

Boswell, Keith (Knoxville ‘80)

Keith Boswell is a world-renowned architect and technical partner for the San Francisco office of architecture firm Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM). Since joining SOM in 1981, Boswell has worked on high-rise office buildings, museums, retail developments, government projects, amusement parks, residential and mixed-use complexes and international and domestic airport passenger terminals. He has also developed expertise in international projects. Boswell was presented the UT Knoxville Alumni Professional Achievement Award in 2015.

Bouley, Donna (Knoxville ’85, 95)

Dr. Donna Bouley is a veterinary pathologist, supporting researchers and clinicians in several disciplines at Stanford University in California. A UTIA grad, Bouley has numerous faculty collaborations in the Stanford medical school and has collaborated with scientists and undergraduates working in Namibia, studying elephant seismic communication and behavior. She is recipient of many professional awards, including the Lloyd W. Dinkelspiel Award at Stanford in June 2007.

Boyd, Marion Speed (Knoxville 1921)

Marion Boyd served in both the Tennessee House of Representatives and the Tennessee Senate. Boyd also was assistant attorney general for Shelby County from 1935 to 1937. In 1940, Boyd was appointed to a seat on the U.S. District Court for Western Tennessee, which he served as chief judge from 1961 to 1966. He assumed senior status on 1966 until his death in 1988.

Braddock, Paige (Knoxville ’85)

Paige Braddock is executive vice-president and creative director of Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates. She oversees the Peanuts license worldwide and designed the Snoopy character U.S. postage stamp issued in 2001. Braddock also created Jane’s World, the first nationally syndicated gay-themed comic strip. She has worked with UT Knoxville art students as a visiting scholar.

Brakebill, Charlie (Knoxville ’48)

Charlie Brakebill is a retired UT vice president for development and alumni affairs who served the University for 35 years and continues to volunteer his time with the university. Over his UT career, he held the titles of assistant vice president, senior associate vice president and vice president. Through them all, Brakebill says the job was the same — friend-raising and fundraising – from only a few hundred thousand dollars a year in the early 1960s to nearly $56 million in 1996, when he retired.

Branscom, Christi (Knoxville ’87)

Christi Branscom is a former deputy to the mayor/COO for the City of Knoxville. She returned to the private sector in 2017. Previously she was senior director of public works, the first woman in Knoxville history to hold this position. She also served for 20 years as legal counsel and managing broker for Partners Development, a comprehensive real estate development firm specializing in facilities planning, financing, and development.

Bruce, Don (Knoxville ’73)

Don Bruce is the owner and CEO of American Home Design in Nashville, which he founded in 1977 and built into the region’s most successful home improvement company. In 2008, Bruce was inducted into the prestigious Legends of the Home Improvement Industry. A catcher on the UT baseball team, he also was the executive operations chairman and board member for the Sara Lee LPGA Golf Classic in Nashville .

Broadbery, Shirley (Knoxville ’79)

Shirley Broadbery is global finance transformation director at Coca-Cola. She joined the company in 1982 and was the first woman on its international audit staff. Broadbery has traveled the world working for Coca-Cola and was involved in preparing the company for the lifting of the U.S. trade embargo in 1995 in Indochina.

Buchannan, James McGill (Knoxville ’41)

James Buchanan was an economist known for his work on public choice theory (included in his most famous work The Calculus of Consent), for which he received the Nobel Memorial Prize in 1986. Buchanan’s work initiated research on how politicians’ and bureaucrats’ self-interest, utility maximization and other non-wealth maximizing considerations affect their decision-making. He was a Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Cato Institute and a professor at George Mason University. He died in 2013.

Buckley, Eldra (Chattanooga ’07)

Eldra Buckley is a former NFL running back signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He also played for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Detroit Lions. Despite only playing two years for UT Chattanooga, Buckley is fourth on the Mocs’ all-time rushing list.

Burdette, Kevin D. (Knoxville ’97)

Kevin Burdette is an esteemed opera star. The San Francisco Chronicle called his Leporello “a tour de force of vocal splendor and comic timing,” and the New York Times praised his “breakout performance” as the viceroy in La Périchole and dubbed him the “Robin Williams of Opera.”

Bush, Kim (Knoxville ’73)

Kim Bush is director of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Life Sciences Partnerships (LSP) program. Bush works with global agencies on some of the world’s most complex issues. The LSP team’s primary efforts are concentrated on creating and advancing partnerships with multinational pharmaceutical companies, developing manufacturers, the biotech industry and public/private enterprises.

Butler, Bill (Chattanooga ’58)

Bill Butler played safety in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers (1959), Dallas Cowboys (1960), Pittsburgh Steelers (1961) and Minnesota Vikings (1962–1964). Butler lives in Berlin, Wisconsin, where he is the defensive coordinator for the Ripon High School football team and an assistant track and field coach.

Caldwell, Kathy J. (Knoxville ’85)

Kathy Caldwell graduated with honors in civil engineering and worked as a structural designer with the Lockwood Greene firm in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. In 1987, Caldwell moved to Austin, Texas, and joined Parkhill Smith and Cooper as a design consultant to the Texas Department of Highways and Public Transportation.

Callahan, North (Chattanooga ’30)

North Callahan was an author and historian whose papers and book collection are now in UT Chattanooga’s Lupton Library. Callahan was a writer for newspapers in Tennessee and Texas and was New York city correspondent for the Dallas Morning News, eventually writing a syndicated column. He also wrote and directed three plays. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, then returned to academic life, earning a master’s degree from Columbia University in 1950 and a doctorate from New York University in 1955. He was a professor of history at Finch College in New York city before joining the NYU faculty in 1956. He died in 2004.

Callan, Robert (Knoxville 1891)

Maj. Gen.Robert Callan was a distinguished U.S. Army coast artillery officer who served in the United States and overseas. He saw frontline action in the Spanish-American War and World War I. He died in 1936. After graduating UT, he attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.

Campbelle Jr., RBJ (Knoxville ‘56)

In 1956 RBJ Campbelle was the first African-American student to graduate from the UT College of Law. Campbelle became one of Tennessee’s leading authorities on juvenile court procedure and was one of the founders of the criminal justice department at Middle Tennessee State University. He died in 1989. Upon his death, the Nashville Bar Association lauded him with a memorial resolution and the Nashville Tennessean included an editorial praising him entitled “A Man Who Led a Balanced Life.”

Capps, Ashley (Knoxville ’79)

Ashley Capps promoted musical acts in college, which led him to found AC Entertainment. The company produces events such as the Bonnaroo and Big Ears music festivals and runs Knoxville’s historic Bijou and Tennessee theaters. With a degree in philosophy and religious studies, Capps has been on the UT Knoxville religious studies board of visitors for 12 years.

Carter, Deana Kay (Knoxville ‘89)

As a country music artist, Deana Carter’s breakthrough came with the release of her 1996 debut album Did I Shave My Legs for This? which was certified five times multi-platinum for sales of more than 5 million. It was followed by 1998’s Everything’s Gonna Be Alright, 2003’s I’m Just a Girl, 2005’s The Story of My Life, and 2007’s The Chain. Carter’s albums have yielded 14 hit singles, including three that reached No. 1 on the Billboard country chart. Carter won the Country Music Association’s Song of the Year award in 1997 for “Strawberry Wine.”

Carter, Ed (Knoxville, ‘71)

Ed Carter has won many accolades for his work in wildlife conservation. A UTIA grad, he recently was recognized as one of the 50 most influential people in sports in Middle Tennessee for his efforts on behalf of hunting, fishing and boating. Carter was named executive director of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency in 2009.

Carter, Michael (Health Science Center ‘07)

From 1982 until 2000, Michael Carter was dean and professor in the UT Health Science Center College of Nursing, where he is currently a distinguished professor. Carter has national certifications as both a family nurse practitioner and geriatric nurse practitioner. He has been designated a diplomate in comprehensive care and a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and a distinguished practitioner and fellow in the National Academies of Practice.

Casey, Paula (Knoxville ‘75)

Paula Casey gained prominence starting in the 1970s on issues affecting women and their families: education, welfare reform and health care. Casey has served on the boards of many service and professional organizations and was named one of Memphis Woman’s “50 Women Who Make a Difference.” In 1989, she produced a video titled: Generations: American Women Win the Vote, which tells the story of Tennessee’s pivotal role in the 72-year struggle for American women to win the right to vote.

Cashion, Ann (Health Science Center ‘98)

Ann Cashion is lead investigator of Genomic and Clinical Biomarkers Lab at the National Institutes of Health. Her research focuses on factors leading to unhealthy weight gain after transplant surgeries. As the National Institute of Research Nursing’s scientific director, Cashion oversees research conducted by nurse scientists in the division of intramural research, which focuses on underlying biological mechanisms for a range of symptoms, their effects on patients and how patients respond to interventions. Cashion previously was professor and chair of the department of acute and chronic care at the UT Health Science Center.

Cates, Clifton (Knoxville 1916)

Clifton Cates was an American military officer who served as 19th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps. He was honored for heroism in World War I at Belleau Wood and in World War II for combat leadership at Iwo Jima. Cates is considered one of the most distinguished young officers of World War I. He was one of the few officers from any branch of military service to have commanded a platoon, a company, a battalion, a regiment, and a division each in combat. He died in 1970.

Clark, Agenia (Knoxville ‘89)

Agenia Clark is president and CEO of Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee, impacting thousands of girls. Clark has served on many boards, including the Tennessee Board of Regents and Avenue Bank. Previously, she was vice president of human resources for the Tennessee Education Lottery Corp., senior director of human resources at Vanderbilt University and worked in government relations, marketing, business ethics and human resources at Nortel Networks, a multi-national telecommunications corporation.

Claxton Jr., Philander Priestly (Knoxville ‘34)

Claxton came to the U.S. State Department in 1947 and, until 1961, was deputy assistant secretary of state for congressional relations. He then was a special assistant to Secretaries of State Dean Rusk, William P. Rogers and Henry A. Kissinger. He retired in 1974. From 1978 to 1988, Claxton was a consultant to the Futures Group in Washington on several projects involving the U.S. Agency for International Development. He died in 1999. His father, Philander Priestly Claxton Sr., was listed in the “Top 100 Distinguished Alumni” in the Spring issue of 2017.

Clay, Clement Comer (Knoxville 1807)

After earning his law degree at East Tennessee College, Clay was admitted to the Tennessee bar in 1809 and moved to Huntsville, Alabama, where he began a law practice in 1811. He served as governor of Alabama from 1835 to 1837, after which the state legislature appointed him to to the U.S. Senate, serving until 1841. He died in 1866.

Clinkscales, William “Joey” (Knoxville ‘87)

Joey Clinkscales is an Nationa Football League executive and former player. Clinkscales is currently director of player personnel for the Oakland Raiders. He previously was with the New York Jets from 1994 to 2012, rising to vice president of college scouting during his final four years with the team. He played wide receiver for the Tennessee Vols before being drafted in 1987 by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played two seasons in the NFL, with the Steelers and later with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Coggin, Mike (Knoxville ‘92)

Mike Coggin is chief accounting officer for LifePoint Hospitals Inc., which operates more than 60 facilities in 20 states from its headquarters in Brentwood, Tennessee. Coggin previously was chief financial officer for Specialty Care Services Group, a Nashville-based provider of clinical services to hospitals, and she was senior vice president in the finance, accounting, and internal audit groups of Renal Care Group Inc., a dialysis services provider for patients with chronic kidney failure.

Chambers, Howard, (Knoxville ‘64)

Howard Chambers was vice president and general manager of space and intelligence systems for Boeing’s Integrated Defense Systems. He also was board chairman of companies including Boeing Satellite Systems International Inc., Spectrolab Inc., and Boeing Satellite Systems, of which he also became CEO. Chambers retired from Boeing in 2011 but still serves as an advisor to the chief technology officer.

Chandler, Walter (Knoxville 1909)

Walter Chandler represented Tennessee’s 9th District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1935 to 1940. Chandler also served in the Tennessee Senate and Tennessee House. He was the author of Chapter 13 Bankruptcy legislation. He also filed the original suit in Baker v. Carr, the U.S. Supreme Court case that ruled against Tennessee’s status quo of seldom changing the boundaries of congressional districts. He died in 1935.

Compton, John (Knoxville ‘83)

John Compton, now retired, was president of PepsiCo North America. Besides more than 30 years’ service with PepsiCo/Frito-Lay, he gave his time and resources to support the university. Compton has served on multiple boards and been honored by the Haslam College of Business for distinguished service. He is now chairman the board of U.S. Foods and TruGreen.

Compton, Teresa (Knoxville ‘80, ‘84)

After earning bachelors and doctoral degrees, Teresa Compton did post-doctoral research at New York University Medical Center. She moved to the Scripps Research Institute for several years prior to joining the faculty of the University of Wisconsin. There, she built an internationally known research program focused on virus-host interactions. She has published more than 70 research articles, numerous reviews, and book chapters.

Conner Jr., Harold, (Knoxville ’68, ‘78)

Harold Conner is associate director of facilities and infrastructure for the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. He oversees emergency management capabilities and leads continuous improvement in other key areas of operations. He was UT’s first African American to earn a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, which he followed in 1978 with a master’s. He received a Ph.D. in industrial and systems engineering and engineering management from the University of Alabama in 2013.

Cook Jr., Joseph C. (Knoxville ‘65)

Joseph Cook held many senior-level positions within Eli Lilly Co. before retiring as vice president for global operations. Cook then became a strategy consultant for the biotechnology industry and later, as chairman and CEO of Amylin Pharmaceuticals, directed the San Diego-based company through the development of two new diabetes-management drugs. In 2002, Cook co-founded a private equity firm focused on southeast-based companies and competing for Tennessee Investco grants. TNInvestco program is a creation of the Tennessee legislature that allocated $200 million dollars in tax credits to a cross section of venture capital funds with broad experience in developing new companies in Tennessee.

Cox, Michael (Martin ‘68)

Cox has distinguished himself in professional achievement, leadership, philanthropy, and community and public service. His company, Cox Oil Co., includes ownership and operation of 48 convenience stores located in western Tennessee and Kentucky.

Crozier, John Hervey (East Tennessee College 1829)

Described as “an orator of uncommon brilliancy” and “one of the brainiest men ever sent by Tennessee to congress,” Crozier was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee’s 3rd District from 1845 to 1849. Before that, he served as a Knox County representative to the Tennessee House of Representatives. Originally a member of the Whig Party, Crozier switched his allegiance to the Democratic Party in the 1850s, and supported the Confederacy during the Civil War. He died in 1889.

Cruze, Rachel (Knoxville ‘10)

Rachel Cruze is a New York Times best-selling author and an authority on personal finance. Her book, Smart Money Smart Kids, co-authored with her father, Dave Ramsey, was No. 1 on the 2014 New York Times bestseller list. Cruze’s other books include The Graduate’s Survival Guide and Safeguarding Your Legacy. She has also contributed to the magazine Woman’s Day.

Cunningham, Joel (Chattanooga ‘65)

Joel Cunningham was the 15th vice chancellor of the University of the South and the former president of Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania. Cunningham began his academic career as a member of the faculty at the University of Kentucky and made his first return to Tennessee when he was appointed dean of continuing education and mathematics faculty member at UT Chattanooga.

Currie, Pat (Martin ’77)

Pat Currie is CEO and Boy Scout Executive of the Dallas-based organization’s Circle 10 Council, where he oversees a staff of 76 full-time employees, 79 part-time employees, more than 200 seasonal employees and 15,000 volunteers. The Circle 10 Council has a $13 million annual budget, net assets of $97 million and raises more money annually than any other BSA Council in the nation.

Cutshaw, Ken (Knoxville ‘78)

Currently president and CEO of Garden City Group, Ken Cutshaw is the former president of the Quiznos sandwich chain. Cutshaw previously worked within the U. S. Commerce Department for six years during the Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush administrations. He co-founded Georgian American University in the country of Georgia, an international university offering degrees in business, law, international relations, natural science and engineering.

Davis, Charles (Knoxville ‘86)

Charles Davis is a football analyst for Fox College Football. In addition to being lead analyst for Fox’s TV broadcasts of college football, Davis contributes weekly power rankings on Foxsports.com. He also is an analyst for the NFL Network, and previously worked with TBS, ESPN, CBS, The Golf Channel and Sun Sports (now Fox Sports Sun networks.

DeMint, Jim (Knoxville ‘76)

Jim DeMint was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives representing South Carolina’s 4th District from 1999 to 2005. He was a member of the U.S. Senate representing South Carolina from 2005 to 2013. DeMint is a former president of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. In 2017, he became a senior advisor to Citizens for Self-Governance, a group seeking a convention to propose amendments to the U.S. Constitution to reduce federal government spending and power.

Dennis, Mike (Knoxville ‘89)

Mike Dennis is a founder of Breedlove, Dennis and Associates, (BDA) a professional environmental and natural resources consulting firm in Florida. Dennis has led 40 consecutive annual wildflower pilgrimages in the Great Smoky Mountains. Dennis is a long-term, active member of the UT Knoxville Deans Advisory Board and its current president.

Denton, James (Knoxville ‘86)

James Denton is an actor known for his Screen Actors Guild award-winning role as Mike Delfino on the TV series Desperate Housewives. Denton has appeared in several films, including: That Old Feeling (1997), Face/Off (1997) and Primary Colors (1998). He has appeared on various TV shows, including: Sliders, Dark Skies, Two Guys and a Girl, Ally McBeal, The West Wing and JAG and had recurring roles in The Pretender, Philly, The Drew Carey Show and Reba. In 2003, he had the lead role of Special Agent John Kilmer in the short-lived crime thriller series, Threat Matrix.

Dickey, Dale (Knoxville ’79-84)

Dale Dickey is a film, stage and television character actress. She won the Independent (Film) Spirit Award for best supporting female for her performance as Merab in the 2010 movie Winter’s Bone. She is also known for character roles in mainstream and independent films of the early 2000s and for recurring performances on such TV shows as My Name Is Earl, Breaking Bad, True Blood and Justified.

Dickey, Robert A. (Knoxville ’96)

R.A. Dickey is a professional baseball pitcher for the Atlanta Braves. In 2012, a milestone year for Dickey, he was named an All-Star for the first time in his career, became the first knuckleball pitcher to win the Cy Young Award, was the NL strikeout leader and authored his personal memoir, Wherever I Wind Up. He is a 2013 Gold Glove Award winner who has previously played for the Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays. A UT Knoxville English major, Dickey was named Academic All-American and Academic All-SEC.

Donald, Elizabeth (Knoxville ‘97)

Elizabeth Donald is a journalist and horror novelist. She has won the Darrell Award for horror and science fiction three times and has been a finalist for other honors including the Prism Award from Romance Writers of America. A reporter for the Belleville News-Democrat in Illinois since 2000, she also has won multiple journalism awards.

Dorset, Marion, (Knoxville 1893)

Marion Dorset discovered the cause of hog cholera and developed a serum for it. He also developed a rapid diagnostic test for pullorum, a disease of chickens, and the test has saved poultry farmers millions of dollars. The purple ink used by government graders on meat to indicate that the meat is healthy and wholesome also is a Dorset invention. He is a member of the Tennessee Agricultural Hall of Fame. He died in 1935.

Dougherty, Sam (Knoxville ’62,’70)

Sam Dougherty completed degrees in mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering. From the beginning of his career at the U.S. Air Force Arnold Engineering Development Center in Tullahoma, Tennessee through the last 35 years at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama with Sverdrup, Rockwell International, Boeing, and now Jacobs/ERC, he has been dedicated to the advancement of space flight.

Drake, Thomas (Chattanooga ‘54)

Thomas Drake was an attorney, professional wrestler, politician, and former member of the athletic staff of legendary football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. After his years as a Chattanooga Mocs wrestler and football player, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, but then was drafted by the Army. After an honorable discharge, he became head wrestling coach at the University of Alabama. As a professional, he was inducted into the International Wrestlers Hall of Fame. He died in 2017.

Duncan, John J. “Jimmy” (Knoxville ’69)

After practicing law and serving as a state court judge, Jimmy Duncan was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee’s 2nd District in 1988 and had been re-elected ever since. In 2017, Duncan announced he was serving his last term in Congress and would not run in the 2018 election. The Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law in Knoxville is named for him.

Dunlap, Karen (Knoxville ‘82)

Karen Dunlap is president emerita of the Poynter Institute for Media Studies. She is a writer and educator who has taught at the University of South Florida and Tennessee State University. She retired from Poynter in 2014. Dunlap was an editor of the Institute’s best newspaper writing series and has served six times as a Pulitzer Prize jurist.

Ebert, Jacquie (Knoxville ‘86)

Jacquie Ebert is a partner for GMMB, a strategic communications firm. Her career began directly out of college in then-U.S. Sen. Al Gore’s office. When Gore became President Bill Clinton’s running mate, Ebert was Gore’s issues director for the 1992 campaign. She then served as chief of staff and assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for eight years.

Edwards, Joe (Knoxville ‘94)

Joe Edwards is an aerospace engineer, former naval officer and aviator, test pilot and NASA astronaut. A UT Space Institute graduate, Edwards flew on STS-89 (1998), the eighth Shuttle-Mir docking mission, in which the crew transferred more than 9,000 pounds of scientific equipment, hardware and water from shuttle Endeavour to Mir. In the fifth and last exchange of a U.S. astronaut, STS-89 delivered Andy Thomas to Mir and returned with David Wolf.

Elkins, Allen (Knoxville ‘57)

Allen Elkins had a 35-year career with the CIA. He retired as CIA director of finance, overseeing all of the agency’s global financial operations. He was awarded the Distinguished Intelligence Medal, the CIA’s highest award for service.

Ellis, Dale (Knoxville ‘85)

Dale Ellis was an NBA All-Star who retired in 2000 after playing for Dallas, Seattle, Milwaukee, Denver, San Antonio and Charlotte. Ellis is one of only four Vol basketball players to have his number retired. He was selected ninth overall in the 1983 NBA draft by the Dallas Mavericks but traded to the Seattle Supersonics in 1986, where his scoring average skyrocketed from 7.1 points a game to 24.9, earning him the NBA Most Improved Player Award in 1987. He kept up his prolific scoring and was named to the 1988-89 All Star team.

Emert, Joe (Knoxville ‘78)

Joe Emert, president of First Choice Medical in Maryville, Tennessee, is a former member of the UT Knoxville Chancellor’s Associates. He was awarded the Accomplished Alumni Award in 2010 by the College of Nursing. He and his wife established an endowment for intercultural healthcare opportunities in the UT Knoxville College of Nursing.

Eoff, Jim (Health Science Center ’69, ’70)

Jim Eoff served the UTHSC College of Pharmacy for more than 45 years. Every student who passed through the doors from 1970 to 2014 was taught by him. Eoff’s greatest legacy is his advocacy for students. He counseled students from the time they applied for admission through their graduation and beyond. He has served on and provided leadership to the Tennessee Board of Pharmacy, Tennessee Society of Independent Pharmacists, and Tennessee Pharmacists Association. He retired in 2014.

Eubanks, David (Knoxville ’60, ‘65)

David Eubanks was president of Johnson Bible College (now Johnson University) from 1969 to 2007. He is a gospel preacher associated with the restoration movement of Christianity. His term as the fifth president of Johnson Bible College puts him among the longest[-serving college presidents in the U.S. He earned a doctorate at UT in 1965. In 2013, Eubanks was named chief operating officer of Florida Christian College to oversee the merger between Florida Christian College and Johnson University.

Feathers, Beattie (Knoxville ‘33)

Beattie “Big Chief” Feathers was a Vol football player who became professional athlete and later a football and baseball coach. He starred as a halfback and was a consensus selection to the 1933 All-America Team. He played professionally for Chicago Bears, Brooklyn Dodgers, and Green Bay Packers from 1934 to 1940. In his rookie season of 1934, Feathers was the first player in NFL history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season. He was inducted into the College Hall of Fame in 1955. He died in 1979.

Federico, Rick (Knoxville ‘76)

Rick Federico is chairman and CEO of P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Inc. He joined the company in 1996 and is responsible for its strategic growth and development as well as the company’s casual quick-dining concept, Pei Wei Asian Diner. Federico is a founding director of Chances for Children and active in the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute.

Finebaum, Paul (Knoxville ‘78)

Paul Finebaum has been called the Voice of the SEC, one of the most powerful people in sports media, King of the South, and the Oprah Winfrey of college football. Finebaum’s work has won more than 250 national and regional sports writing awards including being named one of Sports Illustrated’s “Most Powerful People in Sports Media” in 2013, one of The (Nashville) Tennessean’s “Top SEC Power Brokers” in 2002, and one of the Orlando Sentinel’s “10 most powerful people in the SEC” in 2009. He has written two books, The Worst of Paul Finebaum and Finebaum Said, and is currently working on a book about his career.

Fitzgibbons, Bill (Knoxville ‘72)

Bill Fitzgibbons received a fine arts degree in sculpture and art history from UT and a master’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis. He has received more than 30 public art commissions in five countries. In 1979, he became the first curator at Laumeier Sculpture Park in St. Louis. From 1985 until 1988, he was director of sculpture at the Visual Art Center in Anchorage, Alaska. In 1988, he became head of the sculpture department at the San Antonio Art Institute. In 1991, he was selected as a Fulbright Scholar for the Hungarian Art Academy in Budapest.

Flood, James K. (Knoxville ‘80)

As the ExxonMobil Development Company’s vice president of Arctic and Eastern Canada, James Flood is responsible for major projects in Arctic regions in Russia, Alaska, and offshore Newfoundland. His teams have won the company’s President’s Safety Award ten times.

Flowers, Joshua (Knoxville ’01 ‘05)

As a graduate of both the UT Knoxville College of Architecture and Design and the College of Law, Joshua Flowers is one of only a handful of people who are both a registered architect and a licensed attorney. He is part of the architectural firm Hnedak Bobo Group in Memphis and has been a leader at both the state and national levels. As president of the local chapter of American Institute of Architects in Memphis, he has helped create numerous programs that benefit the industry and the community.

Ford, Lisa (Knoxville ‘77)

Lisa Ford is an expert in customer service. She is the author of How to Give Exceptional Customer Service, a best-selling video series. Her books and other videos are resources for teams who want to improve their customer service. In 2002, she was inducted into the Speakers Hall of Fame by the National Speakers Association.

Foster, Arian (Knoxville ‘09)

After going undrafted in 2009, Arian Foster went on to become an elite NFL running back. Foster is a four-time Pro Bowl selection and a first-team all-pro selection who twice led the NFL in rushing touchdowns and was NFL rushing yards leader in 2010. He retired in 2016.

Foster, Chad (Knoxville ’00)

While a student at UT, Chad Foster went blind from a rare genetic eye disease, retinitis pigmentosa. Despite blindness, Foster began his career at Accenture in Atlanta. He has been a code-writing consultant, a marketing analyst and currently is a senior pricing strategist with Society of Research Administrators International, a global defense and IT contractor. He is the only person in the world able to integrate a high-tech customer service application with JAWS (Job Access With Speech—a software especially equipped for those who are blind).

Fox, Steven (Chattanooga ‘14)

Steven Fox is a professional golfer who won the 2012 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills Country Club in Colorado on the 37th hole after being down two with two holes to play. While still a UT Chattanooga undergraduate, Fox won the Tennessee State Amateur tournament in August 2013.

Frazier, James B. (Knoxville 1878)

James Frazier served as governor of Tennessee and a U.S. Senator from Tennessee. His best-known accomplishments as governor included reducing the state’s debt and enacting mine safety regulations. He died in 1937.

Freeman, David (Knoxville ‘84)

David Freeman is founder and CEO of 36 Venture Capital, which maintains investments in professional hockey, baseball and soccer clubs. The company also is engaged in commercial and residential real estate ventures. Freeman is chairman of the NHL Nashville Predators hockey club and the minor league West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx (AA Southern League) baseball team in Jackson. He also was founder and CEO of Commodore Medical Services, the second-largest company in the medical waste industry at the time of its sale to Stericycle in 2007.

Freeman Silen, Rita (Knoxville ‘74)

Rita Freeman Silen has traversed 16 states and four countries to serve the severely disadvantaged and desperate. She is a member of the executive board of the UT Alliance of Women Philanthropists. Freeman Silen was the 2014 commencement speaker for the UT College of Nursing and is an emeritus member of the UT College of Nursing Advisory Board.

Fulton, Weston (Knoxville 1902)

Weston Fulton was a meteorologist, inventor and entrepreneur best known for his invention, the “sylphon,” a seamless metal bellows used in thermostats, switches and other temperature-control devices. Fulton also invented an “automatic river gauge” while working for the U.S. Weather Bureau and played a primary role in development of the depth charge during World War I. His company, now called Fulton Bellows after numerous ownership changes, still operates in Knoxville. In 1923, Fulton was elected to the Knoxville City Council and chosen to serve vice mayor. He died in 1946.

Fuqua, Jana (Martin, ’74, HSC ’77)

Jana Fuqua has been a dedicated UT Alumni Association chapter leader in Memphis and Shelby County for more than 25 years and was coordinator of the Big Orange Caravan stop in the area for most of those years. Fuqua has served on numerous boards and committees such as the UT Martin Alumni Council, UTAA Board of Governors, UTHSC Pharmacy Alumni Board, and the UTAA Alliance of Women Philanthropists.

Galvin, Bill (Knoxville ‘86)

Bill Galvin is CNN International’s vice president for business development and sports programming. Galvin is in charge of all sports programming and special programming, including the network’s coverage of the Olympics and the World Cup, as well as its Special Projects reports.

Gatlin, Justin (Knoxville ’00-02)

Justin Gatlin is a sprinter and former Olympic and world champion. His 100-meter personal best of 9.74 seconds ranks fifth on the all-time list. Gatlin won the gold medal in the 100-meter sprint at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. In the 100-meter final at the London 2012 Olympics, he won bronze. His third Olympic medal came in 2016 at Rio De Janero, Brazil, where he finished with a silver medal. At 34 years old in 2016, Gatlin also became the oldest man to win an Olympic medal in a non-relay sprint event.

Gibson, Frank (Knoxville ‘76)

Frank Gibson is the founder of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, a group that advocates for citizen and journalist access to and transparency in government. A former news editor of UT Knoxville’s The Daily Beacon, Gibson had a long, distinguished career as an investigative reporter for The (Nashville) Tennessean specializing in open government.

Gilbert, Gibby (Chattanooga ‘63)

Gibby Gilbert is a professional golfer who has won tournaments on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, including dozens of top 10 finishes and three victories. Gilbert’s best finish at a major was tying for second place at the 1980 Masters, when he and Jack Newton finished four strokes behind the champion, Seve Ballesteros. Gilbert was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame in 1995.

Giles, Lee (Knoxville ‘69)

Lee Giles is a computer scientist and the David Reese Professor and Interim Associate Dean of Research at the College of Information Sciences and Technology at Penn State University. Giles’ research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, NASA, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Ford, IBM, Lockheed Martin and many others. He has consulted for or been on advisory boards of NEC, the U.S. Department of Treasury, and the U.S. Department of Defense, among others.

Gillcrist, Bob (Knoxville ‘81)

Bob Gillcrist is a senior-level executive with more than 35 years’ experience in architecture. He formerly was the president of Process Improvement Consulting and is now director of delivery and operations for Populous in Kansas City, Missouri. Gillcrist is a former member of the UT Knoxville Alumni Board of Directors.

Goldman, Chad (Knoxville ‘93)

Chad Goldman is chief creative officer for CauseForce, a Los Angeles-based company that has helped its non-profit clients raise more than $800 million since 2002. Goldman is an active member of the UT Knoxville College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Advisory Board.

Gordon, Bart ( Knoxville ‘73)

Bart Gordon is a lawyer and former U.S. Representative for Tennessee’s 6th congressional district, serving from 1985 until 2011. A Democrat, he was chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology from 2007 to 2011. Gordon is now a partner in the global law firm K&L Gates and a distinguished fellow at the Council on Competitiveness.

Gorie, Dominic (Knoxville ‘90)

Dominic Gorie is a retired U.S. Navy officer and NASA astronaut. A UT Space Institute graduate, he is a veteran of four space shuttle missions. He first flew as the pilot of mission STS-91 in 1998 and again as pilot on mission STS-99 in 2000. In 2001, Gorie was commander of mission STS-108, a visit to the International Space Station. In 2008, Gorie completed his fourth mission aboard a shuttle with STS-123. He also participated in the 1990 to 1991 Operation Desert Storm, flying 38 combat missions.

Gottlieb, Alan (Knoxville ‘71)

Alan Gottlieb is an author, conservative political activist, gun rights advocate, and businessman. Gottlieb has published more than 19 books and is chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms; founder of the Second Amendment Foundation; a board member of the American Conservative Union; president of the Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise; president of the American Political Action Committee; president of NoInternetTax.org; and president of KeepAndBearArms.com.

Grabenstein, Chris (Knoxville ‘77)

Chris Grabenstein is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Island of Dr. Libris and Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and co-author (with James Patterson) of the No. 1 bestselling series I Funny, House of Robots and Treasure Hunters. He also has performed comedy and written for Jim Henson’s Muppets and for TV and radio.

Graddy, Samuel E. (Knoxville ‘87)

Sam Graddy is a former athlete, football player and gold medal-winner in the 4 x 100-meter relay at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Graddy was drafted by the NFL Denver Broncos in 1987 and played for the Los Angeles Raiders. In 1984, he won the 100-meter event at the U.S. National Track and Field championships, and he won the NCAA 100-meter title for UT Knoxville. Graddy was second to Carl Lewis in the 100-meter race at the Los Angeles Olympics.

Grant, Mary Ann (Chattanooga ‘71)

Mary Ann Grant is president and CEO of the International Student Exchange Programs (ISEP), the world’s largest network of 325-plus post-secondary institutions in 50 countries cooperating to provide affordable international educational experiences for a diverse student population. Grant serves on the board of directors of the Forum on Education Abroad, a membership organization devoted to promoting high quality and effective education abroad programs on behalf of students at U.S. colleges and universities.

Graves, Samuel (Knoxville ‘42)

Samuel Graves played professional football with the Philadelphia Eagles, served as an assistant coach with the University of Tennessee and Georgia Tech, and served as head coach of the University of Florida Gators. He also served as athletic director at the University of Florida from 1960 to 1979. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1990. He was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame, the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame, the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. He died in 2015.

Gray, Jim (Knoxville ‘82)

Dr. Jim Gray leads a team of radiation oncologists at Sarah Cannon Cancer Center in Nashville and is a leading authority on the Cyberknife method of cancer treatment. His other specialty includes prostate seed implants. He holds professional memberships in the American Society of Radiation Oncology and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Green, Richard (Martin ‘78)

Richard Green worked at various pharmaceutical companies across the country. His work in research and production led him to be the vice president of manufacturing at UPM Pharmaceuticals in Bristol.

Greenburg, Alan (Knoxville ‘72)

Alan Greenberg is a prolific creator and operator of interactive and traditional media focused on the education, healthcare, and global travel services sectors. He is the president of Avenues: The World School, the first worldwide system of high quality, private K-12 schools. Previously, he was vice president of Whittle Communication and publisher of Esquire magazine. Greenberg also founded Greenberg News Network, a medical education and healthcare news organization that was purchased by WebMD, and Travel Holdings, a global interactive travel distribution firm.

Greene, Kimberly (Knoxville ‘88)

As executive vice president and chief operating officer of Southern Company, a gas and electric utility holding company, Kimberly Greene oversees all of Southern Company’s system operations throughout their multi-state region, including power generation, transmission, engineering and construction services.

Grunfeld, Ernest (Knoxville ’77)

Ernest Grunfeld is general manager of the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Washington Wizards. He won a gold medal as a member of the 1976 U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team in Montreal, Canada. He played in the NBA and was formerly the general manager of the New York Knicks and the Milwaukee Bucks. The late ‘70s Tennessee men’s basketball team was known as the “Ernie and Bernie Show” (in reference to Grunfeld and Bernard King) and is viewed as the golden age of UT men’s basketball. (See Bernard King below).

Guth, David (Knoxville ‘81)

David Guth is CEO and co-founder of Centerstone, one of the nation’s largest behavioral health care providers. The non-profit organization headquartered in Nashville serves nearly 142,000 individuals nationwide through its provider network. He received the National Council 2010 Visionary Leadership Award and was recognized as one of Health Care’s Power Leaders in the March 2013 Nashville Business Journal.

Guyton, Wade (Knoxville ‘95)

Wade Guyton is a professional artist who is represented in major galleries in the U.S. and European museums. Guyton was the first UT Knoxville alumnus to have work featured in the prestigious Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City. His work is now also part of the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Hadfield, Chris (Knoxville ‘92)

Chris Hadfield, a retired Canadian astronaut, was the first Canadian to walk in space. An engineer and former Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot, he flew two space shuttle missions and served as commander of the International Space Station. A UTSI graduate, Hadfield is also noted for releasing the first song ever recorded in space, “Jewel in the Night. “He later released Space Sessions: “Songs From a Tin Can,” an album of songs that he had recorded on the International Space Station.

Halford, Chuck (Knoxville ‘81)

Dr. Chuck Halford is a member of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Task Force One as the canine team veterinarian and has been certified for deployment as a technical support specialist. Dr. Halford is the primary care veterinarian for the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Canine unit and has been managing the medical care for a large population of search and rescue canines for more than 25 years.

Hamilton, Leonard (Martin ‘71)

Leonard Hamilton is the current men’s basketball head coach at Florida State University. He formerly coached at Oklahoma State University, the University of Miami, and for the National Basketball Association’s Washington Wizards. In his 23 years as a collegiate head coach, his teams have qualified for seven NCAA tournaments and eight NITs. Hamilton was named Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year in 2009 and again in 2012.

Hammon, Randy (Knoxville ‘82)

Dr. Randy Hammon, a veterinarian, is routinely on television and radio, along in newspapers promoting responsible pet care. He is a past president of the Tennessee Veterinary Medical Association and served as a board member of the Regional Institute of Veterinary Medicine. He also served on local, state, and national boards, councils, and non-profits including the local Humane Educational Society. He also works with, supports, and has served on boards for the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine and the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture.

Hanna, Michael W. (Knoxville ‘95)

Michael Hanna is a senior fellow at the Century Foundation, a nonprofit public policy research institution that promotes the thought that the prosperity and security of the United States depends on a mix of effective government, open democracy and free markets. He works on issues of international security, international law and U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East and South Asia.

Harper, Alvin (Knoxville ‘91)

Alvin Harper, a wide receiver, was drafted in 1991 by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round. He played in Dallas for four years when the Cowboys won the Super Bowl in 1992 and 1993. At UT, he also exceled in track and field, capturing the 1989 Southeastern Conference indoor high jump championship with a jump of 7 feet 2½ inches. He also anchored the University of Tennessee 4×100 and 4×400 meters relays. He was the Most Valuable Player in the 1991 Hula Bowl, and finished his NCAA football career with 103 receptions for 1,547 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Harper, Kelly (Knoxville ‘99)

Kelly Harper coaches the Missouri State University Lady Bears basketball team and is the former head coach of the North Carolina State Wolfpack women’s basketball team. She played as a point guard for the Tennessee Lady Volunteers during their three consecutive NCAA women’s national championships from 1996 to 1998. In 1997, Harper was named to the Final Four All-Tournament team.

Harvey, Reid (Knoxville ’06, 09, ‘10)

Dr. Harvey Reid works at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as an epidemic intelligence service officer with the enteric diseases epidemiology branch where he focuses on foodborne and zoonotic diseases. He previously served as government liaison for the CDC national security program’s global bio initiatives portal, where he led collaborative design sessions with G8 Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction.

Hashemian, Hashem M. (Knoxville ‘77)

Hashem Hashemian is president and CEO of Analysis and Measurement Services in Knoxville. He was elected to the premier rank of Fellow of the American Nuclear Society for his contributions and achievements to the advancement of nuclear science and technology. He is also the author of three books and is globally recognized as an expert in nuclear power plant and process instrumentation and control.

Hatcher, Charles (Knoxville ’84)

Dr. Charles Hatcher, a UTIA grad, was named Tennessee state veterinarian in June 2009. Charged with protecting and monitoring animal health, he worked for the Tennessee Department of Agriculture for more than five years as a staff veterinarian before moving into the chief vet position. As state veterinarian, Hatcher is responsible for certification and enforcement of animal health standards required for interstate and international commerce of livestock and livestock products.

Hatcher, Jennifer (Knoxville ’05)

When Dr. Jennifer Hatcher graduated as the first legacy student (see her father, above) from the UT College of Veterinary Medicine in 2005, she became the third-generation graduate from UT to join the family business that includes a dairy, a milk store and “Rock-N-Country Animal Clinic”, a mixed animal practice her father started.

Haushalter, Alisa (Health Science Center ‘07)

In 2015, Alisa Haushalter was hired as the head of the Shelby County Health Department. She is the first director with a nursing background to run the 550-employee agency that has a broad mandate overseeing epidemiology to environmental health to restaurant inspections.

Haynesworth, Albert (Knoxville ‘02)

Albert Haynesworth is a National Football League defensive tackle who played for 10 seasons, the first six with the Tennessee Titans, and the remaining years with the Washington Redskins, New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Drafted as the 15th overall pick in 2002, he was an All-Pro selection in 2007 and 2008, and considered “the most dominant defensive tackle in the league” at that time. He was selected as NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2008.

Heath, Ralph D. (Knoxville ‘70, ‘75)

Ralph Heath is the president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. He joined the company in 1975 as a design engineer at the start of the F-16 fighter program. During the past 20 years, he led the growth of the company’s international business. Prior to joining Lockheed Martin, Heath served four years in the U.S. Army as a combat engineer officer and was qualified as an airborne ranger.

Heird, James (Knoxville ‘71)

James Heird is considered a nationally renowned equine scholar. He currently serves as executive professor and coordinator for the equine sciences initiative at Texas A&M University. He has held numerous leadership roles such as professor, associate dean of animal science, associate dean of College of Agriculture, interim dean for College of Agriculture, interim dean for College of Business and interim vice provost for the College of Agriculture. He is the author of many publications and several textbook chapters.

Hellie, Dan (Knoxville ‘97)

Dan Hellie joined the National Football League (NFL) Network in 2013 as a host of Total Access. He covered the NFL for 15 years, including as the sports director for WRC, the NBC-owned station in Washington, D.C. During his tenure at WRC, Hellie won two Emmy awards, including one for best sports anchor.

Helmboldt, Jack (Knoxville ‘75)

Jack Helmboldt is the president and CEO of Maryville operations for Denso Manufacturing in Tennessee. He helped establish the company during its 1990 production startup and has served as a member of its executive committee. Under his leadership, the instrument cluster division won the 2007 Shingo Prize for Manufacturing Excellence, the nation’s top lean manufacturing award. In 2013, he was the first American to be named president of Denso Manufacturing Tennessee.

Hendrix, Diane V.H. (Knoxville ’88, 90)

Dr. Diane Hendrix is a professor in the ophthalmology in the department of small animal clinical sciences of the UT College of Veterinary Medicine. After graduation, she completed a small animal internship at North Carolina State University. She then spent two years in small animal private practice in Durham, North Carolina. She did her ophthalmology residency at the University of Florida. She became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists in 1995 and joined the University of Tennessee faculty that same year.

Herron, Roy (Martin ‘75)

A politician, attorney and author, Roy Herron served as the chairman of the Tennessee Democratic Party from 2013 to 2015. He was the state senator for the 24th district for 16 years and the 76th district state representative for for 10 years. He was the 2010 Democratic nominee for U.S. Representative for Tennessee’s 8th Congressional district. Herron works as an attorney and a businessman. He also serves as adjunct faculty at Vanderbilt University’s law and divinity schools. He has co-authored Things Held Dear: Soul Stories for my Sons and Tennessee Political Humor: Some of These Jokes You Voted For.

Hill, Tony (Chattanooga ‘90)

Tony Hill is a former National Football League defensive end who played two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, including on the 1992 Super Bowl championship team. He played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. At Chattanooga, he won conference and Division I-AA All-American honors. He finished with 13 career sacks, which at the time ranked first in school history.

Hilleary, Van (Knoxville ‘81)

Van Hilleary is a Republican politician from Tennessee. He represented Tennessee’s 4th district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003. While serving in the U.S. Air Force Reserve during the Gulf War, Hilleary flew 24 missions as a navigator on C-130 aircraft. In 2002, he was the unsuccessful GOP nominee for governor. He now is a consultant the Washington lobbying firm Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal.

Hinch, Tonya (Knoxville ‘85)

Tonya Hinch is the managing director of the Henry Crown Fellowship Program at the Aspen Institute. Prior to this, she successfully enjoyed a career that encompassed Fortune 500 companies. Hinch jumpstarted her career with marketing positions at Procter and Gamble and Clairol, and was the general manager of the hair care business at Neutrogena. She later became CEO of Don Hinch & Associates in Crossville, Tennessee, where some credit her with revitalizing the downtown. After retiring, she founded Life Planning Unlimited, a coaching and seminar business.

Hines, Leonard H. (Knoxville ’62, 64)

Leonard Hines served as a captain and flight surgeon for the U.S. Air Force’s 33rd Tactical Fighter Wing. He then worked for Memphis Surgical Associates for 35 years before joining the UT Graduate School of Medicine in Knoxville. In his current role as co-director of the University of Tennessee Center for Advanced Medical Simulation, he leads the multidisciplinary simulation center, which provides members of the healthcare team with the opportunity to master advancing technology.

Hinson, Robert (Knoxville ‘70)

Lt. Gen. Robert Hinson enlisted in the U.S. Air Force before being commissioned an officer in 1971. He served as a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress co-pilot, aircraft commander and an instructor pilot with the 97th Bombardment Wing at Blytheville Air Force Base in Arkansas. He also served as air staff training program officer on the U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Personnel Council at the Pentagon, and as a F-111B pilot, instructor pilot and flight evaluator with the 529th Bombardment Squadron at Plattsburgh, New York. He retired in 2003.

Hitt, Mary Anne (Knoxville ‘77)

Mary Anne Hitt is the director of the Sierra Club’s “Beyond Coal” campaign, and was recognized by Politico as one of the “Top 50 most influential thinkers, doers, and visionaries in American politics” in 2015.

Hobaugh, Charles (Knoxville ‘94)

Charles Hobaugh, a UTSI graduate, is a NASA astronaut and a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer. He had three spaceflights, all of which were space shuttle missions to the International Space Station, lasting between 10 and 13 days. His last spaceflight was in November 2009, STS-129 onboard the Atlantis as commander. In total, he logged 36 days in space.

Hoffman, Pete (Knoxville ‘79)

Pete Hoffman is vice president of intellectual property management for the Boeing Company, the world’s largest aerospace company. Hoffman is responsible for strategies that protect and generate the highest possible value from Boeing’s intellectual property. He manages the company’s patent portfolio and licensing of its technical data, images, consumer products, trademarks and patents.

Holcomb, Drew (Knoxville ‘03)

Winner of the Alumni Promise Award in 2015 along with his wife, Ellie, Drew Holcomb, is the front man for Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors. The band has released nine albums and gained a loyal following after opening for national acts and now headlining in recent years.

Holcomb, Ellie (Knoxville ’03 ‘06)

Ellie Holcomb performed with Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors (see above). She also has a solo music career and won the Gospel Music Association’s Dove Award for new artist of the year after she released her debut album As Sure As the Sun in 2014. She and husband Drew won the Alumni Promise Award in 2015. Ellie recorded two extended plays of songs based on the Psalms and other scriptures, both of which hit No. 1 on the iTunes Christian/Gospel charts.

Holdsclaw, Chamique (Knoxville ’99)

Chamique Holdsclaw is a retired WNBA player, having played at Washington, Los Angeles, Atlanta and San Antonio in the Women’s National Basketball Association. At UT, she twice received the Naismith National Player of the Year Award and was a three-time All-America selection. She won an Olympic gold medal with the USA Women’s Basketball team at the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, Australia.

Holt-Blackburn, Anne (Knoxville ‘73)

Anne Holt-Blackburn was the lead news anchor for WKRN-TV in Nashville, where she has worked for 38 years. She has received eight Emmys, the George Foster Peabody Award for the investigative documentary Under the Influence, and the 2007 Governor’s Award for Lifetime Achievement, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ highest honor. The first woman, the first African American, and the first news anchor to receive the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters’ Distinguished Service Award, Blackburn was inducted into the first class of the Tennessee Journalism Hall of Fame in 2013.

Honeycutt, Rick (Knoxville ‘76)

Rick Honeycutt is the pitching coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers. In his playing career, he was a star left-handed pitcher for six different teams during a 21-year career spanning from 1977 to 1997. He pitched in 30 post-season games, including 20 league championship series games and 7 World Series games, and never lost a game. Honeycutt gave up zero runs in the 1988 and 1990 post-seasons, and was a member of the Oakland Athletics 1989 World Series championship team.

Hood, Robin (Chattanooga ‘66)

A Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer, Robin Hood has traveled the world, photographing for advertising and corporate assignments. He is best known for images of the American heartland that convey lifestyles, traditions and values. In 1966, he was commissioned lieutenant in the U.S. Army and served as an information officer in Vietnam where he was awarded the Bronze Star. While a photographer for the Chattanooga Free Press, Hood was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for feature photography. In 1985, he formed Robin Hood Photography, producing photographs for national advertising, books and corporate communications.

Hopper, Randy (Knoxville ‘76)

Randy Hopper is the founder and managing partner of the law firm of Robert R. Hopper & Associates. He has a diverse practice, as a trial lawyer, litigating in both federal and state courts; as a lobbyist, where he has lobbied at a state level and with the federal government—Congress and with the Executive Branch, including various agencies of the federal government; as a counselor and as an advisor to business and corporations; and, as an advisor and as a spokesperson to the media in media relations.

Horne, Doug (Knoxville ‘67)

Doug Horne championed a state revenue reform proposal that provided every Tennessee high school graduate with the annual $4,000 HOPE (Helping Outstanding Students Educationally) scholarship and redirected lottery proceeds to help K–12 education. After 14 years at TVA, he began a real estate and entrepreneurial career that has included 140 projects across 21 states. His clients include many of the nation’s most desired commercial tenants, notably Walmart, Publix, Ingle’s, Winn Dixie and Food Lion. He is chairman and CEO of Home Properties, and owns an insurance agency as well as several newspapers and radio stations.

Houser, Jason (Knoxville ‘02)

Jason Houser is a director of homeland and analytic security with Redhorse Corp. Before joining Redhorse, he honed nearly two decades of experience in the homeland security and intelligence sectors including experience in managing dozens of federal agency programs at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). He also was advising and managing policy and operational activities for cabinet-level DHS principals, military leadership and the national security staff.

Howser, Huell (Knoxville ‘76)

Huell Howser was a television personality, actor, and voice artist best known for hosting “California’s Gold,” his human-interest show produced by KCET in Los Angeles for California PBS stations. The archive of his video offers an enhanced understanding of the history, culture and people of California. He also voiced the Backson in “Winnie the Pooh” (2011). Howser died in 2013.

Hubbard, John (Knoxville ‘83)

John Hubbard is the president and CEO of Bioclinica. He is a leader in the clinical services and biopharmaceutical research and development industries, with more than three decades of experience including executive level positions at Pfizer, ICON, Parexel and Hoechst Marion Roussel Pharmaceuticals. Prior to joining Bioclinica, he was senior vice president and worldwide head of development operations for Pfizer, where he directed and oversaw clinical trial operations and management of more than 450 clinical projects.

Hubbs, Brent (Knoxville ‘96)

Reporter and spotter, Brent Hubbs enters his 13th season with the Vol Network. He serves as host for the Spotlight on the SEC pre-game show and co-hosts halftime programming with John Wilkerson, the studio game day host. Hubbs provides the halftime statistics from the game site and retrieves opponent coach and player quotes. He also founded VolQuest, the premier website for Tennessee football, basketball and recruiting news.

Hudson, Lestor (Martin ‘09)

Lestor Hudson is a professional basketball player playing for the Liaoning Flying Leopards of the Chinese Basketball Association. In the 2007–08 season, Hudson recorded the only quadruple-double (points, rebounds, assists and steals) in NCAA Division I men’s basketball history. He was drafted in the National Basketball Association by the Boston Celtics in 2009 but was later claimed by the Memphis Grizzlies. Hudson also played for the Washington Wizards and Cleveland Cavaliers before returning to the Grizzlies in April 2012.

Huffaker, Carl (Knoxville ’38 ‘39)

Carl Huffaker was a biologist, ecologist and agricultural entomologist. He was one of the first entomologists to study the use of DDT to control mosquito populations. Huffaker was a fellow and president of the Entomological Society of America. He also was an honorary fellow of the Royal Entomological Society. He was awarded the Louis E. Levy Medal in 1976. He died in 1995.

Huffine, Joe (Knoxville ‘87)

Joe Huffine is the farm, home and fleet division manager for the Tennessee Farmers Cooperative and serves on the LaVergne, Tennessee, 4-H Foundation board of directors.

Hughes, Montori (Martin ‘13)

Montori Hughes is a former UT Martin Skyhawk defensive tackle who was drafted in 2013 by the Indianapolis Colts. He also played for the New York Giants and is now a free agent.

Hughett, Maude Riseden (Knoxville 1909)

Maude Hughett was the UT College of Law’s first female graduate in 1909 – a decade before women were given the right to vote. She received her degree in Tennessee at a time when women were denied admission to the bar in Arkansas, Kentucky, Georgia, Mississippi and Texas. Later she practiced law with her husband in Louisville, Kentucky. She died in 1968.

Huntsman, Ken (Knoxville ‘77)

Ken Huntsman initially worked for Telenet, where he was co-architect of one of the first successful commercial email systems. He then joined Control Video to work on downloading games to the Atari VCS in early 1980s. Out of that group, he joined several others in 1985 to co-found Quantum Computer Services, which became America Online (AOL). He retired from AOL in 2007.

Hutchins, Dwight (Knoxville ‘86)

Dwight Hutchins is the global managing director of Accenture. He has led teams across the world to develop and implement strategies to increase international trade and reduce delays at borders, while increasing security.

Irwin, John (Knoxville ‘58)

John Irwin is a cultural historian and founder of the Museum of Appalachia in Norris, Tennessee. He became the youngest superintendent of schools in Tennessee in the early 1960s. He has eight different published books (seven of which are nationally and internationally distributed).

Jacobs, Philip (Knoxville ‘71)

Philip Jacobs is senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Service Corporation International. He joined in company in 2007 and has more than 23 years of experience in retailing and marketing communications.

Jenkins, Bill (Knoxville ’67)

Bill Jenkins served as the 75th Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives. Jenkins later served as a U.S. congressman representing Tennessee’s 1st district from 1997 to 2007.

Johnson, Brent (Chattanooga ‘86)

Brent Johnson is a former UT Chattanooga Moc center who played for the Chicago Bears. He also was a member of the Chicago Bruisers of the Arena Football League, earning First Team All-Arena selection in 1987.

Johnson, Jerry (Knoxville ‘94)

Jerry Johnson is the managing director of RLJ Equity Partners in Bethesda, Maryland. He joined RLJ from American Capital, a publicly traded alternative asset management company. Prior to joining American Capital, Johnson was a vice president in the financial sponsors and private equity group at Bank of America. He also served as a White House Fellow and special assistant to the Secretary of Defense.

Jones, Charles (Knoxville ‘78)

Charles Jones has served as the chair of the UT Library Society’s board and has volunteered in other capacities to assist the libraries and Haslam College of Business.

Jones, Clay (Knoxville ‘71)

Clay Jones retired in 2013 after 11 years as chairman and CEO of Rockwell Collins, an aviation electronics and communications-equipment company based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He served as UT Knoxville Alumni Board President.

Kaufman, Jenneen (Knoxville ‘92)

Jenneen Kaufman is in her 20th season–her eighth as senior vice president/CFO – for the Tennessee Titans in the National Football League. She spent her first 11 seasons as the team’s controller. Kaufman is responsible for financial reporting, budgeting and the collective bargaining agreement audit for the franchise. She oversees the accounting of ticket and suite sales, sponsorships and broadcast revenues, player and staff payroll, while assisting with special projects.

Keith, David (Knoxville ’85)

David Keith is an actor and director. He received Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor and New Star of the Year – Actor for his performance in An Officer and a Gentleman (1982). His performance led him to a lead role status in the 1980s appearing the film adaptations of The Lords of Discipline (1983), Firestarter (1984) and White of the Eye (1987).

Kelleher, Susan (Knoxville ’95)

Dr. Susan Kelleher is a veterinarian in practice at Broward Avian and Exotic Animal Hospital in Deerfield Beach, Florida. She and her practice can be seen on National Geographic Wild’s show Dr. K’s Exotic Animal ER.

Kelly, James (Knoxville ‘73)

James Kelly is the former president of the National Association of Social Workers, a non-profit organization with 150,000 members nationwide. He served for three years as president of Menlo College in Silicon Valley. He is now president of Kelly/Mangel Consulting, specializing in leadership, higher education, accreditation, international education and recruitment, mental health, social work, gerontology and public policy.

Kessel, W. Dwight (Knoxville ‘50)

Dwight Kessel was a member of Knoxville City Council from 1963 to 1966, served as Knox County Clerk from 1966 to 1980, and was elected the first Knox County Executive in 1980, a position he held 14 years. His various business interests have included real estate investments; the conversion of the Farragut Hotel into office space; Chapman Drug Company, which he built into a multi-state chain; and the startup of one of the nation’s first local Internet companies—U.S. Internet.

King, Bernard (Knoxville ‘77)

Bernard King a retired small forward in the National Basketball Association, played 14 seasons with the New Jersey Nets, Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and the Washington Bullets. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013. In 2007, King’s number 53 was the first retired by the Volunteers, who later retired the number of Ernie Grunfeld, King’s former teammate. King is now working as a part-time broadcaster for NBA TV as well as the MSG Network. (See Ernest Grunfeld above).

Kline, Jane (Knoxville ’63 ‘65)

Jane Kline is a retired classical musician, philanthropist and community leader. She and her husband, Lowry (Knoxville ’62 ’65) established the Kline Music Scholarship Endowment at UT Knoxville.

Knight, Frank (Knoxville 1913)

Frank Knight was an economist who spent most of his career at the University of Chicago, where he became one of the founders of the Chicago School, a leading center of politicoeconomic conservatism. Nobel laureates Milton Friedman, George Stigler and James M. Buchanan were all students of Knight at Chicago. He died in 1972.

Korones, Sheldon (Health Science Center ‘47)

Dr. Sheldon Korones was a renowned neonatologist and the founder of the newborn clinic at the Regional Medical Center at Memphis. In 1968, he left a busy private practice to launch what would become one of the largest neonatal intensive care units in the country, a unit that now bears his name. He held numerous university appointments, and at the time of his retirement in 2009, was Alumni Distinguished Service Professor of Pediatrics and Obstetrics and Gynecology. He died in 2013.

Krutch, Joseph Wood (Knoxville 1915)

Joseph Krutch was a writer, critic and naturalist, best known for his nature books on the American southwest and as a critic of reductionist science. He also was associate editor of The Nation. His work The Measure of Man won the National Book Award for non-fiction in 1955. Krutch achieved prominence when he published The Modern Temper in 1929. There he challenged then-fashionable notions of scientific progress and optimism, arguing that science leads to a bleak view of the human condition. From 1937 to 1952 he served as a professor of English at Columbia University, where he was a popular lecturer.

Kunkel, Kathy (Knoxville ‘89)

Dr. Kathy Kunkel owns Little House Animal Hospital in Franklin, Tennessee, and throughout her career has served her community, supported the veterinary profession, and mentored future generations of veterinarians. She is the founder of Love on Wheels, a not-for-profit organization that provides children taken into custody by the Department of Children’s Services in middle Tennessee with wheeled luggage and basic toiletries as they are displaced from their homes.

LaKae, Valisia (Knoxville ‘01)

Born Valisia Little, LeKae has performed in numerous Broadway shows and won the Theatre World Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut Performance in 2013, starring as Diana Ross in Motown: The Musical on Broadway. For her performance, she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. LeKae left the show in 2013 to be treated for cancer, but was nominated for a Grammy in 2014 Over the last couple of years, Valisia has used her voice to educate others about ovarian cancer.

Langley, Monica (Knoxville ‘80)

Monica Langley is a senior special writer for the Wall Street Journal. She is also the author of the best-selling book Tearing Down the Walls: How Sandy Weill Fought His Way to the Top of the Financial World…and Then Nearly Lost it All. Langley was an adjunct professor of journalism at Columbia University and of first amendment law at Georgetown University Law Center.

LaPorte, Chris (Knoxville ’75, ’78, ‘89)

Chris LaPorte serves as head of government loan risk management at Coastal Securities. His duties include trading government guaranteed loans and pools. LaPorte co-founded Government Securities Corp. (GSC) in Houston, Texas, in 1979, and served as its president and chairman until 1996 when GSC consolidated operations with Coastal Securities. He also is a member of the Tennessee Bar, after earning his juris doctorate at UT. LaPorte and his wife, Quinita, sponsored the LaPorte Torch Fund, an investment portfolio managed by MBA students.

Lauria, Tom (Knoxville ’82, ‘86)

Tom Lauria is one of the foremost bankruptcy attorneys in the world. As global head of the financial restructuring and insolvency practice at White & Case in Miami, Florida, he oversees a group of 150 lawyers worldwide and helps major corporations through complex restructuring issues.

Lavin, Roberta (Knoxville ’86, ‘91)

Roberta Lavin is the associate dean for academic programs at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She was recently named an American Academy of Nursing Fellow. She served as the director of the Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson’s command center in Washington, D.C. in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. She has served as a designated federal officer on the National Commission on Children and Disasters; chief of staff/chief policy officer, office of the assistant secretary for preparedness and response, among many other positions.

Ledger, Alan (Knoxville ‘87)

Alan Ledger is product manager with Lucite International and a former president of the UT Alumni Association. He is the key liaison for UT’s corporate engagement with Lucite, initiating conversations about forging a research partnership between Lucite and the university.

Lengyel, Joseph (Knoxville ‘11)

Joseph Lengyel, who received his MBA at UT, is a U.S. Air Force four-star general and serves as the 28th chief of the National Guard Bureau and as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In this capacity, he serves as a military adviser to the president, secretary of defense, National Security Council and is the Department of Defense’s official channel of communication to the governors and state adjutants general on all matter pertaining to the National Guard.

Lewis III, George (Knoxville ’76, ‘80)

George Lewis is a shareholder of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell and Berkowitz, a law firm in Memphis, Tennessee. He focuses his law practice on complex business, banking, personal injury, insurance coverage, health care, and class action litigation and arbitration. In 2013, the American Arbitration Association named Lewis to its panel of arbitrators and he received the American Bar Association president’s citation for leadership.

Lewis, Jamal (Knoxville ‘00)

Jamal Lewis is a former running back for the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League. He is best known as a Raven, where he helped the team win the 2000 Super Bowl as a rookie. Lewis is also known for his outstanding 2003 season, where he rushed for 2,066 yards, which is third most all-time. As a free agent, Lewis signed with the Cleveland Browns in 2007. He retired after the 2009 season. Lewis was inducted into the Ravens’ Ring of Honor in 2012.

Lewis-Harris, Chris (Chattanooga ‘11)

Chris Lewis-Harris is a cornerback for the Denver Bronco of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2012 and later played for the Baltimore Ravens. At Chattanooga, he was an all-conference defensive back.

Lepard, Don (Chattanooga ’82)

Don Lepard is the founder and chief executive officer of Global Green Lighting. In 1997, he started Global Manufacturing Alliance Group in Chattanooga. He created the LED street light, one that could measure energy reductions, reduce maintenance costs and save a city millions of dollars. He received a U.S. patent on the next version of his light. Lepard has served on the alumni board of directors, and won the 2014 Joe Morrison Award, presented to a former student-athlete or coach, to recognize notable accomplishments and life experiences.

Linn, Jeremy (Knoxville ‘98)

Jeremy Linn is a former competition swimmer, Olympic medalist and former world record-holder. Linn set an American record in the 100-meter breaststroke while winning the silver medal at the 1996 Olympics. At the 1996 games, he was on the team that set a new world record in the men’s 400-meter medley relay. As a Vol, Linn was a 17-time All-American and won 11 SEC swimming titles, including six individual and five relay. He helped the Volunteers win an SEC team championship in 1996. Linn now coaches for Nation’s Capital swim team in northern Virginia.

Little, Jason (Knoxville ‘97)

Jason Little is the president and CEO of Baptist Memorial Health Care, an award-winning hospital network with 14 affiliate hospitals throughout the mid-south.

Littlejohn, Mike (Knoxville ‘73)

Mike Littlejohn is a retired sales executive at IBM. He has served on the UT Development Council, the UT Alumni Association Board of Governors and a committee to help shape the working plan for the Alumni Networking Program. Having retired in Knoxville, Littlejohn is a regular visitor to the Haslam College of Business, speaking to various student groups and mentoring the students he supports with his scholarship.

Long, Charlie (Chattanooga ‘61)

Charlie Long was first team little All-American and MVP as a guard at Chattanooga before joining the Boston Patriots of the American Football League (AFL) in 1961. He was an offensive lineman there for nine seasons and was a two-time AFL All-Star selection and a member of the Patriots’ All-1960s Team. Running back Jim Nance once said, “‘Choo Choo Charlie’ is the big train of the AFL. He set durability record for playing most games without a miss.” Long died in 1989.

Looper, Joseph W. (Knoxville ‘54)

Dr. Joseph Looper is a leader in the UT Dental Alumni Association, Northern District (Georgia) Dental Society, Georgia Dental Association, Hinman Dental Society and Georgia Board of Dental Examiners. Dr. Looper served on the Commission for the National Dental Boards for four years and was chairman in 1991.

Love, Tim (Knoxville ‘94)

Tim Love, a self-taught chef, worked his way to running and owning several restaurants across the south. In 2012 his restaurant, Woodshed Smokehouse, was named one of Bon Appetit’s Magazine’s 50 Best New Restaurants. He is known for his freewheeling personality and his signature urban western cuisine and quick business sense. He is a national spokesperson for Hellmann’s Mayonnaise and Thomas’ English Muffins and serves as host of CNBC’s Restaurant Startup.

Lynn, David (Knoxville ’74, ’78)

David Lynn, along with Mark Wilson (see below), are financiers with Farm Credit of Mid-America, who believe in their company’s motto of “Lending Students a Hand.” Lynn served in a number of leadership roles with the organization, retiring in 2016 as the senior vice president for financial services.

Madden, David (Knoxville ‘57)

David Madden is an accomplished author, writing novels and three collections of short stories, as well as a play. In addition to his fiction work, he is a poet and has been the author and editor of literary criticism volumes on a number of writers. He was a longtime faculty member at Louisiana State University where he founded and directed the creative writing program. He retired in 2008 as the Robert Penn Warren professor of creative writing. He has received a Rockefeller Grant, National Endowment for the Arts Prize and a Pulitzer Prize nomination for his novel, The Suicide’s Wife.

Madden-Lunsford, Kerry (Knoxville ’84, ‘86)

Kerry Madden is an author of teen novels and a professor of creative writing at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and at Antioch University in Los Angeles. She wrote the Maggie Valley Trilogy for children, which includes Gentle Holler, Louisiana’s Song and Jessie’s Mountain, set in the heart of the Smokies and published by Viking. Her first novel, Offsides, was a New York Public Library Pick for teenagers in 1997. Up Close Harper Lee made Booklist’s Ten Top biographies of 2009 for youth.

Maduks, Godwin (Health Science Center ’93)

Dr. Godwin Maduka hails from Umuchukwu, Nigeria. He is the owner/CEO and medical director of the Las Vegas Pain Institute and Medical Center, the largest pain treatment center in Nevada. His specialties include chronic and acute pain management, anesthesiology and interventional pain management. He is a philanthropist and has helped to transform Umuchukwu to a modern city. He built more than 100 houses for widows and poor in Umuchukwu.

Magnuson, Christine (Knoxville ‘09)

Christine Magnuson is a competitive swimmer and two-time Olympic medalist. She has won a total of five medals in major international competition, four silvers, and one bronze spanning the Olympics, the world championships, and the Pan Pacific Championships. She won silvers in the 100-meter butterfly and 4 X 100-meter medley relay during the 2008 Olympics.

Maier, Karen (Knoxville ‘74)

Karen Maier is the retired vice-president of marketing with Frisch’s Big Boy Restaurants. She joined Frisch’s in 1974 as a manager trainee and worked her way up. For more than 36 years she was responsible for the development and execution of the marketing and advertising programs, contributing substantially to the introduction and promotion of new products, marketing initiatives and the retail marketing of the branded products.

Marchant, Lanni (Chattanooga ‘07)

Lanni Marchant is a record-holding Canadian long distance runner who set the Canadian women’s marathon record at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 2013. At UT Chattanooga, she won titles in the Steeplechase, 5,000 meter, 10,000 meter and in cross country events. Marchant earned law degrees the University of Ottawa and Michigan State University. She was inducted into the UT Chattanooga Hall of Fame in 2015.

Marius, Richard (Knoxville ‘54)

Richard Marius was an academic and writer. He was a scholar of the Reformation, novelist of the American South, speechwriter and teacher of writing and English literature at Harvard University. He was widely published, leaving behind major biographies of Thomas More and Martin Luther, four novels set in his native Tennessee, several books on writing and a host of scholarly articles for academic journals and mainstream book reviews. He died in 1999.

Marr, Jerri (Knoxville ’92)

Jerri Marr has had a distinguished career with the USDA Forest Service. She is the assistant director for recreation for the service in Washington, D.C. In this capacity, she serves as an expert and program authority in the planning and coordination of outdoor recreation program policies and is responsible for providing technical leadership and guidance to the national recreation program.

Martin, A. David (Knoxville ‘73)

David Martin is the retired UT treasurer and founder of Martin and Company, an investment firm now owned by First Tennessee National. Martin and Company firm provides services to high-net worth individuals. It also caters to banking or thrift institutions, pension and profit sharing plans, charitable organizations, corporations or other businesses, state or municipal government entities and insurance companies.

Martin, Oscar (Knoxville ‘96)

Oscar Martin began his career at DuPont in various management roles before leaving to become a research and development manager at Alcoa. In 2005, Martin returned to DuPont as a sales and operations manager before becoming the chief innovation officer at DuPont’s Richmond, Virginia, campus. His training company, Technology Ed, offers UTAA alumni personal development training opportunities.

Mattawa, Khaled (Chattanooga ’96)

Khaled Mattawa is a poet, writer and translator focusing on translating Arabic poetry into English. He is the recipient of the Academy of American Poets award, the PEN America award for Poetry in Translation, a Guggenheim Fellowship, an NEA translation grant, two Pushcart prizes and the Alfred Hodder fellowship from Princeton University. He has also won the Arkansas Arabic Translation Prize and the Banipal Prize, which are the two major awards for translation of Arabic literature into English.

Mays, Melvin (Knoxville ’63)

Melvin Mays and his wife Linda (UTHSC ‘63) own and operate Liberty Pharmacy in Centerville, Tennessee, which has been operated as a community pharmacy continuously since 1919. He has also served his community and the congregation of Centerville United Methodist Church in leadership roles and membership of various committees, boards and commissions.

McAdoo, William Gibbs (Knoxville 1845)

William McAdoo was a lawyer and statesman, who led the Progressive movement that played a major role in the administration of President Woodrow Wilson. He served as Wilson’s campaign manager in 1912; he married Wilson’s daughter, and served as his secretary of the treasury. As secretary, he was responsible for the financing of the American side of World War I, providing large loans to the Allies, and running the United States’ railroad system.

McAlister, Harold (Chattanooga ’71)

Harold McAlister is director emeritus of the Mount Wilson Observatory Astronomical Activities and Research Interests, His research has focused on high-resolution interferometric imaging at optical and near-infrared wavelengths and determining the fundamental astrophysical properties (masses, luminosities, diameters, etc.) of stars. He also is a fiction writer, publishing his novel Sunward Passage.

McCall, John E. (Knoxville 1881)

John McCall represented Tennessee’s 8th district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1895 to 1897. He was a judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee from 1905 until he died in 1920.

McKenzie, Reginald (Knoxville ‘86)

Reginald McKenzie is the current general manager of the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. McKenzie played as a linebacker for the Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers. In 1993, he returned to Tennessee and served as an assistant under Vols Coach Philip Fulmer. McKenzie was employed by the Green Bay Packers from 1994 to 2012, rising to become director of football operations. During his tenure, the Packers captured eight division titles, three conference championships, and won the 1996 and 2010 Super Bowls. He was hired as general manager of the Raiders in 2012.

McKinley, Janet (Knoxville ‘80)

Janet McKinley’s BellSouth career culminated in her role as chief corporate auditor, in which she implemented the sweeping internal-audit changes that followed the Enron and WorldCom scandals and led to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Since retiring from BellSouth in 2007, McKinley has dedicated herself to her personal goal of helping others to build a foundation for success.

McKinley, Janice (Knoxville ‘76)

Janice McKinley serves as the chief nursing officer and senior vice president of quality, safety and nursing operations for Covenant Health in Knoxville—the first person to serve in this position.

McManus, John (Knoxville ‘96)

John McManus is a military historian, author and professor of military history at the Missouri University of Science and Technology in in Rolla, Missouri. McManus has published 11 books on numerous American military history topics, including the Allied invasion of Normandy, American infantry soldiers and the 7th Infantry Regiment.

McMichael, Greg (Knoxville ‘88)

Greg McMichael is a former professional baseball player who pitched in relief in the major leagues from 1993 to 2000. McMichael pitched in the 1995 and 1996 World Series, winning with the Atlanta Braves in 1995. He also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and Oakland Athletics.

Medling, Everett (Knoxville ‘69)

Everett Medling is a design professional whose projects have included these high-profile projects: the William B. Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport, the Royal Saudi Air Force headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, the Central Intelligence Agency Headquarters addition in Langley, Virginia, the FBI Automated Fingerprint Identification System Facility in Bridgeport, West Virginia, the Pentagon North Addition, the Ronald Reagan International Cultural and Trade Center in Washington, D.C. and the Jack Daniel Distillery Visitors Center in Lynchburg, Tennessee.

Merritt, Aries (Knoxville ‘06)

Aries Merritt is a track and field athlete holds the world record in that the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 12.80 seconds set in 2012. He won the gold medal in the 110-meter hurdles at the 2012 Olympics in London. After finishing sixth at the 2013 World Championships, Merritt was diagnosed with a congenital kidney disorder, which left his kidneys functioning at 10 percent. Nevertheless, in 2015, just four days after winning the bronze medal in the 110-meter hurdles at the World Championships, Merritt received a kidney transplant. He has returned to competitive racing.

Metcalf, Steve (Knoxville ‘84)

Steve Metcalf is a U.S. lobbyist and former politician. He served as a Democrat member of the North Carolina General Assembly. He also served in the U.S. Army as a chaplain’s assistant, and was the first county manager of Buncombe County, North Carolina. Metcalf served in the administration of North Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt as deputy secretary of governmental operations and deputy secretary of the North Carolina Department of Transportation before being elected to the state legislature in 1998. Metcalf was re-elected to the state senate twice, and served as chair of the education committee.

Michael, Creighton (Knoxville ‘71)

Creighton Michael is an acclaimed artist whose works in painting and sculpture are in various public and private collections, including the National Gallery of Art and The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. His work focuses on exploring spaces separating gesture and language while focusing on the dialogue between mark and pattern. He is a recipient of a Pollack Krasner Foundation grant, a New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship in sculpture and a Golden Foundation for the Arts award in painting.

Middlemas, Rich (Knoxville ‘97)

Rich Middlemas won the 2012 Oscar for Best Documentary Feature, making him the first UT graduate ever to win an Academy Award. Undefeated documents the struggles of a high school football team, the Manassas Tigers of Memphis, as they attempt a winning season after years of losses. He has been a guest lecturer in the UT Knoxville College of Communication and Information and the cinemas studies program.

Milan, Wardell (Knoxville ‘01)

Wardell Milan, an artist who works in drawing, painting and photography, was an artist-in-residence at Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Madison, Maine, before he earned his master of fine arts degree at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. After graduate school Milan moved to New York where he exhibited in Frequency curated by Thelma Golden and Christine Y. Kim; at the Studio Museum in Harlem, curated by Klaus Biesenbach; and at Museum of Modern Art and Log Cabin, curated by Jeffrey Uslip at Artists Space. He was awarded The Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Biennial Award in 2007.

Miller, Anthony (Knoxville ‘88)

Anthony Miller is a former professional wide receiver in the National Football League, playing, for the Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos. He was a five-time Pro Bowl selection. Miller was drafted by the Chargers in the first round in 1988. In 1989, he had a breakout performance and one of the best seasons in franchise history, leading the team with 75 receptions for 1,252 yards and 10 receiving touchdowns.

Millner, F. Ann (Knoxville ‘74)

F. Ann Millner was the 11th president of Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, from 2002 to 2012. She is currently a state senator for Utah’s 18th district. She has worked in a variety of positions at educational institutions and been involved in various community and academic organizations.

Moffitt, Phillip (Knoxville ’68, ‘71)

At the peak of his former career as CEO and editor-in-chief of Esquire magazine, Phillip Moffitt traded in his worldly aspirations to explore the inner life. He subsequently founded the Life Balance Institute and now teaches vipassana meditation with an emphasis on living the dharma in daily life. Moffitt is a co-guiding teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California, and the author of Emotional Chaos to Clarity and Dancing with Life.

Morgan, Leanne (Knoxville ‘92)

Leanne Morgan is a comedian, wife, and mother whose funny-but-honest point of view can be heard daily on her own Sirius/XM show on Blue Collar Comedy Channel called Chewing the Fat. She is part of Dr. Phil’s “advice panel.” In addition to Morgan’s solo stand up career, she toured with the Southern Fried Chicks for three years and is currently part of a new comedy tour called Country Cool.

Morris, Laura C. (Knoxville ‘79)

Laura Morris (married to Steve Morris, below) has worked and volunteered for several of nonprofit organizations. Besides being an artist, she offers her expertise as a consultant for nonprofits. The former chair of the UT Alliance of Women Philanthropists, she serves on the Alliance as the vice chair of programming. She also serves on the Nashville Red Cross Board of Directors and the Arts Council of Williamson County Board of Directors

Morris, M. Steve (Knoxville ‘76, ‘81)

Steve Morris (married to Laura Morris, above) began by loading and unloading packages on the night shift at United Parcel Service (UPS) and rose to the level of vice president and chief operating officer of several UPS districts, including Germany, West Virginia, Oregon, and Tennessee.

Morrison, John (Knoxville ’85)

John Morrrison is a contemporary classical composer and educator at Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His commissioned works have been performed by the Intergalactic Contemporary Ensemble, Minnesota Contemporary Ensemble, and Galhano/Montgomery Duo, among others. His recordings include Hard Weather Makes Good Wood, Twisted Little Ground and Light Possessing Darkness.

Moser, Barry (Chattanooga ‘62)

Barry Moser is an artist, renowned as a printmaker and illustrator of numerous works of literature. Some of his most celebrated work has been his illustrations for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, each of which consisted of more than a hundred prints, and the former of which won him American Book Award for design and illustration in 1982. He has illustrated nearly 200 other works as well. He is currently professor in residence and printer to the college at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Mossman, Kenneth (Knoxville ’70, ‘73)

Posthumously awarded the Alumni Professional Achievement Award in 2015, Kenneth Mossman was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2013 to serve as a presidential appointee to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, a five-member executive branch agency with safety oversight of all U.S. nuclear weapons facilities. He died in January 2014. Mossman was an Arizona State University professor of health physics and an expert on radiation health and safety.

Murphy, Jim (Knoxville ’77 ’81)

Jim Murphy is a partner at the law firm of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings in Nashville and has represented governmental entities and private sector clients. He practiced for 18 years in the legal department of Nashville and Davidson County, serving as the director of law from 1993 to 1999. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Nashville Sports Authority and the Nashville Hospital Authority, the development of the downtown arena and the football stadium, and the leases with the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League and the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League.

Musante, Gerard (Knoxville ‘71)

Gerard Musante has dedicated his career to the treatment of obesity. In 1977, he founded Structure House, a residential weight loss center in Durham, North Carolina, where he and his staff helped more than 30,000 people overcome weight issues. Musante also published a popular book – The Structure House Weight Loss Plan – that was featured in outlets such as the Today Show, CNN, and the New York Times.

Myers, Betty (Knoxville ‘77)

Betty Myers is an alumna photographer for UT’s “Pride of the Southland” Band and generously photographs and gives back to the band in many capacities.

Namkung, Won (Knoxville ‘77)

Won Namkung earned his PhD in physics at UT and is now the executive advisor and professor emeritus at the Pohang (South Korea) Accelerator Laboratory.

Nash, Kevin (Knoxville ‘81)

Kevin Nash is a professional wrestler and actor, currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) under its legends program. Nash has wrestled under several ring names, but is best known by his real name in World Championship Wrestling, Global Wrestling Force and the former World Wrestling Federation(WWF), where he was billed as Diesel. In 1994, Nash won all three titles comprising the WWF Triple Crown, and, at that year’s Slammy Awards won the MVP and the Best Tag Team awards. Nash was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2015.

Neal, Jr., John (Knoxville 1893)

John Neal was chief counsel in 1925 for the defendant, teacher John Scopes, in what became known as the Scopes Monkey Trial. Neal defended Scopes for teaching evolution. Neal was an advocate for the establishment of the Tennessee Valley Authority in the 1920s and 1930s. He also taught law at the University of Denver and the University of Tennessee, and served in the Tennessee state legislature. He was known as “The Great Objector” for his uncompromising (and often unpopular) support of progressive causes. He died in 1959.

Nelson, Thomas Amos Rogers (Knoxville 1828)

Thomas Nelson represented Tennessee’s 1st Congressional District in the 36th U.S. Congress (1859–1861), where he gained a reputation as a staunch pro-Union southerner. He was elected to a second term in 1861 on the eve of the Civil War, but was arrested by Confederate authorities before he could take his seat. In 1859, Nelson gained international renown for an explosive anti-secession speech he delivered before Congress. Nelson served on the defense team of President Andrew Johnson during Johnson’s impeachment trial in 1868, and was elected to the Tennessee Supreme Court in 1870. He died in 1873.

North, Gerald (Knoxville ‘60)

Gerald North is a distinguished professor and holder of the Harold J. Haynes endowed chair in geosciences at Texas A&M University, and was the previous head of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences. He spent 1974 to 1975 as a senior visiting scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. He moved to NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in 1978 where he was the initial proposer and first study scientist for the tropical rainfall-measuring mission. In 2005 to 2006, he chaired a United States National Research Council committee investigating surface temperature reconstructions for the past 2,000 years.

Omer, Abdisalan, (Knoxville ‘86)

Abdisalan Omer is a Somali economist and politician who previously served as chief of staff for the mayor of the Washington D.C., a director of the United Nations Department Procurement’s Somalia Financial Services and Governance Program, and a chief business officer for the District of Columbia Public Schools. He also served as governor of the Central Bank of Somalia in 2013. As of 2015, Omer is the minister of foreign affairs of Somalia.

Owens, Terrell (Chattanooga ‘95)

Terrell Owens is an acclaimed former National Football League (NFL) wide receiver and a six-time Pro Bowl selection. He holds or shares several records. His 15,934 career receiving yards rank second in NFL history, and his 153 receiving touchdowns are third. Owens played for the San Francisco 49ers, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys, the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals. Popularly known by his initials, T.O., Owens is as renowned for his flamboyant touchdown celebrations and public persona as he is for his talent on the field.

Paige Jr., Woody (Knoxville ‘68)

Woody Paige is a sports columnist for the Denver Post, author, and a regular panelist on the ESPN sports-talk program Around the Horn. He was also a co-host of Cold Pizza and its spin-off show 1st and 10 until 2006, when it was announced that Paige would return to the Post. Paige is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee and is a Baseball Hall of Fame voter.

Parman, Travis (Knoxville ‘94)

Travis Parman is the director of corporate communications for Nissan Americas in Franklin, Tennessee. Before joining Nissan in 2012, he had a 12-year career with General Motors and served for a year as vice president of corporate communications with PulteGroup.

Patel, Mitch (Knoxville ’91, 93)

Mitch Patel is founder, president and CEO of Vision Hospitality Group, a privately owned hotel development and management company with a portfolio of 31 hotels affiliated with premium brands, including Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide, InterContinental Hotels Group and Hyatt Corporation.

Pearson, Jerry Michael (Chattanooga ’77, ‘79)

Mike Pearson is a law enforcement expert with more than 29 years’ experience at the federal and local levels. He works for Radiance Technologies as the director of Tennessee operations, evaluating technologies developed primarily for the United States Department of Defense and determining prospective applications to the Department of Homeland Security along with other federal, state and local law enforcement. From 1984 to 2004, he was the United States Secret Service/Department of Homeland Security Resident Agent in Charge in Jackson, Mississippi.

Pell, Paula (Knoxville ’86)

Paula Pell is part of the comedy duo of Paula Pell and James Anderson (Knoxville ’85, see above). They were roommates at UT and went on to write for Saturday Night Live and to create the web series Hudson Valley Ballers. Pell had a hand in some of the best-known SNL sketches during the past two decades. She’s written for movies like Bridesmaids and This Is 40 and contributed to TV’s Parks and Recreation and 30 Rock. Most recently, she wrote the movie Sisters, starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, which she says is taken from the pages of her childhood diary.

Penley, Charlie (Knoxville ‘78)

Dr. Charlie Penley has been practicing medical oncology in Nashville since 1987, and is a partner with Tennessee Oncology. He is the past president of the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Advisory Board. He and his wife, Connally, have established the Penley Fund for Graduate Studies in the college.

Pershing, Ed (Knoxville ‘74)

In 1983, Ed Pershing and a partner founded an accounting firm—Pershing & Yoakley. That startup is one of the 20 largest health care consulting firms in the country and a top 100 public accounting practice. It serves clients in all 50 states and has developed a national brand, as PYA. Besides creating other successful ventures, Pershing has invested both his time and financial resources in the university.

Pierce, Scott (Knoxville ’96, ‘98)

Scott Pierce is the COO of Blue Cross of Tennessee. He has also served as CEO of BlueCare Tennessee, the Medicaid managed care subsidiary for BlueCross. Prior to joining BlueCross, Pierce worked in Tennessee state government, including five years as the chief financial officer and assistant commissioner of the Bureau of TennCare.

Polt, Michael C. (Knoxville, 77)

Michael Polt was a United States diplomat and is now a senior director at the McCain Institute after concluding his 35-year diplomatic career. He served as the U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Estonia and as U.S. ambassador to Serbia and Montenegro.

Potter, Wendell (Knoxville ‘73)

Wendell Potter is president of Wendell Potter Consulting. He has more than four decades of experience as a communications professional, serving as press secretary to a Tennessee gubernatorial candidate, head of advertising and PR for a large integrated health care system in east Tennessee, a partner in an Atlanta public relations firm, and a state and federal lobbyist. He is also a columnist for The Center for Public Integrity, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that produces original investigative journalism. His website, Tarbell, is a nonprofit news website that tackles corporate moneyed interests’ influence on energy, taxation, politics and health care.

Prados, John (Knoxville ’54, ’57)

John Prados has mentored several UT students—including the first African American and first woman—in pursuit of a degree in chemical engineering. In 2010, he won the Nathan Dougherty Award, presented to engineers whose accomplishments have brought distinction to the UT Tickle College of Engineering.

Pratt, Gary (Knoxville ‘77)

Gary Pratt is the CEO and vice chairman of the Surgical Review Corporation (SRC) in Raleigh, North Carolina. SRC is an internationally recognized non-profit with a goal to increase safety, efficacy and efficiency of surgical care worldwide. He founded SRC, and has previously started six other companies.

Priest, Cherie (Chattanooga ‘01)

Cherie Priest is an award-winning novelist and blogger who authored the popular Eden Moore series. In addition to her novels, Priest was a reviewer for the Bram Stoker Award-winning website Chiaroscuro and currently is a staff member of Subterranean Press. In 2006, she won the Lulu Blooker Prize for Fiction for Four and Twenty Blackbirds, becoming the first winner in that category. Her 2006 short story Wishbones was part of the Aegri Somnia anthology by Apex Digest, which was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award. Her acclaimed 2009 novel Boneshaker won several awards.

Pryse, Sharon (Knoxville ‘72)

Sharon Pryse is a successful entrepreneur, avid community leader and committed volunteer to a number of organizations. She began as a clerk in the trust department of Valley Fidelity Bank in Knoxville. While still in her 20s, she became the bank’s youngest senior vice president; then at age 35, founded The Trust Company. Today, The Trust Company in Knoxville that manages more than $2.5 billion in assets and employs 65 people across three cities. Pryse currently holds a position on the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees and U.T. Foundation Board of Directors.

Ramsey, Bob (Knoxville ‘70, Health Science Center ‘74)

Bob Ramsey serves as the Republican member of the Tennessee House of Representatives for the 10th district, encompassing parts of Blount County, Tennessee. A UT Knoxville graduate, he also earned a D.D.S. from UTHSC and works as a dentist.

Ramsey, Marshall (Knoxville ‘91)

Marshall Ramsey is known for his award-winning cartoons, entertaining radio program and engaging short stories. He is a two-time Pulitzer finalist. His editorial cartoons are syndicated nationally by Creators Syndicate and have appeared in the New York Times, USA Today and The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Mississippi. He is the author several successful books including two cartoon collections, the short story collection, Fried Chicken and Wine and the children’s book Banjo’s Dream.

Reedy, Ed (Knoxville ’64,’68)

Ed Reedy was the director of the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) from 1998 to 2003, and correspondingly a vice president of the Georgia Institute of Technology. He first joined GTRI in 1970 and specialized in radar system development and electromagnetic scattering. Reedy held a variety of research and leadership positions within the organization, including the head of research operations and four years as associate director.

Reeves, Pamela (Knoxville ’76 ‘79)

Judge Pamela Reeves serves on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee and is the first female judge to serve in the Eastern District. She is the first female president of the Tennessee Bar Association. Prior to joining the court, Reeves was a partner at the law firm of Reeves, Herbert & Anderson in Knoxville.

Regas, William Frank (Knoxville ‘51)

William Regas is a Tennessee legend whose influence on the restaurant industry is enormous. He took over the Regas Restaurant founded by his father and uncle, and several employees went on to build their own famous restaurants, including The Grady’s chain, which was a spin-off of Regas, and the founders of P.F. Chang’s, Aubrey’s and the Connor Concepts restaurants (Chop House and Connor’s). As a server, Regas worked with his friend, Dave Thomas, who started the Wendy’s chain. The long-standing culinary institution that survived the Great Depression closed after nine decades in 2010.

Reynolds, Mercer (Chattanooga ‘68)

Mercer Reynolds is the owner and president of Reynolds Jet. He also owns Cincinnati Jet Center, based at Butler County Regional Airport. Reynolds and business partner William DeWitt founded the investment firm Reynolds, DeWitt & Company. Reynolds’ other business ventures included Spectrum 7, an oil company that he co-chaired from 1980 to 1985 and which, in 1984 merged with the struggling firm Arbusto Energy owned by George W. Bush. Reynolds later invested with Bush in the Texas Rangers baseball team. From August 2001 to September 2003, Reynolds served as U.S. ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Riggsby, Kate and Stuart (Knoxville ’64, ‘82)

Katherine “Kate” and her husband Stuart Riggsby are UT retirees. Stuart Riggsby, although not an alumnus of UT, served as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and associate department head and professor in the department of microbiology. Kate Riggsby was a system programmer. The Riggsbys made the first substantive contribution to match a National Endowment for the Humanities challenge grant that led to the creation of UT’s Marco Institute, an internationally acclaimed center for the study of the history and culture.

Roach, Mintha (Knoxville ‘74)

Mintha Roach is president and CEO of Knoxville Utilities Board. During her tenure at KUB she has served as senior vice president and chief administrative officer; senior vice president of corporate services; vice president of corporate services; director of corporate services; and manager of human resources. Prior to her employment with KUB, Roach served as executive director/secretary of the City of Knoxville Civil Service Merit Board from 1987-1992. She currently serves on the boards of many companies.

Roberts, Ron (Martin ‘90)

Ron Roberts is the head football coach at Southeastern Louisiana University. He held assistant coaching positions at the college level at Greensboro (North Carolina) College; Tusculum College in Greeneville, Tennessee; Texas State University at San Marcos, Texas; and Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. Roberts was promoted as Delta State’s head football coach in 2007 and led the Statesmen to playoff appearances four times between 2007 and 2011.

Robinson, Kathryn Dee (Knoxville ‘72)

Kathryn Robinson is a former U.S. ambassador to Ghana. She began her diplomatic career in 1975 with an assignment in India and also served in China, Indonesia, and Korea.

Rogero, Madeline (Knoxville ‘87)

Madeline Rogero is the mayor of Knoxville. She is the first woman to be elected mayor of any of the big four cities in Tennessee. Rogero was elected the 68th mayor in 2011. During the past 35 years, she has served Knoxville as a community development director, county commissioner, non-profit executive, urban and regional planner, community volunteer and neighborhood champion. Prior to joining the City of Knoxville, Rogero was a consultant to Capital One Financial’s community affairs office and to America’s Promise – the Alliance for Youth, founded by Gen. Colin Powell.

Rogers, King (Knoxville ‘69)

King Rogers is an attorney with Glankler Brown in Memphis and remains involved with the Haslam College of Business and the College of Law. He concentrates his practice in the areas of corporate and commercial transactions, banking law and real estate development.

Rose, Richard (Knoxville ’71, ‘74)

Richard Rose is founder, president, and managing director of the prestigious Coats Rose law firm in Houston, Texas. His expertise is in the development of master-planned residential communities. He has extensive experience in the representation of commercial real estate developers in connection with acquisitions, sales, leases, construction and permanent financings.

Ross, Bill (Knoxville ‘60)

After graduation, Bill Ross joined the U.S. Geological Survey, working on the research staff for the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. He also worked as an inspector and consultant for the Virginia Department of Transportation, from which he retired. As a generous supporter of the department of earth and planetary sciences, Ross has established faculty awards, a field camp endowment and a gift to the new departmental home in Strong Hall.

Ross, Pamela (Chattanooga ‘87)

Dr. Pamela Ross is a former associate professor of emergency medicine and pediatrics with the University of Virginia Health System located in Charlottesville, Virginia, and founding CEO of Holistic Medical Consultants in Troy, Virginia. She bases her holistic medical principles and practice on the belief of an unbreakable connection between the mind, body and spirit. She’s been honored with numerous awards and recognized countless times for her work, including being selected as a distinguished Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians, and a recipient of the African American Alumni Achievement Award in Health.

Rouse, Curtis (Chattanooga ‘82)

Curtis Rouse played six seasons as an offensive lineman in the National Football League with the Minnesota Vikings and the San Diego Chargers. He played on Chattanooga’s 1979 Southern Conference championship team as a sophomore. In 2003, the Chattanooga Times Free Press placed him on Tennessee-Chattanooga’s All-Century Football Team, and in 2005 he was elected to the university’s Hall of Fame. He died in 2013.

Rush, D. Kenneth (Knoxville ‘98)

Kenneth Rush served as a U.S. ambassador who helped negotiate the groundbreaking four-power agreement in 1971 that ended the post-war crisis over Berlin. The Quadripartite Berlin Agreement–between the United States, Britain, the Soviet Union and France–ended more than two decades of East-West tensions stemming from Germany’s divided capital. It improved ties between Washington and Moscow, reaffirmed the western allies’ rights in the city and paved the way for the development of more peaceful relations between East and West Germany. He died in 1994.

Rushing, Wanda (Knoxville ‘98)

Wanda Rushing is professor emeritus of sociology at the University of Memphis. Her primary research interests include the political economy of development, racial and social inequality, education and economic development in the U.S. south, and urban change. She is the also the current president of Sociologists for Women in Society. Rushing is the author of Memphis and the Paradox of Place: Globalization in the American South. She is a member of the dean’s advisory board for the UT Knoxville College of Arts and Sciences.

Safavi Ali (Knoxville ‘02, )

Ali Safavi is president, founder, and CEO of 5209, a real estate investment company that has conducted more than 1,000 real estate transactions worth over $200 million in gross sales since 2009. His prior executive corporate experience stretches across several household name companies, including Hewlett-Packard, Sara Lee, Levi’s, Haagen-Dazs, Proctor & Gamble and Disney. While at Procter and Gamble, he led the company’s most significant and successful brand launch in Febreze Air Effects–worth $200 million in profitable revenue.

Sanford, Edward Terry (Knoxville 1883)

Edward Sanford served as a U.S. Supreme Court justice from 1923 until his death in 1930. Prior to his nomination to the high court, Sanford was as an assistant attorney general under President Theodore Roosevelt from 1905 to 1907, and a federal district court judge from 1908 to 1923. Sanford’s gave the majority opinion in the landmark case, Gitlow v. New York (1925) which held that the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment protection applied also to state governments, paving the way for later decisions expanding civil rights and civil liberties in the 1950s and 1960s.

Saint Preux, Ovince (Knoxville ‘04)

Ovince Saint Preux is a professional mixed martial artist who competes in the light heavyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2008, Saint Preux formerly competed in Strikeforce, the XFC, and Shark Fights. Saint Preux was ranked as high as sixth in official UFC light heavyweight rankings. Saint Preux played football for the Vols from 2001 to 2004.

Sasser, James R. (Knoxville ’57)

James Sasser is a politician and attorney. A Democrat, he served three terms as a senator from Tennessee from 1977 to 1995 and was chair of the Senate budget committee. From 1995 to 1999, during the Clinton Administration, he served as the U.S. ambassador to China. He now divides his time between Tennessee and Washington, D.C., as a consultant.

Schlicher, Ronald (Knoxville ‘81)

Ronald Schlicher is a diplomat and career foreign service officer with the rank of minister-counselor in the Department of State. He served as the deputy chief of mission (chargé d’affaires) from 1994 to 1996 and U.S. consul-general in Jerusalem from 2000 to 2002. He also served as ambassador to Cyprus from 2006 to 2008. In 2008, he assumed the position of principal deputy assistant coordinator for counterterrorism.

Schiesler, Antoinette (Knoxville ’69)

Antoinette Schiesler was an African-American chemist and director of research at Villanova University after being a Roman Catholic nun and an Episcopal priest. Her last job before retiring from academic life was as academic dean at Cabrini University in Radnor, Pennsylvania. While at Cabrini, Schiesler was ordained, and served as associate to the dean at the Cathedral of St. John in Wilmington, Delaware. She died from a brain tumor in 1996 at the age of 61.

Scholes, Juana Kim (Knoxville ’84,’86)

Juana Scholes is vice president of human resources for the Burks Companies, a nationally recognized facilities services/management company in Atlanta, Georgia. A certified senior professional in human resources, she previously held positions for the Department of Defense, the U.S. General Services Administration, Sportslife/Crunch Fitness/Bally’s International and many other companies.

Scott, Talmadge Dewayne (Knoxville ‘90)

In 2012, SRS President and CEO Dewayne Scott was named “Entrepreneur of the Year” by the Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce. SRS is a multi-million dollar company concentrating on delivering a diverse array of high quality projects and services to the federal government and commercial marketplace.

Separk, Al (Knoxville ‘69)

Al Separk has been practicing law since 1972. In 1978, he established his own law practice focusing on tax, fiduciary, business, corporate and elder law. He is a member of the Dean’s Circle at UT Law School and has served as board chair for more than 15 years during two time tenures.

Seymore, Sean (Knoxville ‘93)

Sean Seymore is the FedEx research professor, professor of law, professor of chemistry and Chancellor Faculty Fellow at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. His dissertation, Polar Effects in Metal-Mediated Nitrogen and Oxygen Atom Transfer led to four peer-reviewed publications in inorganic chemistry, including a cover article. Seymore serves as the faculty adviser to the Vanderbilt Law Review. He was appointed the law school’s first Enterprise Scholar in fall 2013 and is in the inaugural cohort of Chancellor Faculty Fellows.

Shalett, John (Chattanooga ‘67)

John Shalett is the founding president of the Louisiana Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. During his 46-year career, he has had diverse experience in clinical work, supervision, teaching and as an executive director of two non-profit agencies. He served as the first executive director of the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education and as the chair of the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations.

Shofner, Austin (Knoxville ‘37)

Brig. Gen. Austin Shofner, a U.S. Marine Corps officer in World War II, was captured during the Battle of Corregidor and then part of the only successful escape from a Japanese prisoner of war camp. He joined the Philippine resistance, and later returned to command units of the Marine Corps in the battles of Peleliu and Okinawa. Shofner was awarded the Silver Star for his service on Corregidor and another Silver Star for his later service with the guerrillas. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by Gen. Douglas MacArthur. He died in 1999.

Shuler, Heath (Knoxville ‘94)

A football standout in college, Heath Shuler played in the National Football League (NFL) and later served as a congressman representing North Carolina’s 11th district in the U.S. House of Representatives. At Tennessee, Shuler held nearly all Volunteer passing records by the end of his collegiate career. Shuler was a first-round selection in the 1994 NFL draft, taken by the Washington Redskins. He also played for the New Orleans Saints and Oakland Raiders. After three terms as a Congressman, Shuler now works as a lobbyist with Duke Energy.

Shulman, Constance (Knoxville ‘80)

Constance Shulman is the voice of iconic Nickelodeon character Patty Mayonnaise from Doug. She is currently a cast member on Orange is the New Black, for which she shared a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series with her cast members in 2014 and 2015.

Simms-Roberson, Priscilla (Knoxville ’04, Chattanooga ‘16)

In addition to her role as an associate professor on the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Nurse Practitioner program, Priscilla Simms-Roberson is the nurse director for the Rape Crisis Center in Chattanooga.

Sisco, Mike (Martin ’76)

Mike Sisco is an IT expert who has delivered 74 IT manager institute programs in 11 countries. He was senior VP responsible for all legacy systems support and installation of new systems for eastern U.S. Operations HBO and Company (now part of McKesson). He managed organizations consisting of more than 300 IT employees in this role. He has written 15 books and more than 700 articles on IT management for TechRepublic, IT Business Edge, CIO.com, HP and others.

Sisk, Jerry (Knoxville ‘75)

Jerry Sisk was an American gemologist who co-founded Jewelry Television in 1993. Sisk also served as the executive vice president of Jewelry Television until his death in 2013. Jewelry Television, which calls itself the largest retailer of loose gemstones in the United States, employed more than 1,200 people by the time of Sisk’s death. Sisk’s best-known book, Guide to Gems & Jewelry, is now in its second edition. In 2012, the Jewelers Circular Keystone, an industry trade magazine, included Sisk on its “Power List of industry movers and shakers.”

Skadberg Sr., Ann Holt and A. Dean (Knoxville ‘62, ‘61)

Ann Skadberg has supported several initiatives related to Neyland Stadium, Lady Vols athletic scholarships and the Pat Summitt statue. She co-chaired the UT Knoxville College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences’ Campaign for Tennessee and served on the boards of the UT Women’s Council and Alliance of Women Philanthropists. She is currently a member of the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences Board of Advisors.

Skrine Jr., Darryl Frank “Buster” (Chattanooga ‘11)

Darryl Frank “Buster” Skrine Jr. is cornerback for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns during the 2011 draft. In 2015, he signed a five-year contract with the New York Jets. AT UTC, he was twice named to the First Team All-Southern Conference.

Smith, Joshua (Knoxville ‘11)

Joshua Smith is a professional artist living and working in New York and is represented by major galleries in the U.S. and European museums. Along with Wade Guyton and Meredyth Sparks, he created the Artist in Residence Limited Box Series–a fundraising project to endow the Artist in Residence position in painting and drawing in the UT Knoxville School of Art, from which they benefitted while students.

Smith, Lewis (Chattanooga ‘79)

Lewis Smith is an actor best known for the role of Charles Main on the first and second part of North and South miniseries, He also played “Curly Bill” Brocious in the Kevin Costner film Wyatt Earp. Smith appeared as slave fight trainer “Jinglebells Cody” in Quentin Tarantino’s 2012 film Django Unchained. Smith founded the Actors Academy in Los Angeles, which prepares students to work in film and television.

Snyder, William (Knoxville ’54)

William Snyder is an academic who served as the chancellor of the UT Knoxville from 1992 to 1999. He is a former department head of engineering and mechanics and dean of the college. Snyder won the Nathan Dougherty Award in 2001 and is an iconic member of the UT family. He is an accomplished organist who performs on the Wurlitzer Organ at the Tennessee Theater.

Sparks, Meredith, (Knoxville ‘94)

Meredith Sparks is a professional artist living and working in New York. She is represented by major galleries in the U.S. and European museums. Along with Wade Guyton and Joshua Smith, she created the Artist in Residence Limited Box Series—a fundraising project to endow the Artist in Residence position in painting and drawing in the UT Knoxville School of Art, from which they benefitted while students.

St. Martin, Jo-Marie (Knoxville ‘85)

Jo-Marie St. Martin served as general counsel and chief of legislative operations for the former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Rep. John Boehner of Ohio. She also worked for the house committee on education and the workforce. She was the highest-ranking staff attorney and highest-ranking woman staff member in the U.S. House of Representatives. She has extensive relationships with members of Congress, White House staff, senior Congressional aides and private sector leaders. She is the vice president for government relations at W.R. Berkley Corp. in Washington, D.C.

Stallworth, Donté (Knoxville ‘02)

Donté Stallworth is a former football wide receiver who played 10 seasons in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round in 2002 and later played for the Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens and Washington Redskins. As a Vol, he was nicknamed “Hands” for his ability to come up with seemingly impossible catches. His 1,747 reception yards ranked ninth in the school’s all-time list. He works as a strategy consultant for Valens Global.

Statom, Lelan (Knoxville ‘86)

Lelan Statom, a UTIA graduate, is the Emmy award-winning senior meteorologist at Nashville’s News Channel 5. Outside of his work, he has been very active in 4-H programs, a passion that began in his youth. He also serves on several boards of many organizations.

Stephenson, William “Bear” (Knoxville ‘70)

William “Bear” Stephenson, a UTIA graduate, owns Stephenson Realty and Auction. He’s very active in community service for many organizations in east Tennessee and actively supports the UT Gardens and 4-H. He served in the U.S. Army, achieving the rank of 1st Lieutenant during Vietnam War. After the Army, he held various positions in the banking industry including branch manager before starting Stephenson Realty and Auction in 1982.

Stevens, John (Knoxville ‘86)

John Stevens is an entrepreneur of Stevens LLC in New Braunfels, Texas. Prior to starting his own business, he was group president for ITW Value Added Solutions Platform consisting of three global divisions: Zip-Pak, Dynatec and Valeron.

Stewart Jr., Melvin (Knoxville ‘88)

Melvin Stewart is a former competition swimmer and world record-holder who won two gold medals in the 200-meter butterfly and 4X100-meter medley relay and one bronze medal in the 4X200-meter freestyle relay during the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. During the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, Stewart placed fifth in the men’s 200-meter butterfly. During the 1987, 1989 and 1991 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, Stewart won gold in the 200-meter butterfly. At the 1991 World Championships in Perth, Australia, Stewart won gold in the 200-meter butterfly and set the world record with a time of 1:55.69.

Storey, G. Paul (Chattanooga ‘75)

Paul Storey is the executive director of the Cal Poly University Pomona Foundation. He previously served as the assistant vice president of business services at Clemson University and as campus stores manager at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. As the executive director of the foundation, Storey serves on the Cal Poly Pomona University president’s cabinet.

Strand, Elizabeth (Knoxville ’98, 03)

Dr. Elizabeth Strand is the founding director of the veterinary social program, a collaboration with the UT Knoxville College of Social Work and the UTIA College of Veterinary Medicine. Now in its 14th year, Strand has gained national and international recognition as a pioneer in this new area of social work practice.

Strickland, Michael (Knoxville ‘77)

Michael Strickland is the founder and chair at Bandit Lites in Knoxville. Bandit Lites is the oldest lighting company in the industry, providing services for concert, film, television, theater, architectural design, installation and consultation.

Studer, Cheryl (Knoxville ‘79)

Cheryl Studer is a two-time Grammy award winner for Best Opera Recording in 1991 for her performance of Richard Wagner’s Gotterdammerung and in 1994 for her performance of Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah. She received the International Classical Music Award – Best Female Singer of the Year in 1993 and was named Musical America’s Vocalist of the Year in 1994. She is a world-renowned dramatic soprano, most admired for her interpretations of the works of Richard Strauss and Wagner.

Summers, Jerry (Knoxville ‘66)

Jerry Summers is an experienced trial lawyer, one of a small number who has been included in every yearly volume of “Best Lawyers in America” in both personal injury and criminal law since 1983. He has argued cases before the United States and Tennessee Supreme Courts and has been involved in numerous landmark decisions in both civil and criminal law. He is only one of approximately five attorneys in Tennessee who has been selected for membership in all of the major honoraries based on legal ability and ethical criteria.

Tanner, John (Knoxville ’66, ‘68)

John Tanner is the former U.S. Representative for Tennessee’s 8th Congressional district, serving from 1989 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic party. Since retirement, Tanner serves as the vice chair of Prime Policy Group, a Washington, D.C. based government relations firm. Tanner was president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly from 2008 to 2010.

Tantivorawong, Apisak (Knoxville ‘78)

Apisak Tantivorawong serves as the minister of finance for Thailand. He has held multiple leadership positions within the Thai banking Industry including president of Siam City Bank Public Company, president of Krung Thai Bank Public Company Limited and chairman of the board at Quality Houses Public Company Limited.

Tate, Candace (Martin ‘04)

Candace Tate is a regulatory specialist in the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance. She has served on the UT Martin Young Alumni Council, UT Martin Memphis Region Chapter Board and the UTAA Board of Governors. She also holds an office of the Memphis Alumni Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and with the Junior League of Memphis.

Taylor, Ann Tanner (Knoxville ‘58)

Ann Taylor is a newscaster for National Public Radio (NPR), contributing to All Things Considered since 1989. She was a newscaster for WATE in Knoxville and WTOP in Washington, D.C., prior to joining NBC where she worked for 15 years. She was awarded the Gabriel Certificate of Merit, which honors excellence in film, video and audio. She was also a 1996 Notable University of Tennessee Woman Award Recipient and in 1979 received an American Women in Radio and Television commendation for “The Women’s Program.”

Taylor, Johnny (Chattanooga ‘97)

Johnny Taylor is the player development coach for the Virginia Commonwealth University men’s basketball team in Richmond, Virginia. Taylor played college basketball at UT Chattanooga, earning “So-Con Player of the Year” honors in 1997. Taylor went on to be the 17th overall pick in the 1997 National Basketball Association (NBA) draft, playing for the Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets, Chicago Bulls and Portland Trailblazers during his NBA tenure. In 2000, Taylor continued his professional career overseas until he retired in 2012.

Taylor, Keith (Knoxville ‘98)

Keith Taylor is president and CEO of the Modest Needs Foundation, a nonprofit organization management company. Founded in 2002, Modest Needs provides short-term financial assistance to individuals and families in temporary crisis who, because they are working and live just above the poverty level, are ineligible for most types of conventional social assistance.

Tevepaugh, Carol (Knoxville ‘79)

Carol Tevepaugh is the former vice president for strategic business development for ARES Corporation, a quantitative risk management firm, and now is the owner and managing partner at Water Oak Resources in Huntsville, Alabama. She runs with company, which offers management and system engineering consulting services, with her husband, Jim Tevepaugh.

Tevepaugh, Jim (Knoxville ‘79)

After Jim Tevepaugh retired from his position as vice president of north Alabama operations for Lockheed Martin, he now works with his wife, Carol Tevepaugh, at Water Oak Resources, which offers management and system engineering consulting services.

Thomas, Fred (Martin ‘96)

Fred Thomas is a former cornerback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in 1996 and later signed with the New Orleans Saints before the 2000 season. He played for them until 2007. He finished his Saints career with 13 interceptions and five sacks. His best seasons came in 2002 and 2003.

Thomas, W.I. (Knoxville 1884)

W.I. Thomas was a highly influential sociologist. With the help of Polish sociologist Florian Znaniecki, Thomas developed innovative work on the sociology of migration. Thomas formulated a fundamental principle of sociology, known as the Thomas theorem. In his theorem, Thomas contended that, “If men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences.” In 1907 Thomas’s first major work, Sex and Society, was published. Despite a biological bias that today would be considered sexist, the book was progressive for its time. He died in 1947.

Topchik, Jack (Knoxville ‘67)

Jack Topchik is a former editor at the New York Times. His career was mostly with the Times News Service, which selects, edits and transmits news content to more than 600 newspapers and government agencies worldwide. He also originated the Times Digest, which he described as “a heavily edited, 10-page selection of Times stories that is transmitted nightly to hotels and cruise ships.” Topchik took a leave of absence in 2000 to serve in Peace Corps in Haiti.

Townes, Tim (Knoxville ’73, ’75, 80)

Tim Townes joined the University of Alabama, Birmingham (UAB), Medical School faculty in 1984. He is now professor and chair of UAB’s department of biochemistry and molecular genetics, where his work focuses on sickle cell and related blood disorders. Townes also serves as the president of UT’s Microbiology Board of Visitors. While an undergraduate at UT, Tim was an all-SEC, walk-on defensive back.

Traylor, Horace (Chattanooga ’65)

Horace Traylor made history in 1953 when he earned a bachelor of arts degree from Zion College and became the first African American to earn a bachelor’s degree in Chattanooga. Traylor served as president of Zion College from 1959 until 1964, at which time the institution was reorganized and renamed Chattanooga City College, where he continued as president until 1969. It was during this time that he made history again by becoming the first African American to graduate from the University of Chattanooga in 1965 with a master of education degree.

Trotter, De’Hashia Tonnek (DeeDee) (Knoxville ‘05)

DeeDee Trotter is a former NCAA national champion in the 400-meter, and competed in the 2004 (Athens, Greece), 2008 (Beijing, China), and 2012 (London, United Kingdom) Summer Olympics. She was a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 400-meter relay (2004 and 2012), in addition to a bronze medalist in the 2012 400-meter event. Trotter is also a fitness model and the founder of Test Me I’m Clean, a non-profit that advocates for drug-free athletics.

Trythall, Richard (Knoxville ‘61)

As a composer/pianist, Richard Trythall he has been awarded the Rome Prize in musical composition, a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Naumburg Recording Award and a Fulbright Fellowship, as well as composition commissions from the Fromm Music Foundation, the Dorian Woodwind Quintet and the Gruppo Percussione Ricerca (Venice, Italy). His compositions, which include works for orchestra, for smaller ensembles, for solo piano and for electronic works, have been performed at: New York’s Carnegie Recital Hall, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Tanglewood Festival, the Aspen Music Festival, the Gaudeamus Festival in Holland among others.

Turley, John (Knoxville ‘74)

A property developer in east Tennessee, John Turley is known for the Knoxville Turkey Creek project. He has served on the board of the McClung Museum in Knoxville for several years. Turley supports UT Knoxville’s Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy and is the current chair of the history advisory committee.

Upchurch, Lacy (Knoxville ’67, ’77)

Lacy Upchurch, a UTIA graduate, retired in 2015 following a decade of leadership as president of the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation (TFBF). His 10 years at the helm of the nation’s largest state Farm Bureau left lasting imprints for generations to come. He served on the TFBF board for two decades and was vice president from 2000 through 2005. He has served as chairman of the Tennessee Pork Producers and served on the board of the Tennessee Cattlemen’ Association.

Venable, Sam (Knoxville ‘69)

Sam Venable is a long-time columnist for the Knoxville News Sentinel, and whose wit brightens the days of countless readers. In addition to his column, he is also the author of many books.

Wagner Jr., Curtis (Knoxville ‘51)

Curtis Wagner Jr. was the chief judge of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission from 1974 until his death in 2015. Wagner’s federal service spanned more than 60 years. His early governmental career included working for both the criminal and civil divisions of the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as employment as a civilian with the judge advocate general’s corps of the U.S. Army where he was awarded the Army’s highest civilian honor, the Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service.

Warlick, Holly (Knoxville ’80)

After 27 years as Pat Summitt’s assistant, Holly Warlick became the head coach of the Lady Vols in 2012. A backcourt whiz, her playmaking prowess earned her recognition as “the best player in the South” during her career as a Tennessee Lady Vol. Although a walk-on, she became the first player in the history of UT (men or women) to have a jersey retired. Warlick played professionally with the Nebraska Wranglers in the Women’s Professional Basketball League (WPBL) in 1981 and was a WPBL All-Star as the Wranglers captured a league title.

Watson, Foy W. “Bo” (Chattanooga ‘83)

Foy “Bo” Watson has served speaker pro-tem of the Tennessee State Senate from 2011 to 2017. He was first elected as a state senator in 2006 for the 105th Tennessee General Assembly, having previously served as a state representative during the 104th General Assembly. He was a state high school wrestling champion. Watson has been a practicing physical therapist for 26 years and he is currently the director of sports medicine and therapy Services at HCA-Parkridge Medical Center in Chattanooga.

Weller, Joe (Knoxville ’68)

Joe Weller retired in 2006 as chairman and CEO of Nestle USA, having served since 1994. Prior to that, he served in various capacities with the Carnation Company, which was acquired by a Nestle affiliate in 1985.

West, Allen (Knoxville ‘83)

Allen West is a political commentator, former member of the U.S. House of Representatives and retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel. A member of the Republican Party, he represented Florida’s 22nd Congressional district in the House from 2011 to 2013. West was the first African-American Republican Congressman from Florida since Josiah T. Walls left office in 1876 near the end of Reconstruction. He is a contributor for Fox News and his first book, Guardian of the Republic, was published in April 2014.

Whaley, Betty (Chattanooga ‘54)

Betty Whaley, a former medical technologist, served as president of the University of Tennessee National Alumni Association, Women’s Council and Chair and on the 1996-97 Memorial Hospital Foundation Board. She also served as vice president on the UTNAA Board of Governors and on the UTC Alumni Board of directors. She died in 2015.

Whaley, Diana (Knoxville ‘96)

Diana Whaley, a retired public health nurse, was the recipient of the 2009 Florence Nightingale award, the nursing profession’s highest honor given by the International Red Cross. As a Red Cross volunteer, she was especially active in helping a Haitian orphanage in one of the most devastated areas near the epicenter of the 2010 earthquake.

Wharton, Charles E. (Knoxville ’65)

Charles Wharton is the president and CEO of Poplar Creek Farms, a diversified holding company. He also serves as a member of the UT Board of Trustees.

White, Penny (Knoxville ’81)

Penny White is the E.E. Overton Distinguished Professor of Law, director of the Center for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution, and interim director of clinical programs at the UT Knoxville College of Law. She has previously served as a justice of the Supreme Court of Tennessee, a Tennessee circuit court judge and a member of the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals.

White, Willie (Chattanooga ’84)

Willie White is a former National Basketball Association player for the Denver Nuggets in 1984 and 1985. In his freshman season at UTC, White averaged 11.8 points per game for the team that won the Southern Conference championship and made its first NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament appearance. He averaged 18.4 points per game his junior season, leading UTC to a third straight Southern Conference championship. White was named the Southern Conference men’s basketball “Player of the Year.”

Whitmore, George Washington (East Tennessee College 1843)

George Whitmore was a Civil War adjutant general serving the Confederate Army. He received a pardon for his wartime activities from President Andrew Johnson. Having his civil rights restored, served as a U.S. congressman representing Tennessee’s sixth and seventh districts and a U.S. senator from Tennessee. He died in 1876.

Widby, George “Ron” (Knoxville ‘67)

George “Ron” Widby was the last four-sport letterman at UT Knoxville, becoming an All-America in football and basketball and also earning one letter in both baseball and golf. In 1966-67, he led the nation in punting with an average of 43.8 yards, while in basketball, he averaged 22.1 points and 8.7 rebounds while leading the Volunteers to a conference title. He was named a first-team All-American in both sports, and was also the SEC’s basketball “Player of the Year.” Widby was selected in three professional drafts in two sports and played with the 1971 Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys.

Wilkins, Gerald (Chattanooga ‘84)

Gerald Wilkins is a retired professional basketball player. A 6-foot-6-inch shooting guard/small forward, he was a key player in the National Basketball Association, playing for the New York Knicks team of the late 1980s, consistently being the second leading scorer after Patrick Ewing. He also played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic.

Williams, Sharrie (Knoxville ‘01)

Sharrie Williams works as a news anchor and reporter for WPVI-TV in Philadelphia. Williams joined the Philadelphia Action News team in 2014. Before arriving in Philadelphia, she was the weekend anchor and weekday reporter at KTVT-TV in Dallas, Texas.

Williams, Tim (Knoxville ‘87)

From 1988 to 1991, Dr. Tim Williams worked in a private practice in Oneida, Tennessee. He then started a private practice in Knoxville before merging with University General Dentists in 2003. Dr. Williams was awarded a Fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry in 2000.

Wilson, Aldra (Knoxville ‘99)

Aldra Wilson is a former professional linebacker in the National Football League for eight seasons. Wilson was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the first round in 1999 and played his entire professional career for the Broncos. He was a five-time Pro Bowl selection and a two-time All-Pro selection. Wilson became the anchor of the Broncos’ defense He was a captain on Tennessee’s 1998 national championship team.

Wilson, Gibril (Knoxville ‘04)

Gibril Wilson is a former safety in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants in 2004. Wilson earned a Super Bowl ring with the Giants in the 2007 Super Bowl. He has also played for the Oakland Raiders and Miami Dolphins.

Wilson, John Charles (Knoxville ‘71)

In 2016, John Wilson stepped down from serving 15 years as president of AgriCenter International in Memphis. He is a lifelong farmer and his family has been involved in agriculture for 107 years. He is widely recognized as a leading conservation farmer and was elected to serve four consecutive terms as president of the Tennessee Association of Conservation Districts. In the late 1990s, he was appointed by Gov. Don Sundquist to serve on the Tennessee Water Quality Control Board. In 2015, Wilson received the Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Wilson, Mark (Knoxville ‘76)

Mark Wilson, along with David Lynn (see above) are financiers with Farm Credit of Mid-America, who believe in the company’s motto of “Lending Students a Hand.” Wilson is president of the UTIA Advancement Board and serves as senior vice president of financial services for Farm Credit. Both Lynn and Wilson led in the establishment of the Farm Credit Scholars program in the UTIA College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.

Winters, Charles (Knoxville ‘99)

Charles Winters is an online journalist, on-air personality and online media developer from east Tennessee who resides in New York City. He currently serves as the CEO for GaySocialites Media, the parent company for GaySocialites.com and queerplanet.net – the websites he owns, operates and manages. He is also a public member of Manhattan Community Board, serving on the quality of life committee.

Witten, Christopher Jason (Knoxville ‘08)

Jason Witten is a tight end for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League after being drafted by the team in 2003. He ranks second all-time in career receptions and receiving yards by an NFL tight end. He is a 10-time Pro Bowl honoree and in 2012, he won the Walter Payton “Man of the Year Award.”

Wojcienchowski, Gene (Knoxville ‘79)

Gene Wojciechowski is a sports writer, best known for his work with ESPN. His work has included stints with the Chicago Tribune, Dallas Morning News, The Denver Post and the Los Angeles Times. He became a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine in January 1998, having worked as a football reporter for the network since 1992. He was named a senior national sports columnist for ESPN in June 2005.

Ziegler, Delores (Knoxville ‘78)

Delores Ziegler is a mezzo-soprano who has had an active international performance career since the late 1970s. A former resident artist at the Cologne Opera, she has performed leading roles with many of the world’s best opera houses, including La Scala, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Metropolitan Opera, the San Francisco Opera, and the Vienna State Opera. She is currently a professor of voice at the University of Maryland.

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