The WestStar Leadership Program’s class of 2018 hosted a gubernatorial forum May 10 in UT Martin’s Watkins Auditorium. Chancellor Keith Carver (Knoxville ’95, ’09) welcomed the audience prior to the interview-style forum, in which six candidates participated. About 350 people attended the event and heard the candidates’ views on issues such as agriculture, the opioid epidemic, school safety, economic development, and the quality and accessibility of health care, technology and education in rural areas. A wider audience listened to the forum’s broadcast on local and regional radio and watched it live via an online webcast.
Ramsey Speaks to Institute
Dave Ramsey (Knoxville ’82), personal money-management expert and national radio personality, spoke on the “power of intentionality” April 19 during the UT Martin Ned Ray McWherter Institute’s Igniting Innovation event. The institute is a selective program that focuses on promoting innovation by offering students a three-year experience to grow through mentorships, domestic and international travels, networking events and professional development training. The evening, organized by the institute’s sophomore class, raised about $40,000 for the institute.
Rodeo Teams Place Third
During the 50th annual UT Martin Spring College Rodeo April 12-14, the UT Martin men’s and women’s teams placed third in their respective standings. Rodeo became a collegiate sport at UT Martin in 1968, and the university quickly developed a reputation for success, winning the UT Martin Rodeo Invitational Championship for three consecutive years (1969-1971). In 2014, the men’s team made history as the first collegiate rodeo team east of the Mississippi River to win a national team title at the annual College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyoming.
