The UT College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM) Large Animal Hospital has been named in honor of long-time benefactors Charles and the late Julie Wharton. A 1965 graduate of the Tickle College of Engineering, Wharton has shown significant philanthropic support for UT Knoxville, including the Institute of Agriculture, the Tickle College of Engineering and UT Athletics. Wharton is the president and CEO of Poplar Creek Farms and HC Inc.
Wharton also recently established the Charles and Julie Wharton Large Animal Endowment to expand their support of UTCVM, which dates to the late 1980s when the Whartons’ pet English bulldogs received care from the Veterinary Medical Center. Julie Wharton served on the UTCVM advisory board from its inception until her death in 2008 and was a founding member of the UT Alliance of Women in Philanthropy.
White to Aid Transition
David White, associate dean for AgResearch and professor of food science, is serving a temporary (up to 12 months) appointment as a senior administrative fellow. He will be responsible for assisting in the leadership transition when a new senior vice chancellor/senior vice president for UTIA is appointed, replacing UTIA’s interim leader Linda Martin, who also serves as the UT System vice president for academic affairs and student success. White’s new role includes fostering collaboration between units, departments and the UT Knoxville campus so as not to lose momentum on initiatives already in progress. White brings more than 17 years of experience in leadership roles within UTIA and the federal government and is a member of the 2021-22 cohort for the UT System’s Executive Leadership Institute.
UT AgResearch Awarded $50M
With an eye toward the future, and the importance of agriculture and natural resources to the economy, the State Financial Stimulus Accountability Group awarded $50 million in American Rescue Plan funding to support much-needed modernization of infrastructure and equipment at the 10 UT AgResearch and Education Centers across the state. The historical investment will enhance the university’s ability to conduct cutting-edge research and educate the future agriculture workforce. It will also support the state’s ability to accelerate economic recovery; increase the resiliency of state, regional and national agriculture and food supply systems; and support improvements to public health.
UTIA Receives Top Honors
UT Extension’s Ann Allgood Berry, a professor and specialist in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, was recognized for innovative programming to increase consumer economic literacy and stability by the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Cooperative Extension, and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. She received the national 2021 Excellence in Extension Award.
In January, the Herbert College of Agriculture’s Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications Department (ALEC) received the 2021 Outstanding Postsecondary Agriculture Program Award from the National Association of Agricultural Educators. The award is presented to programs that emphasize lasting teaching methods, enhance student motivation and exemplify great experiential learning.
