The University of Tennessee System’s “Everywhere You Look, UT” mural campaign added Hamblen County to its growing list of locations with a barn in Talbott.
For property owner Shannon Greene, this 35th mural reflects his pride for UT and the state.
“I clearly have a preference, and it’s Tennessee,” Greene says. “I’ve been all over the world, but I’m always going to call this state home. I hope this mural encourages the same for our young people.”
The 54-foot-wide mural at 7425 W. Andrew Johnson Highway is seen by more than an estimated 21,000 travelers each day.
UT has a goal to paint one mural in each of Tennessee’s 95 counties. To learn about the existing murals or nominate a property, visit everywhere.tennessee.edu/murals/.
Boyd Announces Grand Challenges During State of UT Address
UT System President Randy Boyd delivered his fifth annual State of the University address virtually in February, announcing UT’s plans to tackle the state’s Grand Challenges—overcoming addiction, strengthening rural communities and advancing K-12 education.
Boyd also announced an investment of $4.5 million in grant funding for ideas that positively contribute to the three Grand Challenge areas—an effort to rally UT and Tennesseans around the cause. Ideas can come from anyone, but the proposed projects must have a clear connection to UT and its campuses and institutes.
“UT is willing and ready to work on these Grand Challenges,” Boyd says. “With our five campuses and two institutes, the University of Tennessee System can uniquely collaborate with communities across the state to solve these problems so future generations can thrive.”
To learn more about Grand Challenges and the grant program, visit grandchallenges.tennessee.edu.
Krishnamurthy Named President of the UT Research Foundation
In January, UT System President Randy Boyd announced the appointment of Maha Krishnamurthy as president of the UT Research Foundation (UTRF).
Krishnamurthy has served various roles within the organization since 2011 and has served as the interim president since October 2022. Prior to joining UTRF, she served as a technology transfer consultant for several NASA and Oak Ridge National Lab technologies and a physics research associate at UT Knoxville.
“Maha’s leadership during her time as interim president has been exceptional,” Boyd says. “I appreciate her service to the university, and I look forward to continuing to work with her to grow the entrepreneurial ecosystem at UT in this permanent role.”
