A historic $130 million investment by alumni Dee and Jimmy Haslam will bolster student success and faculty recruitment at UT Knoxville and its Haslam College of Business while strengthening the role of the university as a leader in higher education.
“We are honored to make this investment in UT and the Haslam College of Business,” say Dee and Jimmy Haslam in a joint statement. “The university is experiencing extraordinary momentum, and we are proud to help elevate its national reputation, attract world-class faculty and support the next generation of leaders—all while keeping the best and brightest here in Tennessee.”
The largest portion of the investment—$100 million—will be earmarked for the Haslam College of Business to attract distinguished faculty and further enhance its student success initiatives, graduate student scholarships and undergraduate honors program. The college’s undergraduate student population is the largest at UT Knoxville, accounting for more than 30 percent of the university’s total undergraduate enrollment.
The gift was part of a record-breaking $581 million in philanthropic support during fiscal year 2025-26, which marks another milestone in UT Knoxville’s momentum.
Strengthening Tennessee’s Future
UT Knoxville and UT Institute of Agriculture were part of a team awarded up to $160 million during the next 10 years from the National Science Foundation for the BRIDGES Engine. BRIDGES will transform underused farmland in rural areas of Tennessee and Alabama into launchpads for biobased innovation by growing specially developed perennial grasses and turning those grasses into high-demand automotive, construction and packaging products. BRIDGES will tackle the need for more robust agricultural markets, greater economic diversification and better job opportunities. The project also includes the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Auburn University, AGgrow Tech and Volkswagen Group of America.
Student and Alumni Success
- Twelve UT Knoxville students and alumni earned National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships to further their educations and research in science, technology, engineering and math fields.
- Sixteen UT Knoxville students were named Gilman Scholars, receiving a collective $55,000 in scholarships from the U.S. Department of State to support studies or internships abroad.
- Nine recent UT Knoxville alumni received Fulbright U.S. Student Grants for the 2026-27 academic year.
- UT Knoxville alumnus Randy “Komrade” Bresnik was named the commander of the Artemis III mission, the next phase in NASA’s plan to return humans to the moon.
Campus Milestones
Across 10 ceremonies during its spring commencement exercises, UT Knoxville welcomed a record number of graduates—about 9,000—into the Volunteer alumni community, including spring recipients of undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificates as well as summer graduation applicants.
Faculty Recognition
- Wayde Marsh, UT Knoxville assistant professor of political science, was named a 2026 Andrew Carnegie Fellow.
- Andrew Monteith, UT Knoxville assistant professor of microbiology, was named a Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences.