UT Chattanooga students practiced helping an older adult navigate in and around an apartment, finding ways to overcome challenges.
It was all part of a real-world learning environment designed to simulate obstacles that many older adults face and in which UTC occupational therapy students will one day provide guidance and help for clients. It also came from a grant provided by the Alliance of Women Philanthropists Giving Circle.
The concept behind the Giving Circle is simple: Women unite to pool their resources and then collectively decide where their funds can make the greatest impact. This approach supports numerous initiatives across the UT System and helps create a legacy of transformation, one donation at a time.
To date, the Giving Circle has contributed more than $825,000 to 91 University of Tennessee programs. These funds, raised and distributed by members, have supported a broad range of efforts, including faculty research, community outreach programs and the enhancement of various educational resources. The group’s mission is grounded in a commitment to change lives and instill leadership, and it continues to evolve, aiming to broaden its reach and impact.
Erin Melhorn, a UT Chattanooga associate professor and doctoral capstone coordinator in the Department of Occupational Therapy (OT), highlighted how the aging-in-place apartment offers students the opportunity to experience firsthand the physical limitations and challenges faced by older adults. The space is equipped with everyday household furniture like a bed, recliner and dining table, and includes simulation tools such as weighted vests to mimic conditions like arthritis or breathing difficulties.
“The simulation tools give them a greater understanding of what it’s really like to live with some of the things that happen as you age,” says Melhorn.
These immersive exercises foster empathy while providing students with a deeper understanding of the issues their future clients will face in their own homes.
After practicing in the apartment, the students feel equipped to assist a client in safely transferring in and out of a cramped bathroom—an essential skill for providing home-based occupational therapy.
“I think the simulation apartment gives them a greater understanding and appreciation and increases the level of empathy our students have in treating older adults,” Melhorn says.
The impact of the aging-in-place apartment extends beyond the classroom. During an open house, alumni praised the faculty for better preparing students to handle real-world challenges in the field of occupational therapy. UT Chattanooga’s OT department also collaborates with other health-related disciplines such as physical therapy and nursing, sharing resources like a dementia simulator to deepen understanding of patients’ struggles.
2025 – 2026 AWP Giving Circle Grant Awards
For the 2025–2026 Giving Circle Grants cycle, the Alliance of Women Philanthropists Executive Board approved funding for five grants, totaling $41,859.
$5,000 to UTC for BrainBridge: Exploring Brain Health
Across Lifespan and Recovery
This project will provide hands-on training for UTC students in functional near-infrared spectroscopy, an advanced brain-imaging tool. The equipment purchased with this grant will help students explore neurological recovery, cognitive decline and developmental delays, ultimately strengthening Tennessee’s health care workforce and improving patient care.
$7,690 to UTC for Hands-On Educational Displays at
the Clarence T. Jones Observatory
Funding will be provided for two interactive educational displays at the observatory library, aimed at enhancing public astronomy education. These exhibits will engage visitors of all ages and deepen their understanding of the universe and celestial analysis techniques.
$7,800 to UTIA for Specialized Spay-Neuter Training
for East Tennessee Veterinarians
This grant will fund training for East Tennessee veterinarians in high-quality, high-volume spay-neuter techniques, along with continuing education certified by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards. UT College of Veterinary Medicine faculty will lead workshops to improve long-term animal welfare in local communities.
$10,194 to UTHSC for Expansion of Mobile
Interprofessional Tandem Service
This funding will support the purchase of a diagnostic tympanometer—used to screen for hearing loss and assist with speech pathology—to expand outreach services for rural communities around Knoxville. It will aid in early intervention for preschool populations, allowing for the identification of communication concerns through otoacoustic emissions and tympanometry.
$11,175 to UTHSC for Hands-On Lab Kits for High School Teachers
This project will connect students with the history of the 1878 yellow fever epidemic in Memphis while teaching genetics, microscopy, data visualization and current epidemic issues. The grant will provide high school teachers with 15 reusable kits to bring these lessons to life in the classroom.
