Fall 2023

Tied by blood or chosen by the heart, the varied concepts of family and home have been explored since the first family. For some, as musician John Denver sang, they’ve come home to a place they’ve never seen before, while others find comfort in the community where they know every crack in the sidewalk and person who passes in a car. For others, home is a person. Wherever they may roam, with that person by their side, there haven is. Whatever brings us that feeling of home, it helps us to understand who we are and who we want to be.

In this issue, we look at home and family, with how happy couples approach conflict, living in a tiny home and how one man changed his definition of family. Along the way, we’re exploring 4-H’s impact on Tennessee families, how one faculty member examines the concept of home through placemaking, and students who help build homes for others.

Sam Banks, Knoxville '23, assists in constructing a Habitat for Humanity house.

Home Sweet Homes

UT Knoxville resident assistants build habitat homes for 26 years.

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Derek and Sierra Ezell's tiny home.

Tiny Living

UT Martin professor used tiny house living for his dissertation.

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Cupcakes with white, yellow and green icing.

All-Round Education

Tennessee's 4-H Roundup celebrates a century of service.

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Map of North and South America overlayed on top of landscape photo of TN hills.

Finding Home

From Brazil to Tennessee, UT supports international faculty couple.

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Cap Nguyen smiles for a photo inside one of UT Chattanooga's mechatronics labs.

A Safe Haven

Cap Nguyen discovers opportunity at UTC.

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Occupational therapy student Akosua Odei watches as the actor playing a patient with multiple sclerosis bats a balloon with Georgia Ray, an occupational therapy student.

Occupying Home

UTHSC students use simulated home environments to learn how to assess patient needs in a home setting and care for…

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A Syrian refugee camp in Jordan.

Placemaking

UT Knoxville professor studies refugee camps' environments.

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Jonathan Stewart

Hopeless No More

American job center helps build new lives.

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Close-up of infant grasping a woman's hand.

Meeting the Challenge

UT Knoxville alumna runs agency that helps keep families intact.

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Floyd Flippin (UT Knoxville '80, '83)

Painting Tennessee Orange

Mural Campaign Reaches Halfway Point

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The general store in Fruitvale opened and operated for many years by UT System Randy Boyd's family.

Building from Home Base

Whether through families born or chosen, students build strength and resilience into our communities and society. A nurturing environment provides…

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Marcus, Isaiah, Zander and Melanie Williamson.

What Family Means to Me

Growing up, my family really valued the importance of our last name. We took a lot of pride in being…

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Illustration of a happy couple sitting on the couch.

Five Ways Happy Couples Argue

Happy couples and unhappy couples argue, but what distinguishes the two may not be so much what they argue about…

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Brian Winbigler, president of the UT Alumni Association.

Commitment Through Contribution

Winbigler’s journey from a scholarship-seeking student to an enthusiastic alumni volunteer speaks to his passion for giving back and the…

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UT Promise postcard showing a map of all UT campuses across Tennessee.

UT Promise Access Increases

The University of Tennessee System plans to extend the qualifying income level for UT Promise scholarship recipients to $75,000 from…

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Former Sen. Lamar Alexander, left, joined UT Knoxville Chancellor Donde Plowman and former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, who teamed up to teach an undergraduate honors course on leading with courage—the first course to be offered through the university’s new Institute of American Civics.

Rankings and Recognition

UT Knoxville is ranked among the best colleges in America for affordability and quality by Money Magazine.

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Sara Marc (UT Chattanooga, '22)

Grad Makes Très Grand Decision

UT Chattanooga graduate Sara Marc was accepted into the Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF) and was also awarded a…

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Middle and high school students took classes and studied a range of music before giving a concert during UT Southern's first music camp.

UTS Hosts First Summer Music Camp

Middle and high school students from Giles County and beyond participated in UT Southern’s first summer music camp in June.

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UT Martin football great Jerry Reese speaks to the crowd during the RISE celebration event.

RISE Campaign Surpasses Goal

The RISE fundraising campaign surpassed its goal of $175 million weeks before its planned June 30 end date.

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UTHSC College of Pharmacy

College of Pharmacy Rises to No. 6 in NIH Research Funding

The UTHSC College of Pharmacy is now ranked No. 6 in annual research funding from the National Institutes of Health.

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Ernest Bernard, center, a professor in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, is the recipient of the UTIA Institute Professor Award, the Institute’s top recognition for faculty. With him are, from left, AgResearch Dean Hongwei Xin; UTIA Senior Vice Chancellor and Senior Vice President Keith Carver; College of Veterinary Medicine Dean Jim Thompson; and UT Extension Dean Ashley Stokes.

UTIA Holds Annual UTIA Awards and Promotion Luncheon

UTIA celebrated the outstanding work of more than 40 members of the faculty and staff at the annual UTIA Awards…

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CIS Training Consultant Keith Groves, far right, led some of the manufacturing skills training in the Dyer County jail.

CIS Takes Manufacturing Skills Training to Jails

The TDLWD Office of Reentry partnered with the Northwest Tennessee Workforce Board, the Southwest Tennessee Workforce Agency and CIS to…

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