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News Roundup

ONSF Has Record-Breaking Year

The 2016–17 academic year saw nine UT students earn Fulbright awards, a record number for us. We also had our first-ever Gates Cambridge and Schwarzman Scholars, and the first Truman Scholarship finalists since 2014.

“Applications for major postgraduate awards such as the Fulbright, Schwarzman, Marshall, and Rhodes are now open, with campus and national deadlines fast approaching,” said Andrew Seidler, director of the Office of National Scholarships and Fellowships, which works with students pursuing these opportunities. “We invite faculty and staff to get familiar with our office and the many opportunities that exist for UT’s top scholars—from first-year students to recent graduates—and help direct them our way.”

UT National Scholarship and Fellowship Finalists and Recipients

  • 1 Gates Cambridge Scholar (first ever)
  • 1 Schwarzman Scholar (first ever)
  • 1 Marshall Scholarship Finalist
  • 2 Boren Scholars
  • 2 Truman Scholarship Finalists (first since 2014)
  • 3 Goldwater Scholars
  • 3 Critical Language Scholars
  • 9 Student Fulbrights (UT record)
  • 15 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellows

Life of the Mind Schedule Changes

We have revamped some of the Life of the Mind events for this year in an effort to extend the program throughout the fall and further enhance the academic and social experience of the participants.

Emily St. John Mandel, author of this year’s book, Station Eleven, will speak at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, November 13, in Cox Auditorium in Alumni Memorial Building. Students, faculty, and staff will be invited to participate in discussion sessions on campus that are being coordinated though Knox Reads, Knox County Public Library’s annual effort to encourage the entire community to read the same book. This year, Knox Reads is also using Station Eleven. Discussion session details will be announced in September.

Meanwhile, I encourage all faculty and staff (and students, of course!) to try the escape room based on Station Eleven that’s set up in Hodges Library through September 1. Each game is designed to last about 30 minutes. Participants play in groups of six; single players will be grouped with others to form a team. Reservations are required, so book your time now.

Experience Learning Courses, Faculty Fellows

The first 16 Experience Learning designated courses have been approved and some are being offered this fall. Ten of the courses involve service-learning; six involve research.

Twenty-five faculty members make up the first group of Experience Learning Faculty Fellows. They have received grants to redesign courses incorporating best practices supported and recommended by Experience Learning. The fellows attended the first Experience Learning Summer Institute to help them get started. Some of them will begin to offer elements of experiential learning in their classes this year.

Faculty Central

Faculty Central is a new tool designed to help faculty more easily find the information they need across all UT websites. Faculty Central doesn’t replace any existing website or host any original content; instead, it is a portal to quickly connect faculty with the resources they use most often that are most relevant to their work.