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Recognitions, December 9

The end of the year brings many reasons to celebrate: Researchers from SIS and CICS received $399K Sloan Grant; New dean of UT Extension appointed by UTIA; CEE professor named AAS Fellow; Retired UT Extension specialist honored by the Tennessee chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta; Nuclear engineering professor named ISEAM Fellow; TN Commissioner of Agriculture honored with 2020 Alumni Award by the Tennessee Chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta; UT Extension specialist named Field to Market’s 2020 Trusted Adviser of the Year.

Sloan Grant Winners from UT

SIS, CICS Team Awarded $399K Sloan Grant to Study Early Career Researchers

As COVID-19 continues to affect the way people live, work, and learn around the world, researchers are beginning to gather data on how the pandemic is affecting society, and one such research team is from the College of Communication and Information’s Center for Information and Communication Studies and the School of Information Sciences in collaboration with CIBER Research Ltd. in the United Kingdom. The study will delve into the lives of early career researchers around the world to better understand how the pandemic is affecting their work and role in the academic community.

UTIA Appoints New Dean of UT Extension

Ashley Stokes, UTIAAshley M. Stokes, DVM, Ph.D., MBA, beef industry partner and expert in teaching and community engagement, has been chosen as the new dean of UT Extension in the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. Stokes currently serves as the associate vice president for engagement and deputy director of Colorado State University Extension, and has a broad history of service to the national Cooperative Extension system. Her current duties at CSU include serving as assistant and associate vice president of engagement for CSU of the university’s Office of Engagement, including CSU Extension and CSU Online.

Fu Named AAAS Fellow

When Joshua Fu, the John D. Tickle Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, was growing up in Taiwan, on summer visits to his grandparents’ farm he was struck by the difference between the beautiful rural area and his heavy industrial city. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) rewarded that career choice recently by selecting Fu as an AAAS Fellow. In its announcement, the organization noted Fu’s “distinguished contributions to the field of air quality and climate modeling and informing national and international management and policies involving these issues.”

Tennessee Chapter of International Honor Society of Agriculture Honors Buddy Sanders

retired UT extension agent Buddy SandersThe Tennessee chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta, the international honor society of agriculture, has honored Buddy Sanders of Knoxville with its 2020 Distinguished Service Award. Sanders, who has worked as a professional in both Memphis and Knoxville, is a three-time employee of the University of Tennessee Extension and pioneer in value-added agriculture. Sanders helped lay the groundwork for the innovative Center for Profitable Agriculture, which is jointly operated by UT Extension and the Tennessee Farm Bureau Foundation to enhance the profitability of agricultural operations throughout the state of Tennessee.

Coble Rising in Engineering Asset Management

UT Associate Professor Jamie Coble, Department of Nuclear EngineeringSouthern Company Faculty Fellow and Associate Professor Jamie Coble, who also serves as the assistant department head for undergraduate studies and service, was recently elevated to Fellow of the International Society of Engineering Asset Management (ISEAM). She was first inducted as a member of ISEAM, a professional society dedicated to the development and recognition of asset management as an integrated and important body of knowledge, in 2015.

Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture Honored by UT Honor Society

Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture Charlie HatcherThe Tennessee Chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta, the International Honor Society of Agriculture, has honored Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture Charlie Hatcher, DVM, with its 2020 Alumni Award. Hatcher is a 1984 graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. Hatcher was appointed by Governor Bill Lee to serve as the Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture and sworn in as the 38th Commissioner on January 19, 2019. He is a tenth generation farmer and the fifth-generation of his family to farm in Tennessee.

UTIA’s Lori Duncan Named Trusted Adviser of the Year

UT extension agent Lori DuncanLori Duncan, row crop sustainability specialist at UTIA, has been recognized for outstanding leadership in supporting farmers in their pursuit of continuous improvement and has been named Field to Market’s 2020 Trusted Adviser of the Year. Field to Market brings together a diverse group of power organizations like agribusinesses, restaurant and retail companies, conservation groups and universities to focus on defining, measuring and advancing the sustainability of food, fiber and fuel production. Field to Market’s Sustainability Leadership Awards are presented each year to leaders in their field who pursue continuous improvement, resulting in measurable results and significant impact on both agriculture and the environment.