Happy New Year and welcome back! This week’s recognitions include a CEE senior lecturer, four UT undergraduates, faculty from supply chain management, and a professor of architecture.
Undergraduates
Recognitions, October 16
UT Human Development Specialist Recognized with National Excellence in Extension Award

Matthew Devereaux, interim assistant dean and head for UT Extension Family and Consumer Sciences, has been selected to receive the National Excellence in Extension Award from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Cooperative Extension, and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU). Devereaux’s research has focused on best practices for positively developing youth in afterschool settings. He will receive the award at a ceremony on November 10 in San Diego, California during APLU’s 132nd Annual Meeting. Photo by T. Salvador, courtesy UTIA.
A University of Tennessee Extension professional has been recognized by national organizations for his contribution to national Cooperative Extension programs. Matthew Devereaux, a human development specialist in Family and Consumer Sciences and interim assistant dean of UT Extension, has been honored with the National Excellence in Extension Award.
Call for Nominations: Chancellor’s Research Awards
The Office of Research and Engagement is accepting nominations for five research-related awards to be given during the Chancellor’s Honors Banquet. Several faculty members and a student will be recognized for their excellence in research and creative achievement.
The Chancellor’s Honors Banquet is held each spring to recognize students, faculty, staff and friends of the University of Tennessee for their extraordinary achievements. Continue reading
Rocketry Team Taking Part in NASA Competition
A team of engineering students has been selected to participate in NASA’s Student Launch project, which pits 45 teams from across the countryagainst one another in an attempt to overcome a specific challenge.
This year’s competition, held during rocket trials April 4–8 at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, requires teams to build a reusable rocket capable of carrying a payload at least one mile high and successfully landing back on Earth.
Teams have a choice of one of three payloads:
- a camera that can identify and discern between targets in flight
- a rover that deploys upon landing, moves at least five feet, and extends solar panels
- an onboard system that can triangulate a landing within a specified zone
“We made a unanimous decision to go with the rover option,” said Grayson Hawkins, a senior in mechanical engineering who co-leads the team with Theresa Palandro, a senior in aerospace engineering. “We must consider problems such as ‘Can the main axle handle 20 Gs of acceleration?’ and ‘What is the most efficient way to stow the rover during flight?’”
Continue reading at news.utk.edu.