Tom Chappell was a founding member of the Board of Visitors (BoV) for the Department of Mathematics at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in 2018. He served as its inaugural president and is currently the past president. Chappell played a pivotal role in re-establishing the enlarged BoV during 2022-2023.  He earned his bachelor’s degree in…

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After more than a year’s preparation, an expanded, diverse 23-member Board of Visitors (BoVs) was established in fall 2023 to serve as ambassadors and strategic partners for the Department of Mathematics.  The board assists with formulating the department’s long-term development plans and strengthening its reputation nationally and internationally. In 2024, the BoV established a full…

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The “Program Assessment Conference for Mathematics [P.A.C.-Math]: Tools for Math Departments to Self-Assess GTA Professional Development Programs” was held on the campus of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, from October 20-21, 2023, and was organized locally by faculty member Jeneva Clark with assistance from the departmental staff. Rosario Dow was instrumental in its success. The…

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In addition to the many departmental awards and scholarships presented at 2024 Honors Day, below are awards and honors received by the faculty, staff, and graduate students from other organizations. Chancellor’s Professor Suzanne Lenhart delivered the prestigious J. W. Gibbs Lecture at the Joint Math Meetings in San Francisco on January 6, 2024.  Associate Professor…

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Math major Kevin Farmer graduated in May with a concentration in applied math. He is a veteran and a first-generation college student who is pursuing a career as an actuary.  Farmer completed an actuarial internship while a student at UT and successfully passed the first two actuarial exams, which cover material in probability and financial…

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Ryan Unger came to UT as an engineering student and started doing undergraduate research on experimental materials science in nuclear engineering. In his freshman year, he treated mathematics as a hobby and did not think it was a viable career option. The more mathematics courses he took, however, the more he liked mathematics. Taking several…

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Owen Queen graduated from UT in May 2020 with a double major in computer science and mathematics. His undergraduate research spanned artificial intelligence and data science in genomics, materials science, and epidemiology.  As a junior, Queen earned the prestigious Barry Goldwater Scholarship which is regarded as the most prestigious undergraduate STEM (science, technology, engineering, and…

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With a master’s degree in mathematics and a PhD in mathematics education, JENEVA CLARK has unique perspectives on teaching mathematics. Her research and connections are forging new opportunities for faculty and students at UT.  Clark joined the Department of Mathematics faculty in 2006 and has taught and coordinated Mathematical Reasoning courses for many years. She…

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Suzanne Lenhart’s achievements in applied mathematics were highlighted this year with her invitation from the American Mathematical Society (AMS) to deliver the Josiah Willard Gibbs Lecture.  Her speech to an international audience on January 4 at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in San Francisco—the largest math conference in the world—focused on the impact of math in…

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