UT Martin Office of Research, Outreach & Economic Development

Several UT Martin faculty and staff members attended the Advanced Online Faculty Workshop, held July 13-15 in the Latimer-Smith Engineering and Science Building. The sessions consisted of new updates to Canvas along with more advanced features to embed within their online classroom environment. It also included guest speakers who discussed different elements of the online student journey and resources they have available in their time here at UT Martin. The event was hosted by the Office of Regional Centers and Online Programs in partnership with ITS.

Pictured at the event are (front row, l-r) Dr. Will Bird, professor of agricultural education; Dr. Ben Le, associate professor of accounting; Julie Alexander, assistant professor of marketing; Dr. Alisa Bledsoe-Wilson, assistant professor of educational studies; Dr. Kailyn Hall, assistant professor of English; Dr. Kassie Baron, assistant professor of English; Amanda Waldon, laboratory instructor in the Department of Agriculture, Geosciences, and Natural Resources; Dr. David Williams, lecturer of English; Dr. Angie Glunz, associate professor of mass media and strategic communication; Jessica Crews-Garcia, lecturer of agricultural economics; Dr. Shannon Chi, associate professor of accounting; Dr. Amanda Burkhart, associate professor of chemistry; Angie Lamb, instructional designer, Office of Regional Centers and Online Programs; Abbie McClure, instructional technology specialist, Department of Educational Studies; (back row, l-r) Sarah Rasmussen, director of online programs, Office of Regional Centers and Online Programs; Dr. Chan Mi Jean, assistant professor of music; Dr. Tammie Patterson, associate professor of education; Laura Plunk, lecturer of education; Dr. Renee LaFleur, professor of history; Allison Williams, laboratory instructor, Department of Agriculture, Geosciences, and Natural Resources; Dr. Lionel Crews, associate professor of physics; Danny Morris, assistant professor of agricultural economics; Dr. Bob Lowe, assistant professor of computer science; Dr. Patrick Baker, professor of business law; Dr. Michael Spaulding, professor of education; Matthew Cupples, lecturer, Department of Health and Human Performance; Dr. Jennifer Dickerson, lecturer of education; and Chad McDaniel, instructional technology specialist, Office of Information Technology Services.

The Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Drug Misuse Prevention and Recovery will host its monthly Water Cooler Chat, “Sharing Is More Than Caring, It’s Life Saving,” from 1 to 2 p.m. CT, Tuesday, Aug. 11, in a virtual format.

Taking part in the program are Nicole Beningo, assistant director of the SAFE campuses; Kayce Matthews, director of the Coalition for Health and Safe Campus Communities; and Shannon Perry, director of Student Conduct and Care at UT Martin.

The Water Cooler Chat series of programs delivers an engaging, interactive discussion featuring SAFE (Stop the Addiction Fatality Epidemic) Project and campus prevention leaders. The SAFE Project will share insights from the implementation of a technical assistance program based on the Strategic Prevention Framework and the Opioid Overdose Prevention and Response Checklist for Tennessee campuses through the Coalition for Healthy and Safe Campus Communities (CHASCo). UT Martin has successfully trained more than 1,500 students to use naloxone and strengthened campus overdose prevention efforts.

The Water Cooler Chats are designed to foster conversation, giving participants the opportunity to ask questions directly to the facilitators, exchange ideas with peers and learn from the experiences of other campuses. Participants are invited to bring questions, challenges and successes to this collaborative session focused on practical strategies for opioid overdose prevention and response.

Registration for and information about the Water Cooler Chat series can be found at the Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Drug Misuse Prevention and Recovery website.

PHOTO: Pictured are panelists of this month’s Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Drug Misuse Prevention and Recovery Water Cooler Chats, Nicole Beningo (left), Kayce Matthews (center) and Shannon Perry.

Dr. Bryan Sandor, who previously served as a lecturer in mathematics and statistics at UT Martin, begins the 2026–27 academic year as a tenure-track assistant professor. Sandor began his career at UT Martin in 2019 after earning his bachelor’s degree from UT Martin.

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics also welcomes two new faculty members as the 2026–27 academic year begins.

Kyle Byassee, a 2014 and 2026 graduate of UT Martin and a recent mathematics major in the department, joins the faculty as a lab instructor. Dr. Rajrani Gupta joins UT Martin from the Missouri University of Science and Technology and will serve as a lecturer.

UT Martin had a productive meeting July 17 with the leadership team at West Tennessee Healthcare Bolivar Hospital, reinforcing the university’s shared commitment to addressing the health care workforce needs of West Tennessee.

Opportunities to develop innovative workforce solutions were discussed that would strengthen educational and career pathways and create meaningful partnerships that would benefit current and future health care professionals.

By working collaboratively, UT Martin and West Tennessee Healthcare Bolivar Hospital can expand access to high-quality health care while building a strong pipeline of skilled health care workers across West Tennessee.

Pictured are (l-r) Erica Bell, executive director of the UT Martin Office of Regional Centers and Online Programs; Loren McKinney, Bolivar Hospital clinical manager (Bolivar Hospital); Cindy Cole, Bolivar Hospital chief nursing officer; Ruby Kerby, Bolivar Hospital administrator; and Melanie Parham, director of the UT Martin HOPE Program.

Check out the Weakley County 2026 Community Guide at https://emflipbooks.com/flipbooks/WECCOC/Directory/2026/ and share with friends!

Members of the Austin Peay State University physical plant staff visited the UT Martin main campus July 28 to tour facilities, review projects and participate in a question-and-answer session with UT Martin trades supervisors and their team members. Pictured during the visit are (l-r) Michelle Turner, physical plant project coordinator; James Green, director of maintenance and central plant; Wes Powell, director of landscape and grounds; and Tom Hutchins, executive director – all from Austin Peay – and Dana Hagan, director of physical plant operations; Lee McBunch, facilities project manager; Ben Graves, associate director, physical plant operations; and Mike Davis Jr., assistant director of facilities services, all from UT Martin.

Priscilla Price, coordinator for the UT Martin Office of Student Conduct and Care, was selected to attend the 2026 National Association of Student Personal Administrators (NASPA) Region III/Southern Association for College Student Affairs (SACSA) Mid-Managers Institute, held June 12–18 at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

The Mid-Managers Institute is a highly selective, application-based professional development program presented through a partnership between SACSA and NASPA Region III. Designed specifically for experienced mid-level student affairs professionals, the institute provides a focused and immersive leadership experience that equips participants with the knowledge, skills, professional relationships and leadership dispositions necessary to make meaningful contributions to their institutions and the students they serve.

Throughout the week, participants engaged with distinguished faculty mentors, guest presenters and peers from across the region. Program topics included managing from the middle, navigating institutional politics and campus climate, strategic planning, fostering collaboration between academic and student affairs, professional competencies, and career planning.

Admission to the institute is highly competitive and reserved for individuals who demonstrate exceptional leadership potential. Applicants must be nominated and recommended by their vice president or vice chancellor, recognizing them as rising leaders with a proven record of excellence, commitment and professional achievement.

Twenty executives from campuses and institutes across the University of Tennessee System were chosen to participate in the 2026 class of the Executive Leadership Institute. The ELI is a year-long, cohort-based professional development program managed at the UT System level by the Employee Engagement and Organizational Team that reports to Dr. Linda Martin, executive vice president. The ELI’s purpose is to develop executive leaders for the UT System and is a biennial program that rotates across the UT campuses and institutes for each monthly session. Participants are nominated by their respective chancellor and approved by the UT System president. UT Martin participants in this year’s class are Dr. Jamie Mantooth, executive director, strategic leadership, Office of the Chancellor; Dr. Erik Nordberg, dean of the Paul Meek Library; Dr. Jeffrey Bibbee, dean of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts; and Ben Jones, assistant vice chancellor for advancement.

Cassie Burks, assistant professor of nursing, has been selected as a recipient of the Alliance of Women Philanthropists’ Giving Circle Grant 2026-2027 through her project “The Heartbeat of UTM: Lighting the Way to Survival.”

The grant will upgrade the Department of Nursing’s Basic Life Support equipment by funding a state-of-the-art fleet of CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) mannequins that meet strict American Heart Association mandates for real-time feedback. The nursing department partners with local clinicians to provide AHA-accredited life support training to students, faculty and rural health care providers.