Baker Center Interim Director

To: Knoxville-area UT Faculty, Staff and Students
From: Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek
Subject: Baker Center Interim Director

I'm pleased to announce that College of Law Professor Carl Pierce will serve as interim director of the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, beginning June 1.

He replaces Alan Lowe, who left the Baker Center earlier this month to become director of the George W. Bush Presidential Library.

Carl has been at UT for 37 years and, in addition to his distinguished teaching career, has served in various administrative capacities. He will be a strong leader for the Baker Center, which provides both academic and service-oriented experiences to UT students and faculty and also sponsors community events and educational opportunities for area teachers and their students. Carl will help the Baker Center continue to grow as a national resource by encouraging its programming and research dedicated to exploring some of our nation's biggest public policy challenges, from energy to international relations.

Until Carl's arrival, Baker Center Associate Director Nissa Dahlin-Brown will serve as interim director. Nissa, who has held her position at the Baker Center since 2003, has a bachelor's degree in architecture, a master's degree in adult and technological education and a doctorate in higher education administration and policy studies. She has been at the university since 1984, beginning with the Department of Conferences and then moving to Professional and Personal Development. Her focus at the Baker Center has been civic education and public programming.

A search for a permanent director has commenced. Jan Williams, dean of the College of Business Administration, is chairing the committee.
Members are Baker's daughter, Cissy Baker; Barbara Dewey, dean of libraries; Rita Geier, associate to the chancellor and Baker Center associate; Tom Griscom, editor of the Chattanooga Times Free Press and Baker Center board member; Anne Mayhew, director of University Honors; Matt Murray, business professor and associate director of the Center for Business and Economic Research; David Reidy, associate professor of philosophy; Lee Riedinger, professor of physics; and Bruce Tonn, professor of political science.

Carl has a bachelor's degree and law degree from Yale University. He has been teaching at the College of Law since 1972. He also has served the college as assistant dean from 1972 to 1974 and as director of the Clayton Center for Entrepreneurial Law from 1997 to 2000. Now the W. Allen Separk Distinguished Professor of Law, his special interests are corporate law, regulation of the legal profession and American legal history.

A past president of the UT Knoxville Faculty Senate, Carl currently is serving as co-parliamentarian.

Posted April 8, 2009