The university recognizes faculty, staff, students, and organizations that make an exemplary contribution to the community.

Extraordinary Community Service in 2009

Catherine wilt
Catherine Wilt, director of policy for the UT Center for Clean Products, has accomplished a great deal both in her official role through the Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment and in her unofficial role as an advocate. Wilt is an avid promoter of recycling and has served as president of national, state and city recycling coalitions. She has co-chaired Earth Fest since 2001 and led the effort to make it “zero-waste.” The Tennessee Valley Environment Partnership, which Wilt founded, received the Governor’s Stewardship Award for Environmental Education and Outreach in 2007. Due to this award, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation asked the group to help reduce waste at other festivals across the state, and they’re now working with five other festivals, including downtown Knoxville’s Sundown in the City.

FATHER ERIC ANDREWS
Father Andrews is the Catholic campus minister at UT. Through his worked at Blessed John XXIII University Parish for the last 9 years, he has served students, faculty, staff, alumni and neighbors of UT. He is a current member of the Chancellor's Associates and the Campus Minister's Council. He also serves as a General Consulter for the Paulist Fathers and, in the Diocese of Knoxville, he was appointed a Consulter to the Bishop and elected to serve on the presbyteral council and the priestly formation committee. He is also on the advisory board for Catholic Charities of East Tennessee. The Chancellor honors Father Andrews for his extraordinary community service.

melissa gordon
Melissa Gordon is a graduate student in social work. She began the graduate program in 2007 and has been a passionate volunteer in the Nashville community. Gordon organized a trip to Louisiana as part of the Jena 6 campaign and brought local performance poets to campus to give readings on social issues. She co-founded the Brain Injury Fund of Tennessee to help outpatient victims with financial burdens. She is also an organizer for the Cradle to Prison Pipeline with the Children’s Defense Fund, a program to help black youth in alternative schools. She has volunteered with the Clothesline Project Against Domestic Violence, a toy drive for children with HIV/AIDS and the Walk as One National Coalition for Justice and Community.

CLINIC VOLS
Clinic Vols is a student organization that works in partnership with the American Red Cross to staff inner-city elementary school clinics. The group served nine clinics during the fall semester and logged more than 4,000 work hours. Clinic Vols also helped school nursing personnel administer flu vaccines and worked closely with Knox County school health coordinators on a youth obesity and diabetes research study. With more than 350 active members, the group has contributed an additional 750 hours, in addition to their clinic work. They are truly an excellent model of service, benefiting the university and Knoxville community.

The PANHELLENIC COUNCIL
Panhellenic Council is the governing body of the 17 women’s sororities on the UT campus. The group works to bring programs about leadership, personal development and philanthropy to campus. This year, the council sponsored several programs to benefit the Panhellenic women and the larger community. Members of the Greek community raised $25,000 through small fundraisers to sponsor a Habitat for Humanity house. Greek members worked to build the house in one week as part of a spring 2008 building blitz. The council also sponsored an Easter egg hunt and Halloween party for the Boys & Girls Club, as well as programs for all UT students about the important topics of suicide and depression and driving under the influence.

Phi Beta Sigma
Phi Beta Sigma also sponsored several high-profile service events this year. Chapter members taught character-building classes at Austin East High School to reach at-risk students. They raised money for hurricane relief and helped register voters for the presidential election. The group’s most successful event this year was the “Sleep Out for the Homeless.” The event sought to demonstrate the struggles of homelessness to UT students and raise money for Knox Area Rescue Ministries. More than 350 students attended, and 80 spent the night outside on the Humanities Amphitheater. Chapter members donated more than $800 in food, clothes and monetary gifts.