Building Trust as the Modern Land Grant
Back in the spring, stadium managers and soccer officials from around the world converged here at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, to talk about grass—specifically, the grass that will grace every playing surface of the next men’s FIFA World Cup.
In 2026, the U.S., Canada and Mexico will host the largest and most sprawling edition of what is already the most-watched sporting event in the world. With 16 sites spread across the three countries, this kind of massive undertaking has never been tried before. But when FIFA decided to take it on, they turned to UT professor and turfgrass expert John Sorochan.
With the backing of FIFA, Sorochan and his team are not only creating the perfect pitch for the world’s top competitors. They are advancing technology that will make playing surfaces safer for athletes of all ages and sports.
This is what a flagship, land-grant university does best. We translate our expertise and capabilities into solutions and opportunities for those we serve.
Building Trust
In July, Gallup and the Lumina Foundation released survey findings that showed confidence in the country’s higher education system has hit record lows. Two-thirds of Americans said higher education is headed in the wrong direction.
They’ve lost trust.
Yet, as I travel the state and beyond, what I find most interesting is the gap between what the public thinks about all universities and what individuals think about their university.
I see it when I meet fans at tailgates and farmers at field days. When I talk with prospective students at recruiting events and business leaders at industry events. Everyone tells me how much they love the University of Tennessee and how proud they are to be Volunteers.
People base their opinions of UT not on the narratives they hear about us, but on their own experiences with us.
Tennesseans encounter our graduates in the workforce and our Extension resources. Families drop their students off on move-in day and bring their pet to our animal hospital. They watch a show at the Clarence Brown Theatre, tour the UT Gardens, and visit our campus on game day.
It’s these encounters with us that build the trust Tennesseans’ have in us.
A Covenant With Tennesseans
Last year at UT, we graduated 1,084 engineers—more than any other university in the state. That is not enough.
In fact, all the engineering graduates across Tennessee’s universities are not enough to fill the state’s projected job openings.
Tennessee faces a shortage across professions—a challenge we can help solve.
We are expanding programs and adding new degrees to allow us to graduate more engineers, nurses, and teachers. More social workers and journalists. More designers and lawyers. More entrepreneurs and veterinarians.
Together, we are boosting the state’s workforce while creating more opportunities for more students.
This intersection between what is best for our students and our research and what’s best for our state is where we fulfill our land-grant promise.
It’s the partnerships like the one our faculty have with Cherokee Health Systems, implementing long-term solutions that improve health outcomes in our community.
It’s the coalition we have built across education, industry, and government, positioning Tennessee as a destination for not only manufacturing vehicles but inventing the technology, too.
It’s initiatives like expanding digital learning, where we are sharing courses with Arizona State University and building out degree programs so we can meet students wherever they are.
It’s access to a world-class education for Tennesseans, supporting them through programs like the Flagship Scholarship.
It’s programs like the Appalachian Justice Research Center, investigating urgent issues alongside communities and finding evidence-based solutions.
It’s our joint venture with Oak Ridge National Lab, known as UT-ORII, bringing together the brain power of both institutions to solve some of our most pressing challenges.
This is what makes the land-grant university distinct. All universities will tell you they want to do good. We all want our students to succeed and our research to matter.
All public universities want to provide a public good and a return on the investment taxpayers are making. But as someone who spent the first half of my career at a public university and the second half at land-grant universities—there’s a difference.
As a land-grant, we have a covenant with Tennesseans— a trust they have placed in us —that we are here for them.
The bond we have with the place we love and the people we serve runs deep, and it’s why no one is in a better position than land-grant universities to remind people why higher education matters.
As a land-grant, we have a covenant with Tennesseans— a trust they have placed in us —that we are here for them.”
Better Future for Everyone
In April, I spent a few days in Nashville co-hosting an economic development summit with the chancellor of Vanderbilt University. We welcomed leaders in industry, government, academia and more.
While sitting on a panel, I was asked about the future of innovation in Tennessee and how we can maximize our potential.
I immediately thought about the parallels between our state and our campus, both with capabilities, support, and opportunity stacked in our favor.
The answer for both Tennessee and its flagship land-grant university is the same—it will take courage. The courage to care, the courage to think big, the courage to lead.
After all, our fates have always been intertwined. When our state is thriving, so is our university; and when the University of Tennessee is at its best, so is our state.
I’m proud of the progress we’ve seen in the last five years. But the real testament to the work we’ve done is not the records we’re breaking. It is, and will always be, the people whose lives we’re improving.
It’s the thousands of Volunteers who trust us with their education and their future.
It’s the communities that trust us to send them problem-solvers and leaders.
It’s the everyday people who trust the solutions developed by our faculty and researchers.
It’s the millions of Tennesseans whose lives are better in ways big and small because of their state’s flagship, land-grant university.