Donde Plowman has served since 2019 as the ninth chancellor of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, the state’s flagship land-grant research university. In that time, the university has set new records in student retention and graduation, research, instructional spending, alumni giving, and state support.

UT has a footprint that spans the entire state, including the main campus in Knoxville, the Space Institute in Tullahoma, and the Institute of Agriculture with Extension offices in all 95 counties. Plowman oversees a campus budget of $2.5 billion as well as more than 41,000 students, 8,300 staff, and 2,500 full-time faculty. The campus includes 14 colleges, 900+ degree programs, and a physical plant consisting of 920 acres and 257 buildings.

Shortly after her arrival at UT, Plowman created the Division of Student Success to ensure that students receive a wide range of individualized support as they navigate college life. Since then, the university has seen significant results in retention and graduation rates. First- to second-year student retention has improved more than six points to a record 93 percent, and the four-year graduation rate jumped 17 points to 71 percent.

Improved retention, combined with a boom in new student applications, has allowed the university to strategically grow its enrollment by 40 percent, while the number of annual graduates rose to an all-time high of 9,500 in 2025. These record successes are creating more opportunities for more students and producing more skilled graduates ready to enter the workforce.

Plowman is recognized as a transformational leader in higher education, one who builds effective high-energy teams that deliver meaningful results. Much of her first two years as chancellor focused on leading the campus through the COVID-19 pandemic, which began just a few months after her arrival at UT. Unlike many universities, UT opened for the return of students in fall 2020 and was able to keep students safe and on track for graduation. UT was recognized by Campus Magazine as one of the top 10 universities in the country for its pandemic response. Plowman was also named one of Knox News’ Healthcare Heroes for her leadership and clear, innovative communication through the pandemic.

Under Plowman’s leadership, the university has increased its research expenditures to more than $400 million by shifting its focus from individual efforts to big collaborative projects. This change in emphasis has fueled creative solutions and new technologies as well as expanded innovation and economic development partnerships with key research partners including Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Y-12 National Security Complex, Volkswagen, Eastman, and AT&T.

UT has experienced unprecedented growth, with its annual fundraising growing fourfold and the completion of more than $1.4 billion in campus construction projects since 2020. Another $1.8 billion in campus improvement projects are in the planning, design, or construction phases, including new buildings for business and chemistry and a student success center. Additionally, she’s led the campus in the development of a new strategic vision and a new branding campaign.

Plowman’s role as chancellor includes oversight of Tennessee Athletics. Under her leadership, which included the hire of a new athletics director in 2020, the department has increased its revenue by more than 115 percent, helping to improve the fan experience and boost competitive excellence—as evidenced by the baseball program’s first national championship, in 2024.

Among her peers, Plowman is recognized as a leader. She serves on the Executive Committee of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities Board of Directors and as president of the Southeastern Conference’s Executive Committee. She previously served a three-year term on the NCAA Presidential Forum.

Before becoming chancellor of UT, she served as dean of the College of Business and then executive vice chancellor at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. She was previously a department head at UT. Plowman is a globally recognized organizational scientist whose scholarship includes the topics of leadership, change management, and strategic decision-making.

Plowman serves on the Board of Governors for the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, the Board of Directors for University Health Systems Inc., and the Board of Governors for UT-Battelle, the management contractor for Oak Ridge National Laboratory. She has previously served on the boards for the United Way, the East Tennessee Foundation, and the UT Foundation. She is a member of the Knoxville Executive Women’s Association and the International Women’s Association’s Knoxville chapter.