{"id":62117,"date":"2024-09-17T16:24:27","date_gmt":"2024-09-17T20:24:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/?p=62117"},"modified":"2024-09-19T12:45:39","modified_gmt":"2024-09-19T16:45:39","slug":"service-awards-recognizes-242-faculty-and-staff-for-their-years-at-utc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2024\/09\/service-awards-recognizes-242-faculty-and-staff-for-their-years-at-utc\/","title":{"rendered":"Service Awards recognizes 242 faculty and staff for their years at UTC\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Service

Service Awards Luncheon, Tuesday, Sept. 17. From left: UT System President Randy Boyd, Dr. Amye Warren, Dr. Ahmed Eltom, Dr. Cherry Guinn and Chancellor Steve Angle. Photo by Angela Foster.<\/p><\/div>\n

When <\/span>Dr.<\/span> Ahmed Eltom was hired at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga as an electrical engineering assistant professor in 1984, his plan was to stay for only a year.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Forty years later, he is still at UTC, now as a distinguished professor.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Eltom was one of 242 employees recognized for their service milestones at the UTC Service Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, Sept. 17, in the newly opened Wolford Family Athletic Center. The luncheon gives University administrators an opportunity to express their gratitude for their employees\u2019 diligent service.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a great place,\u201d Chancellor Steve Angle said in his welcome remarks, \u201cbut our heart and soul is people, and it is what each of you do. So, thank you so much for the passion, the dedication, going the extra mile for the extra effort that we put in to make sure that our students have every advantage possible to be successful.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Ten of Eltom\u2019s years on campus were spent as head of the Department of Electrical Engineering, during which he led efforts to revitalize a struggling program.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Dr.

Dr. Ahmed Eltom<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cI became department head in 2009 when the department was at a low point, with only 78 undergraduate students enrolled and fewer graduate students,\u201d Eltom said. \u201cIn 2008, the department graduated only one student.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Under his leadership, Eltom helped implement a six-year plan to rebuild the department and formed partnerships with Chattanooga State Community College, Tennessee Valley Authority and other local organizations. He secured a $2.4 million grant from the Department of Energy, developed state-of-the-art laboratories and founded the UTC Chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

By the time he stepped down as head, enrollment had grown to over 175 students.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe most meaningful part of this milestone is reflecting on how my work has helped others,\u201d he said. \u201cWhether it\u2019s students who have gone on to build successful careers or the community that has benefited from the programs and partnerships we\u2019ve established.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPersonally, it has been a privilege to witness and contribute to the transformation of the <\/span>electrical engineering department<\/span>, seeing it grow from a challenging period of low enrollment and limited research to a thriving program with significant industry collaborations, modern laboratories and excellent research.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Another 40-year awardee is Dr. Cherry <\/span>Guinn<\/span>, a nursing professor who began teaching at UTC as an assistant professor and level coordinator.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Dr.

Dr. Cherry Guinn<\/p><\/div>\n

In 1989, Guinn completed a doctoral degree in education with a specialty in curriculum and instruction from the University of Georgia. She said seeing students want to become nurses was always her greatest motivation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI truly enjoy educating students to become nurses,\u201d she said. \u201cI enjoy all phases of nursing education, with their entry education as a BSN student as well as watching them grow through their graduate education. It is exciting having them as colleagues as they come back to teach at UTC, as well as seeing them as nurses practicing at the various hospitals in our area.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt is an honor to be a part of helping their dream come true.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Guinn discussed how her role has evolved, from teaching students to leading initiatives that have shaped health care at UTC.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI have seen a lot of changes at the University through the years and the School of Nursing has seen its share of changes,\u201d she said. \u201cWe are going through another now as we add more programs and are starting to build a new building … We are always revising curriculum, seeking accreditation and evaluating everything.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the norm in education. I have learned to be flexible and to expect change. Over time, it always gets better.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Dr. Amye Warren joined UTC as an assistant professor 40 years ago. She began by teaching four courses each semester and conducting research in her field of child development with a focus on language and cognitive development.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Dr.

Dr. Amye Warren<\/p><\/div>\n

Within five years, she became a tenured associate professor, a UC Foundation professor and coordinator of the graduate program in research psychology.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Much of Warren\u2019s research focuses on enhancing children\u2019s language and cognitive development by training early childhood educators and ESL teachers. She recently collaborated on three federal grants to support students and teachers around the state.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After four decades at UTC, she said her students and her research field keep her motivated in her work.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere is always something new to learn and there are always issues involving children to investigate and resolve or improve,\u201d Warren said. \u201cIt is a joy to work closely with students and teachers who are eager to learn and to advocate for children and adolescents. Many of my students and colleagues have become my lifelong friends.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As for being recognized for her milestone, she said it hasn\u2019t fully sunk in yet.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a bit surreal\u2014alternately easy and difficult to believe I have been doing this for 40 years,\u201d she said. \u201cI love this job, but also take pride in training and handing things off to the next generation of teachers and students who will continue this work when I am gone.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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David King, an HVAC controls technician in UTC\u2019s Facilities Department, is also celebrating 40 years of service to the University.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the course of his career, King has played an important role in the development, maintenance and optimization of the campus\u2019s digital control systems as UTC has grown.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

King\u2019s expertise goes beyond day-to-day maintenance. He has been heavily involved in creating design standards for equipment and overseeing installations, ensuring that everything functions as it should. Whether reviewing designs, inspecting construction or programming software, he\u2019s made sure projects are completed up to standard.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Thanks to King\u2019s work, UTC has experienced significant reductions in energy consumption, cost savings and improvements in building environments. His work has also helped prevent property damage and outages caused by freezing temperatures and water leaks.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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The service awards are presented in five-year increments, beginning with five-year employees.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One of those celebrating five years was Dr. Jerold Hale, provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Dr.

Dr. Jerold Hale<\/p><\/div>\n

What attracted him to UTC, he said, was the University\u2019s strategic plan, which aligned with his values and vision. He said he was drawn to the faculty and the opportunities to make a difference in the student body.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hale said his time here has only strengthened his belief in the University\u2019s mission and the impact of the UTC community.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJust being on campus for five years has reinforced for me the important work that\u2019s being done at UTC by the entire campus community,\u201d he said. \u201cThis really is a University that changes the trajectory of people\u2019s lives, and that gets reinforced for me every day.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s one of the motivating factors that makes me want to come to work every day and try to do the best work that I can do in academic affairs.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"UT

UT System President Randy Boyd, Director of University Events Tonya Love and Chancellor Steve Angle.<\/p><\/div>\n

The luncheon\u2019s five-year service awardees came to UTC in 2019. During their first full year on campus, the COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed most of their work lives<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tonya Love had just joined UTC as the coordinator of external and departmental events in the University Center. Nearly three months later, she was sent home.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As an events planner, this was less than ideal.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a lot of online training,\u201d Love said. \u201cI got a certification from Florida State University dealing with events.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, Love works in the Office of the Chancellor as the director of university events.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She became emotional when she realized how full circle it had become: After planning multiple Service Awards luncheons, she would be recognized in one.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a joy that you get when you serve others,\u201d she said. \u201cIt feels so good to see people smile. I will receive emails after the events and they\u2019ll say, \u2018Thank you so much. I felt so special. I felt that I was recognized and appreciated.\u2019 That\u2019s what we want and that\u2019s what the Service Awards are all about.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Among the luncheon attendees was UT System President Randy Boyd.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is going to be the greatest decade in the history of the University of Tennessee and the history of the University of Tennessee Chattanooga,\u201d Boyd said. \u201cAs I look across this room, I know the reason why this is going to be the greatest, and it\u2019s because of the great teammates that we have. We\u2019ve got such an incredible team all across this campus.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jordan Fall, the Student Government Association president, also delivered remarks. He thanked those in the crowd who helped him and his peers throughout their journeys as students at UTC.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYour mentorship helped us to prepare for the world ahead and pushes us to go further. To go higher,\u201d Fall said. \u201cDedication, passion and commitment to growth are all incredibly present in the room today.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The

The 2024 Service Awards Luncheon recognized faculty and staff for their years of dedication to UTC.<\/p><\/div>\n

Here are the 2024\u00a0Service\u00a0Award recipients, courtesy of Human Resources. The list includes several employees who recently left UTC.<\/p>\n

40-Year\u00a0Service Awards<\/strong><\/h4>\n