KNOXVILLE — University of Tennessee President John Petersen visits Kingsport Thursday on the latest stop in a swing across the state during visits to each of the system’s campuses with additional stops in Nashville and Northeast Tennessee.
On the tour which began Monday, Petersen has met with elected officials, business leaders, educators and university trustees to outline UT’s statewide service and impact.
“As Tennessee’s flagship, land-grant institution, the state is our campus,” Petersen said. “With a presence in all 95 Tennessee counties, we truly are serving Tennesseans in every county, and we’re making the future better for all Tennesseans.”
In addition to meeting with leaders from across the state, Petersen has spent much of his tour meeting with UT employees. He is meeting with faculty and staff groups on all five campuses to highlight the university’s accomplishments and the critical role of each employee.
“In addition to educating Tennessee’s students, our mission is to drive the state’s economy through research, technology and workforce development, and to lead the way in healthcare delivery,” Petersen said. “In fulfilling our mission, we help create a better life for Tennesseans. We’re also sharing and applying today’s knowledge through outreach programs that benefit thousands of Tennessee citizens and businesses every day.”
Petersen has made a late-summer visit to UT campuses and their surrounding communities a tradition since becoming president of the University of Tennessee system in 2004.
This year’s agenda includes stops at each campus:
– July 30: UT Martin and Dinner at the Institute of Agriculture’s West Tennessee Research and Education Center (Jackson)
– July 31: UT Health Science Center in Memphis
– August 1: Nashville (employees of UT College of Social Work; and Middle Tennessee offices of UT Agricultural Extension and Institute for Public Service); The University of Tennessee Space Institute (Tullahoma)
– August 2: UT Chattanooga and dinner in Kingsport with Northeast Tennessee community leaders
– August 3: UT Knoxville and UT Institute for Agriculture
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Contact: Gina Stafford (865) 974-0741; stafford@tennessee.edu
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