UT’s Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy has honored its 2014 Baker Scholars and Baker Ambassador graduates.
Twelve graduating students were honored as Baker Scholars and Baker Ambassadors and for living in the Baker Living and Learning Community. The scholars were awarded a medallion to celebrate the completion of an independent research project on a policy issue. Baker Ambassadors were presented graduation cords for their work in developing student programs and promoting civic engagement among their fellow UT students.
Those honored as Baker Scholars were:
Lisa Dicker—(Baker Living and Learning Community, Baker Ambassador)—Tullahoma, Tennessee. She majored in political science and Asian studies. Her project was “Four Grandparents, Two Parents, One Daughter: The One Child Policy’s Restructuring of Chinese Families and its Positive Impact on Gender Equality.” Her advisor was Anthony Nownes, professor of political science. She will attend Harvard Law School.
Zachariah Scott Hethmon—Knoxville, Tennessee. He majored in economics. His project was “Slum Clearance and Urban Renewals Effects on the Dispersion of Household Incomes.” His advisor was Jacob LaRiviere, assistant professor of economics. He will pursue a master’s degree in mathematics at UT.
Justin Hickerson—(Baker Living and Learning Community)—Nashville, Tennessee. He majored in political science. His project was “Judicial Influence and the United States Federal District Courts: A Case Study of Judge Robert Taylor.” His advisor was Ted Brown, lecturer of political science. He will attend Belmont University College of Law in the fall.
Abigail Jeanne McKamey—(Baker Living and Learning Community, Baker Ambassador)— Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. She was a College Scholar, majoring in economics and education policy. Her project was “Tennessee Education Reform: Understanding Policy Implementations in Tennessee’s Rural and Urban School Districts and Future Steps for Positive Change.” Her advisor is Bob Kronick, professor of educational psychology and counseling. She will teach in Metro Nashville Public Schools, helping to start the Nashville Academy of Computer Science charter school and pursuing a master’s degree in education from David Lipscomb University.
Taylor Kincaid Odle—Springfield, Tennessee. He was a College Scholars, majoring in leadership, organizational behavior and higher education administration. His project was “The Pell Grant: Foundations, Current Model, and Future Public Policy Implications.” His advisor was Sally J. McMillan, vice provost for academic affairs. He will attend Vanderbilt University as a Dean’s Scholar to pursue a Master of Education in higher education administration with concentrations in student affairs and higher education policy.
Kelsey Parkman—Knoxville, Tennessee. Her major was political science. Her project was “The Evolution of Local Food System Policy.” Her advisor was Chad Hellwinckel, research assistant professor of agriculture and resource economics. After graduation, she will pursue a master’s degree in public health and licensure as a registered dietitian degree.
Chase Pritchett—Brentwood, Tennessee. His major was economics with collateral in business analytics. His project was “Profiling a Polarizing Congressional District: An Econometric Approach.” His advisors were Ted Brown of political science and J. Scott Holladay, assistant professor of economics. He will begin work at SunTrust Bank in Nashville as a wholesale banking analyst, and he plans to pursue graduate school in business or public policy in the future.
Baker Ambassadors:
Hannah Bailey—(Baker Living and Learning Community, 2011 Baker Ambassador)—Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Her major was political science. She is part of the 2014 Oklahoma Teach for America Corps. She will later pursue graduate school.
Charleigh Cagle—Lewisburg, Tennessee. Her major was political science. She hopes to work during the year following graduation before pursuing a master’s degree in environmental policy.
David Clark—Oak Ridge, Tennessee. His major was political science. He plans to pursue a master’s degree in policy and public administration at UT.
Christopher Schwartz—Knoxville, Tennessee. His major was economics and history. He will work during the summer as a research assistant at the Construction Industry Research Policy Center on campus and aspires to a career in economics.
Amanda Tranum—Knoxville, Tennessee. Her major was honors political science with a public administration concentration. She plan to work and travel for a year before applying to law school.
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CUTLINE: Pictured, left to right, back row: Brandon Prins, Chase Pritchett, Justin Hickerson, Zachariah Hethmon, Taylor Odle, Matt Murray, Kelsey Parkman, Bill Park and Nissa Dahlin-Brown. Front row: Hannah Bailey, Charleigh Cagle, David Clark, Lisa Dicker, Abigail McKamey, Chris Schwartz, and Amanda Tranum.
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C O N T A C T :
Nissa Dahlin-Brown, (865-974-8681, Nissa@utk.edu)