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Business & Economy

UT’s Smart Communities Initiative Wrapping Up First Year, Planning for Next

As UT faculty and students wrap up this year’s work with the City of Cleveland, Tennessee, planning is already underway for next year’s Smart Communities Initiative partnership with the Southeast Tennessee Development District.

SCI road crew
UT civil and environmental engineering students help city engineer Brian Beck, who is holding the equipment, set up to survey Inman Street West in Cleveland, Tennessee, as part of this year’s Smart Communities Initiative. Students, from left to right, are Cody Replogle, John McAlister, and Jeremy Murphy; they all graduated in December 2014.

In preparation for next year, UT faculty interested in participating in next year’s SCI should plan to attend an informational meeting from 10 a.m. to noon on Thursday, April 9, in the West Wing of the Haslam Business Building. Those attending will get an overview of the SCI program and the Cleveland projects, as well as an introduction to the 2015–16 SCI plan and the thirty-two service-learning projects that have been proposed.

SCI -- tricia stuth
Tricia Stuth, associate professor of architecture, meets with Cleveland officials about the Woolen Mill Redevelopment plans, one of the Smart Communities Initiative projects. Stuth’s students have been coming up with design concepts to transform the vacant mill buildings into a community center, which could include an arts center with studio space.

SCI will be a key component of Experience Learning—UT’s new Quality Enhancement Plan, part of its reaccreditation process for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

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CONTACT:

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, ablakely@utk.edu)