Who: Debbie Mackey is a distinguished lecturer for UT’s human resource management department of the Haslam College of Business. She is also faculty advisor for UT’s chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management. She teaches business courses in management and human resources. In addition, Mackey spends much of her time at work creating and planning internship programs and career development opportunities for her students as coordinator of HR and management internships.
About her: Mackey has three degrees from UT. She received her bachelor’s degree in retail and consumer science in 1978, her master’s degree in marketing education in 1986, and earned her doctorate in human resources in 1997. While completing her doctorate, Mackey was offered a job as a graduate assistant on campus, and she’s been here ever since. She is also an avid sports fan and loves everything related to the Vols. She is involved in the Super Bowl project that has allowed students from a variety of disciplines to work behind the scenes at the event.
About her office: Mackey
’s office, much like her professional life, is all Vol. Her office in the Stokely Management Building boasts an orange, white, and Smokey grey color scheme. Volunteer orange pillows, picture frames, a
nd wall art show off Mackey’s love for the school, and her mementos indicate the pride she takes in her students. Frames on her desk include photos of her two children—Lauren and Chase—along with several photos of herself with student-athletes and students she’s taught in the past. A hand-painted canvas, a gift from Mackey’s daughter, hangs on her office wall, displaying a favorite Bible verse, 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Jesus Christ.”
First things she’ll show you: Mackey has several prized possessions, including autographed photos from Peyton Manning, Eric Berry, and a former HR major, Chris Summerlin, who was the Smokey mascot in 2012.
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C O N T A C T:
Amy Blakely (ablakely@utk.edu, 865-974-5034)