UT will dedicate its new Veterans Resource Center on the ground floor of Hodges Library at 10 a.m. Friday, November 17.
The center, which opened this summer across from One Stop Student Services, provides student veterans with a place to study, socialize, and meet with coordinators who can help them connect to the services they need.
The ceremony, which is open to the public, will be held in the second-floor atrium of Hodges Library. Afterward, everyone will be invited downstairs to tour the Veterans Resource Center.
Dean of UT Libraries Steve Smith will emcee the event, and speakers will include:
- Chancellor Beverly Davenport
- Major General Terry M. “Max” Haston, Tennessee’s adjutant general who is responsible for the supervision of the Military Department of Tennessee that includes the Army National Guard, the Air National Guard, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, and the Tennessee State Guard.
- Senior William McGovern, a US Marine veteran who is majoring in political science and plans to go to law school.
During the ceremony, a video message will be played from country music icon Charlie Daniels, whose Journey Home Project donated $10,000 to outfit the Veterans Resource Center with technology to be used by student veterans.
Notable guests attending the dedication will include UT alumnus Air Force Major General Stephen Clark, the director of programs in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Requirements at the Pentagon in Washington, DC.
Also attending will be alumni veterans on campus for Veterans Reunion Weekend.
Smokey X will be in the center to greet guests, and a mural painted by artist and UT alumna Payton Marie Miller—known for her paintings on the Rock—will be unveiled.
Traditional military challenge coins, often given to celebrate successes, will be given to attendees to commemorate the center’s opening. The coins were designed by Veteran Student Services and the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs with permissions from UT Athletics and the various military branches.
About 975 veterans, military spouses, and dependents are attending UT this fall using VA benefits.
Although the Veterans Resource Center and its staff are funded by UT, the center’s programming and scholarships are supported by a variety of sources, including the Journey Home Foundation. Donations can be made to the Veterans Resource Center Fund, which is administered by UT’s office of Development and Alumni Affairs.
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CONTACT:
Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, ablakely@utk.edu)