Podcasts about ut knoxville

Link to our camera lens GoFundMe (as we hope to buy the lenses BEFORE the AP Vs Andrew Wilson DEBATE on April 28th so we can use them there: https://gofund.me/1d78d5f6 We're excited to share MDD is sponsoring this upcoming juicy debate as Andrew Wilson will be facing off against Destiny in a heated debate on American Values! Hosted by Atheists for Liberty on May 6th, 7-9 PM at UT Knoxville! Tickets from $10 are here: https://purplepass.com/events/317893 Modern-Day Debate is launching our own 'Jubilee-style' video series called Outnumbered this June, 2025 and our base for recordings will be in Los Angeles. Stay tuned for details if you're in the LA area as we will be doing casting soon. LINK TO DEBATE HOST:  ⁨@UncensoredAmerica⁩  LINKS TO GUESTS:  ⁨@The_Crucible⁩  ⁨@ApostateProphet⁩  LINKS TO OUR SOCIALS: https://x.com/ModernDayDebate https://www.instagram.com/moderndaydebates/ https://www.facebook.com/ModernDayDebate https://www.patreon.com/ModernDayDebate https://discord.gg/ModernDayDebate Interested in debating on Modern-Day Debate? Here's a list of things we ask for from potential debaters when they email to make things go faster: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kdwtQrA7QevNev9Mjm4xKvHnTkJ7FY-rMLjqUhtZKmI/edit?usp=sharing *Cameras are a necessity *No pre-recording your introduction speech beforehand ______________________________________________________________________________________ DISCLAIMER The views shared by guests on Modern-Day Debate are not necessarily representative of the views of Modern-Day Debate, James, or any university he has or has had any affiliation with. I'm (James) a Christian. If you ever want prayer or just someone to talk to (specifically over voice chat on Zoom) after a horrible day, please reach out and let me know. moderndaydebate@gmail.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Join James, AP, Andrew Wilson & Sean Semanko (of Uncensored America) in-person at the AP Vs Andrew Wilson DEBATE on April 28th at the U. of North Carolina Asheville: https://uncensoredamerica.us/wilson-vs-aydemir-unca/ Link to our camera lens GoFundMe (as we hope to buy the lenses BEFORE the AP Vs Andrew Wilson DEBATE on April 28th so we can use them there: https://gofund.me/1d78d5f6 We're excited to share MDD is sponsoring this upcoming juicy debate as Andrew Wilson will be facing off against Destiny in a heated debate on American Values! Hosted by Atheists for Liberty on May 6th, 7-9 PM at UT Knoxville! Tickets from $10 are here: https://purplepass.com/events/317893Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

From the rich tapestry of Southern life to the vibrant community of the University of Tennessee, join us as we sit down with Dr. Tyvi Small, the inspiring Vice Chancellor of Access and Engagement. Tyvi's journey from Pahokee, Florida, to his impactful role in Tennessee is filled with lessons on leadership, family, and faith. The conversation extends to creating supportive environments, like the one fostered at the University of Tennessee, where students can thrive and embrace their potential. Discover how his roots shaped his approach to community building in both his personal and professional life. Listen to this amazing episode!! If you are looking for a Realtor, don't forget to call The Landes Team to help you buy and sell! Yvonnca Landes Realty Executives Associates 865.660.1186 or 588.3232www.YvonncaSellsRealEstate.comAdrienne LandesRealty Executives Associates865.659-6860 or 588.3232Click here: https://linktr.ee/talkintnwithyvonncaTurning Knox Rental (Event Rental Services): www.turningknoxrental.comLandes Home Collection Online Store: www.landeshomecollection.comFor promotion inquires please contact Yvonnca Landes. 865-660-1186All Copy Rights are owned Yvonnca Landes and the Landes Brand ©. To gain legal access contact David Landes 865.660.6860 or theappraisalfirm@charter.net Produced and engineered by: Adrienne LandesThank you for listening! Follow us on social media! https://linktr.ee/talkintnwithyvonncaThank you for listening! Follow us on social media! https://linktr.ee/talkintnwithyvonnca

For the first episode of 2025, co-hosts Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby spoke with UT Knoxville experts Huseyn Abdulla and Seongkyoon Jeong about their research in the areas of returns management and supply chain cybersecurity. Assistant professors and esteemed scholars in their disciplines, Abdulla and Jeong's insights are a deep dive into the challenges and innovations shaping supply chain management. Among other points, Abdulla explains how retailers balance the growing demand for customer-friendly return policies with environmental and financial sustainability, while Jeong discusses the rising risk of cyberattacks in an increasingly data-driven world. Listen in as our hosts also delve into consumer sentiment, holiday spending, the trade implications of the new Trump administration, collaborations between Hyundai and Amazon, and much more. The episode was recorded virtually on January 17, 2025. Related links:  U.S. shoppers set record for holiday spending in 2024 Logistics industry growth slowed in December, per Logistics Managers Index report Trump orders trade review ahead of potential tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China Hyundai begins selling vehicles on Amazon Autos U.S. consumers ‘resilient and strong' in face of high prices and interest rates Read Huseyn Abdulla's article in The Conversation about consumer backlash when retailers change their return policies, and his study published in the Journal of Operations Management Read Seongkyoon Jeong's blogs on cybersecurity risks and three types of cyberattacks affecting supply chains  Register for SCM Academies in Leadership, Finance, and Planning Read our latest white paper, “Unlocking the Potential of the Gen XYZ Labor Force” Register for the Supply Chain Forum, April 8–10 in Knoxville Subscribe to GSCI's monthly newsletter Read the latest news and insights from GSCIText the Tennessee on Supply Chain Management team!

College presidents don't work in a bubble and there are a multitude of competing priorities jostling for their time and attention on a daily basis. It can be an overwhelming job, but having a guiding purpose behind every decision a president makes, the teams they form and the long-term strategies they develop can help keep leaders on the right track. How do they know which areas deserve their attention and which should be delegated to talented team members? How do they know they are making the right decisions and doing good by their institution? When should they take risks? In this episode of The Key, Inside Higher Ed's news and analysis podcast, Donde Plowman, the chancellor at UT Knoxville, Harry Williams the former president of Delaware State University and the current president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall Foundation, and Jonathan Koppel, president of Montclair State University tell an audience at the Student Success US event how they keep their purpose front of mind as they lead their institutions. They share their experiences of making tough decisions, championing student success to stakeholders, lobbying for greater funding from legislators and striking out on paths unknown with new partners. Hosted by Sara Custer, editor in chief of Inside Higher Ed. This episode is sponsored by the Gates Foundation.   Follow us on  Apple Podcasts   Google Podcasts    Spotify

Live from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, we invite passing college football fans to sit down and open up about their deep-rooted love for America's favorite fall-time sport. Engaging with a diverse group of individuals including out-of-state visitors, current students, and alumni, the episode delves into the core moments and memories that make American football an integral part of their lives. From nostalgic family traditions to the electric atmosphere of game day, the conversations reveal why attending college football games transcends beyond just the sport itself.  Mentioned This Episode: 00:00 Introduction to the Normal Person Podcast 00:35 On Location at UT Knoxville 01:41 Why Do People Love College Football? 02:16 Meet Braxton and Josh 05:31 Football Memories and Fan Interactions 11:37 Rachel's Love for SEC Football 15:23 Alumni Perspective: Torrey's Story 17:42 The Tailgating Experience 18:04 Why College Football is Different 18:32 Nostalgia and Deep Roots 19:40 Memorable Sports Moments 20:34 Freshman Fraternity Insights 26:20 Sophomore Sorority Perspectives 31:11 Concluding Thoughts and Reflections Join the Normal Person Community! TikTok - @normalpersonpod Instagram - @normalpersonpod Facebook - Normal Person Podcast Email Us: normalpersonpod@gmail.com _____________________________________________ This podcast is produced, hosted, and edited by Kelley Bostian (@realcadetkelley). Special thanks to Emmanuel Castillo (@emmanuelcastle) and Ashlyn Lewis (@ashlyn.m.lewis) for pre and post production assistance. A very special thanks to Majestic Paula (@majesticpaula.art) for illustrating and designing the show's artwork. Main theme written and performed by TJ Carson (@tjcarsonj), produced and arranged by Kelley Bostian. All additional music and SFX obtained through Motion Array under royalty free commercial licensing. Normal Person Podcast is not commercially monetized. All rights reserved © Normal Person Podcast, 2024.

Mental health professionals often provide support, but what happens when they need help themselves? In this episode, Dr. Jessi Gold and Gabe Howard explore burnout, emotional exhaustion, and the unique challenges doctors and therapists face. Using humor and honesty, they discuss the stigmas around mental health care providers seeking treatment themselves and the importance of "practicing what you preach." Dr. Gold reveals how burnout can manifest emotionally and physically, from depersonalization to feeling disconnected from personal accomplishments. She explains why mental health workers, who deal in emotions daily, often avoid addressing their own emotional struggles. The episode explores the delicate balance between maintaining empathy and protecting oneself from burnout, and Dr. Gold shares practical strategies for self-care – for professionals and patients. Whether you're a healthcare worker, a patient, or someone curious about the inner lives of mental health professionals, this episode offers a candid look into the emotional toll of caregiving. Listen Now! “And it did not help my burnout. I think that I do what a lot of people do, which is actually a symptom of burnout, which is depersonalization, which is disconnecting as much as humanly possible. And I think we learn that in training as a way to protect ourselves. But what happens with burnout or what happens when story after story after story is resonating too much is we kind of disconnect completely. And so we're no longer like that person is a person. We're sort of like, that's just another, like it's an object.” ~Jessi Gold, MD, MS This episode is sponsored, in part, by Cornbread Hemp. They produced the first-ever USDA-certified organic CBD and THC gummies in America. Save 30% on your first order using code "Inside30." To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page. Our guest, Jessi Gold, MD, MS, is the Chief Wellness Officer of the University of Tennessee System and an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. This inaugural leadership position encompasses all five University of Tennessee campuses, UT Knoxville, UT Chattanooga, UT Southern, UT Martin, and UT Health Science Center, and includes up about 59,000 students and 19,0000 faculty and staff. In her clinical practice, she sees healthcare workers, trainees, and young adults in college.  Dr. Gold is also a fierce mental health advocate and highly sought-after expert in the media on everything from burnout to celebrity self-disclosure. She has written widely for the popular press, including for The New York Times, The Atlantic, InStyle, Slate, and Self. Her first book, “HOW DO YOU FEEL? One Doctor's Search for Humanity in Medicine” is out available now from Simon Element. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in anthropology), the Yale School of Medicine, and the Stanford University Department of Psychiatry, she spends her free time traveling with her friends, watching live music (especially Taylor Swift) or mindless television, and on walks with her dog, Winnie. Find her on X, Instagram, TikTok, or Threads @DrJessiGold. Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author. Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can't imagine life without. To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The proposed Neyland Entertainment District, shake-ups at WUTK and new public parking spaces. It's safe to say the University of Tennessee at Knoxville is at a turning point.  Staying on top of it all is higher education reporter Keenan Thomas, who joins host Ryan Wilusz on this week's episode to discuss the biggest changes the campus community should expect and how those changes impact the rest of Knoxville.  LINKS: How University of Tennessee students are scrambling to keep WUTK on air in 'hectic' times Parking passes on sale for University of Tennessee: How to buy amid major changes Inside look at Tennessee plans for Neyland district: Cost, restaurants, parking garage Important dates and costs University of Tennessee families must know before fall semester What's that big building going up between Publix and Sutherland Avenue next to Tyson Park?  University of Tennessee dining shakeups bring new restaurants to 'best value' campus "The Scruffy Stuff" is presented by knoxnews.com. Want more downtown analysis? Sign up for the free weekly Urban Knoxville newsletter by clicking here.

Osteoarthritis (OA, also known as degenerative joint disease) is characterized by the degeneration of articular cartilage that lines the ends of bones inside a horse's joints. OA is the No. 1 cause of poor performance in horses and accounts for nearly 60% of all equine lameness cases. Horses of all ages can develop OA, but what can you do to slow its progression or treat this disease? Two experts weigh in to answer your common questions about equine OA.This episode is brought to you by American Regent Animal Health. About the Experts: Steve Adair, MS, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, ACVSMR, earned his veterinary degree from Auburn University, after which he spent two years in private equine practice and completed a surgery residency at the University of Tennessee (UT). He is a professor in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine at the UT Knoxville and is director of the Equine Performance Medicine and Rehabilitation Center. Besides his board certifications in the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation (charter member of the latter), Adair is certified in animal chiropractic by the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association and is a certified equine rehabilitation practitioner. His primary research areas include equine musculoskeletal conditions, regenerative medicine and equine rehabilitation.Howland M. Mansfield, DVM, CVA, CVMMP, of Summerville, South Carolina, received her DVM from Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine, in Alabama, and completed internships in both general equine medicine and surgery and in advanced equine reproduction. She is certified in both veterinary acupuncture and veterinary medical manipulation. She has practiced along the East Coast over the course of 14 years, in addition to time in Germany providing veterinary care for some of the most elite show horses in Europe. In 2012 Mansfield was named by the South Carolina Horseman's Council as the Horse Person of the Year for her efforts in equine rescue and in combating animal cruelty. She joined American Regent in 2023 as a technical services veterinarian where she can support the welfare of and improve health care for horses and small animals throughout the U.S.

Osteoarthritis (OA, also known as degenerative joint disease) is characterized by the degeneration of articular cartilage that lines the ends of bones inside a horse's joints. OA is the No. 1 cause of poor performance in horses and accounts for nearly 60% of all equine lameness cases. Horses of all ages can develop OA, but what can you do to slow its progression or treat this disease? Two experts weigh in to answer your common questions about equine OA.This episode is brought to you by American Regent Animal Health. About the Experts: Steve Adair, MS, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, ACVSMR, earned his veterinary degree from Auburn University, after which he spent two years in private equine practice and completed a surgery residency at the University of Tennessee (UT). He is a professor in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine at the UT Knoxville and is director of the Equine Performance Medicine and Rehabilitation Center. Besides his board certifications in the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation (charter member of the latter), Adair is certified in animal chiropractic by the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association and is a certified equine rehabilitation practitioner. His primary research areas include equine musculoskeletal conditions, regenerative medicine and equine rehabilitation.Howland M. Mansfield, DVM, CVA, CVMMP, of Summerville, South Carolina, received her DVM from Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine, in Alabama, and completed internships in both general equine medicine and surgery and in advanced equine reproduction. She is certified in both veterinary acupuncture and veterinary medical manipulation. She has practiced along the East Coast over the course of 14 years, in addition to time in Germany providing veterinary care for some of the most elite show horses in Europe. In 2012 Mansfield was named by the South Carolina Horseman's Council as the Horse Person of the Year for her efforts in equine rescue and in combating animal cruelty. She joined American Regent in 2023 as a technical services veterinarian where she can support the welfare of and improve health care for horses and small animals throughout the U.S.

Kaylee Nix sits down with Dr. Alex Scott from UT Knoxville to talk about the difficulties that come with measuring your emissions and what needs to change for companies to get to net zero. Alex Scott - Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management - Haslam College of Business, University of Tennessee Kaylee Nix - Reporter - FreightWaves Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kaylee Nix sits down with Dr. Alex Scott from UT Knoxville to talk about the difficulties that come with measuring your emissions and what needs to change for companies to get to net zero. Alex Scott - Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management - Haslam College of Business, University of Tennessee Kaylee Nix - Reporter - FreightWaves Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Knoxville has delayed the robot takeover for six months. That is, the Knoxville City Council voted Oct. 31 to enact an emergency moratorium on personal delivery robots. The ordinance, which passed unanimously, will keep companies from deploying the autonomous robots on city streets and sidewalks for six months to buy time for city officials to develop a policy. Downtown reporter Ryan Wilusz is joined by growth and development reporter Daniel Dassow, who specializes in technology and who experienced these robots firsthand on the University of Tennessee at Knoxville campus as a student.  The two discuss whether downtown could benefit from this technology, what the city should consider before allowing robots on city streets and how they could impact Knoxville's identity.  FULL STORY >> Robots deliver food at the University of Tennessee. They're banned – for now – off campus  "The Scruffy Stuff" is presented by Knox News. Want more downtown analysis? Sign up for the free weekly Urban Knoxville newsletter by clicking here, and join the downtown discussion by becoming part of the Urban Knoxville group on Facebook.

Donde Plowman became the chancellor at UT-Knoxville in 2019 and will be known to the HEA audience as the person that hired Danny White to help turnaround the athletic department. Plowman identifies proudly as a builder and an organizational scientist. This interview focuses on changes she made, why she thinks Danny White was able to get buy-in with Vols fans, and shares several internal/external communication and change management techniques for new leaders. 1:20 - For those that don't understand the role of a chancellor or president, what are some of the things you deal with in managing such a large institution? 3:05 - Can you explain the composition (people) and the purpose of the UTK Campus Advisory Board? 6:05 - How did the Peyton Manning and UT relationship evolve into a professor of practice position? Any details on what he has or will be doing in this role? 11:05 - Everyone in athletics understands how Danny White helped lead the transformation of the athletic department at UCF but I think there was some skepticism on whether he could recreate it at UT. It sure seems like the department is thriving under his leadership. Thoughts on why he was able to get the buy-in from folks in Knoxville? 16:15 - You are described as an organizational scientist with research that includes the topics of leadership, change management, and strategic decision-making. When you arrived at UT as the chancellor in 2019, or even during the interview process, what and how did you examine what needed to change? 25:40 - What would you recommend to someone new to a leadership position, like a new athletic director, and how they can come in and analyze the place to know what needs changed? 30:00 - What does a Chancellor Plowman-led Cabinet meeting look like and how often do you all meet as a group and/or individually? 35:15 - What do you think about my independent study on tying academic program review to athletic department evaluations?

Neyland Stadium will look a little different this year, though most new amenities were added for premium ticketholders. That doesn't mean the average fan won't benefit, and future renovations could make game days more comfortable for all.  As Tennessee football prepares for its home opener against Austin Peay on Sept. 9, co-hosts Ryan Wilusz and Brenna McDermott began thinking about additional amenities they would like to see. Listen as we talk about alcohol menus, relaxation zones and activities for fans without tickets.  "The Scruffy Stuff" is presented by knoxnews.com. Want more downtown analysis? Sign up for the free weekly Urban Knoxville newsletter by clicking here, and join the downtown discussion by becoming part of the Urban Knoxville group on Facebook.

Update before introducing the podcast episode.Things have been light on the substack and I apologize for that. I spent two weeks traveling, seeing the country with my two high school aged daughters on a road trip from Waco, to Big Bend, to Marfa Texas, to the Grand Canyon. There at the Grand Canyon, I realized I was old and tired and it was hot and the girls gave it their best shot but sadly, they weren't being blown away by the scenery, so we decided to then pull the plug a day early and go to Las Vegas. The Vegas trip was always meant to just be a way for me to find an airport for me to fly my youngest back to Waco in time for her camp, but then it turned into three days and two nights on the Strip where I learned you can pay $100 for a hamburger, two cheese steaks, a coke and two water bottles. At which point I told the girls we are going to try a new trick called “intermittent fasting” where none of us eats for the next 48 hours. Psyche! They ate but I did wish I could've lugged the Coleman stove and dehydrated beans up from the car at a few points as I had no idea Vegas was that expensive. We did Cirque de Soleil (we saw O which was beautiful). To be honest, the girls hadn't really ever been out of Texas. I mean they had been on vacations but we usually vacation in Texas — the Hill Country is our special spot, on the rivers. But my heart is for the open road — ever since I read On the Road by Jack Kerouac when I was 16, everything changed for me. I developed a habit of stream of consciousness writing, which I perfected as the years went by on social media, but which made writing the carefully disciplined academic articles much more difficult. And I fell in love with America, and seeing America from behind a steering wheel. And getting to share that with my girls meant the world to me. They've beautiful young ladies, 11th and 12th grade, and they wore outfits and we did a lot of pictures in front of the choreographed water fountains, we saw the new massive LED dome, and then the next morning, my daughter flew back, and me and my oldest daughter drove straight to San Francisco, which had always been the destiny. San Francisco. My favorite city in the United States, and one of my favorite in the world. I'd found us a really nice airbnb in the Mission District. My daughter really had no idea what was waiting for her, but I knew that if I could just get us there, and if we could just walk the streets together, moving between neighborhoods and commercial areas, that it would affect her. And it did. She was like me deeply moved by the beauty of the city. Another book that had a major impact on my development was Jane Jacobs' The Death and Life of Great American Cities, and all I really wanted was my daughter to feel a great American city with her feet and eyes, moving down the streets, navigating the BART. I gave her the job of getting us everywhere we needed to go so that she could master the public transportation system; I sensed that that was all that she needed to really feel her self esteem lift. Navigating public transportation involves going to depots, putting money on a card, going through turn styles, watching the people, getting on the train, reading maps, sit in a seat as a train moves through the dark — all experiences someone who has never had has conjured up feelings that really are new. And we don't have that in Waco. I doubt my daughter have ever taken a bus in Waco, as Texas is an automobile centered place. So she did, and it was empowering just like I thought it would be. She said all she wanted to do was go to thrift stores, so we did. We went to Haight and for an entire day, all we did was go from thrift and vintage stores, one after another. I got some great Sam Smith Adidas for only $10. Couldn't believe they fit. And I got a bunch of other things that looked great until I brought them home and then they didn't, but she found the most beautiful sweater and pants. And I saw my daughter as this young woman and just thought how fortunate I am to be here with her. And so we had four days and three nights there. We even did touristy things — took a ferry to the Golden Gate Bridge and to Alcatraz where I didn't wear a hat and so my bald head turned red as a beet. But then we drove back. I really did not have a plan for the return trip at all. I had a plan to get there, but not so much to get back. So I decided — okay, where have I never been? And I'd never really been to the northern part of Nevada, or Utah, or even much of Colorado. So that's what we did. We drove Northern Nevada, through Reno, and then to Utah. I don't know what I was expecting Utah to be like. Growing up in Mississippi and Tennessee, our lives were either in those states or on vacation to Florida. The middle part of the country, anywhere where there were mountains— I'd never seen. I'd seen the Smoky mountains in college, because I went to UT-Knoxville, but I'd never seen the mountains of the rest of the country. And so as a kid, I just thought Utah, Idaho and Iowa were probably all basically the same state. I thought maybe they were all just the scenery from Hoosiers, or possibly they looked like what I imagined Notre Dame looked like from watching Rudy. I had absolutely no idea that the country up there was like that as I'd never gone. So when I drove through Salt Lake City with her, and I saw the mountains towering over the city, it was just stunning. And it remained stunning — we drove for days, through Utah, down through Colorado, through this thick never-ending national park. I was listening to The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco, and we were just talking and looking at things that we'd never seen before. I saw things in that national park that I didn't even know could look that way. I didn't know we'd cut roads through mountains that way, or that there were roads overlooking valleys like that — endless roads through endless mountains through endless valleys, all covered with endless trees, forests laid out like a blanket over the mountain. They're getting older. Next year, my oldest will graduate. Then the year after, my youngest will graduate. I've begun transitioning my life into a level of building into the next phase of my career. Writing, the workshops, more ambitious research projects that seem to take forever, consulting. I've gotten off social media, because it is such a negative place for me mentally. I suspect that things that happened on social media both last year but even really in the years leading up to it, left some scars. I noticed as much when recently I had something like a “flashback” when a new paper about online harassment of economists came out. I carry inside my body this feeling like the top layer of my skin is somehow slightly pulled away from the bone. It's hard to explain. I'm going to see someone about it hopefully in the next couple of weeks. Decided I wanted to kick the tires, see what's going on. Maybe try to get a better handle on why I am having a little trouble moving on, or why some things really get to me that to others looking in don't make a lot of sense. I wish I was on the other side of my story where I'm a wise old man who says many wise things and floats along the ground, his feet never touching, having evolved. But I'm instead a man with his feet firmly on the ground, sometimes feeling planted into the ground, stuck. I make progress, and think it's all done, all in the past, but then an event happens, and I wake up and think where am I? What happened? Am I really back at square one again? So, that's why things have been quiet on here. I had some things I was going to write, papers I was hoping to read closely and write up, but I just have been slow to really feel confident I understand why the papers had been written. There is a guy at Brandeis name Tymon Sloczynski, a young econometrician, whose work I have grown to admire immensely. It's full of insights, and it's probably things he's written that forced me to start looking more closely at covariates in regressions. He's got an Restat where he shows that the regression model with additive covariates ends up putting weights on groups that are more or less the opposite of what you'd think it would do — weighting up the smallest groups in the data, and weighting down the largest ones, causing the OLS estimates of aggregate causal parameters in certain specifications to not be as easily interpretable. I just was struck by how much I don't understand about OLS, and so I was hoping to do a series through several of his papers because I really think Tymon is an amazing writer and thinker. Scott's Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.PodcastSo, with that all out of the way, I'd like to introduce you to this week's podcast guest, Jonathan Meer, a professor at Texas A&M in the economics department. Waco Texas is they say “centrally located”. They say that because you can get to Dallas in 100 minutes, Austin in 90 minutes and College Station in 90 minutes. And if you're willing to go a little further, Houston isn't much further. It's not pretty driving the way driving through Northern Nevada or Utah is, unfortunately, but waiting for you when you get there is Jonathan Meer, one of the funniest and thought provoking friends in my community of economist-friends. So there's always consumer surplus associated with making the drive.I reached out to Jonathan because Jonathan isn't really one of the “applied microeconomists” crowd that popped up at some point over the last couple of decades as much as he is a traditional microeconomist. The applied microeconomists were people like me who sort of took Becker as their inspiration to look at all of human behavior through an economic lens on the one hand, and then took Angrist and the credibility revolution to be the tools through which they'd do it. Meer was different. Meer was what I sometimes call on here “real economist” because he studied classic topics in labor and public finance, as well as ventured out on his own into areas around charitable giving. He moved between quasi-experimental and experimental work, but his overall grasp of economic theory was deep. He is considered one of the best instructors at all at A&M from what I can gather (I think the long name he has on his title is associated with his teaching skills). He teaches one of those massive micro economics classes with more students enrolled than populated some of the towns I drove through in Colorado. And he, from what I can gather, when he holds court, they all are on the edge of their seat, loving the lessons.Meer knew what he wanted to be from a young age — an economist. He wasn't one of these Johnny-come-lately types, like me, who learned about economics super late. He learned about economics early, way earlier in fact than anyone I spoke to so far. He went to Princeton then Stanford. If you get to know him, he's basically the classic “work hard play hard” guy. He loves people, and is constantly having big parties at his house in College Station where he invites people from diverse walks of life to come and watch him make these ridiculous cocktails and tell jokes. He reminds me of characters from Walker Percy novels. I have grown to appreciate our friendship as the years have passed. And I was grateful to have this chance to talk to him and hear more of his story. I hope you find it interesting too.Thanks as always for tuning in. Thanks for supporting this effort to run a podcast of personal stories aggregating into an oral history of the profession. All stories matter. Each of our stories matter. Your story matters. It is important that we believe that and not cheapen the experience of others by forcing their realities into our two dimensional caricatures of who they are or what this life is about. I do these podcasts to remember that people are good and valuable, not as a means to an end, but as an end in itself. And I do them as part of my own effort to remain whole and sane and get better and just not let go of the thread of yarn that links me back to thing I hold dear — economics. So sit back and enjoy this interview with Jonathan!Scott's Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Scott's Substack at causalinf.substack.com/subscribe

This week Scott and Jesse talk about the sudden departure of KPD Deputy Chief Brooklyn Belk; the University of Tennessee's efforts to increase to diversity and whether the Supreme Court's affirmative action ruling will affect them; a couple of lawsuits challenging state restrictions on transgender medical care; City Council's two resolutions on creating an "alternative response" model for people in mental health crisis; and County Commission's endorsement of returning Clingmans Dome to its traditional Cherokee name. They also talk about the school system's plans to allow credit for outside religious instruction, and look ahead to expected fireworks next week. Compassknox.com

President Boyd's BioRandy Boyd serves as President of the University of Tennessee System, which includes campuses in Chattanooga, Pulaski, and Martin; the Health Science Center in Memphis; and the Institute of Public Service. Additionally, it includes the flagship campus in Knoxville, which is also comprised of the Space Institute in Tullahoma and the statewide Institute of Agriculture. The UT System also manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory through its UT-Battelle partnership, where Boyd serves as co-chairman.In 2007, Boyd began a journey transitioning from entrepreneur and businessman to full-time public servant. Boyd is a founder and chairman of tnAchieves, a nonprofit that has helped send more than 133,000 students to community college free of tuition and fees. This success led then-Governor Bill Haslam to invite him to serve as Special Advisor on Higher Education in 2013. During his tenure, he is credited with being the architect of the Drive to 55 and the Tennessee Promise. In 2015, Gov. Haslam recruited him back to serve as Commissioner of Economic and Community Development. During his tenure, his team recruited 52,000 new jobs and $9 billion in new investment for the state. He also founded and co-chaired the governor's Rural Task Force and chaired the Governor's Workforce Sub-Cabinet.Boyd is a first-generation college graduate, earning a bachelor's degree in business with an emphasis on industrial management from UT Knoxville. He also earned a master's degree in liberal studies with a focus on foreign policy from the University of Oklahoma.

A rap about the Sunsphere? A poem about Randy Boyd? With the rise of artificial intelligence software, we fed some downtown Knoxville prompts to ChatGPT and predicted what it would say.  Host Ryan Wilusz is joined on this episode by higher education reporter Keenan Thomas, who has reported on the rise of ChatGPT on the University of Tennessee at Knoxville campus and how officials are adapting.  Listen to the episode now and check out the full story: "How UT professors are spotting chatbot-generated homework and what they're doing about it." "The Scruffy Stuff" is presented by knoxnews.com. Want more downtown analysis? Sign up for the free weekly Urban Knoxville newsletter by clicking here, and join the downtown discussion by becoming part of the Urban Knoxville group on Facebook.

Meet Paula F. Casey who for more than thirty years has worked to educate the public about the role that the state of Tennessee played in securing the passage of the nineteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. In the title of this episode, I referred to Paula as an “unstoppable suffragist”, not an “unstoppable suffragette”. Paula will explain the difference and the importance of these two words. I find this episode extremely fascinating and well worth the listen for everyone as what Paula says puts many things and ideas into historical perspective. I hope you find Paula Casey's comments as stimulating and informative as I. About the Guest: Paula F. Casey of Memphis has dedicated more than 30 years to educating the public about Tennessee's pivotal role in the 19th Amendment's ratification with a video, book, e-book, audiobook, and public art. She is also an engaging speaker on the 19th Amendment and voting rights. She was just named Chair of the National Votes for Women Trail (https://ncwhs.org/votes-for-women-trail/), which is dedicated to diversity and inclusion of all the women who participated in the 72-year struggle for American women to win the right to vote. She is also the state coordinator for Tennessee. Paula produced "Generations: American Women Win the Vote," in 1989 and the book, The Perfect 36: Tennessee Delivers Woman Suffrage, in 1998. She helped place these monuments - bas relief plaque inside the State Capitol (1998); Tennessee Woman Suffrage Monument (Nashville's Centennial Park 2016); Sue Shelton White statue (Jackson City Hall 2017). The Memphis Suffrage Monument "Equality Trailblazers" was installed at the University of Memphis law school after 5 years of work. The dedication ceremony was held on March 27, 2022, and is on YouTube: https://youtu.be/YTNND5F1aBw She co-founded the Tennessee Woman Suffrage Heritage Trail (www.tnwomansuffrageheritagetrail.com) that highlights the monuments, markers, gravesites and suffrage-related sites. How to Connect with Paula: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-casey-736110b/ Twitter: @pfcasey1953 Websites: paulacasey.com, theperfect36.com, tnwomansuffrageheritagetrail.com, memphissuffragemonument.com About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app. Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes Michael Hingson  00:00   Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i  capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson  01:20 Well and a gracious hello to you wherever you happen to be today. This is your host Mike Hingson on unstoppable mindset. And today we get to interview a lady I met just a few weeks ago at one of the Podapalooza events. And if you remember me talking at all about Podapalooza, it is an event for podcasters would be podcasters. And people who want to be interviewed by podcasters, and anybody else who wants to come along. And we've had four of them now altogether, and I've had the opportunity and the joy of being involved with all of them. And Paula Casey is one of the people who I met at the last podapalooza endeavor. Paula is in Memphis, Tennessee, and among other things, has spent the last 30 years of her life being very much involved in dealing with studying and promoting the history of women's suffrage in the United States, especially where Tennessee has been involved. And we're going to get to that we're going to talk about it. We're going to try not to get too political, but you know, we'll do what we got to do and will survive. So Paula, no matter what, welcome to unstoppable mindset, how are you?   Paula Casey  02:29 I'm great. Thank you so much for having me. It's always a joy to talk with you.   Michael Hingson  02:34 Well, I feel the same way. And we're glad to do it. So let's start, as I like to do at the beginning as it were. So tell us a little bit about you growing up and all that and you you obviously did stuff. You didn't get born dealing with women's suffrage. So let's go back and learn about the early Paula.   Paula Casey  02:53 Okay, I grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, which is the capital of the great State of Tennessee. But you know, I was 21 years old before I knew that it was Tennessee, the last state that could possibly ratify the 19th amendment. And it's just mind boggling to me when I look back and think, Well, how did we learn about this? I said, basically, it was because the textbooks only had one or two sentences. And they usually said, a napkin women were given the right to vote in 1920 as though it were bestowed by some benevolent entity. And it wasn't until after college, and I met my dear friend, the light gray, Carol, when Yellen that I learned how significant the women's suffrage movement was, and how it is even more surprising that my state Tennessee became the last state that could read it back.   Michael Hingson  03:50 Well, so when you were growing up in high school and all that, what were you kind of mostly interested in? Because you didn't just suddenly develop an interest in history.   Paula Casey  04:00 I have good history teachers. And I'm very fortunate that I didn't have football coaches. I have real history teachers. And I was involved in Student Council. I was an active girl scout. My parents were very good about making sure that my sister and I had lots of extracurricular activities. And I was a good kid. I didn't do anything wrong. I was a teacher pleaser. I wanted to do well. I wanted to go to college because our parents brought us up girls are going to college. And we've my sister and I both knew that we were going to the University of Tennessee and mark small go big orange and go lady balls and just for the people who care about football, Tennessee right now is number one and the college football rankings. So we're happy about that. But I have always been a staunch supporter of University of Tennessee because that was where I really learned about how important history was. And I was journalism, major journalism and speech. So that helped me on my path to public speaking, and learning more about this nonviolent revolution really became my passion and helping to get women elected to office.   Michael Hingson  05:11 Well, let's deal with what you just said. I think it's an extremely important thing. I'll come at it in a little bit of a roundabout way, the Declaration of Independence talks about us having life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And it talks about all men are created equal. And all that spine, although I think if you ask most people, when we talk about being created equal, they interpreted as meaning everybody is supposed to be equal. But you pointed out that usually what people say is that women were granted the right to vote. Tell me more about that.   Paula Casey  05:51 Rights are crafted by the Constitution. And in the case of voting rights, the constitution provides for initially man with property white men of property. Then in 1870, the 15th Amendment provided for black man, the newly freed black male slaves. The 14th amendment is the first time the word male m a l. E appears in the Constitution. And the suffragists back then and let me just clarify this in the United States. It was suffragist, the British for the suffragettes and they were considered so radical that the Americans wanted to distinguish themselves. So people in the United States who advocated for women to have the right to vote or suffragist. So the constitution grants the right to vote and our Constitution has been expanded to provide for more groups to participate in the franchise, however, and I want to emphasize this set up by people understand us, what the 19th Amendment did was remove the barrier of gender, it does not guarantee a right to vote. Our United States Constitution does not guarantee the right to vote, it will grant the rights for removing particular barriers in our lighter Native Americans and Asians and all that. Well, at the end, I was around in the early 70s, when I was at University of Tennessee in Knoxville, when the 26th Amendment was ratified, which extended the right to vote to 18 year olds, and I got to vote in my first election when I was 19. And I have never missed an election. I just think it's so important that we vote because that's part of what democracy is all about. And the suffragists did not believe that democracy is a spectator sport. They believed in self government, and they wanted to participate in their government. That's why they fought for 72 years to win that right, and to be able to participate by voting and running for office.   Michael Hingson  08:13 So going back to when the Constitution was formed. So what you're saying is essentially, that the original Constitution truly was only dealing with men and not women being created equal, white man with property. Yeah. And what do you think about people today, who say that our constitution shouldn't be any evolving and evolutionary kind of thing, that we should go strictly by what the Constitution says,   Paula Casey  08:52 I have two words for you.   Michael Hingson  08:55 Why nice to be nice, be nice,   Paula Casey  08:58 white supremacy. That's what that means. When you talk about this originally, originalist stuff. It's silly. It represents white supremacy. Yeah.   Michael Hingson  09:09 And that's, that's really the issue. I don't know of any governing document that is so strict, that it shouldn't be an evolutionary kind of a thing. We grow our attitudes change, we learn things. And we realize that we've disenfranchise from time to time, which is kind of some of the what you've been talking about in history trope.   Paula Casey  09:42 And people who say that, yeah, I don't know if they really believe it. Yeah, you see these surveys or polls where they say, Oh, the average American didn't understand the Bill of Rights and the Bill of Rights wouldn't pass today. Well, thank goodness it did pass. And I want to say MIT to you that I don't think the 19th amendment would have been ratified in this country, had it not been for the First Amendment. And as a former newspaper journalist, I'm a big believer and the First Amendment, I've been a member of the National Federation of press women since 1977. And the First Amendment is absolutely our guiding star. And it is so important for people to understand the significance of the First Amendment, the Bill of Rights and all of the additional amendments, the founding fathers, and if there were some women in there, too, even though they don't get recognized, like Abigail Adams, who believed that the Constitution should evolve a non violent revolution is what it was about the passage of the Constitution. And when I speak every year, generally on Constitution Day, which is September 17, I always point out that Benjamin Franklin said, when he was asked in 1787, Dr. Franklin, what have you created? And he said, a republic, if you can keep it, and we need to heat those words. Tell us more. Why. I think that those individuals who were involved in the creation of the Constitution, and it was not an easy task. And there were very, very strong disagreements, but they did agree on democracy. And you know, Mike, that's what this is all about. Whenever we talk about the suffrage movement, whenever I'm involved in markers, or monuments, highlighting the suffrage movement, I always point out this is about democracy and the rule of law. The suffragists believed in democracy, and that is why they fought a non violent revolution, 72 years from 1848 to 1920. But I believe that they proved the Constitution works. That's what it's about. And   Michael Hingson  12:11 you say that because of the fact that that women's suffrage passed, or what, what makes you really say the Constitution works   Paula Casey  12:20 because they persevered. They utilized every tool available to them and a non violent way, particularly the First Amendment. And when you think about what is in the First Amendment, freedom of press, freedom to peaceably assemble the freedom to petition your government for redress of grievances, their ability to communicate, and to persevere for a cause in which they deeply believed. I mean, these women were not fly by night. They play the long game. And I think that's what we can learn from down the first generation of women. And this goes back to Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Lucretia Mott and Megan bloomer. All the people who were at Seneca Falls in 1848. It was July 19, of 20 of the bait Team 48. They believed in democracy, they believed in self government and rule of law. They persevered within the parameters of what was available to them to peaceably assemble to petition their government. And I've got to tell you, I got to go to the National Archives, back in the early 90s. And I saw the handwritten letter from Susan B. Anthony, addressing her concerns her grievances with the United States government. And all of these women who were out there fighting, I mean, literally doing everything they could to make sure this issue was not diminished. As many people tried to do, that it wasn't swept aside, they overcame enormous obstacles, but they believed in something greater than themselves. And that was democracy and the rule of law.   Michael Hingson  14:08 What is the lesson that we should learn today about the importance of women's suffrage? I mean, you've been dealing with this now for over 30 years. Well, a long time, actually. And so what is the real significance of it?   Paula Casey  14:23 Why is so significant about studying the suffrage movement is that these women were prepared for the long game. They knew that it was not going to happen overnight, or possibly within their lifetimes. They fought the long fought for the long game. And when you look at persistence, perseverance, everything that they embodied there were poignant. out they were absolutely brilliant and we need to understand what they did and how they worked. To secure a right that we all take for granted today. And that's why when I hear these silly things about, oh, the worst thing that ever happened, this crash was women getting the right vote, you know, and all that garbage. I just feel like we need to study what they did. And what was so significant, because it was peaceful, nonviolent, they adhere to the rule of law. They certainly enacted every part of First Amendment. And then those went and made it possible for us to have the rights we enjoy today. And you have to remember that everything that we enjoy today, these rights came because other people were willing to fight or dock for them. And that's the whole thing about the right to vote. I mean, I'm the widow of a Vietnam veteran, and my husband served in Vietnam. I know, we still have a lot of questions about that war. But my daddy, who just died this year, he was a world war two veteran as well as a Korean War veteran. My father in law was an Army veteran who was throughout World War Two. So I take this right to vote seriously. And when I think about what our having grown up in Nashville, and Tennessee, and I've been in Memphis, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed in 1968, fighting for equal rights. And I've been in Memphis since January 1981. So I'm very passionate about women's rights, civil rights, the right to vote, we need to know our history. And we need to understand that a lot of people fought died for us to have these rights, particularly the right to vote.   Michael Hingson  16:42 Well, without getting overly political about the process, we certainly seem to be having some challenges today, because there is a what appears to be a growing number of people who would retract a lot of the things that have been brought about and some of the rights that have been expanded and made available. And it's it's scary, I know that we who, for example, have happened to be persons with disabilities are worried about some of the voting issues. Because if they, if the wrong, people decide to take complaint and get complete control, they could pull back the Help America Vote Act, and the whole issue about having voting machines that are accessible and taking away accessible ballots and so on. And there's so many other things going on? How do we get people to truly understand what happened with women's suffrage and similar sorts of things? And how do we get people to recognize the dangers that we face today?   Paula Casey  17:47 That is such a great question. And I've got to tell you, Mike, I think about this just about every day. Here's what you got to remember, ever since the beginning of this country, we have had people who consider themselves superior, and who do not want everyone to vote, it took me a long time to understand that. Because, you know, growing up in Nashville, and I mean, I had a great upper middle class life. And, you know, I'm educated, I've traveled I mean, I think I'm a fairly nice person. And I want everybody to vote. And I just couldn't understand that there were people who would not want every American citizen to exercise the franchise, and that has become more and more apparent. And I have to tell you, I think that the election of Barack Obama had a lot to do with that with the backlash. And the idea that there are folks in this country who do not believe that everyone should have the right to vote. And so therefore, they consider themselves justified in putting up barriers to the voting process, which makes it incumbent upon people like us who want everyone to have access to the ballot, to try to figure out how to overcome the obstacles that they place in our path. At Bat, again, takes us back to the women's suffrage movement. Those women endured all kinds of ridicule. I mean, it just it's amazing when you look back and see the newspapers, and things that were written and said letters and things that are in archives, people who were dismissive both men and women, dismissive of the right to vote, because that was something that many people from the beginning of this country onward, felt like it should be limited, any access. So those of us who have been fighting for expanded access, are going to have to keep on fighting. We can't give up and that's what the suffrage just taught us cannot give up Have   Michael Hingson  20:01 you talked about the concept? And the fact that this was a nonviolent movement? Did those early suffragists experienced much violence from people?   Paula Casey  20:14 Yeah. Oh, yeah. Especially when they marched the 1913 suffrage parade in Washington, DC, and in New York City and night content, the I mean, Thurber police and looked the other way, a geonet. Something that's happening today, too. But the idea that not everyone celebrated having universal suffrage. And that's what I believe in universal suffrage, no matter what you believe. And you still should have access to the ballot, and we need to make it as accessible as we can. But we've just got to keep fighting because we've got to overcome the people that don't want everyone to have access to the ballot.   Michael Hingson  21:01 You studied this a lot. What do you think the Founding Fathers view would be today? When founding mothers for that matter?   Paula Casey  21:09 Better? Such a great question, because everybody likes to think that they know what they would think. And I have to tell you, I have been on a run of reading David McCullough's books. I am just really into BS, I'm researching 76 right now. And I've had John Adams forever. I've never finished it. So I'm going to finish that. Then I've got to do Teddy Roosevelt. And then I'm going to do Harry Truman. But the thing about John Adams, when Abigail wrote him to remember the ladies, he was dismissive. And he thought it was silly. And these man, okay, yes, they were products of their time. But there were very few real feminist among them. That's what made Frederick Douglass stand out because he was so willing to stand up for women's suffrage. But she looked back at those men. And I mean, honestly, my they didn't know any differently. You think about what they were through. And the idea that women should be equal participants in a democracy was certainly a foreign thought to them. But there were so many people. And there were also areas that didn't allow women to vote. But you know, New Jersey actually extended the franchise and then took it away. And then when people started moving westward, to develop the West, there were the men were adamant that because women were helping homestead and settled all of that land out there that they should be voting, if there were states that were not going to come into the Union if their women couldn't vote. So this is not that unusual of an idea. But it took particularly enlightened man and women who pushed for it to happen. And I've got to point this out. I do not bash man because it took the man and those 36 state legislatures to ratify a Ninth Amendment, they voted to willingly expand power, and that needs to be acknowledged. Weird, we're   Michael Hingson  23:20 we're dealing with this, this whole issue of suffrage and rights and so on. Were any of the early founders of the United States, right from the outset? Supportive or more supportive? Do you think? Or do you know,   Paula Casey  23:35 trying to think, abolition and suffrage became closely linked? Yeah. So for those who advocated the abolition of slavery, they were probably more amenable. But again, what this really is about is the whole idea of who is a citizen? And I think that's where and the founding of this country, clearly black people and Native Americans were not considered citizens. The question about women. I can't think right offhand of any, quote, founding father who advocated for women to bow, they may have come up, you know, some of them may have come around, but you look back and think, who are the guys that we think about as founding fathers? I don't think any of them was particularly feminist, or encouraging of women being thought of as citizens with full voting rights. And then you got into the issue of taxation without representation. You know, nothing's new. That's what you learned studying the women's suffrage movement is it's all been said or done for who is a citizen who should have the right to vote?   Michael Hingson  24:58 Well, I'm I'm think I mentioned to you When we chatted before, and you just brought up abolitionists, and I always remember the story of William Lloyd Garrison, who was trying to gain more people into the abolitionist movement. And he directed some of his people to contact the Grimm case sisters who were very staunch suffragists, right? And see, I got the word, right. And they said, No, we can't do that. That's not what their priority is. Their priority is all about women's separatists that's going to detract from what we're all about. And in Henry Mayer's book all on fire in telling the story, he says that Garrison said, it's all the same thing. And that's absolutely right. Whether it's the right to vote, whether it's the right to attend public school, whether it's the right of persons with so called disabilities to have equal access, which doesn't necessarily mean we do things the same way, but equal access to things in the United States. It's all the same thing. Right. And I think that's the most important message that we all want to take away. Or at least that's part of the important message that we should take away. I don't know how we change people's minds today, though, we're getting such a polarized world? And how do we get people to understand why being more open to everyone having equal opportunities, whether it be the right to vote or whatever? How do we get people to deal with that?   Paula Casey  26:45 I think we have to learn from what the separatists stat, we have to persevere. We have to be creative, and innovative. We just can't give up. This is the long game we are in for the fight of our labs. And it won't get better if people give up. That's why we've got the hang in there. And truly, it is about democracy, you either believe in democracy or don't. And that, to me is the bottom line. And when he talks about polarization, I think we also have to factor in disinformation, foreign governments being involved in our political processes. And frankly, as a former newspaper journalist, and someone with a journalism degree, I have to tell you, I think the media have failed us. They are not reporting on things that are happening. And I've got to tell you this mike, in the 1970s, my husband and I were in the newspaper business back then he was a great journalist, great editor. And we started watching the corporatization of news in the mid to late 70s. And now it's like what, six or seven corporations, on all the major media, this is not good for our country. We work for a family owned newspaper business in Tennessee, that was bought out. And then now you have these giant firms and hedge funds, evil, I think they're evil, and they're buying up all of the media, this is not good for our country. And this means it is difficult to get the message out to people. And I really thought that social media would help and if anything, is probably been more of a hindrance. Sadly,   Michael Hingson  28:35 when you don't have any kind of governing governors on what you do, like what we saw for several years recently, then, yeah, it certainly doesn't help does it? Not. So well fight disinformation, as well as apathy. Yeah, and apathy is certainly a part of it. And you talked about the importance of voting, and we I've talked to a number of people who have never voted, oh, I'm not going to do that it won't make a difference and so on. And they, and they continue to feel that way. And they just don't vote and they're not young people. But I've also found young people who do that, but I know some people who are in their 40s and 50s. And they've never voted in an election. And they're fine with   Paula Casey  29:28 that. Yeah, that's that's what's so sad because you've got to have parents or teachers, someone who inculcate in a young person, that it's important to better and I will tell you, my sister and I grew up in a home where my parents were two newspapers voted in every election. My sister and I knew that it was important, we registered to vote. I mean, I I got to vote first time and I was 19. But I registered as soon as I could, after the 26th Amendment was ratified. And I've just think People have got to understand that democracy doesn't work. If you don't participate, democracy is not a spectator sport. And here again, this is something else that this brings up. When did they stop teaching civics in the schools? I love civics. I love teaching civics talking about civics. That's part of the problem right there.   Michael Hingson  30:24 There are a lot of challenges. I think I know the answer to this one, since Tennessee was the 36th state to ratify the 19th Amendment. But why is it called the perfect 36?   Paula Casey  30:36 The editorial cartoonists of the day, the Tennessee the perfect 36 Because they did not know where that last state was going to come from. So think about here, let me set stage 3435 states have ratified. Three states absolutely refused to consider it because their governors were opposed. Connecticut, Vermont, Florida, nine states had outright rejected it. And berries were primarily in the south lawn with Maryland, a couple of years. Non states were checked it. It fell to Tennessee. And because Tennessee had a well organized group of suffragists across the state in all 95 of our counties, and we have wonderful man who supported this effort, including our United States senator Kenneth McKellar, who was from Memphis. So the stage was set. When Carrie Chapman Catt came to Nashville to stay at the Hermitage Hotel, which is fabulous. And I want your listeners to go to the heart teach hotel if they're ever in Nashville, because it's so significant in the suffrage battle. Both the Pro and anti suffrage forces stayed at the Hermitage and Carrie Chapman Catt stayed there. Along with Representative Joseph pan over from Memphis, who was the floor later, Carrie Chapman cat asked him to be the suffrage fight. So because of the editorial cartoonist and because we were the last state that could ratify, that's where the name of the perfect 36 came from.   Michael Hingson  32:20 Well, for you personally, what really got you interested in becoming so deeply involved in studying the suffrage movement because it's clearly become very personal for you.   Paula Casey  32:34 My husband, dad and July 1988. And Carolyn Yellin, spent a lot of time with me. We had actually been at the National Women's Conference in November of 1977. That was an exciting time I was one of the youngest delegates there. And Carol Lam talked to me about the research that she had done and and I want people to know about this because this is really important. After back McCain was killed in Memphis in 1968. Carolyn Yellin her husband, David Yellin, who was a broadcaster and several other folks put together a group called the search for meaning committee. And they compiled everything they could about what was happening in Memphis. And every book that has been written since then about Dr. King, and what happened in Memphis, has utilized their research. Well, while Carolyn was doing this research, she came across this Tennessee story and she was working with from Oklahoma. She didn't even come here from New York City. He ran the broadcasting department, a inaugurated at what was then known as Memphis State University. And Carolyn said, you know, this is kind of important. Yeah, that may, Tennessee was last, I think the ratify. So she started doing research. And she found descendants. And she also talked with two of the man who were still living. Harry Byrne died in 1977. Joseph Hanover did not got until 1984 and I met him in 1983. He was the for later, who Mrs. Cat had asked, Can the pro surfers votes together, had it not been for Joe Hannover. I'm telling you tonight, the amendment would not have been ratified in Tennessee. He Carolyn always said to me, he was the real hero. So we started working on a book because she had said she wanted to do this book. So I'm thinking I have a lot of graduated from UT Knoxville and the University of Tennessee press will want to do this book, because we have all this original research. So we're calling you to press. And the woman said to me, and we've already dealt with on women's suffrage, and was very dismissive. And I was just really stunned and I said Okay, thank you. So I started thinking about it later and I wished I'd had the presence of mind to say she nobody ever says that about the Civil War. You know, all they do is write books about the damn civil war. I mean, I grew up in Nashville, believe me, I had been, I was indoctrinated with Lost Cause mythology. So I start looking. And finally we get somebody who's willing to publish it. And you gotta remember this. We published it originally in 1998. I've done a re plan, and I've done the e book and the audio book, and Dr. Dre and Sherman came to Memphis in 1994. We started working on the book in 1996. We got the first edition published in May of 1998. And I was able to put it in Carolyn's hands, her breast cancer had returned, and she got in March of 99. So I was just so grateful that her research resulted in that book. And then Dr. Sherman, who had her PhD from Wright first wrote about the long journey from the Revolutionary War up to what happened in Nashville in 1920. So we're really proud of the book, and I continue to sell it to libraries and individuals because you know, that history is it's very well recorded in our book. And so I'm really proud of it and I've got a hold of a copy. The perfect body six, Tennessee delivers women's suffrage and the cover is Downtown Memphis Main Street, 1916. It was called The Great monster suffrage point.   Michael Hingson  36:29 Do you know if the book has been put into audio format today?   Paula Casey  36:33 Yes, Dr. Sherman read the audio books. I have an audio book and the ebook and awkward formats.   Michael Hingson  36:39 So is it on   Paula Casey  36:39 Audible? Yes. Oh, it's on lots of ebook platforms and an audio book platforms.   Michael Hingson  36:47 Well, great. Then I'm gonna go hunted down. I think that will be fun to read.   Paula Casey  36:54 Music terrible. I forgot period music. We had a great producer David Wolf out Albuquerque did the audio. But   Michael Hingson  37:02 here's a question totally off the wall. totally subjective. But do you think Abraham Lincoln would have supported this women's suffragists movement?   Paula Casey  37:15 I do. And let me tell you why. It's so interesting. You should ask that. Have you heard about Jon Meacham? snoo book?   Michael Hingson  37:22 No, I have not. Okay.   Paula Casey  37:23 Jon Meacham is a Tennessee boy. We were at the Chattanooga you know, he lives in Nashville May. I was in New York City for years and years. And he and his wife are in Nashville because he is a professor at Vanderbilt University. And he was on Lawrence O'Donnell, I think last night on Well, whenever it was on MSNBC, talking about his new book about Abraham Lincoln. And then there was like, Abraham Lincoln. I mean, it he has fast to think of keep up with Cain. He believed in abolishing slavery, but he traded people with dignity. And I think that he could have been persuaded that, you know, the union wasn't gonna provide as a women's voting union was gonna define over whether it was okay to enslave other human beings. And when you think about the idea that it was okay to own other human beings that's just repulsive just today, but back then, Lincoln had his work cut out for him. But I do think because he believed and he he studied them. She's such a thoughtful man. And I'm looking forward to reading John's book, because I think all of his books are terrific. But I really want to read this one, because I think Abraham Lincoln was enlightened in his own way, and he probably would have come around to support it. Yeah,   Michael Hingson  38:53 he just had other issues that were as important, if not more important, like keeping the country together if he could. Right. So it was, it was certainly a big challenge. And,   Paula Casey  39:07 you know, 1848, by Seneca Falls happened, but then the surfer just recognized that the Civil War was going to take priority over everything. And so they were essentially derailed, but it was after the Civil War. And the 14th and 15th amendments came up or 13th amendment, you know, to abolish slavery, but the 15th Amendment, extended the franchise to the newly freed black male slaves, and I want to point something out here. There's a lot of misinformation about who could vote and the aftermath of the Civil War and then later and they you heard this and I heard this a lot in 2020, during the centennial celebration, and let me point out that separatist endured a pandemic just like we have, and they persevered and they want to spike the pandemic. And there is a school We'll start, which I happen to agree with that the 1965 Voting Rights Act would not have applied to black women. Had the 19th Amendment not been ratified the 15th Amendment and the 19th Amendment event, the Voting Rights Act was about the enforcement of those two amendments. And when people say, Oh, we're black women are unable to vote. No, that is not true. The 19th Amendment did not say white women. It says equality of suffrage shall not be denied. I can't have sex. That's all it says I can't have sex. And so it removes the gender barrier to voting and had nothing to do with race. What did have to do with race was the states. The constitution grants the right to states set the policies and procedures for voting. And it was in the States where you have Jim Crow laws, and Paul taxes and literacy tests and all that garbage that was designed to keep people from voting. The states did it, not the Ninth Amendment. And we have documentation of black women voting in Nashville, Clarksville, Tennessee, about Tachyon and Memphis,   Michael Hingson  41:15 you have been involved in placing various suffragist related art around Tennessee. Can you tell us or would you tell us about that?   Paula Casey  41:25 Yes, I am very excited about this. When you go to a city, wherever you go in this country, you notice if you're working about the public art, and who is depicted in statuary, and for too long, we have not acknowledged the contributions of women and public art. So back in 1997, Van state senator Steve Cullen from Memphis, who is now my ninth district, Congressman Steve is great. Steve is the one who said we have got to have something inside state capitol. So put me on this committee. And he said you're going to serve on this committee. And there's going to be a blind competition that the Tennessee Arts Commission will sponsor and we're going to select somebody to design something to go inside state capitol because think about this, Tennessee ratified August 18 1920. And up until February of 1998. There was nothing inside the Tennessee State Capitol building that depicted Tennessee's pivotal role. Oh, American women's vote today, thanks to Tennessee. So Steve puts me on this committee. We have a blind competition. Owl on the far west Wednesday. And on the back of our perfect 36 book, I have a picture of the bar leaf that is hanging between the House and Senate chambers, and the Tennessee State Capitol building. Okay, fast forward to 2009. Former Vermont Governor Madeleine Kunin came to Nashville to give a speech at the Economic Summit for women and she was picked up by Tierra backroads and she said to the women who picked her up, take me to see your monument to the suffragist. I know that Kelsey was the state that made it Wow. And they said, Oh, Governor, we're so sorry, the state capitol building is closed. And this is where that bodily is hanging inside State Capitol. And she said to them, you Tennessee women should be ashamed. You should have something that is readily accessible. So that started our efforts to put together the Tennessee women's suffrage monument. And we commissioned our look bar and 2011 We got really serious in 2012. I was asked to be the president in May of 2013, which mount where you raise the money and I raise 600,000 for this $900,000 monument that is now in Centennial Park. Nashville. Centennial Park is gorgeous. It's historic. Susan B. Anthony was actually in that park in 1897. And she inspired and Dallas Dudley of Nashville to get involved Suffrage Movement. And Anne was beautiful and wealthy. And she became a great suffrage leader on the state level and the national level. So we got together at our McQuire studio in Nashville. He's at West Nashville. And they asked me who should we put on this minute but and because Carolyn Yellin had been my mentor and my friend, I said, we need to have an Dallas deadly from Nashville. Frankie Parris from Nashville who was a major black separatist, who registered over 2500 Black women to vote in Nashville in 1998. We had Sue Shaun White and Jackson who was the only Tennessee woman put in jail fighting for suffrage. And Abby Crawford Milton from Chattanooga, there wasn't really anybody that I was going to push for from Memphis at that moment because I knew that we were eventually going to do a Memphis separate monument. But I said, Karen Chapman Catt, who was originally from Iowa, and you know, okay, so yeah, New York, Carolyn Yellen said that Carrie Chapman Catt should have been the first woman to become a United States Senator from New York. But she was so spent after the savage battle and she had a serious heart condition. So I said when he put Carrie Chapman Catt on there because she wanted to pick it in statuary. She was brilliant. And so we had the spot women heroic scale. They're nine feet tall. They're in the Nashville Centennial Park. So that's the Tennessee one separate monument. Allen was commissioned to do to get our Knoxville I worked on the advising the Tennessee triumph and Clarksville, Tennessee. And it's fabulous. It's got a woman putting her ballot in the ballot box. And beyond Ben Jackson, I helped raise the money and that was only 32,000 to do a burst of soup shot right in front of Jackson City Hall and bed, Memphis, my hometown. We have the Memphis suffrage monument equality trailblazers, that monument cost $790,190 average every penny of it because I have wonderful friends, and a city council on a county commission that gave major money so that we could preserve the legacies of these important people. And so in the Memphis monument, which is at the law school, for the University of Memphis, facing the Mississippi River, I live right down by the river. You can see that monument in the daytime or at night. And what's so great about this, Mike is that people see it and they just rave about it. And school children go there and they read about these remarkable people. And I point this out to everyone when I'm doing chores, or when I gave speeches. The reason we do these markers and monuments is because these people deserve to be remembered. And when we're all gone, that was mine knits and markers will be there telling the story and I'm just grateful that I had been able to have this experience to preserve the wiper sees of these remarkable Oregon people.   Michael Hingson  47:35 Now as I recall the monument at the University of Memphis the ceremony dedicating it is on YouTube, yes. Do you know how people can easily find it? Do you know a link or   Paula Casey  47:50 I think if you go on YouTube, you can type in Downtown Memphis Commission because the Downtown Memphis Commission produced it. It's on their YouTube channel and I actually have it on my YouTube channel, Paula FKC. And I believe it's easy to find it was March 27 2022, the dedication ceremony for the Memphis suffrage monument, but you can actually see it and I've got to tell you this, I'm so excited. My friend, Michelle duster, who is the great granddaughter about to be Wales and I'm going to hold up her book out to be the queen Michelle gave me her family's blessing. And she and her brothers wanted to write the bio that's lasered on the class for ATAPI wills. And Alan had sculpted a bust of atopy Wales along with five others. And she was so excited about it. And we had so much fun when she came to Memphis. And it was just such a great experience for us to celebrate the wives of atopy wills and Mary Church, Terrell, and all of the people from Memphis, Shelby County, who fought to get that night keep that amendment ratified. And then those women whose careers were made possible in politics, because of the suffragists victory, said, Michelle has been a great ally and champion of our monument.   Michael Hingson  49:14 So I think we've talked around a lot of this, but ultimately, what can we learn from the Chuffer suffragists movement? What lessons can we take forward? And I guess even before that, do you think that those who led and were the basis of the separatist movement would be surprised at what we're experiencing today? Now?   Paula Casey  49:40 I think they would just take it in stride, and they would expect it because they've dealt with backlash, and obstacles, ridicule, sarcasm, obstructionism, they saw it all. That's why I keep telling people when you study history, you learned that nothing is new. And it is so important for us to recognize the people who help move history forward, they help make sure that our society goes forward and that we are on the right side of history, when it comes to the expansion of rights, and inclusion, diversity, inclusion, all of this should just be something that we do, because it's the right thing to do. And because we understand how important it is for everyone, to participate in our government, in our society, why don't we want to be close, I don't want to live on Wi Fi. But I want to celebrate people who have done great things. I want to be able to tell young people that they can be aspirational, that they can vote to the example set by these people who accomplish something right over enormous opposition.   Michael Hingson  50:58 Clearly, these women, and anyone who is committed to this process, to use my term would be unstoppable, which is, which is a great thing. And clearly you are helping to promote that. And I think that is extremely important. And it does go beyond suffrage, women's suffrage, it goes to anyone who has been disenfranchised by whatever the system might be. And we do have to fight the fights, we can't step back, we have to stand for what we believe in. And I think that it is important that we do it in a non violent way. I suspect that if he had lived back in the time of women's suffrage, Gandhi would be a very great supporter, don't you think?   Paula Casey  51:51 Yeah, he would have come around. Yeah, he was kind of sexist.   Michael Hingson  51:55 Well, you know, it's the environment. But non violence was certainly his   Paula Casey  51:59 right. As Susan B. Anthony was entered non violence long before Gandhi and dark cane and she never gets recognized for it. Yeah.   Michael Hingson  52:09 Yeah, it did not start in the 1900s. But it is something that we all ought to take to heart. Now. Let's let's be clear, non violence, as opposed to civil disobedience.   Paula Casey  52:25 Right, right. Yeah. I mean, Susan Bay was all for civil disobedience. And you know, like when she tried to vote, and Elizabeth every Merriweather from Memphis was so inspired by Susan B. Anthony's example, that she went to go vote in Memphis in 1873. And she said they gave her a ballot, probably because she was considered an aristocracy. But she said she wasn't sure if her vote was counted. Yeah. And so that's the whole thing about, you know, who can vote who's citizen who has access to the ballot. And another thing that we have to think about is who's going to count the votes? We're never used to have to worry about that so much.   Michael Hingson  53:07 And it's unfortunate that we have to worry about it today. I think for the longest time, we assumed that the system worked. And mostly I think it did. And it does. But now, there is so much fear and so much distrust because of what some are doing that we have to be concerned about. Who's counting the votes? I watched a news report last night about how ballots are handled in San Bernardino County. And the process is absolutely amazing. When the ballots come in, the first thing that's checked is is the signature and the comparison is made as to whether it's a legal signature that's done by a group of people. And then the ballot is opened. And the ballot is just checked for anything damaged or anything that looks irregular. And then it goes to a different group of people now a third group that counts the ballots, and one of the points that they made, and I actually hadn't thought of it, although I should have. But until they mentioned it is and none of the machines and none of the technologies and none of the process involved in counting the ballots in San Bernardino County and I suspect in a lot most places, nothing is connected to the internet. Right? Oh, nothing can go off and destroy or warp the ballot, the process. That's good to know. Yep, I think it should be that way. I've seen some companies who are concerned enough about the internet and what people can do that their accounting systems are never attached to the internet and it makes perfect sense given everything that's going on today. So other computers can be compromised. But the accounting and monetary parts of the companies are not connected to the internet at all. They're not on the network, right? Even the local network.   Paula Casey  55:14 So what can I mention the three man who were so essential in Tennessee? Sure. This is such a great story. And I have to tell you, my friend, Bill Haltom, of Netflix is a great author and retired attorney. He did this book, because I asked him to on representative Joseph Hanover rock, Kent mother vote. Joseph Hanover, was an immigrant from Poland. His family was Orthodox Jewish, and they fled, because the Tsar took their property. And so many Jewish immigrants were coming into this country, because they had to flee oppression. And he came to this country along with his mother and two brothers, his father came first and ended up in Memphis, and saved the money for them to flee Poland. Now, let me tell you, my key talk about unstoppable mindset. Those people who were searching for freedom, and they had crossed a frozen lake and come across in the bowels of a steamship. And Joe was five years old, and he went upstairs and start bands and people were throwing money at it. When they got to this country, they came through Ellis Island, and band came through via St. Louis down to Memphis, some in Memphis. And he was so taken with this country and the country's founding documents, because his parents kept telling their boys they had three and then they had two more. And they told them, you're living in the greatest country. You have rights in this country that we did not have public. You've got study the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence. And of course, the Declaration of Sentiments in 1848, at Seneca Falls was patterned after the declaration of independence. So Mr. Joe decides that he's going to run for the legislature, and he went to law school and studied by all Lampe in his family's home in being Hampton, which is a part of Memphis back then it was north of Memphis. I am so excited because the national votes for women trail, I've been the Tennessee coordinator, and I really pushed to get one of the poverty foundation markers for Mr. Joe. We got it last week, it has been put up on the side of the Hanover family home. And I encourage people who are listening or watching this podcast to look up the national votes for women trail and see all of the people across the 48 states because remember, Alaska and Hawaii weren't states back. We have got Mr. Joe hit with his marker. Then we've also got the sculpture that Allah required date of Harry burn. Now Mr. Joe knew the morning of August 18th 1920, that he was two boats short of ratification in the House, the Senate in Tennessee had passed it 25 Four, but the house was very close to being deadlocked. And because of the opposition and the money, here's what you've got to remember. People who are opposed to right are always going to have more money. That's just a given. So you have to be smarter, and work harder and be more innovative. Mr. Joe did everything he could to keep those pro surfers votes together and it came down to two votes. And he didn't know where they're going to come from. That this is anecdote that Bill Haltom and I've done some research. We think this is true. There was a state representative from West Tennessee north of Jackson and Gibson county named banks Turner. He was a farmer, a Vanderbilt educated lawyer and he had been antiseptic. Now banks Turner ended up sitting and Governor Roberts office on the morning of August the 18th. That vote was gonna take place in the house. And Governor Roberts, who had actually he came around but he supported it. So he's talking to governor of Ohio governor Cox Governor Cox was besieging Governor Roberts of Tennessee to please get Tennessee to pass because remember, both political parties thought that women would vote for them in the 1920 presidential election. The best flip the push was to make it possible for American women to vote in the presidential election. Now Tennessee had as did other states, something called limited suffrage or municipal suffrage where women can only vote in school board or presidential electors, but not universal suffrage, which meant they could vote now elections. So Tennessee women worked and I think would have had a chance to vote. But the political parties wanted Tennessee to ratify so that women and all the 48 states would have the opportunity to vote in the 1920 presidential election. So banks Charter, the Vanderbilt educated lawyer and farmer from Gibson County, Tennessee who had been an Attock is sitting there listening to Governor Roberts and the conversation. And Governor Roberts pointed at banks Turner and said something to the effect of I'm sitting here looking at the man who can make this happen. So banks charter didn't tell anybody that he had met with Senator Roberts and he goes to the floor of the house. And there were attempts made to table the notion which meant to kill it, because they didn't want to have to go on record, and a special session of 1920 if they could delay it until the regular session in January of 1921, and then effectively kill it for all time. Well, Johanna never knew that he was to vote short. Though Joe Hanover and banks Turner voted to table the voted against tabling the motion Harry Berg voted twice to table the motion. However, banks Turner kept it alive because it deadlocked 4848, which meant the amendment was alive and proceeded to the farm vote for ratification. The Speaker of the House was Seth Walker from Lebanon, Tennessee and he was a very wildlife lawyer had initially been four separate Jiminy ends up being an atta. And he thought that because it had deadlocked on the motion to table 4848 that the same thing was gonna happen with the actual vote of ratification, which would have killed it, that he did not know that Harry Barr, who was a state representative from now to candidacy outside of Chattanooga, and was received a letter from his mother and widow who own property, and she wanted to be able to vote in our elections. So she says in this letter, dear son, her rod vote for suffrage. I had been reading the paper with you see where you stood and haven't been able to say anything. Please help Mrs. Cat put the rat and ratification from his mother. So Harry, what the roll call was taken, voted for it voted ah. And it caught the anti separatists by surprise. But the processor just realized that it was going to pass 49 to 47. And so SEC Walker, being a parliamentary maneuver specialist, changed his vote from May to ah, so that he would be able to prevail anxiety to bring it up for reconsideration. But what that did was it gave it a constitutional majority 50 to 46. So that it would pass constitutional muster, and they had attempts to be railing and all kinds of shenanigans. But Tennessee, became the last state to ratify the perfect 36 on August 18 1920. And we celebrate that accomplishment and everything with those men did. And I have been very pleased that we got a Tennessee Historical Commission marker in Gibson County for thanks, Turner. We've got the Harry burn statue, and there's a marker in his home place and Nauta and then I have got the Palmer foundation mark of Joe Hanover. And Adam afar, Scott did his best on the Memphis suffrage monument. So what these men did, because they believed in democracy and rule of law, it will be there for future generations to know   Michael Hingson  1:04:25 what a great story and there's no better way to end our episode today then with that and what it really means if people want to learn more about all of this and maybe contact you and learn about your book and so on. How can they do that?   1:04:45 thperfect36.com theperfect36.com or Paulacasey.com And I would love to hear from folks you know the books are available the audio book, the ebook and the DVD generations American women when the This is all about celebrating democracy and the rule of law and the right to vote. And thank you so much.   1:05:08 Well, Paula, thank you and I really appreciate you coming on. I love history I have not read enough David McCullough books and have to work on that some but and we will, but I have Red Team of Rivals. So that's not David McCollum. But still, history is an important thing for us. And we learned so much that whatever we think is new really isn't same concepts coming up in a different way. Right. But thank you all for listening. I'd love to hear from you. Please. Wherever you are, just shoot me an email. Let me know what you thought of today's podcast. Please give us a five star review. This is an informative episode and one that I think people really need to hear. So I hope you will pass on about this. Give us a five star rating. Email me at Michaelhi M I C H A E L H I at accessibe.com or visit our podcast page. www dot Michael hingson H i n g s o n.com/podcast. And definitely let us know your thoughts. And once more Paula Casey, we really appreciate you coming on and educating us and telling us all about this subject which is I think so important and teaches us so many lessons we need to take to heart.   Paula Casey  1:06:25 Thank you.   1:06:29 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com. accessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.

Ben Rodgers talks with one of the city council members of Cookeville,  Eric Walker. The two talk about why he chose to go to UT-Knoxville for college, other things Eric did before city council that has ties to public service, and the decision that made Eric run in 2018 and what fueled that. Listen to the latest Local Matters Podcast… Presented by Office Mart. Visit them at 215 S Jefferson Ave in Cookeville to see what they can do for your office News Talk 94.1 · Presented By Office Mart

Today I have a GREAT interview with Dr. William B Burkhart who has a practice in the Knoxville area. Do you have good direct care practitioners in your area? Let's share who they are! Featured Event: Chattanooga Voluntaryist Society Meetup, This Month's focus is herbalism.  THE EDNEY INNOVATION CENTER  1100 MARKET STREET, FIFTH FLOOR, CHATTANOOGA, TN Today's Sponsor: Agorist Tax Advice AgoristTaxAdvice.com/lftn  Agorist Tax Advice. Do you want to give Uncle Sam fewer of your hard-earned dollars? Do you wonder if the time has come to set up your LLC? Are you confused about what kind of business to establish? Are you wanting to pass along wealth you have built to your kids, but not sure the best way to do that? Matthew Sercely of Agorist Tax Advice can help you make sense of all the options, understand how to stay on top of tracking write-offs, and see new ways of organizing your finances so that you keep more of the money you earn in your pockets.  Matthew has a broad knowledge of business finance, real estate and rentals, end of life planning and more which means that he can help you find legal tax loopholes and understand risks.  Head on over to AgoristTaxAdvice.com/lftn to sign up for a free consultation. Show Resources www.beacondpc.com William B. Burkhart completed his Bachelor's Degree in Music Education at UT Knoxville in 2008. After several years as a band director, general music teacher, and orchestral conductor, he began pursuing medicine as a career path. He graduated from ETSU Quillen College of Medicine in 2019 and completed residency at UMKC Community and Family Medicine in Kansas City, Missouri in 2022. He is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. Dr Burkhart is now the owner and founder of Beacon Primary Care, a direct primary care practice located in West Knoxville. He is expanding the scope of his practice to include functional and integrative medicine components. Main content of the show Awesome discussion! Make it a great week GUYS! Don't forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce.  Community Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b Advisory Board The Booze Whisperer The Tactical Redneck Chef Brett Samantha the Savings Ninja Resources Membership Sign Up Holler Roast Coffee Harvest Right Affiliate Link

This week Scott and Jesse talk to Buddy Burkhardt, the new chair of the Knox County Republican Party, about his plans and goals for his two-year term. They also talk about KPD's new "standards" chief, further moves by UT and the City of Knoxville on the proposed pedestrian bridge across the Tennessee River, and Farragut's plans for the Campbell Station Inn. Plus, the Legislature passes those bills against drag shows and gender-affirming care for minors. Go to CompassKnox.com to subscribe today!

In this episode, co-hosts Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby are joined by a live audience and three UT Knoxville graduating seniors in supply chain management. They discuss their journeys to the university and the major, the value of getting involved in student orgs, attending industry events, and networking, and what they looked for in future employers.The three guests featured in this episode:Lillian Qin, president of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) student roundtable. She will start her career with KPMG in procurement and outsourcing consulting in ChicagoHalie Fairchild, president of NeXus Women in Supply Chain student group. She has accepted a rotational role, starting in internal audit, from HF Sinclair Corporation in DallasJack Parr, who is heading to Cincinnati to work for P&G's inventory team in a data analytics positionRelated links:Do massive layoffs in Big Tech suggestion an incoming recession?The Institute of Supply Management's manufacturing index report for January 2023GDP report shows fourth quarter growth of 2.8%GSCI Fellow Alan Amling discusses potential UPS workers strike with Supply Chain DriveResources, including internship information, certificate programs, and student groups, for undergraduates at UTHow companies can recruit UT's supply chain talentInformation and registration for students planning to attend the SCM Career Expo, Feb. 20Scholars of Distinction, an undergraduate honors program for top-performing SCM majorsListen to our previous episode with recent graduates at BP, Denso, and Eastman Chemical Company about transitioning from college to professional career

UT Knoxville Chancellor Donde Plowman joins the show to discuss how far UT Athletics particularly Football has come in the last several years. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UT Knoxville Chancellor Donde Plowman joins the show to discuss how far UT Athletics particularly Football has come in the last several years. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UT Knoxville Chancellor Donde Plowman joins the show to discuss how far UT Athletics particularly Football has come in the last several years. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn about the Big Orange Give as UT Knoxville Alumni joined The EA Show. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn about the Big Orange Give as UT Knoxville Alumni joined The EA Show. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nick Roush is back! And like always he's joined by Adam Luckett to get you fired up and ready for a MASSIVE showdown in Knoxville between the Cats and the low down dirty snitches that are the Volunteers. Highlights: Why are Tennessee fans the worst? Kentucky being 12.5 point underdogs What is the formula for a win for Kentucky? Wide receivers versus UT What will Stoops do at the end of the season How much of a meltdown would UT-Knoxville fans have if they lost to Kentucky 11 Personnel is presented by Port Royal Plants Go to PortRoyalPlants.com for more info! 11 Personnel is brought to you by MyBookie.ag. Use promo code "PERSONNEL" and double your first deposit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cris Neider is the Director of Business Development at Starship Technologies. Chris has been head of business dev since 2018, spearheading Starship's expansion into university campuses across the US. Starship operates in over 20 schools, including UCLA, UT Knoxville, SMU, NCAT and many others, delivering food from all partnering businesses to students, faculty, and visitors. In addition, Chris is in charge of recruiting schools for the service and partners with on-campus dining facilities to achieve this.This episode is brought to you by N2N's Illuminate App, The iPaaS for Higher Education. Learn more at https://illuminateapp.com/web/higher-education/Subscribe and listen to more episodes at IlluminateHigherEducation.comContact Chris Neider: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisneider/Learn more about Starship Technologies: https://www.starship.xyz/Starship Technologies Twitter: https://twitter.com/starshiprobotsStarship Technologies Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starshiprobots/Starship Technologies YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-XAfJfuf73xLjheIMELkZg         

Some live by the philosophy that rules are meant to be broken, but what about non-rules that are meant to be followed? Residents and frequent visitors of downtown Knoxville know what we're talking about, even if they never publicly acknowledge these unspoken guidelines − the shortcuts to bar entries, the etiquette on sidewalks and the red light some people believe is totally OK to run through. On this week's episode, higher education reporter Becca Wright joins downtown reporter Ryan Wilusz to discuss which unspoken rules deserve to be said aloud.  "The Scruffy Stuff" is presented by knoxnews.com. Want more downtown analysis? Sign up for the free weekly Urban Knoxville newsletter by clicking here, and join the downtown discussion by becoming part of the Urban Knoxville group on Facebook.

You will fail. You will have difficult times. When hard times come your way, what will you do? Today on Conflict Managed, Randy Boyd, University of Tennessee President, encourages us to persevere in the face of hardship. He tells us the four things he has discovered successful businesses do, settling disputes with win/win/win in mind (you'll have to listen to find out what the extra win is!), and a great program, The Birthday Lunch and Listen, where people from across the organization are celebrated and listened to as well as creating an opportunity for employees to network with each other. Randy Boyd was appointed as the 26th president of the University of Tennessee System by the UT Board of Trustees March 27, 2020, following a 16-month period as interim president. Boyd founded Knoxville-based Radio Systems Corporation, a company that produces over 4,000 pet related products under the brand names PetSafe, Invisible Fence, ScoopFree and SportDOG. The company employs more than 1,400 people with offices in six countries around the world. Boyd Sports, LLC, owned by Randy and Jenny Boyd, owns the Greeneville Flyboys and Tennessee Smokies.  The company also owns the Johnson City Doughboys, Elizabethton River Riders and operates the Kingsport Axmen. Boyd also served the state of Tennessee in numerous roles, including serving as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development and as the governor's special advisor on higher education where he was the architect for Tennessee Promise and Drive to 55. He is also the founder and chairman of the non-profit Tennessee Achieves. Randy and Jenny Boyd have dedicated their lives to giving back. In 2018, the couple formed the Boyd Foundation to further promote youth education, mental health, the arts and animal welfare. Among the Foundation's many philanthropic commitments is the Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research and the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation's Boyd Venture Challenge seed grant program for student entrepreneurs, both through the Haslam College of Business at UT Knoxville. Boyd is the first in his family to graduate from college. He earned a bachelor's degree in business with an emphasis on industrial management from UT Knoxville. He also earned a master's degree in liberal studies with a focus on foreign policy from the University of Oklahoma. The Boyds live in Knoxville and have two children and two grandchildren. You can find Randy Boyd online at utpresident@tennessee.edu. Conflict Managed is hosted by Merry Brown and produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services. Contact us at 3PConflictRestoration@gmail.com. Our music is courtesy of Dove Pilot.

When streaking came to Knoxville in 1974, a couple Knox News staffers were around to witness the craze that earned the city its streaking capital nickname from Walter Cronkite. Though teens at the time, they still remember (all too vividly) some of the best parts (all too literally). There were bare-bottomed bikers and robe-less rooftop revelers. Sarah Frazier, now a Shopper News editor, tagged along wither her father to the Cumberland Avenue "Strip" show, while current Knox News office manager Donna Colburn brought along her 9-year-old sister she was babysitting. Listen to their stories. "The Scruffy Stuff" is presented by knoxnews.com. Want more downtown analysis? Sign up for the free weekly Urban Knoxville newsletter by clicking here, and join the downtown discussion by becoming part of the Urban Knoxville group on Facebook.

If "The Strip" isn't already unrecognizable to old-school Vols, just give it a couple years. Cumberland Avenue is heading in that direction, as the city's vision for a pedestrian-friendly corridor next to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville continues to evolve.  Chicago-based Core Spaces has major plans to build four student housing buildings, which means some existing buildings have to go. What does that mean for the future of the Strip, from vehicle traffic to the character of Cumberland Avenue? "The Scruffy Stuff" is presented by knoxnews.com. Want more downtown analysis? Sign up for the free weekly Urban Knoxville newsletter by clicking here, and join the downtown discussion by becoming part of the Urban Knoxville group on Facebook.

Join us this week as we talk about the Body Farm!  Located at UT Knoxville the Body Farm sits on 2.5 acres where scientists are able to study how bodies decompose, what creepy crawlies like dead bodies, and assist in criminal investigations.  Coolest. Place. Ever!!!Follow us on all the things!Facebook: Mountain Mysteries: Tales from AppalachiaInstagram: Mountainmysteries.appalachiaGmail: mountainmysteries.appalachian@gmail.comPatreon: Patreon.com/mountainmysteriesThe Clambake IncidentThe Clambake Incident your Tertiary sports and slice of life living Comedy PodcastListen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

Oakhaven, TN native, Paul Young, is our current President and CEO of the Downtown Memphis Commission. Paul's upbringing has been centered on finding purpose in work and a strong spirit of service. After graduating from UT Knoxville, Paul experienced a turning point in his life as he listened to one of his mother's sermons encompassing the purpose driven life. It was that moment when Paul discovered that he wanted to rebuild communities in Memphis. Since then he has served in a myriad of roles such as Legislative Liaison for the Shelby County Office of Legislative Affairs; Financial Analyst with Community Capital (Memphis, TN); Assistant Program Officer for Local Initiatives Support Corporation (New York, NY); and Associate Planner for the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development. Take a listen as Mr. Young walks us through his current role as President and CEO of the Downtown Memphis Commission. Upon entering the role, Memphis was coming out of covid proper which welcomed endless opportunities. Paul talks about the makeup of your typical investor for projects in downtown Memphis and why they are attracted to the city. Paul feels that "Diversity is our Super Power" in Memphis and that we should all strive to have a mindset of abundance. We also discuss the correlation of poverty as it relates to the DMC in addition to crime being one of their biggest challenges. Last but not least, Paul participates in "Finish That Line" where we see if he knows his 90's R&B. You'll discover some of the upcoming activations in downtown Memphis in addition to a five year outlook.

Oakhaven, TN native, Paul Young, is our current President and CEO of the Downtown Memphis Commission. Paul's upbringing has been centered on finding purpose in work and a strong spirit of service. After graduating from UT Knoxville, Paul experienced a turning point in his life as he listened to one of his mother's sermons encompassing the purpose driven life. It was that moment when Paul discovered that he wanted to rebuild communities in Memphis. Since then he has served in a myriad of roles such as Legislative Liaison for the Shelby County Office of Legislative Affairs; Financial Analyst with Community Capital (Memphis, TN); Assistant Program Officer for Local Initiatives Support Corporation (New York, NY); and Associate Planner for the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development.Take a listen as Mr. Young walks us through his current role as President and CEO of the Downtown Memphis Commission. Upon entering the role, Memphis was coming out of covid proper which welcomed endless opportunities. Paul talks about the makeup of your typical investor for projects in downtown Memphis and why they are attracted to the city. Paul feels that "Diversity is our Super Power" in Memphis and that we should all strive to have a mindset of abundance. We also discuss the correlation of poverty as it relates to the DMC in addition to crime being one of their biggest challenges. Last but not least, Paul participates in "Finish That Line" where we see if he knows his 90's R&B. You'll discover some of the upcoming activations in downtown Memphis in addition to a five year outlook.

Work can be uncertain. What should you do when the next steps are unclear? Our guest today on Conflict Managed, Dr. Keith Carver, advises when you don't know what to do, do no harm until you know what to do. Keith Carver became the 11th chancellor of the University of Tennessee at Martin in 2017. Prior to his position with the UT System, Keith held various positions on the UT campuses in Knoxville, Martin, and Memphis, including serving as interim vice chancellor for development and alumni affairs at the UT Health Science Center in Memphis and as assistant vice chancellor for development at UT Martin. He holds a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Memphis, and a master's degree in college student personnel and educational leadership as well as a doctoral degree from UT Knoxville. Listen in on my conversation with Dr. Carver as he talks about the anatomy of an excellent team, the benefits of listening to those around you, the value of having a mentor and being a good mentee, how to address mistakes and crises at work, and the importance of addressing workplace mental health and wellbeing. You can find Dr. Carver online: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kcarver1970 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kcarver1970 Email: chancellor@utm.edu Conflict Managed is hosted by Merry Brown and produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services. Contact us at 3PConflictRestoration@gmail.com. Our music is courtesy of Dove Pilot.

The Nice Podcast is brought to you by Futureforth.com. We help fast-growing tech companies onboard, create, and keep happier more connected employees. Please leave a rating and review at ratethispodcast.com/nice. Ralph Schulz is the President and CEO of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. What we talked about... Ralph was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee when he was 12. He went to UT Knoxville.  His first job in the mid-1970s was in Nashville. He moved away and returned to Nashville in the late 1990s to run the Science Center. The center was struggling at the time and this piqued his interest.  Ralph is more face-to-face. He's more about conversation instead of soundbites. He doesn't use social media. The Nashville Chamber job was the only other job he wanted and when it became open he applied. It attracted him because it's led by business leaders in the community who want to see a difference. They don't just hand over a check, they want to be engaged.  Community leaders often have the desire but don't have the wherewithal to take the steps to support the community. That's how the Chamber helps. After three years as President of the Chamber, they won the Chamber of the Year Award in 2009.  Determining your value. Setting goals. Scheduling with a timeline. Ask, what do we value as an organization? Create a Purpose statement. Set goals and a timeline to achieve the goals and track the ROI of your work. How to measure success at the chamber from employee retention to where employees depart to. Setting expectations. The chamber is a talent generator it also has to be very good at original research, regional collaboration, agenda facilitation, and economic development. They have a new plan every five years from surveys and polling. They meet with 80 business leaders and determine priorities and metrics to measure success. This doesn't happen without clarity.  How to communicate clearly for onboarding new hires.  Assigning a buddy for new hires. Re-skilling, up-skilling, and the need for continuous learning. Stackable skills. Common elements in great leaders.  Read American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America by Colin Woodward.  The importance of family.  Contact Ralph via RSchulz@nashvillechamber.com or nashvillechamber.com.  We ❤️ Our Listeners. Please be sure to follow the show and leave a review wherever you subscribe to podcasts. Reviews and sharing the show are the nicest ways to support the show and are deeply appreciated. Thank you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meet South Memphis native Jeff Cohran. He's been holding down the role as Tour & Production manager for Janelle Monae for the last two decades. Jeff comes from a musical family with his Aunt singing background for Ray Charles and Uncle as a musician with the Bar-Kays. However it was Jeff's mom who was very instrumental in getting him to hone in on the business side of music. Jeff attended UT Knoxville as a journalism electronic media major and minored in political science. He was very active in the NAACP and talks us through a black face incident on campus during his freshman year. Take a listen as Jeff walks us through how he entered the management and touring side of the music industry linking with a major artist such as Janelle Monae. He discusses many lessons learned and the importance of having a sound mindset as he toured the world. You'll also discover Jeff's entry into academia as a music instructor at the University of Memphis. Jeff's goal is to get students placed and shape their mental aspect. Be sure to tune into Jeff's radio show ‘FUNKYTOWN” on WYXR's 91.7FM under the moniker STH MEMPHIS JEFF on Thursdays from 8-9pm.

Meet South Memphis native Jeff Cohran. He's been holding down the role as Tour & Production manager for Janelle Monae for the last two decades. Jeff comes from a musical family with his Aunt singing background for Ray Charles and Uncle as a musician with the Bar-Kays. However it was Jeff's mom who was very instrumental in getting him to hone in on the business side of music. Jeff attended UT Knoxville as a journalism electronic media major and minored in political science. He was very active in the NAACP and talks us through a black face incident on campus during his freshman year. Take a listen as Jeff walks us through how he entered the management and touring side of the music industry linking with a major artist such as Janelle Monae. He discusses many lessons learned and the importance of having a sound mindset as he toured the world. You'll also discover Jeff's entry into academia as a music instructor at the University of Memphis. Jeff's goal is to get students placed and shape their mental aspect. Be sure to tune into Jeff's radio show ‘FUNKYTOWN” on WYXR's 91.7FM under the moniker STH MEMPHIS JEFF on Thursdays from 8-9pm.

This week Clint and Dawson talk with Skyler Baker. Skyler was born and raised on Signal Mountain Tennessee and since he was a child he was immersed in the outdoor community and music scene of the Chattanooga area. Every spring and fall his family camped in a pop up trailer in the surrounding state parks. As a teenager that developed into hiking with friends and doing short overnight trips around Walden's Ridge. His senior project included work with the Cumberland Trail Conference before setting off for the college of engineering at UT Knoxville. In his second year at UT he went on a whim of a day hike in the Smokies which sparked a love. In my third year he was invited to spend spring break backpacking on Cumberland Island, his first multiple night trip. While working a summer internship in Chattanooga he began to trail run every day after work. Once he graduated that became his hobby and it further developed in the Smokies. His approach to travel also changed as he took trips to South Africa, the Alps, Canada, and Alaska. After running a few ultra marathons he ticked off new trails in the Smokies one by one, eventually completing all of them in July 2020. Following the Smokies 900 he looked for new goals including the SCAR, R2R2R, the Art Loeb Trail, and he even got into gravel biking. Nothing was filling the void so he set his sights on the Pacific Crest Trail in April 2021. After completing the trail he spent a month seeing the National Parks before returning to Tennessee. Skyler shares his PCT experience with us and a few other stories from his adventures. Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

In our first bonus episode, Marianne Wanamaker Professor of Economics and Executive Director of the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy at UT Knoxville and former member of the President's Economic Council, joins Ted and Tom again to discuss the economic impacts of the war in Ukraine and its affect on supply chain.

The University of Tennessee at Knoxville has big dreams of expanding its landlocked campus, and officials say a pedestrian bridge across the Tennessee River could help make that possible.  Host Ryan Wilusz is joined by higher education reporter Rebecca Wright and growth and development editor Brenna McDermott to talk about how the bridge could promote private development, entice prospective students to choose UT and encourage existing students to stick around after graduation to start their career.  The team also looks at how other expansion strategies, such as increased access to transit, could make this proposal a success.  "The Scruffy Stuff" is presented by knoxnews.com. 

TranscriptRickey: Hello, and welcome back to The Research Park Chronicles. I'm your host, Rickey McCallum, and throughout this podcast, I'm going to lead you on a journey through the gateway to collaboration. We talked about what a research park does in the last episode, and today, we're going to dive into how one came to be here in Knoxville, Tennessee, and what it's already accomplished. This modern research park at the University of Tennessee would have never been possible without the vision of one influential scholar. But more on that in just a minute.To fully appreciate and understand UT's Research Park, it's important to start by looking back in time to understand the land's Native American roots. At one corner of the University of Tennessee Research Park lies a serene bank of the Tennessee River. As researchers, we're always focused on developing new and exciting projects, but every now and again, it's worth taking a moment to pause and reflect.As we look over the waterway, Sequoia Hill stands in the distance. And with the familiar sounds of running a creek and birds chirping, it's easy to forget that behind us is a collection of modern buildings that make up UT's Research Park. What was this campus like before these buildings were built, before it was a dairy farm, and before the city had ownership of the property, back hundreds and even thousands of years ago, at a time when the land was inhabited by Native Americans? For that answer, I asked Tom Rogers, the current President and CEO of the University of Tennessee Research Park, who knows quite a bit about the site's ancient history.Tom: The site itself is 200 acres, but as they did the environmental scans required to get the development underway, only 75 acres of that 200 acres is really developable. The rest of it is down near the river and has been preserved in perpetuity because of its archeological significance. As they did that original archeological investigation, they actually found artifacts that date back to 6000 BC.Rickey: The university works with Dr. Candace Hollenbeck, a professor of archeology at UT, to help preserve that history and culture, and so we decided to visit her in her element on site at the Research Park to learn a little bit more. And to help us put this area into its historical context, Dr. Hollenbeck starts at the beginning.Candace: Here in East Tennessee, pretty much anything flat next to a river is going to have several thousand years—five to ten thousand years—of occupation on it. That's the case here, too.Rickey: Dr. Hollenbeck says that this land has changed a lot over the past 10,000 years, with river movement and flooding, creating ‘build up' as she calls it.Candace: So, if we were to take a big backhoe and dig straight down right here, we could probably go down about four meters or so and maybe hit the bottom, maybe hit 10,000 years ago, or maybe not. Even going down four meters—12 feet or so—we may hit around 6000 years ago and could probably keep going. And then, river stabilized, probably around 5000 years ago or such, and that's when we start seeing people, even to 3000 years ago, and people could become more sedentary.Rickey: There have even been some interesting archeological finds from these digs, says Dr. Hollenbeck.Candace: There are these Mississippian time period villages down here houses, house structures, that are dotted along that area. And so those are really neat. They date to around 800 years ago or so. And so, those are probably some of the most exciting parts of it. You know, there's a little hamlet and then some individual farmsteads, homesteads in between. So, kind of imagining those communities I think is fun.Rickey: Once people started to settle at the site, we can see their history in the archeological record. Dr. Hollenbeck breaks that down for us as the riverbanks transition over into farmland over the years.Candace: Tennessee in the mid-south is one of eight to ten independent centers of domestication around the world. So, native peoples here, around 4000 years ago, domesticated a set of crops, including sunflower seeds, which we know today, squashes—a little bit earlier than 4000 years ago, even—another one called sumpweed, which is very similar to sunflower, and then [quinapod 00:04:23], which is similar to quinoa. Quinoa is the South American cousin, but people up here domesticated a similar relative of it, too. And so they settled down and became farmers around that time.Rickey: These early cultures were just one part of the history of the site. Later tribes would come to the region as well.Candace: We see some similarities and some continuities from those Mississippian cultures to the Cherokee, historical Cherokee cultures, and such, but they are also changes and things, too. It gets really complicated. But yes, a lot of shifting and a lot of movement of people, a lot of trade, even back 5000, 10,000 years ago. A lot of people moving. And we're so used to our cars and such, we forget how—we have no concept, we have no concept of how they could have relatively quickly gotten across the landscape. These rivers and creeks and such are a huge avenue as well.Rickey: Artifacts are still being discovered on site and Dr. Hollenback and her team are taking measures to help further protect them.Candace: Whether we entice students to become archeologists or not, I think just to give them that appreciation of the history and kind of have pride in it so that we can protect archeological sites like this one here. We're really lucky because we do have this overlay and UT Research Park that is committed to preserving that area.Rickey: The university is working on ways to formally recognize indigenous people and their native connection to the land upon which UT now stands, such as through a committee tasked with drafting a land acknowledgement statement. Though this is still being created, several members of the committee have begun to use this statement that, reads, “The land upon which the University of Tennessee-Knoxville is built is part of the traditional territory of the Tsalagi [Sal a ghee] peoples, now Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma. The Tsoyahá [Soy Ah Hey] peoples of Yuchi, Muscogee (Creek) Nation, and Shawnee peoples (Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma and the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, and the Shawnee Tribe).”As Dr. Hollenback has illustrated, farming is nothing new to the landscape of the park. Farming came to dominate the site for thousands of years. So, here's Tom again to tell us a little bit more about that.Tom: Back in the 1890s, this property was actually sold by the city of Knoxville to a private developer who laid out a plan for a residential development that he called Cherokee. And we think that's where the name originally came from. He actually built a bridge from what is now Sequoia Hills over into the park, and had a layout that looked very much like Sequoia Hills. This city eventually took the property back for non-payment of taxes, but the bridge stayed for nearly 40 years until it became so dilapidated that it was torn down. You can still see the abutments of the bridge on both sides of the park. So, that was an interesting beginning. The city then sold the land to the university and it became a dairy farm. That's what I remember it as when I came to this town many years ago.Rickey: The 200 acre stretch of flatland remained a dairy farm for many years. Rogers says many of the University of Tennessee alumnus first and foremost remember the land as a dairy farm.Tom: They talked about having milk delivered to their dormitories every morning from the dairy farm.Rickey: Though this old dairy farm is currently home to a burgeoning Research Park, about 75 acres of the property is being preserved and recognized due to its Native American history. The Park may also soon serve the university's mission and the public's interest by utilizing the Cherokee Landing site for educational and recreational purposes.Tom: Over a several year period of time to develop the park-like portion of the Research Park into something we hope to call Cherokee Landing to have a synergy with Volunteer Landing, and Suttree Landing, and the other areas here and in town. That would be open for recreation, as there's a greenway now, and lots of people come here and walk and ride bikes and bring their dogs on the weekends. But we'd love to have access to the water so that people can use kayaks and canoes and paddle boards. And build some structures and some ways of celebrating the Native American heritage that's here. So, on the longer range horizon, that's definitely in our plans.Rickey: This project is a collaboration between the university's Research Park and the Legacy Parks Foundation, which is helping to coordinate the development of the concept and the plan of the design for the sprawling Cherokee Landing site. At this point in our story, it might seem as though the plan for the Research Park at the University of Tennessee sprang into life overnight, but that couldn't be further from the truth. It took a lot to bring this idea to where it is today, and none of it would have been possible without the efforts of one man: Dr. David Millhorn. So, who was Dr. Millhorn?Stacey: Dr. Millhorn was my mentor. He became my friend and even kind of a father figure for me in many ways.Rickey: That's Dr. Stacey Patterson, current president of the UT Research Foundation. Dr. Millhorn passed away in 2017 and had previously served as president of the UT Research Foundation.Stacey: Many people described him as stoic and to himself, but that was only if you didn't really get to know him. Dr. Millhorn had a small circle, but once you were in that circle, you her family to him. He was the type of person that took care of the people that he worked with. He really believed that this University had the potential of any place in the world. And he had been at many different places, but Tennessee was his home, and he really believed that this was his opportunity to realize a big vision. And that's what he spent his whole time, his whole 11 years here doing.Rickey: While Tennessee may have been home. Dr. Millhorn didn't start his career at the University of Tennessee.Stacey: Dr. Millhorn had spent a number of years at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he had been a department head of physiology, and then he had moved to the University of Cincinnati, where he developed the inaugural Genome Research Center with a pharmaceutical company. So, he had a vision already coming in as to what it meant for a university to work with the private sector and what that could mean for the faculty, staff, and students of the university, but more importantly, even the region in which that opportunity was taking place.Rickey: Dr. Millhorn joined the University in 2005, where he oversaw the management of science and technology programs at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and for much of his time, he served as Vice President of Research and Economic Development. Along the way, his responsibilities grew, becoming the Executive Vice President at the University in 2007, and later becoming the president of the UT Research Foundation in 2014. His work during this time was significant to the development of the university's research enterprise, which included, amongst other accomplishments, a contract with the US Department of Energy to manage Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a $65 million NSF grant, which is the largest of its kind during the time, to build the world's fastest supercomputer, and of course, the establishment of UT's Research Park. Throughout his career at the University, Dr. Millhorn had a vision in mind for what would ultimately become the Research Park as we know it today. Dr. Patterson describes his vision in this way.Stacey: He had a vision that we would bring in large companies that faculty could collaborate with, we could build big research programs, and we could provide opportunities for students. One of the challenges we have in this region is we educate some really top notch students, and in the graduate programs, oftentimes those students have to go to other parts of the country to get gainful employment. And so Dr. Millhorn's vision was, if we could bring those companies here, then we could offer high pay, high technology jobs right here and we could keep those best and brightest students in this region, and it would lift the whole community up.Rickey: As I'd mentioned in episode one of this podcast, university research parks are the physical locations developed and designed to foster an environment of collaboration between universities, the public and private sector, and federal research labs. In addition to the way research parks benefit local economies, research parks can also benefit their respective university systems. Let me explain.The University of Tennessee is a Tier One research university, which means it is a university that's known for world-class research, academic excellence, and exceptional student body—as Dr. Patterson noted—as well as high levels of innovation, creativity, and scholarship. Like all universities, UT looks for ways to draw in that top tier talent to the university, and in turn this benefits not only our students and faculty, but our current Park tenants, and the local community. Dr. Millhorn knew that we would need a dedicated research park with the likes of MIT, Cal Berkeley, and other universities in close proximity to major national labs to increase the recognition and prestige.But for many at the University of Tennessee, this combination of academic, community, and economic drivers was a challenge to understand at first. It took a lot of trust building to convince them that this effort was worth pursuing. Naturally, Dr. Millhorn got to work. He leveraged his many contacts and developed a very clear vision for what a collaborative space could look like.Over the early years of his time at UT, Dr. Millhorn developed a plan that would convey the case for a research park to the university and how having a dedicated research park would help the faculty at the University further develop the University, and also have a positive economic impact on the region as a result of this park. So, in addition to the development of the Research Park, a small business incubator was constructed on the Ag campus. Here, students and faculty could go to further develop their entrepreneurial endeavors, giving the university, and the public a glimpse into the future of what a collaboration could look like with a full-fledged research park. In 2009, when Dr. Patterson joined the UT system as a director of research partnerships, the case for the Research Park had already been submitted in the mind of the university and plans were already underway for the development of the Research Park property.Stacey: The concept of the UT Research Park at Cherokee Farm was actually developed by Dr. Millhorn prior to me joining his office. But I joined in 2009 right when the infrastructure project was underway and we were finishing up the master plan and development guidelines so that we could move things forward.Rickey: Development quickly became the next challenge. With the university on board for this project, they had secured a grant for more than $30 million to purchase Cherokee Farm from the state for use as the University of Tennessee Research Park. Now, the main obstacle was to get the residents of Sequoia Hills on board with the concept of trading in a cow farm for a massive research complex.Stacey: The residents were really concerned about what the differences were going to be, going from a few cows on that property to what Dr. Millhorn was envisioning as an active, thriving public-private partnership type research park. So, there was a lot of outreach, a lot of community meetings, we went to neighborhood meetings, I even did a couple of Sunday school classes at the churches that were across the neighborhood and talked about the vision of the Research Park and what it would mean to the region. And one of the things if you knew Dr. Millhorn and what he was interested in doing, he always looked out for the institution first, so it was always clear to the constituents that that this wasn't about him; this was about making the university and Knoxville, the Knoxville region, a better place for its citizens.Rickey: Dr. Millhorn stressed the value of the Research Park and its intersection with Oak Ridge National Laboratory to the residents of Sequoia Hills. To Dr. Millhorn, those who called Sequoia Hills home needed to know that the park would bring skilled workers to the town and keep Tennessee's best and brightest in their home state.Stacey: When companies come in, they think about this region. They're impressed that we have the University of Tennessee, the state's flagship research public institution here in Knoxville; we have what I consider a national treasure, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. And it's really the combination of those two institutions and the brain power that they represent that really make this region special. It makes it a special opportunity for companies to come and engage with those kinds of people and the technologies that are developed here, the opportunities.I think that Dr. Millhorn was—I'll say he was an early adopter. He saw that. He was able to see what that potential could be, and he was bought in completely and wholly. And I think the Research Park is part of that, of his vision of how those two institutions could work together to just make this region a really spectacular and special place.Rickey: Eventually the land was secured and approved by surrounding stakeholders. The university began constructing its first research park facility in 2014. Tom Rogers recalls his first time looking at the plot of land where they were planning to build.Tom: First time I drove over to see what Dr. Millhorn's vision really looked at, I was pretty much overwhelmed, wondering where people were going to park. There were beautifully laid out one-acre parcels, about 16 of them, but it wasn't logical to me where people were going to park. As we've discovered since then, the original master plan called for parking garages, about 4000 parking spaces in two parking garages.Rickey: Dr. Patterson says parking may not have been the top concern for Dr. Millhorn. For all he brought to the Research Park and the university, this was a guy that wanted to discuss big ideas rather than minutiae.Stacey: So, Dr. Millhorn is one of the biggest thinkers I've ever had the privilege of working with. He would often say, “Oh, I can't be bothered by these small things.” He wanted to be part of a big transformational things like the relationship with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, like the UT Research Park. He would thrive on it, and there aren't as many people in the world that can have that big vision like he does.Rickey: Oh, and the parking situation did get worked out, of course.Tom: For better or worse, we now have a PhD in parking lot and parking garage construction and finance, and they're just not feasible at this time. And so actually later on this afternoon, we're going to begin a process to update our master plan that focuses more on reality. I think there aren't 16 developable lots out here; there are probably eight or nine as you include the surface parking that goes around them. And as you also know, we're hopeful that we'll soon have three projects under construction at the same time. And so that the park is going to look a little bit different than I think it was originally envisioned.Rickey: Dr. Millhorn didn't shy away from taking a leap of faith. Dr. Patterson says that her mentor taught her the value of taking risks.Stacey: I was very privileged to be able to work side-by-side with him, hand-in-hand, really getting to understand that sometimes you have to lean forward, you have to take a little bit of risk for a big reward. And he would do that time and time again. And by taking a little risk, pushing the envelope, frankly, making people a little bit uncomfortable, doing things differently than what they've ever been done at the University before, he was able to transform this institution.Rickey: As far as risk goes, building the first building of the Research Park was one of the first challenges Dr. Millhorn and his team ran into.Between 2014 to 2015, the first building was developed at the UT Research Park. It was built as a collaboration between Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the UT Research Park. It was very aptly named the Joint Institute for Advanced Materials, or JIAM for short. The first building on site was a direct result of the collaboration between the University and ORNL, an outside organization. As Dr. Patterson points out, it was a challenge to determine where to break ground on the new building at first.Stacey: That project actually has a very interesting history. There were a lot of different people that had a lot of different ideas of where that building should be located. Some people thought it should be located at Oak Ridge, some people thought it should be located on the Knoxville campus; there's not a whole lot of room for a building that size on the Knoxville campus. But Dr. Millhorn was a real advocate for putting that Joint Institute for Advanced Material Science at the UT Research Park, to act as a catalyst to get things going, get researchers and students out at the park, get some buzz going, make sure that it was in a space that made sense.So, it was in advanced materials, which is an area that is a special area for the University of Tennessee as well as at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. We have lots of joint faculty who are world-renowned experts in this space. So, he really saw that as making sense as being a catalyst and hopefully launching the Research Park in a direction where we could potentially attract private sector partners. I think that's worked, right? So, JIAM opened several years ago, and since that time, many of the companies that we've been able to attract to the park and who are interested in being at the park have some affiliation with JIAM or want to do some collaboration with the researchers that are represented by the JIAM faculty. And so I think that's really exciting.Rickey: Clearly no challenge was too big back in 2014. Dr. Millhorn left his role with the university in 2016. After Dr. Millhorn's departure in 2016, Dr. Patterson was confirmed by the UT board of trustees to assume Dr. Millhorn's former roles as Vice President for Research, and Outreach, and Economic Development, as well as President and CEO of the UT Research Foundation. The university also looked to Tom Rogers, a veteran of ORNL, to become President and CEO of the Research Park. As a result of overcoming these challenges, Tom shares with us that—Tom: The University of Tennessee is one of a half-dozen universities in the country that manage national laboratories, along with the University of California, the University of Chicago, State University of New York, and a few others. And so it's a real feather in our cap. We've seen it as we visited with prospects interested in the park to explain to them that we're a gateway for collaboration with the University, but to also be able to say, “We're able to help you leverage the resources and talents of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory as well,” will really raise some eyebrows. So, I think the relationship that UT has with the laboratory is a real asset. We're sitting today in the Joint Institute for Advanced Materials.The ‘Joint Institute' means Oak Ridge and UT. With your background at UT and mine at the laboratory, we know a lot of people and are able to help prospects that we have—companies, students, entrepreneurs—find the right people to work with at both institutions, and that's a great value proposition for this research park.Rickey: And even though Dr. Millhorn is no longer part of the institution, his legacy remains. Tom's vision for what the Research Park should be today and in the coming years is not wavering from the original vision.Tom: Another key tenet of successful university research parks around the country is embracing entrepreneurship and innovation. It's fine to work with professors and work with companies that want to collaborate with professors on research, to work with students, but it's really important to embrace young people and their ideas about the future. So, everywhere I've been, dating back to my early career days at TVA, I've been involved with small business startups, mostly on the technology side. I was involved with a great program at Oak Ridge called Innovation Crossroads.Rickey: As a result of his experience and the original vision for the Research Park, Tom has helped the Research Park launch the Spark Innovation Center, which assists early-stage tech companies with the right kind of support to become successful companies, right here in East Tennessee. Here's Tom with more about the Spark Innovation Center.Tom: We early on decided that entrepreneurship needed to be a focus out here. We've started something called the Spark Innovation Center and have six really talented young entrepreneurs growing companies here. The University is excited about that initiative. As we look to build our next building, they're going to incorporate more space for Spark in that building. I think you'll see that entrepreneurship really becomes an important part of the fabric that we're weaving here at the park.Rickey: As the park grows in size, and new buildings and partnerships get added to the park, there is a lot to be optimistic about. It's not just about the new buildings and businesses. The park is truly becoming a gateway to collaboration.Tom: My four decades plus of work has brought great relationships with the state and with TVA and others, and being involved with all of that gets the park in the middle, in the mix, for some really interesting prospects. We're in the homestretch of working with one now that would never have even thought about looking at the park, but on my first week of the job, got random call and said, “We hadn't thought about this, would you be interested in a prospect like this?” And they are a great fit for the Research Park.Rickey: Dr. Millhorn had a vision for what the park should become, but he also didn't stress too much about the details. Under Tom's leadership, the details are coming into focus and we're beginning to see where this path will take us in the next five to ten years. Tom and I reminisced about this during our conversation.Tom: Now, I think we're beginning to see some themes naturally emerge. One, of course, is advanced materials and manufacturing, with the work here at JIAM and the industry collaborations. Second is medical research because the University of Tennessee Medical Center and OrthoTennessee are building an ambulatory surgery center here and have committed to include research on the top floor of that facility. And there's a lot of interest at UT, both at UT Knoxville and at the UT Health Science Center in Memphis, about capitalizing on that opportunity.And the third, I probably can't coin as quickly as the other two. But it has to do with information technology, business analytics, supply chains, cybersecurity, that whole realm. There's just a lot of interest in the private sector, and it's some of the stronger programs at the university. So, we're seeing more and more companies saying that it really makes sense to be at the park, to be right across the river from the campus and those incredible students that they're producing. I'd say those three themes are going to emerge.There could be others as time goes on, but materials, medical research, and whatever we're going to call the analytics portion of it seemed to be the three themes that are most likely to lead us forward.[SPEAKER5: 00:28:06] I think the development of this new vision of being the gateway to collaboration with the University and ORNL has really driven the interest in what we're doing over here, far beyond what I remember it being when I was over on campus. So, I think the involvement, and the communication, and the buy-in from leadership on campus has really driven home that we have a unique opportunity to be able to develop something very special here that is going to help get our students get jobs, it's going to help build the economic development for the community of Knoxville and be able to help build this bigger ecosystem as we, kind of, move forward in the future development.Tom: I think the relationships that we are building on campus are really going to be mutually beneficial. It's pretty remarkable to see what we've been able to do in the last year with COVID. Originally, when we [headed for house 00:28:54], I was concerned that we might be dead in the water for a while. Now, I'm really looking forward to three to six months from now when we can start being face-to-face with people because we got an infrastructure built that can really, I think, accelerate the development of this park.Rickey: With Tom at the helm, the future of the UT Research Park is in good hands.When it comes to evaluating the Research Park's rich past, there is no doubt that Dr. Millhorn left a lasting impact. As Dr. Patterson puts it.Stacey: Dr. Millhorn's legacy is his vision. He was a big thinker. There was no project that was too big. There was no hurdle that you couldn't overcome.Rickey: Dr. Patterson says she knew he was the right person for the job since the beginning, as he strengthened UT's relationship with Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Now, Dr. Patterson has taken over much of the role that Dr. Millhorn had, and she is carrying on his legacy, visions, and readiness to take risks with her.Stacey: Dr. Millhorn had made the decision with his family that it was time for him to take a little bit of a step back and to transition to more of an advisor role between the University and Oak Ridge National Laboratory as the National Laboratory advisor. He actually set up an office at Oak Ridge. He was having a lot of fun thinking about the [science 00:30:13] and having some time. He used to say a lot that, “I'm going to go home for the afternoon so I can think.”Because that was really a big deal for him, to be able to have some quiet time where he could just think and make sure that all those puzzle pieces were coming together. And I think this gave him an opportunity to do that and to think about how the relationship was working, and what wasn't working, and for him to really contribute further. I have truly appreciated the opportunity to serve as the Vice President for Research, Outreach, and Economic Development for the University of Tennessee, and I certainly could not have done it without the experience that I had with my mentor and friend, David Millhorn.Rickey: Dr. Patterson says she'll remember Dr. Millhorn as the caring man that he was: A father, an army veteran, an academic, an entrepreneur, and mentor.Stacey: He was a tough nut to crack. People didn't really know that. I can't tell you how many times in the last three years that I have asked myself, “I wonder what Dr. Millhorn would do in this situation?” It may sound weird, but I kind of feel like he gives me some guidance in those moments.Rickey: For me personally, while I did not have much time with him, I do recall the first time I ever met him. The reason I can remember this so vividly is that I can remember looking at him and thinking, “He is a spitting image of my grandfather,” a man that I hadn't seen since I was ten years old. And from that moment, he and I shared a very special connection, and one that I cherish today. In remembrance of Dr. Millhorn, Dr. Patterson's goal is to make him proud of the work that we're continuing to do.Stacey: One of the things that I want to make sure that we do is I want to make sure that we make him proud, that we do push on his vision, that we are always focused on what's in the best interest of the university, and what's in the best interest of this region, and the people of this region because that was really where his heart was, was around doing what's best for others. And I want to take just a little bit of that and make sure that we're following through with that, and in some way making him proud and making sure that his family is proud of the legacy that he's left here.Rickey: He would definitely be proud. Since breaking ground on the JIAM building, the Research Park has experienced several accomplishments over the past five years, like the development of our first public-private partnership, the announcement that Volkswagen is moving their North American Innovation Hub to the Research Park, the ribbon cutting ceremony of the Spark Innovation Center, and most notably, the collaborative partnership between UT Medical Center and OrthoTennessee to develop their 93,000 square-foot ambulatory surgical center that's scheduled to open in the spring of 2022. And we're well on our way to a bright future as a research park, an economic driver, and a park for the community.On the next episode of The Research Park Chronicles we're going to be speaking with the University of Tennessee Medical Center and OrthoTennessee about the orthopedic surgical center that's coming to the Research Park, and the medical research that will be happening in this facility.Rickey: Thank you for listening to The Research Park Chronicles with Rickey McCallum. Keep up with the latest episodes by subscribing on Apple or Google podcasts, Spotify, or wherever find podcasts are found.

Links in Transcript UT Research Park: https://www.tnresearchpark.org/ Volkswagen: https://www.vw.com/ University of Tennessee, Knoxville: https://www.utk.edu/  Oak Ridge National Laboratory: https://www.ornl.gov/  TranscriptRickey McCallum: So, what are research parks? Why do we need them? What makes collaboration between educational institutions, public entities, and private companies so powerful and finding innovative, adaptive, and real-world solutions? This is the story of the University of Tennessee Research Park, and it's going to talk about that exact thing. So, welcome to the Research Park Chronicles with Rickey McCallum.Rickey McCallum: Hello and welcome to the very first episode of Research Park Chronicles. I'm your host Rickey McCallum and throughout this podcast, I'm going to take you on a journey through the gateway to collaboration. We're going to talk about why university research parks are so integral to innovation, how the UT Research Park came about here in Knoxville, Tennessee, and what it's already accomplished. And in future episodes, we'll dive in even more to future projects within the park, developments between Volkswagen, which is the power behind the research park in UT, and what research parks mean in the future of scientific discovery, technologies, economies, and consumers.But I'm getting ahead of myself here, so let's start from the beginning. I know you're all dying to know, “Rickey, what exactly is a research park, anyway?” Well, I'm glad you asked. University research parks are the physical locations developed and designed to foster an environment of collaboration between universities, the public and private sectors, and the federal research laboratories. In the case of the UT Research Park, the goal is simple: to become a bridge between science and technology companies and the best up-and-coming scientific minds at the University of Tennessee.These are places established to enable a free flow of ideas between R&D institutes, universities, and research labs in order to solve real-world problems with innovation and cutting-edge solutions. And Volkswagen, the powerhouse German car manufacturer known for leading the industry in innovative developments, wanted to create one right here in little old Knoxville, Tennessee. But why? The answer to that question lies 112 miles south of Knoxville. In 2008, Chattanooga, Tennessee, came into focus when VW chose that scenic southern city as the location of its first U.S. auto plant since the closure of the Westmoreland Assembly Plant in Pennsylvania back in 1988. Now, the Volkswagen Chattanooga Assembly plant builds the US-specific VW Passat and the VW Atlas.With their own assembly plant located just over a hundred miles away, the well-established research-centric UT Knoxville at hand, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory just down the road, how could Knoxville not be the perfect location for researching composite materials?Of course, I say that as if it makes complete sense, but when I first began researching this podcast and reading about the UT Research Park, all I could think of is, why Knoxville and how did we get so lucky?But I had a conversation with my good friend of mine, Dr. Leon Tolbert, who works in the electrical engineering and computer science department at the University of Tennessee, and he gave me a little backstory that will put it all of this into perspective.Dr. Leon Tolbert: So, when Volkswagen first built their plant in Chattanooga, they came to the University of Tennessee—and that was probably more than 10 years ago—and wanted to engage the university because they were looking at hiring graduates of our university, they were looking at working with faculty, and they donated, I think, a pretty substantial sum of money at that time to fund research in engineering. And so, the College of Engineering then gave out grants to faculty who were doing work related to electric vehicles and, I believe, got a couple of those grants, and worked with students on things related to power electronics for electric vehicles. But then, I guess things just kind of coasted along there for a few years, and then, more recently, a couple of years ago, they approached again wanting deeper involvement, and came and looked at the work we were doing already related to electric vehicles, visited our department several times, and then approached us about establishing a Volkswagen fellowship for graduate students, and in that fellowship, they would hire the students to work full-time at Volkswagen while they were pursuing their PhD. And this kind of follows the model in Europe where a lot of the PhD students basically are full-time employees of companies, but they're pursuing a PhD, and they wanted to do something similar here at UT.Rickey McCallum: And they did just that. VW approached UT and created an incredible program for PhD students to work full time on research projects that directly impact real-world struggles. Now, when these students complete this program, they're going to be ready and have applicable real-world experience to show for all their hard work, and have a foundation of research already in place. So, Dr. Hendrik Mainka, project manager and team lead of UT's Innovation Hub, told us a little bit more about the PhD program.Dr. Hendrik Mainka: Yeah, I think that the PhD program probably is pretty unique for the US. I mean, we have a PhD program in Germany at our headquarters where, always, the PhD students are Volkswagen employees. I think that's a huge one, too, a lot of the PhD fellows here and in the US, so PhD fellows you will talk to later, they are all Volkswagen employees, and we're really working with them as our people to make sure we having this close connection, not only to the university, also for our students to really real-life problems, you know? You're working on a wireless power transfer, for example, that's something we want to see the next years being implemented in our cars. And so your PhD research really has a high impact. Same with the research on sizing to optimize our composite parts. That's really applied research on a PhD level, which really helps the company moving forward with the innovations, and also having the students working on real-life problems. I think that's really unique and hopefully, it's beneficial for both sides.Rickey McCallum: It all already sounds pretty great right? A world-renowned, industry-leading auto manufacturer choosing our Knoxville, Tennessee university to start exploring composite materials for more affordable, energy-efficient vehicles we can make right here in the same state.Yeah, it's really awesome, and it gets better. VW didn't just stop at the UT Research Park. In 2019 they announced that they wanted to use Knoxville as the site of their very first North American Innovation Hub. Now, in a partnership between Volkswagen, UT, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Innovation Hub will be an extension, or rather an expansion of the Research Park, and it will further develop research opportunities for UT doctoral students with a focus on electrical engineering and developing lighter components for composite materials.And those opportunities have already begun with the very first wave of doctoral fellows. William Henkin, a VW research fellow at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, gave us a little more insight on just how incredible this PhD program has already been.William Hankin: It's an incredible experience and the fact that I'm the first one kind of paving the way, trailblazing it makes me kind of smile to myself and, like I said, it's validation on everything I've done to this point. As a grad student, you don't necessarily get those feelings all the time, so you got to take advantage of it when you do. [laugh].Rickey McCallum: trailblazing. [laugh]. I like that. That's the perfect way to describe both the program in general and your research projects and goals. What is it specifically that you're focusing on in the Innovation Hub, William?William Hankin: Volkswagen is very interested in next-generation vehicles. And an extension of that is electrification and lightweighting. And so a lot of the work I'm doing is in the lightweighting aspect. And so I'm looking really at composite materials: how to make them stronger, more efficient, and how to implement them in automotive application. So, Department of Energy here in the East Tennessee area is huge. They have the National Transportation Research Center, and they work closely with University of Tennessee, Knoxville, so we have great supporting casts, academic, adjunct faculty, collaboration is prolific and Volkswagen really saw that as an opportunity to put down some roots in this area. And we're really the first generation of fellows here, but I expect this to grow, a lot.Rickey McCallum: and grow it most certainly will. So, this is VW is the very first North American Innovation Hub. And as I said, it means that Knoxville is going to be joining the ranks of Berlin, Tel Aviv, and Tokyo, renowned sites for establishing VW Innovation Hubs.It still sounds just a little too good to be true, or at least it did to me. So, I asked Associate Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of Tennessee rather bluntly, “What's up with that?”If you look at Volkswagen's global footprint, where the Innovation Hubs and their centers and stuff are located, Knoxville's not considered a Tel Aviv or a Tokyo type of location. And so I'm curious if you have any insight of what may have been their thought process, and why Knoxville? I mean, why move here to establish this Innovation Hub?Marc Gibson: Yeah, so that's a good question. I had the opportunity, actually, to visit their Tel Aviv hub last November and I was kind of wondering the same thing, to be honest. I was like, “That puts us in pretty, pretty prestigious company,” I was really excited about that. I had an opportunity to sit down with the folks in Tel Aviv and they outlined why they're there and what the motive was for Volkswagen to locate a hub in Tel Aviv. And certainly, it was around their innovation, their startup culture that they have there, so I knew right away, it was a little bit different why they were looking into Knoxville. I think they look at Knoxville as the future hub for materials and manufacturing. And I think there's a lot to be said, obviously, for the strengths that we have here. But I think they also looked at the vision that the University of Tennessee had and the relationship that we have with ORNL, and I think they really felt like we could move together. Together we can move a mountain and really create something special here.Rickey McCallum: Dr. Uday Vaidya, a Governor's Chair for Advanced Composites Manufacturing at UT followed that up.Dr. Uday Vaidya: as you know, the ecosystem here in Tennessee is very unique. We have a very large, signature flagship university, University of Tennessee, the world's largest DOE lab in terms of materials research, Oakridge Lab, just 20 miles away, the manufacturing demonstration facility at Oak Ridge, and the industry network, which combines along with IACMI which is, again, a very unique piece in this whole equation. So, the entrepreneurial aspect of it is almost natural in that because there are so many technologies that are at play, and a lot of the students and personnel work throughout, you know, in terms of progressing to a certain endpoint as part of their academic career, many of these students are extremely entrepreneurial already. But now that gives them a purpose and a real vision of where their business and entrepreneurial skills could get to. So, we have a number of such examples of students starting companies as part of their PhD or masters training, like the Innovation Crossroads program between Oak Ridge and UT makes a very good case for these students to get seed funding and going. So, the hub that you have here, or the Innovation Hub is a key part of the entire process because now that gives a real home to these kind of ideas to set up, whether it's a space, or an asset, or a process, or the infrastructure required for such a daunting step that they would take. So, such a thing is extremely easy because of operation like the Innovation Hub.So, I believe it should become a very natural relationship on multiple fronts. The technology is just one piece of it. I mean, you have the manufacturing side, you have the materials side, the electrification, battery, so many aspects of Volkswagen's interests which fall within that. But alongside, there's a huge need for the workforce development and then the training, not only at the PhD level but also all the way from the technician people on the shop floor. So, you need multiple points of engagement with the company. So, I think the vast range of programs that UT could offer, along with Oak Ridge and the ecosystem, will continue to engage VW in a continuous way. So, that will also then excite their supply chain, the tier suppliers, tier one, two, three. So, they will want to set up operations in the proximity. So, it has a cascading effect of benefit for sure.Rickey McCallum: A cascading effect. That's the perfect way to describe the blossoming partnership that just keeps going between UT and Volkswagen. And it's certainly cascaded into some wonderful research opportunities and projects. And since Dr. Hendrik Mainka has been there from just about the beginning of the cascade, we turned to him for a little more information on that partnership.Dr. Hendrik Mainka: The conversations, at least, I have been empowered, have started around about in 2015. I think everybody remembers when IACMI, the Composite Institute, was founded in Knoxville. Awesome event with President Obama on-site announcing the DOE-sponsored institute and, yeah, Volkswagen is proud to be a founding member of this Institute, which is basically led by University of Tennessee in Knoxville. And I think that's basically how everything started. And in the following years, we had several IACMI projects together with UT to develop lower-cost, high-speed manufacturing, really efficient method for automotive lightweight composites. Also looked at recycling processes with UT together and the last years. And I think, really, the highlight of this project is a Volkswagen Atlas liftgate. And I think that's pretty much how it began, and how we started our cooperation with UT. And finally, in 2015, we opened the Innovation Hub in Knoxville, which is another major milestone in this development. A big part of innovation is basically co-creation. So, if you're working with companies or experts from different fields, that basically creates a lot of innovation in the way that new ideas are trickling into your field of expertise, and we see that, for example, with some of the UT faculties where we combining fields like AI with material research, which is really kind of a new way to create innovations. Or when we're working with experts of your Carbon Renewable Center to create really innovative materials for automotive applications. We're working with producers of paper and plastics on the other side, and then combining that to awesome new products. I think that's really where you see innovation taking place. So, it's really the capability of having all these different people available for Volkswagen to work with and have this cooperation with UT. I think that's how you might want to describe innovation.Rickey McCallum: Throughout this whole discussion, we've heard from several different perspectives of the evolution of where the partnership came from, and most importantly, where it evolved into. But which really came first? Was it the Innovation Hub that started the conversation? Was it the liftgate project, or specific research that defined really what the Innovation Hub was going to be? Or was it neither? Don't worry, listeners, this isn't the chicken or egg scenario. We do have an answer. A good one, from Marc Gibson.Marc Gibson: Yeah, that's a good question. So, the liftgate project was really kind of our launchpad. That's an IACMI project, led by several of our faculty members here that I think you're probably also going to talk with Dr. Uday Vaidya, and then Dr. Dayakar Penumadu. That project got off the ground and really, I think, excelled their thought process on the confidence that they would have and what we are capable of doing. And so I think once we established that we could do the work and that we had the expertise—and that we had the equipment here. I mean, if you look at the resources that we have here, it's pretty phenomenal. On a global scale, I'm not sure that anyone in the world has the type of capabilities that we have here between UT and ORNL. The cool nuance there is essentially what they do is they identify a project, okay. And they come to us and they say, “Can you solve this project?” And we connect them with a faculty member that we think can solve the problem. And then they create a statement of work, the faculty member goes and identifies a PhD student, and then Volkswagen pays the PhD student to go to school at UT. We're talking about the liftgate on the back of one of these vehicles. To do something like that—you know, I think Volkswagen told me at one time—and you have to ask them, but I think they told me at one time to get something like that changed and on the assembly line on one of their vehicles, it typically takes, like, five years. And, you know… we [laugh] we fast-tracked that. I mean, you look at what we were able to do. I mean, we were able to do that really in like two to three years, and it's now going to be manufactured, going on the assembly line, and consumers are going to be able to buy vehicles that are going to be manufactured in Chattanooga, that had University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory technology in it. I mean, how cool is that? But you can kind of look at some of the other projects that are taking place now, too. I mean, it's not just around lightweighting and composites. Now they're moving into batteries. One of the big things—and you'll have to ask Volkswagen a little bit more about this, but one of the big things about that plant is they've also started almost a billion-dollar infrastructure improvement slash addition, in Chattanooga—and you got to think, that plant's less than 10 years old—to do all battery work and battery research. And so they're really going to be looking at faculty members here. In fact, two of the projects that they've kicked off already are going to be housed in our Department of Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, and doing battery work. And I think that speaks volumes; they're not just here to do composites and manufacturing, but they're here to access other areas of expertise, too, which I think is pretty cool.Rickey McCallum: So, Marc mentioned the liftgate project. Let's talk about that. It's the project that is really the main focus right now here at the UT Research Park. So, we're going to get into a little bit more details and specifics about that in one of our next episodes, but it's the first project in which the Research Park is actively working to find an innovative solution to a real-world problem. And it is very important to Tennessee specifically because while research parks do work hard here in Knoxville to create the solution, the VW plant in Chattanooga is working hard to implement that said solution. So, the entire project from start to finish is being handled right here in East Tennessee. So, of course, when it comes to a project like that, we have to think ahead to the impact the project will have on the future. So, what does this project mean for the future of the Innovation Hub in 5, 10, 15 years?Dr. Uday Vaidya: Sure, so in the liftgate project one type of intermediate materials have been used, but composites offer such a broad design space. It's like a painter's palette, really, you can choose a range of different things and come up with unique innovations every single time. So, it just offers innumerable possibilities for futuristic designs. So, the Volkswagen liftgate project, as you know, was one of the first signature projects for IACMI under the Composites Institute. Volkswagen is a key company in the Tennessee area. In Chattanooga, they're producing vehicles. Most of the current vehicles require lightweighting because of possibilities for energy savings, energy efficiency, less fuel consumption, and so on, so every ounce that you save from the vehicle's weight impacts the economy in terms of its cost savings down the road. So, the whole idea from Volkswagen, currently their liftgates are made out of stamped steel, sheet metal, which is good. Excellent material, but there's a lot of potential that composites offer, such as high-impact resistance, ability to tailor, create deep draws, complex shape parts, and near net shape parts. So, we had a good potential there to use all the attributes of composites towards this application, and that's where the unique combination of IACMI, Oak Ridge, University of Tennessee, this ecosystem came into play, of course with other partners as part of this project.So, really, all our industry-related projects are highly valuable because it provides the students and the staff working on it a real-world opportunity. So, everything they're doing has a purpose, meaning, and an actual tangible product, process, et cetera, down the road, that they can see what their research is actually leading into. The Volkswagen project, like any other project, obviously engaged a number of students—both undergrad and grad students—towards problem solving all the way from design process, process modeling, testing, characterization, you know, the whole process of designing a part all the way to the end product, so they could actually see the fruits of the labor at different stages as it was going on. So, that led to a lot of fundamental research along the way for PhD and masters students, as well as a lot of experiential learning for undergraduate students, who had never even seen or known what composites was about, that gave them the opportunity. So, when they now put their CV together—or resume—they would have a huge impact. When they go to their interview, they can actually speak in terms of real-world opportunities they have been faced. So, it's a very valuable relation and experience.Rickey McCallum: And of course, the liftgate project is only the beginning, only one of many projects and research studies being done in the Innovation Hub. So, Dr. Tolbert, some of the topics of discussion that we've had around Volkswagen's partnership is around technologies for future electric vehicles, including power electronics and wireless charging, what's the future of EV, in your mind, with this partnership, and how the University of Tennessee can help advance the technology and innovation that Volkswagen is looking for?Dr. Leon Tolbert: So, I was really excited when Volkswagen approached us to talk about electric vehicles and their plans that they're doing in Chattanooga to build new vehicles, mostly because I've worked on electric vehicles since the 1990s. A lot of that was through Oak Ridge National Lab and the research that they're doing at National Transportation Research Center; they've been working on electric vehicles since the early '90s. And I really see electric vehicles, and just electrification of transportation in general, as a bright future and a trend that's global. We've done quite a bit of work on looking at traction drives using silicon carbide wide bandgap materials to electrify vehicles. And I think, as we've seen, a lot of companies are pursuing autonomous vehicles and that's also going to require electrification of vehicles in order to be able to charge a while they park and things like that. So, we really see a bright future, and we're very excited when Volkswagen came and wanted to work with us on this.So, at the University of Tennessee in our department, we have a wide bandgap traineeship for graduate students, and that was funded by the US Department of Energy specifically to attract US citizens to work on wide bandgap power electronics. And we've had probably more than two dozen students in that program since it's initiated, and most of them are MS students. And I think Volkswagen saw that program, saw our general strengths in power electronics, saw the tremendous amount of work being done at Oak Ridge National Lab, and came and wanting to partner with us in that area. And so they were interested in a couple of students coming out of this traineeship, transitioning to become VW Fellows and pursue PhD, and I think what we like as faculty in working with industry is we want our research to eventually end up being used somewhere. And so it really helps inform our research to make it real-world applicable. And I think students, too, really gain a lot in working with industry because what they're working on, they hope one day will show up in a vehicle. So, I think obviously, there's lots of technologies that go into cars, and we've talked about the electrification of transportation, and so I do think there is quite a bit of room to grow in just drive train technology, there's a lot of room to grow in autonomous vehicles, a lot of room to grow in energy storage and battery technology. And I think this is a unique place, having Oak Ridge National Lab, TVA, University of Tennessee, and all of the research that goes on here. I would be remiss if I don't also mention CURENT. It's an NSF DOE engineering research center dedicated to looking at the future electric grid. And so we have one of the top programs in the country in power systems and power electronics, and more than 100 graduate students in that area. And so this is just really a great place for things like that.Rickey McCallum: So, there you have it. Now you know exactly what a research park is and how Knoxville ended up not only with one but also as the home of a VW Innovation Hub. So, next time we're going to dive in a little deeper. That's right, we're going to get into the projects, specifically the liftgate project, which is the UT Research Park's first project to solve a real-world problem in the VW Atlas. And it just may have been the siren's call that drew attention back to Knoxville and convinced VW to bring their North American Innovation Hub to us. So, find out more next time in the Research Park Chronicles.And thank you for listening to the Research Park Chronicles with Rickey McCallum. We'll pick up here next time with the rest of this story. Keep up with the latest episode by subscribing on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, or wherever fine podcasts are found.

Giving credit where it's due:  I'm indebted to David Zahl (author of "Seculosity"), Zack Eswine (author of "Recovering Eden"), and Matt Howell (former RUF CM at UT Knoxville) for key insights I gleaned from them regarding this passage.

In this episode: UT Knoxville fans are a national embarrassment as they litter the field with trash after a controversial call. We dive again into local city council elections leading into the GOP blocking voting rights bill and gerrymandering the shit out of districts, even locally. Jan 6 commission votes to hold Steve Bannon in criminal contempt and passes on to the DOJ where we await Merrick Garland to charge. A 21 year old member of Comanche Nation, Brittney Poolaw is convicted of 1st degree manslaughter after miscarriage of 17 week fetus after taking methamphetamine. With the massive labor and goods shortages we go on a lengthy anti-capitalism rant. Our ACAB of the week features police resigning across the country due to vaccine mandates despite COVID being the number 1 cause of death for police.Links to the articles Voting legislation blocked — again — in Senate as Republicans unite for filibuster Manchin climate stance threatens to shatter infrastructure bargain 'He Isn't Negotiating, He Is Killing the Bill': Ilhan Omar Slams Joe Manchin Trump ally Steve Bannon held in criminal contempt Manslaughter conviction of 21-year-old Oklahoma woman who suffered miscarriage sparks outcry

Geoff, Bo, and Brian watch the Lakers/Warriors game on opening night and talk life, the end of preseason, we read a website message.  We talk Ben Simmons, Deandre Ayton, Kyrie Irving, Grayson Allen, LeMoyne-Owen, UT Knoxville, NBA Top Shot, and Lowered Expectations.  Thank you for listening.

I have one of the funniest conversations I believe I have ever had on this podcast. Elizabeth talks about her experience as a Dickson native going to UT Knoxville, she gives us a tell-all about the origin of her various nicknames, her expert level clogging skills, and having to ride the proverbial short bus. ENJOY! Huge thanks to Tia Armstrong with Property Place Solutions LLC brokered by EXP for sponsoring this clip.

What do you do if you can't use fire on your land but want to improve your deer and turkey habitat? In today's episode, Dr. Marcus Lashley inquires upon what landowners can do when faced with prescribed burn limitations. He turns to wildlife experts Dr. Bronson Strickland of the MSU Deer Lab and Dr. Craig Harper of UT Knoxville to discuss the factors and techniques that will help you get around prescribed fire restrictions. 

What do you do if you can't use fire on your land but want to improve your deer and turkey habitat? In today's episode, Dr. Marcus Lashley inquires upon what landowners can do when faced with prescribed burn limitations. He turns to wildlife experts Dr. Bronson Strickland of the MSU Deer Lab and Dr. Craig Harper of UT Knoxville to discuss the factors and techniques that will help you get around prescribed fire restrictions. 

University of Tennessee branding can be found on bumper stickers, baseball caps and bar walls throughout Knoxville. To quote the Tennessee college system, UT is "everywhere you look."  But a city with a major university is not the same thing as a college town, where campus life and city life go hand-in-hand.  Higher education reporter Monica Kast joins co-hosts Ryan Wilusz and Calvin Mattheis during her last week at Knox News to discuss whether Knoxville is a college town and whether that designation even matters.  "The Scruffy Stuff" is presented by knoxnews.com.

Suzanne Cannon co-founded VetBilling in 2014, after a $4000 emergency vet bill for her schnauzer's pancreatitis catapulted her into the uncomfortable realization that many pet owners find themselves without accessible options for financing the cost of veterinary care. After a yearlong quest to uncover the roots of the problem, VetBilling was born as a collaborative effort with her life and business partner, Tony Ferraro, whose 3 decades of experience in electronic payments and receivables management became the foundation upon which VetBilling was built. The company's mission is to keep pets and their families together, by reducing economic euthanasia and surrenders driven by pet owners' frequent inability to absorb the upfront cost of acute, surgical, or emergency veterinary care. To that end, VetBilling equips veterinary practices with a cloud-based payment management platform that enables them to provide in-house payment and budgeting plans to the approximately 60% of clients who fall into what Suzanne calls the “black hole” – they are ineligible for conventional credit-based financing, but their income is too high to qualify for charitable assistance. Behind the scenes, VetBilling's team of payment support specialists ensures that pet owners successfully fulfill their payment obligations by tracking and monitoring payments, and providing immediate, supportive interventions if a payment fails. Representing VetBilling, Suzanne is an active participant in organizations and initiatives seeking to develop sustainable solutions to the problem of financial access to care. The company has sponsored events for the Access to Veterinary Care Coalition/Program for Pet Health Equity at UT Knoxville and the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association. Suzanne has presented or contributed to panel discussions on the topic of financial access to care for Maddie's Fund, Cornell University's Center for Veterinary Business and Entrepreneurship, VetPartners, and the Veterinary Science Technology Program at SUNY-Delhi. Suzanne holds an M.S. in Pastoral Counseling from Loyola University of Maryland and an M.A. in Jewish Studies from Baltimore Hebrew University. Owing to her prior professional background as a pastoral counselor and hospital chaplain, Suzanne is passionate about helping veterinarians and pet owners find ways to navigate financial discussions and identify workable payment solutions in an atmosphere of emotional safety. Outside of VetBilling, Suzanne is a devoted dog and horse mom who loves being outdoors when she isn't reading 5 books at the same time! She spends her free time at the barn caring for her horse Chase, or in the saddle hacking out across the woods and fields of central Maryland near her home in Westminster. She also enjoys exploring the rural landscape near the home that she and Tony share with their two dogs - Scout, an Otterhound, and Finch, a miniature schnauzer.

This ABCA Podcast features Philadelphia Phillies Mental Skills Coach Hannah Huesman. She is a great example of the bright voices we have in the Peak Performance World and her Mental Sweat Mondays have provided a bright spot during the pandemic. Huesman was a dual sport athlete playing basketball and softball at UT Chattanooga and has her master's degree from UT Knoxville in Sports Psychology and Motor Behavior. Prior to working with the Phillies she worked with the Pittsburgh Pirates and also works with the New York City Fire Department. She has an extensive background in working with athletes, business people, health care workers, performing artists and first responders. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.

This ABCA Podcast features Philadelphia Phillies Mental Skills Coach Hannah Huesman. She is a great example of the bright voices we have in the Peak Performance World and her Mental Sweat Mondays have provided a bright spot during the pandemic. Huesman was a dual sport athlete playing basketball and softball at UT Chattanooga and has her master's degree from UT Knoxville in Sports Psychology and Motor Behavior. Prior to working with the Phillies she worked with the Pittsburgh Pirates and also works with the New York City Fire Department. She has an extensive background in working with athletes, business people, health care workers, performing artists and first responders. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.

This ABCA Podcast features Philadelphia Phillies Mental Skills Coach Hannah Huesman. She is a great example of the bright voices we have in the Peak Performance World and her Mental Sweat Mondays have provided a bright spot during the pandemic. Huesman was a dual sport athlete playing basketball and softball at UT Chattanooga and has her master's degree from UT Knoxville in Sports Psychology and Motor Behavior. Prior to working with the Phillies she worked with the Pittsburgh Pirates and also works with the New York City Fire Department. She has an extensive background in working with athletes, business people, health care workers, performing artists and first responders. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.

Bernadette's Crystal Gardens is more than three years in the making, and the West family is almost ready to open the doors. We take an exclusive tour of the crystal-themed bar on Market Square and check out behind the scenes at Babalu, which is reopening on Gay Street under the same ownership as the neighboring Maple Hall. We share big plans for what's going in the Kress building and Kern's Bakery. Plus, how now-retired arena manager Tim Reese made an impact on Thompson-Boling Arena since its opening in 1987. 

On this weeks episode: what year was the Michigan Fab Five recruiting class? (1:57) former Nashville high school basketball star Braxton Bonds and current trainer (Glory 2 God) joins the show (6:23) skill work and confidence (12:32) Braxtons dog makes his presence known (14:53) life at UT Knoxville (17:56) watch more basketball (22:49) overcoming mental blocks as a player (27:52) experience at CPA (33:47) & rapid fire questions (35:23) As always, thank you for tuning in. like share subscribe comment, do whatever it is you do to get the word out there. if you love it, tell your family and friends. if you hate it, tell everybody. #MOAC

Steve Brewster has lived and worked in Nashville as a session player for over 20 years. A native Tennessean, Steve attended MTSU on a full music scholarship and studied jazz at UT-Knoxville. He moved to Nashville in 1988, after touring early on with country artist, Janie Fricke, and CCM artist, Michael W. Smith. Shortly after moving to town, Steve was embraced by the Nashville studio community and developed a steady and high-profile studio career, which he has maintained to this day. His passionate and creative musical approach, combined with his diverse, eclectic taste have afforded him the opportunity to contribute in a wide range of musical situations ranging from Rock to Pop, to Country, Contemporary Christian and Gospel. Steve has recorded with artists including Bob Seger, Jewel, Deirks Bentley, Chicago, Michael W. Smith, Faith HIll, Sara Groves, Amy Grant, and Richard Marx. He is a devoted husband and father, and, along with a busy studio schedule, he enjoys a strong family life. In addition to being involved in sessions around the Nashville area, Steve has developed and is involved at his own studio, "Brewbeat".

In this special edition of UTIA's Fireside Chat, we focus on changes made to Knoxville-based facilities. Special guest is Dave Irvin, associate vice chancellor for UT Knoxville facilities services.

My favorite principal, Mr. Ed. Worley (3:05)Fairly smart until eighth grade (4:00)Drafting class with applied geometry led to thoughts of being an educator (5:00)Collaboration with colleagues as a goal, in the service of student learning (5:30)Leading edge of technology? (7:00)You need to understand the basics before tech is useful (7:50)The county’s first 3-D printer, in 2013 (9:30)STEM, first used as a term in 2001(10:30)STEM described for students, parents, and others (11:00)Student competitions – robotics, plus (12:15)Teaching students and teaching teachers – professional career goal realized (12:30)Frankel students coming off of a first-place finish in 2019 (14:15)2020 competition cancelled due to the coronavirus (15:10)Technology evangelist (15:45)Moving from the classroom to industry (17:40)Developing teacher-made video tutorials – years before YouTube (19:15)Developing video tutorials for employees on the manufacturing plant floor (20:00)Human Resources becomes yet another role (20:15)Skills gap resulting from the push for all high school graduates to attend college (23:00)Creating an initiative to incentivize the pursuit of a manufacturing career (24:00)The Kalamazoo Promise concept leads to the Tribar Promise (24:45)Connecting learning institutions and industry for mutual benefit (25:30)The host puts words in the guest’s mouth – Ha! (26:55)Society’s view of what teachers do (27:15)Respect for educators (27:45)Teachers’ challenged with 30+ students in a class are now tasked with designing work in a new way (29:00)Technology resources need to be used and we need to support teachers in the transition to new tools and learning formats (30:15)Stepping up to the plate with technology and generosity, to help during a time of crisis (32:15)An expected “no” turns into a “yes” and accelerates production (35:30)Navigating school guidelines and timelines, and intersecting with others to assist medical providers (36:00)Guest blogger on Education week (37:30)Inspection vs. quality processes (38:00)Consider changes to core components of the teacher preparation structures (38:30)A shout out to some great teachers (39:00)Acknowledgment matters, greatly (40:30)Relationships matter more than rules (41:30)The 40-40-40 concept (42:45)Getting to know one’s students and allowing one’s students to know you (44:45) Dale Rogers – LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/dale-rogers-nbct/ Dale Rogers – blogpost – the flipped classroomhttps://lookatthiscowbell.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-flipped-classroom-its-not-just.html Dale Rogers – Education Week guest columnhttps://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/teacher_in_a_strange_land/2013/08/run_schools_like_businesses_sure_heres_how.html TV news spot about the face shields from 3-D printershttps://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2020/04/07/staff-at-west-bloomfield-school-make-face-shields-with-3d-printers/ The Frankel Jewish Academyhttps://www.frankelja.org/ Music for Lead. Learn. Change. is Sweet Adrenaline by Delicate BeatsPodcast cover art is a view of Altmünster am Traunsee, Austria, by photographer Simon Matzinger, published on www.unsplash.com Professional Association of Georgia Educators:  www.pageinc.org David’s LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-w-reynolds-5a5b0a36/

In the latest episode, I had a chat with Dr. Jim Brosnan, Professor at University of Tennessee at Knoxville. We discussed some of the latest things going on in the world of Weed Science and more. We also discussed the latest upcoming Digital Turfgrass Tuesdays that the UT Program is rolling out. The First Tuesday of each month from May thru November will be a webinar that anyone can tune into and hear some really great content from the educators at UT Knoxville. Information can be found here:  http://www.tennesseeturfgrassweeds.org/Pages/TurfTuesday.aspx We also got a little Football talk in about his beloved Tom Brady heading to Tampa and I think he hung up on me during our conversation as I was asking him about Tom being a Titan? You will have to see for yourself. Thanks again to Dr. Brosnon for coming on. Be sure to rate, review, share and subscribe.  Go check it out!

This interview took place on April 22, 2020. With colleges having to pivot in the middle of the semester all over the world, reaching out to Dr. Keith Carver, chancellor of the University of Tennessee at Martin, was an obvious choice for an interview. Keith and I attended Memphis State University together nearly 30 years ago. Not only were we connected through the Sigma Chi Fraternity, but I knew the gal he ended up marrying from our days singing together at Kincaid Studios in Crockett County, Tennessee. Listen to how Keith is handling the COVID-19 situation. Dr. Keith Carver began his duties as is the 11th chancellor of the University of Tennessee at Martin on January 3, 2017. He has worked with the UT System for 22 years and served as executive assistant to the UT president from January 2011-December 2016 before taking the post at UT Martin. Prior to his position with the UT System, Carver held various positions on the UT campuses in Knoxville, Martin, and Memphis, including serving as interim vice chancellor for development and alumni affairs at the UT Health Science Center in Memphis and as assistant vice chancellor for development at UT Martin. He holds a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Memphis, and a master's degree in college student personnel and educational leadership as well as a doctoral degree from UT Knoxville. Carver and his wife, Hollianne, are the parents of a daughter, Carson, and two sons, Jack Thomas (“J.T.”) and Britton. The Carver family lives in Martin and has West Tennessee roots in Henderson and Crockett counties. shoutyourcause.com Facebook.com/shoutyourcause Twitter.com/shoutyourcause

This interview took place on April 22, 2020. With colleges having to pivot in the middle of the semester all over the world, reaching out to Dr. Keith Carver, chancellor of the University of Tennessee at Martin, was an obvious choice for an interview. Keith and I attended Memphis State University together nearly 30 years ago. Not only were we connected through the Sigma Chi Fraternity, but I knew the gal he ended up marrying from our days singing together at Kincaid Studios in Crockett County, Tennessee. Listen to how Keith is handling the COVID-19 situation. Dr. Keith Carver began his duties as is the 11th chancellor of the University of Tennessee at Martin on January 3, 2017. He has worked with the UT System for 22 years and served as executive assistant to the UT president from January 2011-December 2016 before taking the post at UT Martin. Prior to his position with the UT System, Carver held various positions on the UT campuses in Knoxville, Martin, and Memphis, including serving as interim vice chancellor for development and alumni affairs at the UT Health Science Center in Memphis and as assistant vice chancellor for development at UT Martin. He holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Memphis, and a master’s degree in college student personnel and educational leadership as well as a doctoral degree from UT Knoxville. Carver and his wife, Hollianne, are the parents of a daughter, Carson, and two sons, Jack Thomas (“J.T.”) and Britton. The Carver family lives in Martin and has West Tennessee roots in Henderson and Crockett counties. shoutyourcause.com Facebook.com/shoutyourcause Twitter.com/shoutyourcause

In hour 3 of The Drive, Russell has the Top 5 at 5, Russell talks watching Knives Out over the weekend, we play a 4/20-themed edition of Jam or Not a Jam with caller Austin, and Jon Gruden crashes a UT-Knoxville class on Zoom

In the latest Episode, I had a great conversation with Dr. Brandon Horvath, Professor at University of Tennessee at Knoxville. We discussed many topics including the current epidemic, how we can relate it to turfgrass and many other topics. We dove into golf data and it can be used to help manage your course and how to use data to relate specific topics to golfers expectations. I really enjoyed this conversation and I know you will too. Please go check it out and enjoy.  And as referenced: @scottfawcett  @loustagner @utturfpath @utturfgrass - Go follow on twitter for more great content. Thanks for listening!  

Have you ever wanted something and just really had no idea what you were asking for? Years ago, I was playing golf quite a bit and had gotten pretty decent. I was shooting low 80's, but I wanted more. I wanted to be really good. I had a good friend named John Stone who was a campus minister at the time at UT Knoxville and was a sort of my golf mentor because he was so good. We only saw each other a few times a year, but when we did we always played golf and told outrageous stories. I asked him one day, “John, what will it take to shoot in the low 70's?" What he told me made me sad. He said, “Jim, you might be a good enough athlete to score lower but let me tell you this. To get in the 70's, it will cost you your job. You will have to play all the time and your employers will frown upon this. Now, to get you to scratch golf, it will not only cost your job, but your family. You will have to eat, drink, and sleep golf. That is just the nature of the game.” Bummer. I decided to be mediocre. I like to eat, and I am passionate about my bride! In our text this week, Jesus is sending out his disciples with the best news in the world—the gospel of Peace. The good news that God, in Jesus, is bringing peace to people that are at enmity with God. The bad news, however, is that this peace you offer will not be well received. In fact, it will introduce new crosses, strife, and enmity in your life. It will be a costly peace. So, here we are in the midst of a troubled world, called to do what followers of Jesus have always done, which is to bring peace and joy to alienated people and, rather than celebration, we too find rejection. Is there good news in this? Oh yeah. No bummer here. Just losing your old life to find what you were built for—deep peace and joy unspeakable! Hope to see you online Sunday! Click here to join our livestream worship service at 10:30am. Oh, and keep washing your hands often and checking on those around you. We can still spread the gospel of peace—even when in a siege! Love does things! Jim

Erica Grant and Lia Winter, rival pitch competition finalists at 36|86 Student Edition, discuss how they got their startups off the ground as students at UT Knoxville. In this episode, the innovators explain how they’re developing their products and building their businesses, and how organizations like LaunchTN can unlock doors and kickstart growth.

Hello again, fellow fans! Join us once again to hear our thoughts on the games that were, Hugh Freeze's logical progression, the remarkable ineptitude of Willie Taggart, all of us missing an incredibly incorrect stat by Charlie, and so much more. Also, we have news! A few weeks ago, the guys over at Pypeline asked us if we'd like to advertise our show on their network! In addition to doing that, a few of us have also started doing some writing for them, which you can find over on their site. So far, Christian has started a weekly Nebraska recap called Empty Husks, and Box has begun handing out the weekly Horniman award. We also have a few other things coming soon, so make sure to check out Pypeline for more!

In this episode, I was on location at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville Turfgrass Field Day 2019 and I sat down with Jason Pooler, President of Tri turf Sod. Jason discussed the sod business and how they started as a little 5 acre farm to over 900 acres currently. Jason is also the President of the Tennessee Turfgrass Association and we discussed some of what that requires. Jason was involved in providing some of the sod for research at field day and does the majority of work for many local pro, college and sports teams as well as many golf courses.  Enjoy this episode of the Podcast, on location, from the University of Tennessee Turfgrass Field Day, 2019.  

Occupational therapist Becca McCaskey, MOT, OTR/L, grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee, and attended UT-Knoxville to earn an undergrad degree in Therapeutic Recreation. She completed her Master's degree in Occupational Therapy in 2015 at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis and then began her career working in outpatient private pediatric therapy. After recognizing some of the signs of overwhelm in attempting to juggle the demands of work and home and even of early burnout in herself, she took time off from work to stay home with her young children. In 2018, Becca discovered teletherapy and she has been working in that specialty area of OT practice since that time. She has found that as an alternative career format, working in telehealth allows her to stay active as an occupational therapy practitioner while allowing for the flexibility she needs at this point in her life. As an OT, Becca is passionate about working with children of all ages and stages to help them reach their full potential and especially dedicated to helping those children who sometimes "fall through the cracks" due to a "hidden" disability or lack of resources. On this episode, Becca talks about the burnout that seems to be becoming increasingly prevalent amount healthcare providers, the importance finding balance in one's life in order to provide the highest quality of care to clients possible, and the perks of telehealth as an alternative to the traditional format of a career in occupational therapy.

Occupational therapist Becca McCaskey, MOT, OTR/L, grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee, and attended UT-Knoxville to earn an undergrad degree in Therapeutic Recreation. She completed her Master's degree in Occupational Therapy in 2015 at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis and then began her career working in outpatient private pediatric therapy. After recognizing some of the signs of overwhelm in attempting to juggle the demands of work and home and even of early burnout in herself, she took time off from work to stay home with her young children. In 2018, Becca discovered teletherapy and she has been working in that specialty area of OT practice since that time. She has found that as an alternative career format, working in telehealth allows her to stay active as an occupational therapy practitioner while allowing for the flexibility she needs at this point in her life. As an OT, Becca is passionate about working with children of all ages and stages to help them reach their full potential and especially dedicated to helping those children who sometimes "fall through the cracks" due to a "hidden" disability or lack of resources. On this episode, Becca talks about the burnout that seems to be becoming increasingly prevalent amount healthcare providers, the importance finding balance in one's life in order to provide the highest quality of care to clients possible, and the perks of telehealth as an alternative to the traditional format of a career in occupational therapy.

The 2019-2020 season has officially started. College anglers are taking to the Potomac River for the FLW College Fishing National Championship. This event qualifies for School of the Year points, which means we will soon have our first look at the top 25 of this young season. On this episode we will talk with two anglers competing in the FLW Championship. Jordan Burdette and Saxton Long from the University of Tennessee will be our guests today. They weighed in 16 pounds and 15 ounces on day one. We were able to talk to them following the day one weigh-in. Saxton also fished in the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops just last week. Him and his fellow teammate finished seventh overall. So we will be talking to him about fishing two major championship events back-to-back, along with a variety of other things. Tune in to another great episode of the #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast.

Josafath Reynoso is a Mexican scenographer and Scenic Designer currently working in the US as a freelance designer and an Assistant Professor at the University of Richmond. He holds an MFA in Scenic Design from UT Knoxville and a BFA in Scenography from Escuela Nacional de Arte Teatral. Regional venues include: Triad Stage, Virginia Sage Company, Alice Jepson Theatre, Clarence Brown Theatre, Lexington Children’s Theatre, Donald Bedell Performance Hall, among others. International venues include: Teatro del Borde (Argentina), Escena 8 (Venezuela), KCDC (Israel), Teatro Salvador Novo (Mexico), Industrial Palace (Czech Republic), among others.Winner of the 2017 Gold Medal at World Stage Design in Taiwan, 2015 USITT National Scene Design Award, 2014 SETC Scenic Design Award, 2013 BroadwayWorld Award, and the SETC Ready-for-Work Award, among many others.He was selected as curator for the exhibit Mexico Rising: New exponents of performance design at USITT 2018, keynote speaker at Stage|Set|Scenery (Berlin), presenter at the International Biennale of Architecture (Buenos Aires), one of fifteen designers selected to present at 2015 USITT Young Designer’s Forum and the 2015 National Design Portfolio Review in NYC. He has represented the US in Germany, and Wales; and Mexico in Taiwan, the Czech Republic and Venezuela.

In this week’s episode, two of Liya’s friends from high school hop on the plane to talk about their creative endeavors. Ford Sanders is a broadcast journalism major at UT Knoxville and Cosette Lunsford is a musician at Berkeley College of Music in Boston. The co-hosts discuss following their passions and turning them into careers. Hanna & Liya didn’t forget to touch on dealing with rejection and how to convince strict parents to let you follow your creative dreams!

On this episode I feature 3 recipes for Valentines treats. The first 2 come from Mary Constantine, Retired Food Editor of The Knoxville News Sentinel for Chocolate Cappuccino truffles and chocolate fondue, and the 2nd recipe icomes by way of Fred Sauceman with fun alcoholic Valentine drinks. I also have included a story as told by Bill Houston of Houston’s Mineral Well in New Market, TN - The story he tells is of Nettie Ivy a New Market, TN native who came up with the JFG Coffee tag line “The Best Part of the Meal”. And, I have news of 4 events involving the brand new seed library at the Blount County Public Library, in Maryville, TN. - a Slow Food Tennessee Valley event at Ijam’s Nature Center - and the 50th Anniversary Wild Game Dinner at UT Knoxville.

Whether you have been naughty or nice this year, here's an episode all of you can enjoy on this Christmas Eve. Founder of non-profit The Dividend, Tim Green tells us about growing up in White Haven being the only boy with six sisters. His roots are centered in music where he and I share our own rendition of the classic "Christmas Song" that will bring joy to your heart. Tim and I also discuss how Bridge Builders played an instrumental role in nurturing his desire for teaching. Being a UT Knoxville grad, Tim was very active on campus where the African American population consisted of less than 10 percent. You can only imagine the many experiences that a person will endure on their journey. Tim shares a pivotal moment in his life that changed his entire trajectory. From that moment, his non profit The Dividend was established. He breaks down his curriculum of social emotional learning, the role "GRIT" plays in teaching and how he started his Brunch & Convos series. Towards the end we indulge in current events and a hilarious game called "Public vs. Private Schools."

In our sixth episode, we sit down with Riley Davis, Cru staff member at UT Knoxville and aspiring basketball beat writer, to talk sports, the up-and-down history of college ministry and the future of faith on college campuses. At first, we discuss Riley's Amateur Hour Hoops sports blog (02:01), and how he and his wife, Natalie, met and joined Cru staff before finding themselves at UT Knoxville to start the first Greek-student-focused ministry there (04:00). After the break, we start by discussing the "blind spots" of traditional campus ministries (14:00). Then, we talk about the Church's reactive approach toward social issues like racial discrimination and the immigration debate (18:45) before finally wondering aloud how both the Church and campus ministries can shift their focus and become better at caring for other groups of people in a way that affirms their God-given value and worth (24:00). Share your feedback on Instagram or Twitter! @lookcloserpod

This week, on the Unfriendly Black Hotties: HRH Holleration [1:28]: Y’all. We gotta talk about that black AF wedding. Hellllla Higher Ed Nonsense [14:18]: Unions are everywhere, UT Knoxville is in turmoil, and a school with a *very unique* approach to diversity and inclusion. Hey Facts Tho [26:24]: We have two words for you – Buttock. Lifts. Childish Gambino and Janelle Monae [34:09]: Black art (and black genius) in conversation. Unscheduled and Persistent Construction Sounds: Sorry y’all, it’s a little annoying, but it was out of our control. We lovingly remind you that this sh*t is free. And as always, there is culture aplenty to Get Involved with [48:58]. Join us, won’t you? This episode contains swearing and the N word. Music is courtesy of Ryan Little. Find more of his work here: freemusicarchive.org/music/Ryan_Little/. Find links, sources, and other goodies at theblackhotties.com. Follow CT & KW on Twitter jointly @theblackhotties, and individually @c_gracet & @thatblasiangirl. Things and Thots Free Palestine. Oc. To. Pods. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons has produced one HELLUVA read. Nine NIIIIIIINE! Streaming on Hulu Deadpool 2, in theaters now “Défiler” by Stromae Late Night Whenever with Michelle Buteau

WHAT WE HEARD: Ben Midgette is the EWP Sales Manager for LP Building Products. While in his youth, like so many growing teens and younger adults who were raised in church, Ben experienced a season of risk and rebellion. However, God protected him during that season and eventually he returned his life to Christ. Which helped him build a marriage on a foundation of faith. That wasn’t the end of the story. Ben’s passion to be a driven leader translated into extreme workaholism. For a while, career came first, even before God. Even after reprioritizing and putting God first, his career was still a close second. Then, one day there was a moment in a men’s leadership Bible study, God revealed His plans for Ben’s family, which would lead to another reprioritization.   Ben wanted to invest in his kids, which prompted him to create “right of passage” moment to mark the transition to manhood and womanhood. Ben’s journey through adolescence was directed toward risks and challenges. As a result, he wanted to provide a healthy option for his kids to be pushed. He and his wife decided on a one-on-one dad experience at age 16, and an international mission trip with mom post senior-year.   The criteria for the “right of passage” moment is: Something that he and his child work towards together (example: scuba diving, which requires a season of learning and preparation before the pinnacle experience.)  For his oldest, Camron, who is now a sophomore at UT Knoxville, it was a seven-day hiking trip. Prolonging the ramp-up time enhances the shared joy of the experience once it arrives and makes it all the more memorable. Investment from others through words of affirmation and letters of admonition to pour into the life of his developing teen. As parents, it’s one thing to encourage and affirm your children, but when other trusted peers and adults do the same, it reinforces the message and enhances the experience.   WHAT IT MEANS: Through this whole process Ben experienced an unforeseen outcome. He learned as much, if not more, from his son through this first right of passage experience. Many men might resonate with this idea for their sons, but what about their daughters? Ben just completed his trip with his 16-year-old daughter. The difference between Ben’s desire for adventure and his daughter’s lack of it prompted, Ben to know God better as he learned to meet his daughter where she is at in the way that our Heavenly Father does with us. It was an entirely different lesson, but Ben learned just as much and was able to invest in his daughter as much as he was in his son.   It’s all about investment and valuing relationship. At work we have goals, ROI’s and strategic emphases. We plan, schedule, budget and work hard to keep each of our areas of output always moving in the right direction. We need that same level of intentionality in parenting.   WHAT TO DO NEXT: The best advice Ben has ever received: Don’t waste your trials. We can learn as much, if not more, from difficulty and adversity. Don’t fast forward through hardship because it really is God’s megaphone to speak loudly and also deeply into our lives.   Then as a final thought. Your kids are going to be led by someone. Is it going to be you or someone else? You get to choose. It doesn’t have to be a milestone moment or a big one-on-one trip but kids need parents who will not only love them, but also lead them.   MLN BOOK RECOMMENDATION: Don’t Miss It: Parent Every Week Like It Counts by Reggie Joiner & Kristen Ivy You know what your kid is going through is just a phase, but what does that really mean? Don't Miss It reminds parents that phases are not just periods of time to be survived, but opportunities to be maximized. It gives parents a simple strategy for parenting every week like it counts. It can help them reprioritize their time with their kids; it may even change how they see their kids and themselves. Learn more.

  In this episode with Chef Margot McCormack, we discuss: Keeping it simple... Make it taste good. Learning the importance of systems and organization. Understanding that you are the only person that makes your restaurant a priority and giving freedom from your restaurant to your employees. What you can learn from working for a corporate restaurant. Encouraging people who've "got it".  The value in doing your own thing. Maximizing the college experience. Welcoming people into your restaurant as if you were welcoming them into your house. Choosing to be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem. When opening a restaurant, start where you can, not where you think you should. Being careful about who you're partnering with. The value of just taking a leap and starting. Scaling from one locations to two locations Nashville native, Chef Margot McCormack is a graduate of UT Knoxville and the Culinary Institute of America.  1995 After spending some time cooking in NYC, Chef McCormack returned to Nashville as Executive Chef of F. Scott's. In 2001 Chef McCormack opened her own restaurant Margot's Cafe and Bar. Five years later she opened her second location, Marche Artisan Foods. Both restaurants are going strong to this day. Also Chef Margot was just nominated for James Beard "Best Chef Southeast". Woot woot!  Show notes… Favorite Success Quote or Mantra. "Make it taste good." Today's Sponsor Sourcery allows you to streamline and digitize your entire Accounts Payable operation. Digital invoicing, backed with human verification, will save you countless hours of work and increase AP accuracy. Say goodbye to your file cabinets and enter the digital world. Kabbage. Apply for up to 250,000 of funding through Kabbage, and you'll get a $50 e-gift card when you quality. Get started!   Knowledge bombs Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success? Work ethic. What is your biggest weakness? Work ethic. What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview? hire for hospitality. Hire the person, not what they can do. What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it? Staffing. Adopting to the cultural changes. Example. Tattoos and piercing are now ok. Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team. Bring something to the table. What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff? Make a human connection to the guest. What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner? GET THIS BOOK FOR FREE AT AUDIBLE.COM  Chez Panisse Pasta, Pizza, & Calzone (Chez Panisse Cookbook Library) The Good Earth A Lapsed Anarchist's Approach to: Being a Better Leader. Building a Great Business. Managing Ourselves. to the Power of Beliefs in Business. Share an online resource or tool. instagram If you got the news that you'd be leaving this world tomorrow and all memories of you, your work, and your restaurants would be lost with your departure with the exception of 3 pieces of wisdom you could leave behind for the good of humanity, what would they be? Have fun. Work hard. Make memories. Contact Info @MargoCafe Thanks for Listening! Thanks so much for joining today! Have some feedback you'd like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post. Also, please leave an honest review for the Restaurant Unstoppable Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them. And finally, don't forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Huge thanks to Chef Margot McCormack for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time!   Restaurant Unstoppable is a free podcast. One of the ways I'm able to make it free is by earning a commission when sharing certain products with you. I've made it a core value to only share tools, resources, and services my guest mentors have recommend, first. If you're finding value in my podcast, please use my links!

In episode 7, we talk with Freddi Birdwell of Redbird Consulting. We discuss the role of special events in fundraising and our favorite event, the ask event.Podcast Guest:Freddi BirdwellFounder, Redbird Consulting Freddi Birdwell is founder and CEO of Red Bird Consulting, and president of Redbird Strategic Resources, an enterprise of Lawhorn CPA Group. Freddi is a seasoned fundraising professional with more than 25 years invested in fundraising and nonprofit management. Her progressive career includes extensive work with the American Cancer Society, where she served in a variety of leadership positions, and with Catholic Charities of East Tennessee, where she spent eight years as Director of Development and Community Relations. She has worked at the local, state and regional levels. Her experience inspired her to become a consultant and trainer, with a passion for helping small to medium nonprofits reach the next level of service to their communities. Freddi holds the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential and is a past president of the Great Smoky Mountain Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. She has served on the board of the Smoky Mountain Planned Giving Council and is the 2018 president of the Knoxville Association of Women Executives. Freddi earned a BS in Secondary Education at the University of Memphis, with endorsements in English and speech/communications, and completed additional coursework in communications and public relations at UT Knoxville. She knows all the words to “Rocky Top.” Links:Redbird Consulting:www.redbirdconsult.comNonprofit Superpowers:www.nonprofitsuperpowers.comRustic Roots Creative:www.rusticrootscreative.com 

Today's guest is Evan McKee, singer songwriter who is now going to UT Knoxville for Elecrical Engineering and he has a unique perspective when it comes to talking about Net Neutrality. Also, Video Games. We talk videogames too. Cause, you know...nerds