On the occasion of Dr. Caroline Wienhold's promotion to Senior Lecturer
This book marked the start of my professional journey into equity, diversity, and inclusion. It was the first book I read as a new postdoc in biology education research, and helped me find words and ways to discuss inequality. Whether or not this ethnography's conclusions are biased, well-supported, generalizable, or just interesting, it's a book I'll always remember for starting me on my path.
On the occasion of Dr. Carrie Bailey's promotion to Clinical Associate Professor.
I chose this book because my uncle is an amazing man. He has been a father figure to me and all of those around him by providing love, guidance, and advice. He taught us to try our best no matter what the task, to love ourselves, and to be forgiving of others. He served our Country for 25 years in the military with 7 of those being active duty and 18 being in the Air National Guard. Finally, he has strong ties to the University of Tennessee. His daughter Kristin graduated from the College of Nursing. His grandson Bryson is currently serving in the Air National Guard and is a current UT student and then there's me, his niece. Graduating from the College of Nursing (twice) and working there for 24 years now. I hope you will consider this book. My words are inadequate to describe the greatness and impact on many lives that Charles Thomas Kring has had (Marcia, you too). I love you both!
On the occasion of Dr. Cindy Welch's promotion to Clinical Professor
I teach future school librarians and intellectual freedom is foundational to that work. We are experiencing unprecedented attacks on freedom of information and freedom of access in K-12 school libraries, in the early 2020's, and this book is on the American Library Association's list of most challenged books. We need copies of these difficult materials to stay available to our students, for discussions in safe places, so that when they are faced with professionally defending them, they are ready.
On the occasion of Dr. Daniel Hembree's tenure as Professor
This book marked my beginning into my field of specialty within the geosciences, ichnology. Reading this book opened my eyes to the diversity of life that dwells within sediment and soil, unseen, but vital to the function of healthy ecosystems. It also taught me how to recognize and interpret the fossilized remains of the activity of these organisms, trace fossils. I have used this book to teach both in the classroom and while conducting research and always enjoy sharing it with my students.
On the occasion of Dr. Daniel Wallace's promotion to Senior Lecturer
If you are trying to build a creative, imaginative life, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the dictums of science and society. Does the daily work of a writer, an artist, a performer really "matter"? This scholarly study is a thrilling account of William Blake's solution to that problem: I hope it will bring you insight and delight.
On the occasion of Dr. Darrell Kefentse's promotion to Senior Lecturer
As a young man, this was one of the first books that started me on my journey to better understand the history of Africa and its people. Cheikh Anta Diop led the charge in his claim that the source of cultural development in the Western world began in Africa. For its time, this was not only a bold assertion, it was unprecedented. Using historical, archaeological, and anthropological evidence to support his theories, Diop transformed the study of the African continent.
The African Origin of Civilization: Myth or Reality
On the occasion of Dr. David Gras's tenure and promotion to Associate Professor
The first and only book for which I was an editor. I took on this role as a PhD student and it served to bolster my confidence in becoming an accomplished scholar.
Social Entrepreneurship
Author — Kickul, J., Gras, D., Bacq, S., and Griffiths, M. (Eds.)
On the occasion of Dr. David Kline's promotion to Senior Lecturer
Maturana's and Varela's Tree of Knowledge is a pioneering study of cognition and epistemology showing that any sentient being's sense of reality and its environment is the product of its own self-creation ("autopoiesis"). Their account of autopoiesis has long been an important part of the vocabularies of systems theory (biological and social) and cybernetics, but, largely through the influence of the black studies theorist Sylvia Wynter, it has more recently become an important addition to various other fields in the social sciences and humanities. In my own work on Wynter and religion, Maturana and Varela have become essential conversation partners who have taught me that there is no separation between what we do and the particular way in which the world appears to us. As they put it, "every act of knowing brings forth a world. ...All doing is knowing, and all knowing is doing."
The Tree of Knowledge: The Biological Roots of Human Understanding
Department - Theory & Practice in Teacher Education
On the occasion of Dr. Elizabeth MacTavish's promotion to Clinical Associate Professor
As a young girl, this book was gifted to me by my dad. I had taken an interest in science, and more specifically space exploration. He thought the book would help me learn more about the topic. Published in 1986, this book entered my life the same year as the Challenge disaster which I vividly remember watching as a 2nd grader. Additionally, the book is dedicated to the author's daughters, Elizabeth and Rebecca, which happen to also be my name and my sister's name. I've always felt like this was a sign of what I should do with my life and career. This is my 23rd year in education with 16 of those years teaching middle school science. I chose this book as a celebration of my journey and the work I will continue to do to support both new teachers and students in our public schools.
