Leadership Team
Tyvi Small
Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Engagement
Katrice Morgan
Associate Vice Chancellor and Director of Equity and Diversity
Email
865-974-2498
Katrice W. Jones Morgan currently serves as associate vice chancellor for diversity and engagement and director of the Office of Equity and Diversity. Before joining the Office of Equity and Diversity in March 2019, she was the assistant dean for student affairs and director of diversity and inclusion for UT’s College of Law for 13 years. Morgan also served as an assistant district attorney general for Knox County for six years. Her professional career in higher education began as an assistant director of Arts and Sciences Advising Services.
Morgan holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Tennessee and a juris doctorate from Loyola University New Orleans.
She serves as the lead graduate advisor for the Zeta Delta Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority at UT. She is the immediate past president of Alpha Pi Omega, Knoxville’s graduate chapter, and a member of Alpha Pi Omega Foundation.
Morgan enjoys celebrating her New Orleans heritage, spending time with family and friends, cooking, and escaping into a good book.
Lamar Bryant
Associate Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives
Email
865-974-8995
A native of Louisiana, Lamar Bryant earned both a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a minor in Marketing, and a Masters of Arts degree in Student Personnel Services from Northwestern State University. He is currently working on his dissertation to earn a PhD in Higher Education Administration with a Sociology cognate from the University of North Texas.
Thus far in his career, Lamar has served in several areas of college administration at various institutions of higher education in Florida, Georgia and Texas. On Rocky Top, he currently serves as the Associate Dean of Students in the Office of the Dean of Students. In this role, he provides oversight for the Center for Student Engagement, the Office of Student Media, the Pride Center, and the Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life.
Lamar is undoubtedly passionate about the co-curricular experience. Since joining the profession, he has been committed to putting students first and creating spaces where all persons matter, belong, and thrive. He is member of several professional organizations, and he enjoys serving as a co-lead facilitator for both the LeaderShape Institute and the North-American Interfraternity Conference.
Javiette Samuel
Associate Vice Chancellor and Director of Community Engagement and Outreach
Email
865-974-4863
Javiette Samuel is the associate vice chancellor for diversity and engagement, director of community engagement and outreach, and affiliated associate professor in the Department of Child and Family Studies. She is an experienced engaged scholar with a unique combination of educational, interpersonal, and creative skills. She has worked with underrepresented P-20 students, families, faculty, and communities for nearly 25 years. Focusing on engagement, outreach, and evidence-based programs her primary applied research interests have been child development, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), positive youth development, parenting, and family well-being. She is especially passionate about addressing educational disparities, early warning signs of disengagement from school and learning, mentoring, and increasing parental involvement.
Samuel cultivates relationships with local, state, regional, and national partners; works with university units and community organizations to connect UT’s knowledge with the community in mutually beneficial ways; identifies and tackles complex issues to help improve the well-being of our state’s citizens; oversees UT’s Carnegie Elective Community Engagement Classification; and partners with units across campus on initiatives that ensure access and are designed to address recruitment and retention of underrepresented students, faculty, and staff.
She leads the Division of Diversity and Engagement’s faculty initiatives related to historically underrepresented and marginalized groups, including but not limited to: providing leadership for all competitive funding, overseeing the Faculty Advisory Board, coordinating the Faculty and Administrative Fellows Program, co-leading the Research Development Academy, and coordinating Academic Diversity Initiatives.
A three-time UT alumna, Samuel earned her bachelor’s degree in 1996, master’s degree in 1999, and doctorate in 2002. She has served as a faculty member and extension administrator at the University of Kentucky, Kentucky State University, and Tennessee State University. She is an Intercultural Development Inventory qualifying administrator and has completed Cornell University’s Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program.
Samuel is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and a member of the Alpha Pi Omega Foundation. Samuel serves on various boards and is a member of the Leadership Knoxville Class of 2021. She enjoys reading, writing poetry, outdoor adventures, and spending quality time with her beautiful granddaughters.
Janelle Coleman
Executive Director for Diversity and Engagement
Email
865-974-3714
Janelle Coleman is currently the executive director for diversity and engagement at UT. In this role, she acts as a consultant to senior administrators and department leaders to support diversity, inclusion and engagement efforts in their areas. She assists in the development and implementation of goals and objectives for the Division of Diversity and Engagement in alignment with institutional goals, and partners with the Office of Institutional Research to prepare analysis of data and other evidence related to the progress of the institution in diversity, engagement, and inclusion. She also serves as liaison between the division and the chancellor’s commissions and the Council for Diversity and Inclusion.
Coleman has a PhD in Hispanic language and literature, an MS in teacher education, and BA in creative writing and Spanish, all from UT. Her research interests include Hispanophone Caribbean history and cultures, Luso-Brazilian history and cultures, US Latinx and African Diaspora studies, culturally responsive pedagogy, inclusive teaching, and assessment in higher education. She previously served as the faculty consultant for assessment and inclusive teaching in UT’s Teaching and Learning Innovation department. In this role, she led the department’s inclusive teaching initiatives and coordinated Diversi-Tea, a program that facilitates ongoing dialogue related to issues in diversity and inclusion in pedagogy. She also served as chair and founder of UT’s Inclusive Teaching Task Force and a member of university’s Assessment Steering Committee.
Coleman is currently pursuing a graduate certificate in the Evaluation, Statistics, and Measurement program here at UT. When she is not studying or working, she enjoys traveling around the world, learning about other cultures, reading fiction, and participating in activities with the UT Graduate Student–Faculty Chapter of Intervarsity Christian Fellowship.
Jeff Tippett
Director of Communications
Email
865-974-8995
Jeff Tippett currently serves as the Director of Communications, where he leads the coordination and execution of all internal and external communications for the division.
Before joining UT, Jeff led communications at the oldest historically black college and university (HBCU) in the South. In this role, Jeff reversed years of stagnant and negative press, placed the university on the national stage, helped elevate the university’s brand, and created new momentum felt campus-wide and beyond. In addition, he helped bolster success through engagement with faculty, staff, students, prospective students, alumni, and donors.
Jeff founded a public affairs and communications firm attracting local to international clients, where he designed and implemented communications campaigns that changed laws and elected political figures. He helped clients find legislative and appropriations success lobbying for a variety of local to federal issues—including higher education. His work has been acclaimed by several peer-validated awards, including the prestigious American Advertising Award. Jeff served on a presidential campaign and traveled the globe speaking on persuasive communications.
Jeff attended graduate and undergraduate school at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC and is currently pursuing his doctorate in higher education leadership. He is an undeserved two-time Guinness World Record holder.
Division Administrative Staff
Melanie Finnegan
Business Manager
Beth Huemmer
Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Engagement
Keely Algya
Administrative Specialist
2020-21 Faculty Fellows
Diversity and Engagement Fellows
Mitsunori Misawa
Educational Psychology and Counseling
Shaina Destine
UT Libraries
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