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Apply for Sponsorship to Attend the HERS Institutes

The UTK Application Deadline for HERS Institute sponsorship is Friday, January 5, 2024 

The Division of Access and Engagement and the Commission for Women desire to sponsor an outstanding faculty or staff member to attend a Higher Education Resource Services (HERS) Institute in Summer 2024. 

The HERS Leadership Institute is a transformational leadership development program for higher education professionals. The HERS Leadership Institute is designed for faculty and staff who generally hold mid-to-senior level positions in higher education and have a desire to emerge as more dynamic leaders for themselves and their institutions. The HERS Leadership Institute is an inclusive program, with a focus on women and people who are gender diverse. All HERS programs and services are open to all regardless of gender identity 

If selected, prospective participants must then apply to her chosen Institute and provide the required documents, including a letter of recommendation from a senior leader at UT, by the Institute’s deadline of February 23, 2024.  

The campus selection process requires that each applicant submit the following items to LaTiffany Davis, Chair of the Commission for Women’s Membership, Sponsorship, and Awards committee at lddavis@utk.edu: 1. A current CV or resume; 2. A letter describing the applicant’s reasons for application; and 3. Letter of support from her dean, director, department head, or supervisor. Nomination deadline is January 5.  

If you wish to nominate a colleague or supervisee for HERS, please send a nomination letter and a letter of support from your nominee’s dean, director, department head, or supervisor to LaTiffany Davis, Chair of the Commission for Women’s Membership, Sponsorship, and Awards committee, at lddavis@utk.edu . Nomination deadline is January 5. 

For questions, please contact Sarah Browning, Coordinator of the Commissions and Council, at sbrowni2@utk.edu . 

Past HERS Institutes participants from UT include:

  • Dixie Thompson, Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School
  • Mary Lucal, Associate Vice Chancellor, Human Resources
  • Catherine Luther, Professor for School of Journalism & Media, Director of the Information Integrity Institute
  • Veerle Keppens, Chancellor’s Professor, Department Head of Department of Materials Science and Engineering
  • Sherry Cummings, Professor, College of Social Work
  • Deborah Welsh, Professor, Department of Psychology
  • Camille Hall, Associate Dean, Department of Equity and Inclusion
  • Joan Heminway, Distinguished Professor of Law, College of Law
  • Stephanie TerMaath, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering
  • Alison Buchan, Professor & Associate Head, Microbiology
  • Lisa Yamagata-Lynch, Professor & Ombudsperson, Educational Psychology & Counseling Department
  • Dr. Ozlem Kilic, Dean & Professor, College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies
  • Dr. Javiette Samuel, Associate Vice Chancellor for Access and Engagement, Director of Community Engagement and Outreach, and Affiliated Associate Professor in the Department of Child and Family Studies
  • Rachel Rui, Director, Office of Asia Engagement & Office of Communications