Zoi Philippakos, Assistant Professor in the Department of Theory and Practice in Teacher Education, is searching for a full time (20 hours/week) graduate assistant to work on a funded Institution of Education Sciences (IES) grant project that addresses writing and reading in community colleges. The research assistant will work on data collection, data coding, and analysis of data under the supervision of Prof. Philippakos. The graduate assistant will be trained with the rest of the research personnel, as needed. This position requires a graduate student who is highly motivated, organized, and professional. Interested students should contact Prof. Philippakos (zphilipp@utk.edu) to schedule an interview. Note: This position is only for PhD students. Master’s students are not eligible.

The Army Research Laboratory Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowships are for those who are completing a doctoral degree in the physical sciences, life sciences, computational sciences, behavioral sciences, or engineering. Recipients of these fellowships are to pursue independent research of their own choosing that supports the mission of the Army Research Laboratory. Applicants must complete each section of the online application as outlined on the website instructions. Applicants must register online and ensure all application materials are submitted by the deadline of May 31, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. ET.

Laura Smith, a PhD student in Geography, has been taking up research on tree rings begun in the 1930s and her research has made it into various media outlets. Florence Hawley started research on tree rings to understand long-term weather patterns in the Norris Basin, while working with the Tennessee Valley Authority. 80 years later, Smith is continuing the work by the trailblazing researcher, using new technologies available to the field. Besides moving the research forward, Smith wants the world to know more about Florence Hawley, her work, and her challenges. Read more about Laura Smith’s work in the Chattanooga Free Press, and hear her as she talks about her research and Florence Hawley in Science Minute.

Joe Strong combined his frustration with the health insurance industry and a lifelong interest in neurology and is now a PhD candidate in the College of Social Work. The Office of Research and Engagement recently told his story, giving him the opportunity to discuss how he hopes to show the benefits of VR technology to assist older adults with early to moderate dementia.

The Spring 2019 Graduate Hooding Ceremony was a wonderful event, as usual. Nearly 440 graduate students participated in the ceremony on Thursday evening, May 9, in Thompson-Boling Arena. The Graduate School would like to extend congratulations to all of our graduates. Well done! For those who were unable to attend, you can still watch the entire ceremony’s webcast.

The Writing Center is offering a workshop for graduate students who are in the process of writing their thesis or dissertation, to help them get their work off to a productive start this summer. The workshop will provide time for planning and drafting and will offer short presentations about writing, researching, de-stressing, formatting–and more. The workshop will take place on Tuesday, May 28, 2019 from 9:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. in The Writing Center, located in HSS 212. If you’re interested, please submit a request to participate in the workshop by completing the request form by May 15.

Nigerian-born Chidimma Nwaneri will graduate from the UT College of Law this month. After Nwaneri completes her bar exam in July, she plans to return to Nigeria to begin planting seeds that she hopes will make a difference for other girls who want to pursue their education. Read more about Chidimma Nwaneri at the College of Law.

Chase Moore, a native of Dallas, Georgia, will receive a law degree during spring commencement at noon Friday, May 10, and soon after will join the Navy as a JAG Corps officer. “Service to others is at the core of my upbringing and part of what drew me into the Volunteer family,” Moore said. “I see no more attractive way to use my legal education than to serve our country and the service members who work so hard to support it.” Read more about Chase’s story in Tennessee Today.

Nick Giecek graduates in May with a master’s degree in recreation and sport management with a concentration in therapeutic recreation. Giecek, who played ice hockey and lacrosse at Knoxville Catholic High School, wanted to work in sports when he came to UT for his bachelor’s degree in recreation and sport management. But it wasn’t until attending Camp Koinonia as a counselor during his sophomore year that he realized he wanted to make adaptive sports his career. Read more about Giecek future plans and his contributions as the Adaptive Recreation program’s first graduate assistant.

Whether you’re looking for parking during the week of commencement activities, or wondering about parking for the rest of May, view the latest edition of Getting Around UT for all the latest. Parking and Transit Services also has maps for visitors and summer construction.