Commencement Speakers, Honorary Degree Recipients to Include Astronaut, Former Governor, Media Exec

Headlines – Tennessee Today


An Apollo 17 astronaut, Tennessee’s 48th governor and the founder of HGTV will receive honorary degrees from UT this spring. They will join several other noted industry and academic leaders in addressing graduates during a dozen commencement ceremonies next month.Here’s a look at the speakers at each ceremony. Unless otherwise noted, all ceremonies will be held in Thompson-Boling Arena.
Thursday, May 11
College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, 8:30 a.m., UT alumnus Isaac Bennett, vice president and capital markets manager for Farm Credit Bank of Texas
Tickle College of Engineering, noon, UT alumnus Bennett Croswell, president, military engines, Pratt & Whitney
College of Communication and Information, 3:30 p.m., Ken Lowe, chairman of the board, president, and CEO of Scripps Networks Interactive and honorary degree recipient. Lowe has been one of the world’s leading communication and information industry executives for nearly five decades. He founded and launched HGTV and oversaw the acquisition and transformation of the Food Network and the Travel Channel. He was responsible for relocating the Scripps Network Interactive corporate headquarters from Cincinnati to Knoxville.
Graduate Hooding, 7 p.m., Phil Bredesen, former governor of Tennessee and honorary degree recipient. Bredesenserved as Tennessee’s governor from 2003 to 2011. His administration supported the Tennessee Lottery program and associated scholarship programs. He was instrumental in the creation of UT’s Energy Science and Engineering doctoral program, which is housed in the Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education, named in his honor. His interest in the partnership between UT and Oak Ridge National Laboratory initiated the Governor’s Chairs program, which has attracted 15 renowned scholars and researchers to fill joint appointments at UT and ORNL.
Friday, May 12
College of Education, Health and Human Sciences, 8:30 a.m., UT alumna Sarah Hillyer, director of the Center for Sport, Peace, and Society
College of Social Work, noon, student and faculty speakers
College of ...

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