Three Faculty Members Named Chancellor’s Professors

Chancellor Donde Plowman has named a new group of Chancellor's Professors at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville: Derek Alderman, David Anderson and Bonnie Ownley. The distinction honors exceptional faculty members for outstanding scholarly achievement and contributions to their fields.

"These three faculty members, each from a different college, represent the best of our university with their commitment to their scholarship, their students and the Volunteer community," said Plowman. "I am grateful for their contributions to the university and I look forward to having them join our esteemed group of Chancellor's Professors."

Full-time tenured faculty members with a minimum of five years of service are nominated by their dean and chosen by current Chancellor's Professors for recommendation to the provost and chancellor. Honorees receive a one-time research stipend of $20,000. Chancellor's Professors meet throughout the year with the chancellor, provost and vice chancellors to advise them on key campus issues.

"Chancellor's Professors represent the highest standards of academic excellence at UT," said Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor John Zomchick. "These three new awardees join an outstanding cohort of distinguished faculty who have attained national and international reputations for scholarly contributions to their disciplines while also excelling in classroom instruction and service to the university community. We are fortunate to have them on our campus and proud of the example that they set for all Volunteers."

Meet this year's new Chancellor's Professors

Derek Alderman is a professor of human geography in the Department of Geography and Sustainability, where he served as department head before his current term as president of UT's Faculty Senate. Alderman studies cultural and historical geography with a specific focus on heritage tourism, social justice, and the politics of geographic mobility and travel. Throughout his career, Alderman has studied the Southern experience, ranging from Civil Rights memorials to NASCAR, barbecue culture, and even kudzu's cultural geography. Since joining UT's faculty in 2012 he has held various positions in the American Association of Geographers, completing a one-year term as president in 2018. In 2022 Alderman was appointed to the Federal Advisory Committee on Reconciliation in Place Names.

"I am elated to be named a Chancellor's Professor and humbled to join a group of scholar-teachers who have served the academy and the university with such great distinction," said Alderman. "I consider this one of the most important honors of my career, and I am happy that it can bring positive attention to my home department and college and the work we are doing to advance knowledge and serve students and communities at a high level. Being named a Chancellor's Professor especially resonates with me, given how seriously UT and Chancellor Plowman take the land-grant and outreach mission of the institution. My career - even well before I was fortunate enough to come to Knoxville - has been about taking on the responsibilities of public engagement, whether that is researching or teaching in response to community social justice needs, partnering with K-12 educators, assisting municipal leaders and federal agencies, talking with journalists and writing for The Conversation, or mentoring early-career scholars and department leaders on strategies in science advocacy, program promotion and public storytelling."

David Anderson is the associate dean for research and graduate studies in the College of Veterinary Medicine. His research involves the study of bone trauma, biomaterials, tissue regeneration, development of surgical models for study of disease conditions and pain management in livestock. His programs focus on developing new technologies for regenerative and rehabilitative medicine by using biomaterials, scaffolds, stem cells, and in vitro and in vivo models to develop next-generation solutions for people suffering debilitating injuries and loss of use of tissues and organs. Anderson is a board-certified veterinary surgeon with an emphasis on livestock. He works on a variety of species and is internationally recognized as an expert in cattle, small ruminants and camelids. In 2022 the Council of the American Association for the Advancement of Science elected Anderson as an AAAS Fellow.

"I am humbled and honored to have been appointed as a Chancellor's Professor," said Anderson. "I work diligently to help our people achieve excellence in all that we do. This includes faculty, staff and students across all disciplines. My honor is to serve and help people meet their potential, achieve their goals and enjoy a fulfilling career and life. This appointment recognizes the many amazing people with whom I have had the privilege to know and collaborate. My greatest joy is in seeing them succeed."

Bonnie Ownley is a professor, graduate director and assistant head of the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology. Her research focuses on biological and cultural control of soil-borne plant pathogens. Ownley works closely with organic growers to evaluate the efficacy of biostimulants and biofertilizers for plant growth, yield and disease control. Her laboratory also studies sustainable disease control methods for a variety of specialty crops. She is a Fellow of the American Phytopathological Society and is involved in middle and high school STEM extracurricular activities, particularly the Girl Scouts of America's Gadget Girls program.

"I am truly honored to be selected as a Chancellor's Professor and sincerely appreciate the support from my department, the Herbert College of Agriculture, AgResearch and the greater university that has made this achievement possible," said Ownley. "I have benefited from supportive mentors, dedicated and resourceful lab staff, and creative and productive graduate students throughout my career. My work in research, teaching and service is driven by a commitment to help others realize their potential by opening doors to opportunities and providing a supportive environment to increase access to education for all people."

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