Posted 2/13/24

The annual State of the University address, hosted by University of Tennessee System President Randy Boyd, highlighted the substantial value of higher education, the University’s statewide influence on workforce development and how those elements interconnect to foster a thriving economic future.

The event featured a panel discussion between the leaders of all five UT campuses located in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Martin, Memphis and Pulaski. The discussion was moderated by Boyd and David Plazas, director of opinion and engagement for the USA Today Network.

At UT Southern, more than 80% of students who graduate in the nursing and education fields remain in Tennessee to work in the state’s most rural areas, according to Linda Martin, UT Southern interim chancellor.

Martin said her campus has a continued ripple effect in rural Southern Middle Tennessee. “A college education doesn’t just change the lives of the students, it changes the lives of the families,” she said. “That is very apparent in what we do, and I think that’s something that’s often overlooked.”