Category: Public Service


‘We Are Stronger Together’: Faculty Senate Celebrates University’s Achievements, Looks Ahead with Optimism

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Dr. Ted Cory speaks at a podium while Dr. Karen Derefinko stands nearby clapping

The Faculty Senate at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences wrapped up the academic year by celebrating its accomplishments and honoring several people who have made a tremendous impact on the university and its future. At its final meeting of the year Tuesday, the Faculty Senate presented awards to some of the leaders who played… Read More


Seven UT Health Sciences Physicians Named to Inaugural Memphis Medical Society Hall of Fame

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The honored physicians stand together in a line, wearing their Hall of Fame white coats at the Memphis Medical Society gala.

When the Memphis Medical Society named its inaugural Hall of Fame class recently, seven of the 10 honorees could trace their training, faculty careers, or both to the University of Tennessee Health Sciences. For 150 years, the Memphis Medical Society has stood alongside the physicians who built medicine in the city. The Hall of Fame… Read More


UT Health Sciences Team Earns 4 Statewide Communications Awards

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Four TCPRA awards displayed on a table

The University of Tennessee Health Sciences Office of Communications and Marketing earned four awards, including two top honors, at the 2026 Tennessee College Public Relations Association (TCPRA) conference. The annual event, held May 20–22 in Chattanooga, brought together communicators from public and private colleges and universities across the state. This year’s competition drew a record-breaking… Read More


Nurturing Beginnings: Dr. Alicia Barnes and Team Are Helping Create Healthier Communities for Children

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Dr. Alicia Barnes stands in a green dress indoors with green foliage in the foreground and a research poster in the background.

Memphis wasn’t on Alicia Barnes’ bingo card, but she saw an alignment she couldn’t ignore. The physician arrived three years ago, answering a listserv post from a colleague she had first met as a medical student at a national community psychiatry conference. She wasn’t actively looking. Yet when Altha Stewart, MD, posted about a leadership… Read More


NightinGala Marks a Decade of Honoring Mid-South Nurses

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Dean Wendy Likes stands beside nurse Leatriece Franklin, who's holding a blue, teardrop-shaped award.

“Never underestimate the power of showing up and serving others,” said Leatriece Franklin, MHA, MSN, RN, as she received the 2026 Dr. John W. Runyan, Jr., Community Nursing Award at the recent 10th annual NightinGala. The award recognizes a registered nurse practicing in Tennessee, Mississippi, or Arkansas, who has made significant contributions to the development… Read More


The CARE Team Shows Up Before the Crisis Does

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A medium-size group of people, including two police officers and CARE Team representatives, are gathered on the steps of a large, cement building.

If you notice a student seems off, showing up less, falling behind, acting out of character, the instinct can be to wait and see. Charles Snyder, PhD, vice chancellor for Student Success and co-chair of the CARE Team at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences, wants you to know there’s another option. “The problem is… Read More


837 Health Sciences Graduates Poised to Deliver Care Across Tennessee

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Portrait of Anna Hicks in a PT classroom.

Anna Hicks remembers the moment physical therapy started to feel real. “It’s really interesting to learn about somebody else, and that is PT, in a way,” she said. “You get to know these people, to really be a part of their lives, see their progress visit after visit, and see their confidence leaving the clinic.… Read More


UT Health Sciences Advisory Board to Meet Friday, May 8

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Photo of the Mooney Building in the quadrangle

The University of Tennessee Health Sciences Advisory Board will meet Friday, May 8, at 11:00 a.m., in the Mooney Library, 875 Monroe Ave., on the Memphis campus. On the agenda:  While the meeting will be conducted in person, it will also be available to view online. The webcast link, more information about the UT Health Sciences… Read More