The president of the University of Tennessee system told members of Chattanooga’s Rotary Club on Thursday that the position is "a dream job." He said, "I absolutely love it. It energizes you, because there’s so many exciting things happening across the state.”
Randy Boyd, appointed to the position in September 2018 after Joe DiPietro’s retirement and after losing the gubernatorial race, spoke about the different UT schools and the upcoming “UT Promise” scholarship.
He spoke glowingly of UT-Knoxville’s Health and Science center. According to the speaker, it produces 70 percent of Tennessee’s doctors. But after stating that statistic, he pointed out that graduating students often have no open residencies in the state, while at the same time, rural areas face a shortage of doctors and medical professionals.
To remedy this problem, Mr. Boyd told the audience that the state of Tennessee would fund 100 new residencies in rural communities in an attempt to remedy both problems.
Serving rural communities was also the speaker's focus on the topic of UT-Martin. He spoke glowingly of Martin’s five satellite campuses, as they “allow people to have an opportunity at a college education” who may not due to living far away from a standard college campus.
He also addressed the UT-Space Institute and the research that the students there are doing.
“They’re doing some great stuff,” said Mr. Boyd. "One of those great things is their research on finding a way to get into space without chemical propulsion. Instead, students there are researching how to utilize nuclear power in launching into and moving through space."
He concluded his report on the UT Schools by talking about the local school. Donning a UT-Chattanooga “Power C” pin on his blazer, Mr. Boyd spoke of another space-related accomplishment.
Last year, UT-Chattanooga’s Rocketry Club competed in a national competition with other universities such as Yale and Georgia Tech. Their rocket won, with the Mocs rocket blasting a full mile farther into the atmosphere than any of their competitors’. Mr. Boyd also mentioned UT-Chattanooga’s plans for its own Health and Science Center, which would serve the Chattanooga area.
He also made sure to speak of the partnership between researchers at Oak Ridge and the UT System. He later said that “Oak Ridge has unlimited potential,” as students would have the unique opportunity to conduct important research, while also being trained at the same time.
Mr. Boyd took a moment to highlight one of the more interesting projects currently going on at Oak Ridge. The researchers are attempting to create the world’s next fastest computer, known as an exoskeleton computer. With the number of calculations it could do per second, this high-speed computer could be, as Mr. Boyd said, “important to national security.”
He said, "This high-speed machine could crack codes and help secure information on a national scale. The United States is currently competing with other countries in trying to build this incredible machine."
Mr. Boyd said the new “UT Promise” scholarship would give a free ride to students who academically qualify and whose parents make less than $50,000 a year.
“College is supposed to be a ladder up for the middle and lower class,” said the speaker, “We’re not Yale or Harvard, whose mission is exclusivity.” He said those Ivy League schools base their prestige on how many students they turn away, something UT schools will never do.
He ended by speaking of changing the “culture” of Tennessee, one that is holding the state back from prospering.
“This (scholarship) will change the culture of Tennessee, a culture of low expectations,” said Mr. Boyd. "By making school more affordable or even free, any Tennessean, regardless of income or social background, would have the opportunity to pursue higher education."
After answering a few questions from the audience about the points he had spoken of, Mr. Boyd stepped down from the podium amidst a thunderous applause. After a closing statement from one of the Rotary Club members, the luncheon at the Convention Center was over. Even after the event had officially ended, Mr. Boyd stuck around to speak to different people.