Smith Global Leadership Fellows Program

Overview

The Smith Global Leadership Fellows program is designed to provide faculty fellows with knowledge, experience, and networking opportunities in global food, agriculture, natural resources, family and consumer sciences, and veterinary medicine.

The goal of this is program is to develop global champions across UTIA, provide points-of-contact for global engagement beyond the Smith Center, and create a culture of “global UTIA.”

Eligibility and Nominations:

All tenure and non-tenure track faculty are eligible to be nominated. However, the program is targeted for mid-career faculty (or equivalent, e.g. senior lecturer, extension specialist II/III, etc.). A total of eight fellows from departments and units across UTIA will be admitted into the program each year. SGL Fellows will be selected by the Smith Center and the SGL advisory team.


2023 – 2024 Cohort

Jennie Ivey Profile Page
Jennie Ivey
Associate Professor | Animal Science
Alessandro Occhialini Profile Page
Alessandro Occhialini
Assistant Professor | Plant Sciences
Chika C Okafor, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVPM (Epidemiology) Profile Page
Chika C Okafor, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVPM (Epidemiology)
Associate Professor | Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences Department
Sree Rajeev, BVSc & AH, PhD, DACVM, DACVP Profile Page
Sree Rajeev, BVSc & AH, PhD, DACVM, DACVP
Professor | Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences Department
Sean Michael Schaeffer Profile Page
Sean Michael Schaeffer
Professor | Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science
Avat Shekoofa Profile Page
Avat Shekoofa
Associate Professor | Plant Sciences
Julie Deanne Sheldon, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACZM Profile Page
Julie Deanne Sheldon, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACZM
Clinical Assistant Professor | Small Animal
Rebecca Tiffany Trout Fryxell Profile Page
Rebecca Tiffany Trout Fryxell
Professor | Entomology and Plant Pathology

2022 – 2023 Cohort

Andrew Cushing, BVSc CertAVP(ZM) MRCVS, Dipl. ACZM Profile Page
Andrew Cushing, BVSc CertAVP(ZM) MRCVS, Dipl. ACZM
Clinical Associate Professor | Small Animal
Denita Hadziabdic Guerry Profile Page
Denita Hadziabdic Guerry
Associate Professor | Entomology and Plant Pathology
Sindhu Jagadamma Profile Page
Sindhu Jagadamma
Associate Professor | Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science
Kristen Brown Johnson Profile Page
Kristen Brown Johnson
Assistant Professor | Family and Consumer Sciences
Charles Kwit Profile Page
Charles Kwit
Associate Professor | School of Natural Resources
Scott Christopher Lenaghan Profile Page
Scott Christopher Lenaghan
Associate Professor And Director | Food Science
Phillip R Myer Profile Page
Phillip R Myer
Associate Professor | Animal Science
Aaron Smith Profile Page
Aaron Smith
Professor | Agricultural and Resource Economics

Expectations of SGL Fellows

SGL Fellows will be expected to devote 10% of their time towards engagement in the sixteen-month SGL program. Fellows will be expected to participate in all SGL program activities for their program, and graduated fellows will be asked to provide mentorship to future SGL Fellow cohorts.

Fellows will be expected to develop and implement a global initiative (research, teaching, or outreach activity in line with their current program) of their choice. All SGL activities and programming will be paid for by the Smith Center. In addition, each Fellow will receive a $5,000 stipend to initiate their global initiative and $2,500 to invite a collaborator to Knoxville.


Important Dates for 2023 – 2024

2023:

  • June 16: Applications due
  • August 21: Welcome meeting
  • September 22: International Showcase
  • October 20: Overview of global engagement
  • November 8: Grant writing and partnerships
  • December 7: Global communications

2024:

  • February 9: Guidance for working and traveling globally
  • March 6: DC trip prep
  • Week of March 25: DC trip
  • April 26: DC trip debrief
  • May – August: International projects
  • August 14: Project debrief
  • September/October: International Showcase, scheduled the day before Ag Day
  • October/November: Shared session with new cohort
  • December 11: Graduation dinner