Campus News
Dr. Tom Buggey Named as Siskin Children’s Institute Chair of Excellence at UTC
Dr. Tom Buggey will become Siskin Children's Institute Chair of Excellence at UTC in January, 2007. He will serve as a faculty member in the UTC College of Health, Education and Professional Studies, where he will teach graduate and undergraduate courses at the University. He will also conduct research at Siskin Children's Institute, and help the Institute stay on the cutting edge of educational programming for children with disabilities.
"This is another wonderful example of the partnerships that have made Chattanooga famous. By UTC and Siskin working together, we can make progress in research that can have national and international implications. Dr. Buggey's has spent his career creating opportunities and solutions for individuals, and I believe he will be an asset to our students, our University and our community," said UTC Chancellor Roger Brown.
The endowed chair was established in 2003 with a $1 million investment from Siskin Children’s Institute to strengthen the field of special education within the Chattanooga community and region, and a $1 million match from the Lupton Renaissance Fund at UTC. The endowments support the Siskin Children’s Institute Chair of Excellence and Circle of Scholars scholarship program, which will allow UTC students in early childhood special education to receive monetary support to help defer tuition and book expenses.
Buggey currently serves as Professor of Special Education in the Department of Instruction and Curriculum Leadership at the University of Memphis. Among his many accomplishments has been the procurement of dozens of technical assistance grants that have targeted diverse issues such as family services in early intervention, high school transition, inclusion, positive behavior supports, literacy, and activity-based instruction.
His research interests are primarily focused on the applications of video self-modeling, especially with students with autism. Other interests include the civil rights of persons with disabilities, parent empowerment, assistive technology, curriculum-based measurement and reading methods. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in special education and earned his Ph.D. in Early Intervention from Penn State in 1993.
“We are tremendously excited about having Dr. Buggey intimately involved in Siskin Children’s Institute” said Jerry Jensen, president of the Institute. “He has a history of conducting outstanding research and we expect his efforts here will further expand the knowledge of how young children are effectively educated.”
Siskin School provides a quality education to young children of all abilities. The school serves children with special needs such as developmental delays, cerebral palsy and autism spectrum conditions, as well as typically developing children in a nurturing environment that celebrates the accomplishments of each child.
“UTC is an outstanding partner for Siskin Children’s Institute. This university sets a wonderful example of how urban institutions can become engaged with the community they serve,” Jensen said. “UTC’s partnership with Siskin Children’s Institute helps ensure that quality educational services are provided to young children in Chattanooga, especially those having disabilities.”
Students spend fall break in Katrina cleanup
Hurricane Katrina memories may have faded from the consciousness of many in the U.S., but help to salvage the remains of homes is still needed and appreciated. A group of 90 University students volunteered over fall break to help families in Chalmette, Louisiana, located in Saint Bernard Parish in the New Orleans metro area. Their focus was to help elderly and disabled residents to gut their homes.
“The first day we were there, I walked through a home and I began to get emotional, and I wondered how the people who lived there could bear it,” said Lydia Grafton, SGA President. “Pictures, pill bottles, insulation, furniture, mold…nothing had been touched. Everything had to be removed first. We would create a pile of regular items and a pile of electrical items, and then start the hard work of ripping out cabinetry and knocking down walls.”
Three groups of University students worked to gut an apartment complex while six other groups worked on two houses. They saw homes marked with zeros and numbers, indicating the number of bodies they had housed in the wake of the hurricane. Grafton said the neighborhoods the students saw reminded her of a ghost town; one home on a street would have Halloween decorations and sense of normalcy, and the surrounding homes were in ruins and uninhabitable.
The students worked through Hilltop Rescue, which provided housing at a local elementary school, three squares and hot showers for $10 a day.
“I was really glad for the hot showers, because our students worked among rats, the biggest roaches you have ever seen, and so much dirt. The houses had been filled to the top with water,” Grafton said. “We had so many conversations about the conditions there…it’s just horrible that it is still like that. I felt very badly for the cities outside New Orleans, those that have not had enough government attention.”
The trip left the students wondering how people globally cope with natural disasters. Grafton questioned why representatives from government at all levels have not worked cohesively to provide structure for revitalization after Katrina.
The students’ task left them with sore muscles and sometimes overwhelming emotions. Although she feared the students would come away discouraged, Grafton was pleasantly surprised that the trip seemed to energize everyone.
“I was excited so many students went and wanted t help. SGA wants to offer an ongoing fall break service trip to University students, to encourage them to experience what could be a life-changing experience,” Grafton said.
To offset student costs, the Chancellor’s Office, Student Government Association, the Presbyterian House, and Student Development supported the effort.
Princeton Review spotlights UTC College of Business
The Princeton Review recently named the UTC College of Business among ten institutions in the category of “Greatest Opportunity for Women,” based on the percent of students who are female, the percent of faculty who are female, and students assessment of resources for female students; whether the business school offers coursework for women entrepreneurs and whether case study materials for classes proportionately reflect women in business.
“Most MBA programs report only having women account for 30% of their total enrollment, UTC’s College of Business MBA program has close to 40%. I attribute this success in recruiting women to our program to the following factors: the part-time program schedule allows women an opportunity to pursue a graduate degree without abandoning their careers, and graduate advisors help women find ways to balance professional and personal responsibilities. The faculty of the College of Business is instrumental in supporting and mentoring our women students,” said UTC College of Business Professor Kimberly Gee Turner, Executive Director of Graduate Programs.
A recent survey of Masters of Business Administration graduates dramatically illustrates that women continue to face inequality in salary, revealing that men who graduate with an MBA are likely to earn more than $8,000 than their female counterparts. It is just one area women in business find challenging; they are also concerned with finding the perfect balance between their professional careers and the lives they live at home, according to Gee Turner.
“In the past, women have not always had or created opportunities for themselves to earn graduate degrees which typically enhance quantitative skills. By earning graduate degrees, women have become well balanced, more effective leaders and broken the glass ceiling at companies. Companies as well as local economic development benefit from having talented women with their skill sets and management styles in decision making positions,” Gee Turner said.
An endowment set up by Brenda Lawson has been set up to gift the Women’s Success Program, designed to strengthen leadership opportunities for women students. Activities will include networking opportunities with women professionals and leadership skill development workshops.
“Brenda Lawson is an amazing example for women in our community. The College of Business will benefit from the Women’s Success Program by enhancing the experience women can have on the UTC campus. Any opportunity created to help women meet other women will create new and exciting opportunities. Couple the networking opportunities with leadership skill development, and you have a win-win,” Gee Turner said.
The COB hopes that creating opportunities for women will continue to enhance the economic development of our community and region.
“We want to build on our inclusion by the Princeton Review, and find ways to spread the success that we have had with our women students to all students in our graduate programs,” said Gee Turner.