NOTE: The following was sent from the University of Tennessee, a Knoxville Chamber member business.

"Can Women Really Have It All?" is just one topic that will be explored during a conference at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, on Oct. 2 for business women and students interested in starting careers.

"Women in Retailing and Hospitality Leadership Conference" will be held from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the University Center. There will be 11 speakers, including women executives from several large corporations and a panel discussion during the day.

The UT Department of Retail, Hospitality and Tourism Management is planning the conference, but the topics have relevance to working women in all fields. Topics include leadership traits, career management and overcoming barriers. Men also are invited to attend.

"These are the same issues women face across all industries," said Wanda Costen, assistant professor in the hotel, restaurant and tourism program. "We hope this conference appeals to all women whether they are students, women just entering the workforce or mid-stage career women."

Conference speakers include:

• Nancy Rutherford, professor and department head in retail, hospitality and tourism management
• Susan Martin, UT provost and vice chancellor
• Bob Rider, dean and professor, UT College of Education, Health and Human Sciences
• Ann G. Bordelon, senior vice president, chief audit executive, Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
• Celia M. Swanson, senior vice president, change management, Wal-Mart Stores, USA
• Anneli Adams, executive director, Center for Academic and Professional Excellence and International Development, College of Southern Nevada
• Stephanie Turner, Atlanta Division key retailing manager, Kroger
• Mitzi Short, vice president of multicultural marketing and strategic initiatives, Pepsi Cola North America
• Merilyn Mangum, executive vice president and chief administrative officer, Peabody Hotel Group
• Roxanne Flanagan, operations vice president, Walgreens
• Pam Inman, executive vice president and COO, American Hotel and Lodging Association

To see a complete schedule and to register, please visit http://web.utk.edu/HRL08 . For more information, call the RHTM office at (865) 974-2141.

The final deadline for registration is Friday, Sept. 26.

The cost of the conference is $50 for all day, including lunch. If you register before Friday, Sept. 26, the cost is only $40, including lunch. The cost to attend the morning sessions with no lunch is $30.

The conference is free for students with a $10 charge for an optional lunch.

NOTE: This release was sent from the University of Tennessee. An alumni of the College of Business Administration at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, recently was selected as Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year for 2008. Randy Boyd, president and CEO of Radio Systems Corp., was named the Entrepreneurs Of the Year in the Alabama/Georgia/Tennessee region. As a regional award winner, he is now in competition for the national awards, to be presented in November. Boyd received a bachelor's degree in business administration from UT in 1979. Considered the most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs, the Entrepreneur of the Year awards recognize the pioneers and innovators who excel at growing and sustaining market-leading businesses. Twenty-two years ago, Ernst & Young created the Entrepreneur of the Year awards as a way to identify, honor and support outstanding business leaders. The program has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 135 cities in 50 countries throughout the world.

NOTE: This release was sent from the University of Tennessee.

Entrepreneurs who want to win federal grant money for new business projects should plan to attend two separate workshops on grant writing and cost proposals Sept. 10-11 in Chattanooga and Oak Ridge.

Both workshops are being offered by the Tennessee Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Proposal Assistance Center at the UT Center for Industrial Services. The workshops will be led by Jim and Gail Greenwood, nationally recognized consultants who have shared their expertise in SBIR and small business incubators for decades in 48 states and Puerto Rico.

The SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs are federal initiatives that provide more than $2 billion in grants and contracts each year to small and start-up companies to develop new or enhanced products and services based on advanced technologies.

"Each year, about 40 percent of SBIR Phase I awards go to firms with no prior SBIR experience, so there are plenty of opportunities to win funding," Jim Greenwood said.

The Tennessee SBIR Proposal Assistance Center is designed to help increase the volume of applicants from Tennessee and to boost the success of proposals from Tennessee entrepreneurs and small businesses.

A grant writing workshop will be offered Sept. 10 in Chattanooga at the Tennessee Small Business Development Center, 100 Cherokee Blvd. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. The workshop is from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Geared toward individuals with small, technology-based businesses, this workshop emphasizes correct writing methods and proper responses to government agency requirements. Participants will learn the basics of preparing a competitive Phase I proposal and will get an overview of basic government accounting principles. Much is learned by critiquing an actual proposal with the Greenwoods during the workshop. Participants also get an appointment for a complimentary critique of their own proposal with the Greenwoods.

A cost proposal workshop will be offered Sept. 11 in Oak Ridge at UT's Glazer Building, 1201 Oak Ridge Turnpike. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. The workshop is from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Participants in the cost proposal workshop will learn to make sense of SBIR/STTR cost proposals; how to develop an Indirect/Facilities and Administrative/General and Administrative rate; how to fill record-keeping requirements; and what to expect from government audits.

Registration for each workshop is $150 and includes continental breakfast and a networking lunch. Online registration for either workshop is available at www.tnsbir.tennessee.edu. For more information, contact Kim Arms at kim.arms@tennessee.edu.

NOTE: This release was sent from the University of Tennessee.

Joe Carcello, the Ernst & Young Professor in Accounting in the College of Business Administration at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has received Beta Alpha Psi's prestigious Business Professional of the Year award.
Award recipients are selected based on the impact they have on the accounting profession in the areas of education, industry, and government and public accounting. Carcello won for education.
Carcello is the second recipient from UT since the award's inception in 1975; Jan Williams, dean of the College of Business Administration, received the award in 2001.
Carcello is director of research for UT's Corporate Governance Center and is one of two academics appointed to the prestigious 31-member Public Company Accounting Oversight Board's Standing Advisory Group, which helps establish auditing and professional practice standards for U.S. public companies. He has been identified numerous times by Business Finance magazine as one of the country's most influential businesspeople.

Beta Alpha Psi is an honorary organization for financial information students and professionals with about 300 active or petitioning chapters and more than 300,000 members.

Tierney Bates, president of the Knoxville Area Urban League Young Professionals, has been awarded the Chancellor's Award for extraordinary community service from the University of Tennessee.

Bates is also the assistant director for Minority Student Affairs.

According to the University of Tennessee website, "Under his leadership, the organization received its charter from the national Urban League. Since then, he has been instrumental in recruiting young professionals who have joined together on community service projects such as Shoes for School, the Academic Summit and a minority health fair."

See the other winners and learn more about the award by visiting The University of Tennessee Chancellor's Website.

The University of Tennessee celebrated Thursday a grant that will bring one of the fastest supercomputers to East Tennessee, thereby increasing the Innovation Valley's competitiveness in the global information marketplace.
The $65 million grant from the National Science Foundation will be used to build and operate a computer capable of 1,000 trillion calculations per second, or one petaflop.
The computer will be housed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and was granted in large part due to the collaboration of the university, ORNL and other local agencies.

According to the University of Tennessee website, UT President John Petersen said, "This is a major national win that places the university in the upper echelon of supercomputing capability. It represents further affirmation of the tremendous capability of the University of Tennessee-Oak Ridge partnership. It will have far-reaching positive impact on economic development for the entire state."

The building and operation of the supercomputer will attract at least 50 new jobs to the area, according to information from the University of Tennessee.

The supercomputer will be developed and delivered in stages, with the first stage to be completed this year, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel reports from the company building the computer.

Some likely operations for the computer will be in the fields of astrophysics (producing galaxy transformation simulations), climate science (predicting extreme weather and modeling climate change), and material science (developing new, useful materials).

Read the release from the University of Tennessee.

Read the Knoxville News Sentinel article on the grant.

Note: This was sent from the University of Tennessee

Want to network with other HR students in your region, but not sure how? Are you looking for educational opportunities to advance your knowledge of human resources? Then look no further than the 2008 SHRM Southeast Regional Student Conference!
This stimulating student event is being held at the University of Tennessee - Knoxville, April 18 and 19, 2008 and is free to all SHRM student members. That’s right- there is no fee to register for this conference.
The 2008 SHRM Southeast Regional Student Conference will include:

• Educational sessions from leaders in the HR field
• Opportunities for networking with other HR students as well as HR professionals
• Career guidance and mentoring opportunities
• HR Games academic competition
• And more!

Note: This release was sent from the University of Tennessee, a Knoxville Chamber member.

With help from the University of Tennessee's Center for Industrial Services and students from the UT Knoxville College of Engineering, a Tennessee tool manufacturer can help its clients make products faster.

Accu-Router Inc., of Morrison, employs 25 people and makes high-speed, computer numerical control (CNC) routers that cut everything from plywood to composite materials. Accu-Router's clients use these routers to mass-produce parts for products such as upholstered furniture, boats and airplanes.

As with any manufacturing process, time is money, and efficiency is top priority. The faster and more accurate the routers can cut, the more products can be produced.

A unique feature of Accu-Router's machines is a high-speed spindle that rotates a cutter at speeds up to 24,000 rpm. The cutter can move through a 1.5-inch-thick wood stack at about 2 feet per second. In doing so, the cutter generates a lot of wood chips and dust, about 18 cubic inches of sawdust per second. Accu-Router wants to continuously remove this debris from the router to ensure a cleaner work environment, to eliminate the risk of frictional heat and flammability of the wood chips, and to improve cutting efficiency.

"The quicker we can get the dust out, the faster we can cut," said Accu-Router President Todd Herzog.

When Accu-Router realized the need for a redesign of some equipment components, Mechanical Design Supervisor Bradley Graves and Director of Engineering John O'Connor turned to UT Center for Industrial Services (CIS) for help.

Bill Wiley and Norma Wilcox of CIS worked with Spivey Douglas and Bill Hamel, head of Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering in UT's College of Engineering (COE), to clarify Accu-Route's needs and to determine available resources. Their analysis and search led to COE's Don Dareing, professor of mechanical engineering.

After visiting Accu-Router, Dareing assigned nine senior engineering students to analyze the router's dust chip collection, router enclosure and tabletop vacuum, and to propose design improvements for each component. Students studying the router enclosure were Steven Bain, Jack Holder, Joakim Werme and Jeremy Whitley. The dust chip collection team consisted of Frank Lord, Josh Mink and Shaan Mohammed, while Jason Coggins and Rahul Patel studied the efficiency of the tabletop vacuum.

Instead of creating a hypothetical, textbook problem for the seniors' capstone design projects, Dareing gave the students Accu-Router's actual problems that needed a time-saving, production-boosting solution.

"It's important that our seniors have exposure to real engineering problems and learn how to apply the analytical skills they've learned in the classroom before entering the professional environment. The situations posed by Accu-Router give our students the opportunity to develop engineering solutions to real industrial problems," Dareing said.

During the Fall 2007 semester, the student teams examined the current Accu-Router equipment and studied factors such as air velocities, ventilation and static charges. They found answers to questions such as "Which air flow and design will vacuum and remove the most wood waste?" and "Which materials are most durable for the enclosure and can withstand the force of flying wood blocks?" With a new design strategy, wood chips could be removed from the cutter area at an air velocity near 650 mph.

Halfway through the semester, the students presented viable design options to Accu-Router. The company was thrilled with the quality of the concepts.

"We have worked with senior project teams from other universities, as well as with summer mechanical engineering interns, and rarely have we seen the first wave of feedback as insightful as what we received from your teams," said O'Connor. "I don't recall any of the projects we have done in the past where the students covered the entire project, from understanding the initial problem to be solved through how it would be manufactured and implemented, while considering cost and maintainability."

In December, the students met again with Accu-Router, which accepted the students' design proposals and agreed to move forward with building prototypes of the redesigned equipment components. Some sheet metal fabrication will be completed at UT, and Accu-Router will pay for all costs associated with building the prototypes.

"It's a tremendous benefit for these students to see their design become reality and to work with a manufacturer," Dareing said. "When students get this kind of hands-on experience, they are better prepared for their careers in practical engineering."

"Our seniors are eager to make the transition from a classroom setting to the real engineering environment. Perhaps the biggest improvement in engineering education nationwide is the senior capstone design project requirement. The objective is to prepare seniors to make a quick transition into industry after graduation. Real projects from industry are ideal for this purpose," Dareing said.

"In our program at Tennessee, students create designs during the fall semester, and prototypes are fabricated and tested during the spring semester. In the end, student teams deliver an engineering report and a working prototype. The project concludes with formal presentations to the sponsor. Our engineering students graduate with the confidence that they know how to solve problems."

CIS has taken the resources of UT and other Tennessee Board of Regents schools to Tennessee manufacturers and businesses since 1963.

"While we tend to use engineering resources, we have requests for other types of expertise. This is an opportunity for faculty and students to apply their research to real-life problems," Wiley said.

Wiley is program manager of the Manufacturing Research and Development Institute (MRDI), a partnership between UT CIS and the COE. Through MRDI, faculty, students and advanced research centers help manufacturers tackle a variety of complex engineering problems, giving MRDI clients access to affordable university expertise.

While UT CIS does not compete with private industry on such projects, similar research activities typically cost thousands of dollars. In 2007, UT CIS partially funded and completed 50 projects with faculty and students. The economic impact of these projects from January-September 2007 exceeded $48 million, according to reports from Tennessee manufacturers.

UT CIS is an agency of the statewide UT Institute for Public Service.

"The Accu-Router project is a good example of applying university expertise to benefit Tennessee manufacturers. With research and student and faculty input, Accu-Router will improve its product design and effectively help customers cut wood faster and deliver consumer products in less time," said Mary Jinks, IPS associate vice president.

Note: This release is from the University of Tennessee.

UT President John Petersen today announced the promotion of Mary Jinks to vice president of public service for the University of Tennessee.

"In recent years, Mary has worked alongside us to strategically define the university's public service role and to chart a course for increased success in outreach initiatives. Her knowledge and experience in the field of public service will be invaluable as we advance this priority for the university," Petersen said. "We are pleased to recognize her leadership."

Jinks has been with the university for nearly 25 years, with more than 20 years at the statewide UT Institute for Public Service (IPS). Her history at UT includes a master's degree in public administration and an educational doctorate.

Jinks has served as associate vice president of IPS for the past year, and in her new role she will continue to lead and manage the institute.

Hank Dye, UT vice president for public and government relations whose office oversees IPS, said, "IPS has a tradition of excellent service and has made a difference to the state of Tennessee. Mary's leadership over the years has set IPS on a well-planned course to deliver results to businesses, local government officials and state agencies."

In fiscal year 2007, IPS helped businesses and government entities realize $868 million in economic impact through increased revenues, reduced expenses or jobs created. That success led the university's efforts to provide $1 billion in outreach activities by 2010.

Through its four agencies and leadership development programs, IPS answered more than 26,000 requests for assistance from government, law enforcement and business officials last year. More than 19,000 people took advantage of IPS training in 2007, logging more than 140,000 hours of training.

"Public service has been my life's work," Jinks said. "IPS has been tremendously successful in taking UT's expertise to the people of Tennessee. Our work with local government and industry leaders has been rewarding, and the opportunity to elevate these efforts for the university is one I graciously accept."

IPS collaborates with all campuses, institutes and divisions of the UT system, enabling the university to provide public service across the state. IPS has offices statewide in 10 cities (Johnson City, Knoxville, Oak Ridge, Chattanooga, Cookeville, Columbia, Nashville, Jackson, Martin and Memphis) and consultants assigned to every municipality and county in Tennessee.

Note: This release was sent from the University of Tennessee. This represents an honor for their program to be chosen by the national organization and a resource for the community.

Tennessee workers and employers now can find qualified safety and health training closer to home.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has selected the University of Tennessee to serve as an OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Center.

North Carolina State University and the UT Center for Industrial Services (CIS) will deliver OSHA-certified training through the newly approved Region IV OTI Education Center. The U.S. Department of Labor chose the two universities based on their occupational safety and health experience, continuing education training background, classroom and laboratory capacity, and the ability to provide training throughout the region.

CIS is an agency of the statewide UT Institute for Public Service and has provided specialized safety training for Tennessee industries for about 15 years. Among CIS' key health and safety programs are courses for hazardous waste site workers and emergency responders. CIS also offers instruction in general industry and construction industry safety and delivers hospital domestic preparedness training.

"Training provided by OTI Education Centers serves the public by teaching (workers and employers) to recognize, avoid, and prevent unsafe and unhealthful working," said Edwin G. Foulke Jr., assistant secretary for Occupational Safety and Health, U.S. Department of Labor. "We expect UT's training efforts to contribute to our overall workplace safety and health mission."

There are fewer than 30 nonprofit consortiums and organizations currently serving as OTI Education Centers. The OTI Education Centers program was created in 1992 to authorize non-OSHA agencies to provide training in the private sector. OTI Education Centers trained more than 27,000 people during fiscal year 2007, representing an all-time record for the program. OSHA provides no funding to the education centers. They support their OSHA training through their normal tuition and fee structures.

"By adding additional qualified organizations to the program, we are providing local communities with greater availability and access to quality safety and health training," Foulke said. "These centers will extend access to a greater number of individuals who seek to incorporate OSHA safety and health practices into their workplaces."

OTI Education Centers provide the OSHA Outreach Training Program, OSHA's primary means of training employees in the basics of occupational safety and health. Train-the-trainer courses are available in topic areas such as construction, general industry, disaster site and maritime. Individuals who complete a one-week OSHA trainer course are authorized to teach 10-hour or 30-hour courses on safety and health hazards, and in-house trainers can issue OSHA cards for classes in which they are credentialed. These trainers offer a great deal of insight on how the training benefits their staff specifically.