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The Tickle College of Engineering relies on philanthropic support to enhance many of its programs. Browse some of our top priorities below and connect with one of our experienced philanthropy professionals to become involved.
Faculty Support
Tickle College of Engineering faculty are experts in their fields, working collaboratively to explore brave ideas and expand knowledge, directly benefiting students. Financial support in the form of endowed chairs, professorships, and other faculty awards enable the college to competitively attract and retain top faculty who are solving the world’s grand challenges.
Chancellor Donde Plowman continues to challenge the college’s alumni and friends to raise faculty support. New gifts and new five-year pledges beginning at $100,000 to establish endowments supporting faculty salaries will receive the immediate endowment income from the Office of the Chancellor before the endowment is fully funded. Create an immediate impact by choosing to support faculty.
Student Support
Student support in the form of graduate fellowships and undergraduate scholarships change students’ lives by providing greater access to education and opportunities to succeed. Funds directly benefit students by reducing educational expenses and rewarding their academic performance.
Graduate Fellowships
Master’s and doctoral students are vital to the University of Tennessee’s research mission. The men and women working towards advanced degrees are being trained to think with discovery in mind and they are studying with some of the best faculty in the world.
As we continue to move up in the rankings, we are attracting more of this nation’s top students and a select number of international students. To be competitive we seek additional stipends to augment university and college-based support.
Undergraduate Scholarships
The Tickle College of Engineering is growing on all fronts: companies clamor for more graduates who are educated with the rigor of an engineering curriculum, highly visible STEM initiatives in K-12 yield more students motivated by the grand challenges of engineering; parents and students see the career opportunities an engineering degree provides. At the same time, the academic credentials of the freshman class continue to be the highest at the university.
- Merit scholarships help us compete for excellent students whose credentials qualify them for any institution they choose.
- Need-based scholarships ensure that UT remains accessible to students from lower income homes.
- Heath Integrated Business and Engineering Program scholarships enable students to learn about the intersections between business and engineering in an industry-focused, immersive experience.
- Cook Grand Challenge Honors scholarships support students seeking greater intellectual challenges and broader educational experiences, preparing them to be more successful in addressing the challenges of the twenty-first century.
- Tri-Star Scholarships (Pledge, Promise, Flagship) provide Tennessee residents with an affordable education with access to UT’s high-quality Volunteer experience.
Strategic Priorities
Endowments supporting student programs, instructional facilities, and other priorities provide an annually recurring resource base for the college to invest in its students and faculty through instruction and research.
Jerry E. Stoneking engage™
Our signature program for freshmen engineers, engage™ is geared towards preparing students for their future engineering courses. A team of faculty and advisors teach courses that focus on discovery, innovation, excellence, and teamwork. Originated as a direct response to the demands of industry, engage™ is a successful program that has increased retention of engineering majors at UT since its implementation. This is teaching in a very personal way. Endowments support personnel resources because the program is very hands-on and intensive, offering small, interactive experiences. Your help grants future freshmen engineers the ability to receive an equally expansive and hands-on fundamentals experience.
Engineering Diversity Programs
The Office of Engineering Diversity Programs operates to enable the successful recruitment, retention, and graduation of underrepresented (African American, Hispanic, Native American, Alaskan Native, Pacific Islanders, and women) students in the college. Three distinct endowments have been created to support the program’s achievement of this mission. The Engineering Diversity Excellence Endowment strengthens all elements of the program. The Fred Brown Jr Minority Academic Endowment provides direct student support through scholarships. The James Pippin Pre-College Program Endowment prepares middle- and high-school students for admission through one-week on-campus engineering summer programs.
Learn more about the Office of Diversity Programs.
Office of Professional Practice
Since 1926, the Office of Professional Practice has provided educationally relevant work opportunities for thousands of the college’s students through paid co-op and internship experiences. Staff members work comprehensively with students — recruiting them into the program, preparing them for interviews, matching them with companies. Endowments could enable staff expansion and other opportunities to help maintain the high standards of interaction with students as college enrollment grows.
Learn more about the Office of Professional Practice
Unrestricted Support
Unrestricted endowments to enhance college or departmental priorities provide a dependable income stream that allows leadership the flexibility to support excellence and move programs forward.
Areas in select buildings in the Tickle College of Engineering are named to recognize the significant investments of the college’s alumni and friends. Each named area bears a unique plaque featuring the individual, family or organization.
Gifts of any size to the established college or departmental unrestricted funds provides the dean and department heads the flexibility to impact students and move with agility to meet priorities.