UT employee gifts support a variety of areas, including the Innovation and Collaboration Studio (ICS), where chemical engineering major Jess Ossyra and others have experienced the generosity of Big Orange Family philanthropy.

“My first exposure to the ICS was through my Engineering Fundamentals course,” said Ossyra. “ICS provides a place where an idea grows from a concept to a final product. It’s where I built my confidence and hands-on exploration skills that benefited me in my internships that followed. The space consistently encourages students to utilize creative thinking and problem solving in a very interactive, welcoming environment. I have seen firsthand that gift support has dramatically improved what we can accomplish in the studio, a place where students from a variety of disciplines work creatively and collaboratively.”

Employees continue to move the university “Forward Together” with donations to their cause of choice on the Knoxville campus. Gifts of any size every year illustrate commitment to our cause and have a huge impact across campus on multiple levels. Last fiscal year, more than 2,890 faculty and staff made a gift and every gift made a difference. Our combined donations surpassed $1.2 million. The majority of these contributions were $100 or less. This support touched professorships, student scholarships, facilities improvements, research funding, and countless Volunteer lives.

Learn more about the Big Orange Family Campaign.