The Messenger 12.05.07

Dr. Robert A. Levy, vice president for Academic Affairs and Student Success of the University of Tennessee, will deliver the fall commencement address at the University of Tennessee at Martin.
Ceremonies will be held at 11 a.m. Dec. 15 in the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center on the UT Martin campus. About 400 degrees are expected to be awarded.
Levy taught junior high school in Philadelphia, Pa., and later taught English, creative writing and interdisciplinary humanities at Transylvania University in Kentucky.
For more than 30 years, he has been an academic affairs administrator at UT.
In addition to being an active consultant, writer and presenter, he has dealt with such diverse issues as academic leadership training, library organization and automation, performance funding, intellectual property, desegregation, assessment of academic programs, accreditation, international education, continuing education and distance learning, development of new academic programs, Centers and Chairs of Excellence, strategic planning, student information systems and development of faculty personnel policies.
For the UT system, Levy interacts with UT campuses in a variety of ways. He also works with external groups such as the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, the Tennessee Board of Regents and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Levy also serves on boards including the Tennessee Holo-caust Commission and Knoxville Project GRAD.
Levy holds bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in British literature.
He and his wife, Dr. Karen D. Levy, French professor at UT, are the parents of Leslie-Anne, an employee of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in Washington, D.C.
UT Martin Chancellor Tom Rakes will preside over the exercises and confer degrees at UT Martin.
Dr. Jerry Gresham, University of Tennessee National Alumni Association Alumni Distinguished Service Professor, will be the mace bearer and the processional marshals will be Dr. Elaine Harriss, Faculty Senate president; Dr. Kathy Evans, Faculty Senate vice president; Dr. Jerald Ogg, interim vice chancellor of academic affairs and professor of communications; and Steve Vantrease, interim vice chancellor for student affairs.
A reception will be hosted in Skyhawk Fieldhouse immediately following the commencement ceremony.