Class of 2019
Mr. Robert C. Chance
Director of Payroll
UT System Administration
Chance has more than 25 years of experience in higher education financial and benefits administration. During this time, he implemented online pay statements and online W-2s to provide better access to information for employees and to provide efficiency for the University, consolidated multiple campus/departmental installations of the Kronos timekeeping system into a centrally run system, and enhanced the University’s HR/Payroll system to comply with the rules and regulations of the Affordable Care Act. He also serves as the higher education representative on the state of Tennessee Insurance Committee, which provides insurance plan oversight for all state and higher education employees and their dependents.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1989 and a master’s degree in accounting in 1991, both from UT Knoxville.
He is looking forward to exploring new ideas and techniques that can be used in a finance leadership role at the University.
Dr. Frank Cuevas
Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Life and Adjunct Assistant Professor
UT Knoxville
He assists with leadership, supervision and management for the Division of Student Life, directly overseeing University Housing, the Student Union, New Student and Family Programs, Strategic Planning & Assessment, the Center for Career Development, RecSports and the Office of Communications and Marketing. Cuevas’ accomplishments include providing oversight for construction of the new student union ($184 million) and the west campus housing project ($236 million). He also has extensive experience at other large public research universities, including The Ohio State University and Florida State University.
Cuevas looks forward to increasing his knowledge of higher education leadership and management through the UT Executive Leadership Institute.
Dr. Charley Deal
Special Advisor to the Chancellor; Interim Director of the Office of Research, Grants and Contracts; and Executive Director of WestStar Leadership
UT Martin
While in alumni relations, Deal ushered in a new era in traditions with the creation of Quad City during homecoming, Grand Finale and Senior Walk, and electronic communications to alumni. Under his leadership, the University’s annual giving program grew by more than 400 percent in five years.
By participating in the UT Executive Leadership Institute, Deal hopes to gain greater confidence in his leadership abilities and develop a statewide network of professionals to share ideas and seek input on issues of concern.
The major impetus for her taking on different leadership roles within the Institute was the phrase, “To change the system, you need to be part of the system.” Although frustration fueled initial efforts, a lifelong passion for agriculture (education, outreach and research) and gratitude for the efforts of others are now the major drivers for this first-generation college graduate. Edwards especially enjoys mentoring others and being engaged in facilitating change.
She believes the additional knowledge and skills to be gained by completing the UT Executive Leadership Institute will undoubtedly provide invaluable training and an important “test” of core competencies to thrive in an executive level position.
Dr. Macel Ely
Director of the Naifeh Center for Effective Leadership
UT Institute for Public Service
Macel earned bachelors’ degrees in political science from Lee University and Kentucky Wesleyan College. He also earned a master’s degree in public administration and a doctorate in educational leadership from UT Knoxville. In 2011, Macel authored a book entitled Ain’t No Grave, which has been featured in media outlets such as CNN Headline News, National Public Radio and the British Broadcasting Corporation. The Association of Recorded Sound Collections nominated his literary work for best historical research.
Macel is looking forward to participating in the UT Executive Leadership Institute in order to network and learn from others who share his passion for strengthening the UT System.
Forrest’s major accomplishments include the implementation of a University-wide budget planning process, which has led to strategic tuition and fee model changes such as gaining approval for a 15/4 tuition model and multiple market adjustments to regional and out-of-state tuition rates. Other accomplishments include transformational changes to the campus parking system, as well as substantial capital investments in the food service operations.
Forrest is excited about participating in the UT Executive Leadership Institute and looks forward to sharpening his own leadership skills to serve UT for many years to come.
Ms. Petra McPhearson
Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration
UT Martin
She earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Alcorn State University and a master’s degree from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
McPhearson anticipates being a stronger, more insightful trailblazer in higher education as a result of participating in the UT Executive Leadership Institute.
Ms. Jean Mercer
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research and Director of the Office of Sponsored Programs
UT Knoxville
Mercer recently oversaw development and implementation of an electronic system to track contract negotiations resulting in streamlined office operations. Other accomplishments include participating in the Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP) pilot program to streamline subrecipient review processes across all FDP schools.
She looks forward to the opportunity for learning more about the University and further developing and refining her leadership skills through her participation in the UT Executive Leadership Institute.
Prior to joining UTIA, Nystrom was director of planned giving for the UT System, following 18 years in the private practice of law. Nystrom’s experience includes estate and charitable gift planning, estate and trust administration, real property transactions and tax litigation. She is a frequent lecturer on estate planning, probate and elder care issues. She earned a jurisprudence degree from Mercer University and was a visiting scholar in the UT Knoxville College of Law. She holds an LLM in estate planning and elder law from Western New England University, where she finished top of her class.
She hopes to learn more about the units within UT and further develop her skills to become a more effective leader within the University system.
Dr. Daniel J. Pack, P.E.
Dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science
UT Chattanooga
He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Arizona State University, Harvard University and Purdue University, and was a visiting scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology-Lincoln Laboratory. Pack co-authored seven textbooks and published more than 160 book chapters and technical papers on systems, control, robotics, pattern recognition and engineering education. He is the recipient of the Carnegie Professor of the Year Award, Frank J. Seiler Research Excellence Award, Tau Beta Pi Outstanding Professor Award, Academy Educator Award and Magoon Award. He is a registered professional engineer in Colorado and currently serves as editor-at-large and associate editor for two international journals.
Through the UT Executive Leadership Institute, he expects to grow as an academic leader.
Dr. Stacey S. Patterson
Vice President for Research, Outreach and Economic Development and President/CEO of the UT Research Foundation
UT System Administration
In 2009, Patterson joined the executive vice president’s office. She served as lead author on a $24-million NSF grant to grow research infrastructure in Tennessee. Among several statewide initiatives, Patterson led the $62.5 million Solar Initiative. In 2015, she was promoted to the dual roles of UT associate vice president and vice president of UTRF.
Patterson earned a bachelor’s degree and doctorate in microbiology from UT and a master’s degree from East Tennessee State University. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of South Florida. She has secured funding from NOAA, U.S. Army, NSF and NIH, and has been a contributor on several U.S. patents in sensor development and cancer imaging.
Through her participation in the UT Executive Leadership Institute, Patterson hopes to build additional self-awareness and identify ways to use this knowledge to better serve the University.
Dr. Joanne Romagni
Vice Chancellor for Research and Dean of the Graduate School
UT Chattanooga
Through the UT Executive Leadership Institute, Romagni expects get a much more global view of the academic enterprise, outside of just academic affairs and research, and to better understand the challenges across the different units. She also would like to get a better understanding of a state university system, as most of her career has been spent at private institutions.
Jim Sauceman
Director of IRIS Administrative Support
UT System Administration
He would like to learn practical strategies and techniques for becoming a more effective and well-rounded leader. He recognizes all leaders can have blind spots and areas in need of improvement and would like to identify and improve his.
During his time at UT, Scoggins has been the lead attorney for providing advice and representation in a variety of areas, including student affairs, athletics, legislative affairs, Title IX and the Tennessee Public Records Act.
Prior to joining UT, Scoggins was an associate in the litigation group of Bass, Berry and Sims PLC in Knoxville and an associate in the labor and employment group at Alston and Bird LLP in Atlanta, Georgia. He earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a doctor of jurisprudence at UT Knoxville, ranking first in his graduating class from law school.
He hopes that the UT Executive Leadership Institute will help him develop the skills needed to be a more effective leader for the University and improve his management of attorneys and staff in the Office of the General Counsel.
John Clinton Stier
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for the Herbert College of Agriculture
UT Institute of Agriculture
Another accomplishment has been a redevelopment of the office staffing positions and types of hires to more effectively advise, retain and graduate students. Under his leadership, the College has changed the undergraduate advising model to allow faculty to focus on research and better student mentorship, and improved retention of underrepresented students at levels exceeding the overall University results.
His expectations from the UT Executive Leadership Institute are to enhance knowledge of self and how best to use his skills to improve situations for others, to improve his ability to effect changes and to better resolve conflicts.
Carey Whitworth
Assistant Vice President for Government Relations and Advocacy
UT System Administration
In 2017, she was selected to participate in Harvard’s “Women in Education Leadership” program and was recognized as one of Nashville’s “Emerging Leaders.” Whitworth earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in public administration from the UT Knoxville, where she received the highest student honor, the Torchbearer Award. She is the first woman to serve in a government relations leadership role in UT history.
She believes the UT Executive Leadership Institute will assist in developing new strengths and a plan for long-term growth at the University of Tennessee.
Dr. Catherine Womack
Assistant Dean for Student Affairs in the College of Medicine
UT Health Science Center
As interim chair, she has successfully lobbied the interim executive dean to replace a senior-level biostatistician and epidemiologist to bolster these divisions. She also has worked with the research administration to develop a partnership with the Division of Biostatistics to facilitate the start-up of the STATED core, which will provide statistical support for all campuses.
As a member of the UT Executive Leadership Institute, she wants to be a leader at the University of Tennessee who promotes excellence in its students, faculty and administrators.