Keith Carver to be Recommended Next UT Martin Chancellor

KNOXVILLE — Keith Carver, executive assistant to the president of the University of Tennessee System, has been selected by UT President Joe DiPietro to serve as the next chancellor of the University of Tennessee at Martin. DiPietro will recommend Carver’s election to the post by the UT Board of Trustees during its Oct. 13-14 meeting in Knoxville.

“Keith brings a tremendous amount of knowledge and love for UT Martin to this role,” DiPietro said. “He understands the culture and communities of Northwest Tennessee and has extensive relationships on campus, in the community and across the state. He recognizes the progress UT Martin has made as a campus to address critical issues and identify new opportunities.”

Pending approval by the board, Carver’s effective start date will be Jan. 3. An internal search to fill the executive assistant position will begin soon, with the intent of having someone in place by the end of the year.

Carver will replace Tom Rakes, who in April 2015 announced he was returning to the classroom. Bob Smith has served as interim chancellor since May 2015. Previously, Smith was president of Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania and he was dean of UT Martin’s School of Arts and Sciences from 1987 to 1999.

“I’m grateful to Bob for his superior leadership as interim chancellor,” DiPietro said. “He’s done an exceptional job enhancing our mission to serve the people, communities and businesses of West Tennessee.”

The search for the next UT Martin chancellor began in March 2016 and was conducted by a 21-member committee of faculty, staff, students and community members chaired by UT Chattanooga Chancellor Steve Angle. The committee selected four candidates to bring to campus for open forums in August and September.

Carver has served as executive assistant to the president since January 2011. Prior to that, he held roles at UT campuses in Knoxville, Martin and Memphis, including serving as interim vice chancellor for development and alumni affairs at the UT Health Science Center in Memphis and assistant vice chancellor for development at UT Martin. He held several positions at UT Knoxville including assistant director and director of development and alumni affairs for the College of Law, program director for the Office of Student Activities and co-director of TeamVOLS. He also worked as director of special projects and coordinator of experiential education at Marietta College in Ohio for two years.

Carver has a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Memphis, a master’s degree in college student personnel and educational leadership from UT Knoxville and a doctoral degree from UT Knoxville. His doctoral dissertation was titled, “A Study of Presidential Derailment in Public Research Universities.”

Keith and his wife, Hollianne, are the parents of a daughter, Carson, and two sons, Jack Thomas (J.T.) and Britton.

To learn more about the search and Carver’s background, visit the search website.

The below photo is available for download here.

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