Haslam Appointed to UT Board of Trustees, New Chancellors for UT Chattanooga, UT Southern Approved

Former Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam has been appointed to the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees, bringing decades of leadership in education, business and public service to the governing body of the UT System. His appointment, made by House Speaker Cameron Sexton, is effective immediately. Sexton called the appointment “a significant win for higher education in our state,” citing Haslam’s role in launching Tennessee Promise and Drive to 55.

“Governor Haslam’s appointment to the UT Board of Trustees brings an extraordinary depth of leadership, vision and commitment to education,” said John Compton, chair of the UT Board of Trustees. “His long-standing dedication to expanding educational opportunity—combined with his experience in both the public and private sectors—will be an invaluable asset as we continue guiding the University of Tennessee System through this era of growth, impact and innovation.”

Haslam participated in the board’s May 16 special meeting, where trustees unanimously approved two new chancellor appointments recommended by UT System President Randy Boyd.

Lori Mann Bruce was appointed as the next chancellor of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and Melinda S. Arnold was named the next chancellor of the University of Tennessee Southern. The board also approved each chancellor’s initial compensation, title and terms of employment. Bruce’s appointment is effective June 30, while Arnold will begin July 1.

“Dr. Bruce and Dr. Arnold bring strong track records of innovation, collaboration and deep commitments to student success,” Boyd said. “They understand the power of higher education to transform lives and communities, and I believe their leadership will elevate our campuses in meaningful ways. As we continue building the greatest decade in UT history, their visions and experience will be invaluable to our system and the state we serve.”

Bruce currently leads academic operations, research and strategic planning at Tennessee Tech, where her leadership resulted in the university earning a perfect academic program quality score from the state—the first in over 40 years. She launched workforce-aligned academic programs, increased research funding from $16 million to over $46 million and oversaw $350 million in infrastructure improvements. Previously, she served in leadership roles at Mississippi State University and brings deep expertise in academic planning, research administration, fundraising and faculty development. Bruce earned a doctorate and a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. She also completed graduate coursework in biomedical engineering through the Georgia Tech/Emory Medical School joint program.

Arnold has a strong record of expanding access, growing enrollment and securing external funding. She is currently special assistant to the president at Texas A&M University–Texarkana, and has previously served as provost for that institution, as well as Montana State University Billings. She has held academic roles at multiple Texas higher education institutions. Her background includes leadership in criminal justice and expertise in grant writing and policy. Arnold holds a doctorate and master’s in criminal justice from Rutgers, a master’s from Northwestern and a bachelor’s from UT Austin. She also is a graduate of Harvard’s Institute for Educational Management.

The board also approved the naming of the College of Law at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, as the University of Tennessee Frank Winston College of Law, in recognition of a gift from The Bill Gatton Foundation. The gift establishes a significant endowment to support student fellowships in public interest and business law, as well as financial grants to assist 50 students annually. The naming honors the late Frank Winston, a 1952 honor graduate of the UT College of Law, who served in the Tennessee House of Representatives and later as counsel to Mr. Gatton’s various business enterprises.

In other business, the board approved:

• Appointment of Ashlee Mallon, student at UT Martin, to the UT Board of Trustees;
• Appointment of Kenneth Vickers at UT Southern as the faculty member to the board’s Education, Research and Service Committee; and
• Capital project budget increase at UT Knoxville for Presidential Court building renovations.

Meeting materials and the archived webcast are available at trustees.tennessee.edu.