2024 Summit Schedule
University of Tennessee Grand Challenges Summit
February 13 – 14, 2025
Embassy Suites, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Due to the volume of sessions, the summit schedule is broken down by day and presentation focus areas. All times are CST.
Choose a date and category (e.g. Overcoming Addiction) to see the presentation schedules
State of the University Address
Presentation by UT System President Randy Boyd
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Time Block 1
Building a Bridge to an Inclusive Future: UTK CLEE’s commitment to advancing education through belonging, inclusion, and equity in the classroom
30-minute Session
1:30-2:00 PM
Room: Cambridge A
View Presentation Summary
This session explores how CLEE’s Access for All Learning Network equips educators with tools for inclusive literacy and math instruction, highlights the impact of inclusionary practices on students with disabilities, and shares strategies for professional development, leadership coaching, and fostering equity and empathy in education.
Equipping Tennessee Teachers with Tools to Support Students’ Behavioral Successes
1-hour Session
1:30-2:35 PM
Room: Oakleigh B
View Presentation Summary
This session addresses the critical challenge of supporting early-career teachers in Tennessee by exploring strategies to manage student behavior and prepare educators to meet the complex needs of students, particularly those with emotional or behavioral challenges.
Access to and Success in Secondary Advanced STEM: The State of AP® Programming in Tennessee’s Rural Public High Schools
1-hour Session
1:30-2:35 PM
Room: Cambridge B
View Presentation Summary
This session examines disparities in advanced STEM course access and success in Tennessee’s rural high schools, highlighting geographic and demographic patterns, and offers recommendations for improving opportunities for rural students in advanced STEM education.
I.D.E.A.L. Citizenry: Innovative Designs that Engage Active Learning for Citizenry
30-minute Session
2:05-2:35 PM
Room: Cambridge A
View Presentation Summary
This session explores the “I.D.E.A.L. Citizenry” project, which enhances civic literacy and media literacy for grades 8-12 through innovative, interdisciplinary strategies that empower teachers as leaders and address challenges in rural and urban classrooms.
Time Block 2
Beyond Traditional Boundaries: Introducing 4-H students to Gen-AI Through Immersive Learning Experiences (ILEs)
30-minute Session
2:45-3:15 PM
Room: Cambridge B
View Presentation Summary
This session explores innovative approaches to integrating generative AI tools like ChatGPT into education outside traditional classrooms. It highlights professional development for 4-H educators, immersive learning experiences for grades 7-12, and data-driven insights into enhancing student learning and AI competency.
Empowering Honors Students to Address Tennessee’s Grand Challenges Through Design Thinking
30-minute Session
2:45-3:15 PM
Room: Oakleigh A
View Presentation Summary
This session presents a curriculum for teaching honors students design thinking to tackle Tennessee’s grand challenges, such as advancing education, strengthening rural communities, and overcoming addiction. This presentation will also explore how this hands-on approach enhances critical thinking, creativity, and leadership while offering opportunities to scale the pedagogy and connect students with future research mentorship.
Enhancing Parenting Practices and Child Well-Being: Assessing the Impact of Trauma-Informed Parenting Training through a University-School Collaboration
1-hour Session
2:45-3:50 PM
Room: Oakleigh B
View Presentation Summary
This session examines a trauma-informed parenting training that improved children’s behavior and parental empathy, highlighting the impact of school-parent partnerships in fostering resilience and advancing K-12 education.
From Goals to Graphs: Bridging STEM Education Gaps with Soccer Analytics
30-minute Session
3:20-3:50 PM
Room: Cambridge B
View Presentation Summary
This session explores footyLab, an innovative after-school program that uses soccer to teach data science and STEM skills, offering a low-cost, high-impact solution to East Tennessee’s K-12 STEM education challenges while engaging students and supporting professional development for teachers.
Addressing Tennessee’s Teacher Shortage: How UT PLAYS and the Be One UT Values are Advancing K-12 Education
30-minute Session
3:20-3:50 PM
Room: Oakleigh A
View Presentation Summary
This session highlights UTK’s UT PLAYS program, which addresses teacher shortages in high-need areas like Special Education and Math by offering an accessible, high-quality teacher preparation program for aspiring educators at any stage of life.
Time Block 3
Access + Content + Language = STEM Learning for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Youths (ACL=STEM)
30-minute Session
4:00-4:30 PM
Room: Cambridge B
View Presentation Summary
TACL=STEM aims to engage culturally and linguistically diverse youths (CLDYs) in STEM content while building academic English skills through a project-based curriculum, after-school mentorship by bilingual engineering students, and a focus on STEM identity development, addressing inequities in STEM education.
Thriving in Tennessee: Empowering Students through MTSS and School Behavioral Health
1-hour Session
4:00-5:05 PM
Room: Oakleigh B
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This session discusses the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework for addressing youth mental health in schools, offering a structured, evidence-based approach to support students’ mental health through tiered interventions and collaboration between schools and communities.
Machine Learning Approach to Studying the Intersection of SDoH, Physiological Psychological Well-being, and Academic Performance, and Subsequent Holistic Intervention Development (TennWell Project)
30-minute Session
4:35-5:05 PM
Room: Cambridge B
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In collaboration with the Emerald Youth Foundation, this study examines the impact of stress and trauma on the gut microbiome, immune, and neuroendocrine systems in adolescents, integrating Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) to inform interventions that promote well-being and academic success.
State of the University Address
Presentation by UT System President Randy Boyd
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Time Block 1
Rural Expansion of Access to Genetic Counseling and Healthcare through AI Innovations (REACH)
30-minute Session
1:30-2:00 PM
Room: Mirabella G
View Presentation Summary
This project aims to address disparities in genetic counseling services in rural Tennessee by developing an AI platform that offers personalized, remote counseling using advanced technologies to improve healthcare access and outcomes.
Strengthening Rural Governance in West Tennessee
30-minute Session
1:30-2:00 PM
Room: Mirabella H
View Presentation Summary
This presentation addresses the challenge of limited governance capacity in rural Tennessee communities, proposing a comprehensive approach to enhance governance, economic development, and staff support through partnerships and targeted initiatives, with the goal of fostering sustainable community development.
Mobile Interprofessional Tandem Service (MITS) Model to Enhance Audiology and Speech Pathology Care and Outcomes in Rural East Tennessee
30-minute Session
1:30-2:00 PM
Room: Mirabella I
View Presentation Summary
This presentation introduces the Rural Health and Older Adult Interprofessional Mobile Health and Workforce Recruitment Program (ROAD MAP) by UTC, which aims to improve healthcare access and outcomes for older adults in rural Southeast Tennessee through a mobile health unit, interprofessional education, and public health partnerships.
Tempo Spatial Analysis of Rural Gentrification in Tennessee
30-minute Session
2:05-2:35 PM
Room: Mirabella G
View Presentation Summary
This study investigates the impact of gentrification in rural Tennessee communities, exploring both the potential economic benefits and the challenges of community displacement and increased living costs.
Workforce Challenges in Tennessee’s Water and Wastewater Industry
30-minute Session
2:05-2:35 PM
Room: Mirabella H
View Presentation Summary
The Tennessee Water Workforce Survey, conducted in 2024, reveals significant challenges in hiring and retaining skilled operators for rural water and wastewater utilities, highlighting workforce shortages, low retention, and recruitment struggles due to an aging workforce and lack of qualified applicants. The presentation will discuss these issues and explore solutions, including educating communities and local decision-makers to address the workforce crisis.
Wellness on Wheels: Bringing Care to Your Community
30-minute Session
2:05-2:35 PM
Room: Mirabella I
View Presentation Summary
Wellness on Wheels is a mobile service delivering food, healthcare screenings, and social services to underserved communities, aiming to remove barriers to access and provide timely support. Attendees will learn about its impact on food security, healthcare access, and financial and social stability, fostering healthier, empowered communities.
Time Block 2
Strengthening Rural Communities: Using Drones to Deliver Healthcare Services
1-hour Session
2:45-3:50 PM
Room: Mirabella G
View Presentation Summary
This presentation shares findings from the NSF Smart and Connected Communities Planning Grant, focusing on using drone-assisted smart medication delivery to enhance healthcare in rural Tennessee. Attendees will learn about innovative AI frameworks, community collaborations, and a proof-of-concept for optimizing delivery services to combat drug abuse in underserved areas.
Creating People-Centric Workplaces in Rural Communities
1-hour Session
2:45-3:50 PM
Room: Mirabella H
View Presentation Summary
This presentation explores how people-centric workplaces can enhance employee well-being, improve manufacturer performance, and strengthen rural communities. Attendees will learn strategies for small manufacturers to attract, develop, and retain talent by balancing high performance with employee well-being, while also addressing challenges in rural labor markets.
On the Road to Better Rural Health: Outreach, Education, and Training to Strengthen Health and Health Care
1-hour Session
2:45-3:50 PM
Room: Mirabella I
View Presentation Summary
This proposal aims to improve rural health outcomes and address workforce shortages by deploying three One UT-branded health units across rural Tennessee for outreach, education, and training. The initiative will leverage nursing expertise and community partnerships to enhance health education and professional development, ultimately strengthening the rural healthcare workforce and improving health outcomes.
The Be More Tennessee Initiative: Sustainably Reducing Obesity in 7 Rural Tennessee Counties using Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change
1-hour Session
2:45-3:50 PM
Room: Cambridge A
View Presentation Summary
This project addresses health disparities in rural Tennessee by implementing policy, systems, and environmental changes to reduce obesity and improve health outcomes. Through community partnerships and needs assessments, local Extension agents lead initiatives to promote healthy lifestyle changes and overcome barriers to nutrition and physical activity.
Time Block 3
Enhancing Healthcare Access and Training Future Nursing Leaders Through a Mobile Health Program
30-minute Session
4:00-4:30 PM
Room: Mirabella G
View Presentation Summary
This project aims to improve health outcomes for older adults in rural Southeast Tennessee by using a mobile health unit to provide healthcare and social services. Through interprofessional education and service learning, UTC enhances community health, supports an Age-Friendly Ecosystem, and strengthens the healthcare workforce.
Empowering Rural Communities: Leadership Development and Volunteer Engagement for Enhanced Community Capacity
30-minute Session
4:00-4:30 PM
Room: Mirabella H
View Presentation Summary
This presentation explores how leadership development and volunteer engagement can strengthen rural communities, highlighting UT Extension’s role in enhancing community capacity and sustainable development through locally-driven action. Participants will gain practical strategies for leadership development, volunteer engagement, and resources to support rural community growth.
Feasibility of Implementing Personalized eHealth Program through Fitness Wearable and Application Among Rural Cancer Survivors
30-minute Session
4:00-4:30 PM
Room: Mirabella I
View Presentation Summary
This presentation outlines the development of an AI-based personalized fitness program for rural cancer survivors, leveraging eHealth technologies to address health disparities and improve well-being through data-driven, sustainable solutions.
AI-Driven Precision Medicine: Tackling Rural Healthcare Disparities with EHR Insights
30-minute Session
4:00-4:30 PM
Room: Cambridge A
View Presentation Summary
This presentation discusses leveraging machine learning to extract insights from electronic health records (EHRs) to improve healthcare outcomes in rural communities, focusing on cancer staging and patient data anonymization to address disparities in healthcare access and delivery.
Rural Health and Older Adult Interprofessional Mobile Health Program: Forging Collaborative Partnerships
30-minute Session
4:35-5:05 PM
Room: Mirabella G
View Presentation Summary
This presentation highlights the Rural Health and Older Adult Interprofessional Mobile Health and Workforce Recruitment Program (ROAD MAP) at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The initiative will deploy a mobile health unit to provide healthcare and social services to older adults in 8 rural Southeast Tennessee counties, focusing on interprofessional education, service learning, and building an Age-Friendly Ecosystem to enhance rural healthcare and workforce capacity.
Connecting Opportunities Through a Global and Local Lens for Rural Tennessee
30-minute Session
4:35-5:05 PM
Room: Mirabella H
View Presentation Summary
This presentation explores how the University of Tennessee System can foster collaboration across institutions to enhance international business and education opportunities for rural Tennesseans. By leveraging expertise and conserving financial resources, these partnerships—both within the U.S. and abroad—help bridge the gap between global markets and local communities, driving economic growth and cultural exchange in underrepresented areas throughout Tennessee.
“We’re All in This Together”: Exploring Tennessee Farm Family Stress and Mental Health Management
30-minute Session
4:35-5:05 PM
Room: Mirabella I
View Presentation Summary
This presentation focuses on the challenges faced by family farms in rural Tennessee, particularly the rising suicide rates and economic pressures, and offers strategies for rural community leaders to better support farm families. Audiences will gain insights into how cultural values impact mental health and learn actionable recommendations for addressing family farm stress through revised messaging and education.
Improving rural patient outcomes by optimizing targeted social drivers of health: An EHR-AI systems engineering simulation approach to Precision Health
30-minute Session
4:35-5:05 PM
Room: Cambridge A
View Presentation Summary
This presentation details a precision health initiative that integrates EHR, AI, and systems engineering to deliver tailored health interventions in rural communities. Audiences will learn how predictive modeling and multidisciplinary collaboration can optimize healthcare delivery, address health disparities, and improve outcomes in underserved areas.
State of the University Address
Presentation by UT System President Randy Boyd
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Time Block 1
Bridging the Gap: Tailored Distance Education for Rural Addiction Counseling in Tennessee
30-minute Session
1:30-2:00 PM
Room: Oakleigh A
Pain sensitivity, pain affect, pain catastrophizing, and chronic stress as predictors of quantity of substance use in people who use methamphetamine and opioids
30-minute Session
1:30-2:00 PM
Room: Broadlands B
The HEALing Communities Study: Effectiveness of a Community-Engaged Data-Driven Process to Reduce Opioid Overdoses
1-hour Session
1:30-2:35 PM
Room: Broadlands A
Counselors on the Front: Increasing Tennessee’s Addiction Counseling Workforce
30-minute Session
2:05-2:35 PM
Room: Oakleigh A
Biomarkers predictive of vulnerability to progress from early opioid use to misuse and addiction
30-minute Session
2:05-2:35 PM
Room: Broadlands B
Time Block 2
The Efficient Allocation of Harm Reduction Resources to Prevent Overdose Deaths
1-hour Session
2:45-3:50 PM
Room: Broadlands A
Opioid-Induced Epigenetic and Visuocognitive Changes Associated with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
1-hour Session
2:45-3:50 PM
Room: Broadlands B
Time Block 3
Mapping Recovery Ecosystems at the Local Level to Overcome Addiction
30-minute Session
4:00-4:30 PM
Room: Broadlands B
Leveraging the Right Partnerships at the Local Level
1-hour Session
4:00-5:05 PM
Room: Oakleigh A
Nourish Recovery: A Nutrition Education Program for Individuals with Substance Use Disorders.
1-hour Session
4:00-5:05 PM
Room: Broadlands A
A mathematics-based approach to opioid epidemiology in Tennessee
30-minute Session
4:35-5:05 PM
Room: Broadlands B
State of the University Address
Presentation by UT System President Randy Boyd
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Time Block 1
Transitioning Gaps, Executive Functioning Impacts, and Assessing the Needs of Neurodivergent Students
30-minute Session
1:30-2:00 PM
Room: Mirabella J
View Presentation Summary
The transition to college poses significant challenges for neurodiverse students due to gaps in support systems, highlighting the need for improved practices to address self-advocacy, social adjustment, time management, academic rigor, independent living, and resilience.
The Mosaic Program and Neurodivergent Education Transition (NET)
30-minute Session
2:05-2:35 PM
Room: Mirabella J
View Presentation Summary
The Mosaic Program at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga supports autistic students in earning their degrees while addressing critical gaps in the high school-to-college transition, offering insights into improving educational practices, supporting parents, and enhancing the experiences of neurodiverse students entering post-secondary education.
Time Block 2
Embracing Neurodiversity: Addressing Stigma and Promoting Neuroinclusivity in Elementary Education
1-hour Session
2:45-3:50 PM
Room: Mirabella J
View Presentation Summary
This presentation explores how educating young students about neurodiversity—natural variations in brain function like autism, ADHD, and dyslexia—can reduce stigma, promote inclusion, and improve educational outcomes, with a focus on the collaborative role of Speech-Language Pathologists and educators in creating supportive learning environments.
Time Block 3
Connecting Families in Rural Tennessee with Disability Resources: Rural Disability Resource Network
1-hour Session
4:00-5:05 PM
Room: Mirabella J
View Presentation Summary
The Rural Disability Resource Network (RDRN) addresses the lack of disability resources in rural Tennessee, and this session will highlight its initiatives, plans for utilizing recent grant funding, and ways attendees can contribute to creating meaningful change for individuals with disabilities and their families.
Time Block 1
Thermal runaway in electronic devices: a transformational PBL unit for high school chemistry
30-minute Session
8:00-8:30 AM
Room: Broadlands A
The Community Schools Solution
1-hour Session
8:00-9:05 AM
Room: Cambridge B
Addressing K-12 financial education challenges in rural Tennessee
1-hour Session
8:00-9:05 AM
Room: Cambridge A
Building Efficacy and Collective Leadership with K-12 Teachers
1-hour Session
8:00-9:05 AM
Room: Broadlands B
Innocrate for innovative K-12 education in advanced materials and manufacturing on a National Scale
30-minute Session
8:35-9:05 AM
Room: Broadlands A
Time Block 2
Equipping Educators for Excellence (E3)
30-minute Session
9:15-9:45 AM
Room: Broadlands B
Transformative Test Prep: TCAPS test prep in community schools
1-hour Session
9:15-10:20 AM
Room: Cambridge B
Establishing Quality on Rural Schools’ Professional Development Choices
1-hour Session
9:15-10:20 AM
Room: Cambridge A
Changing Addictive Landscape with Knowledge Qualification and Exchange in Integrated Social Media Interactions
30-minute Session
9:50-10:20 AM
Room: Broadlands B
Closing Keynote
Presentation by Dr. Joe Sanfelippo
1-hour Session
10:30 – 11:30 AM
Room: Mirabella Ballroom
Time Block 1
The RAIL (Rural Assessment and Intervention Library) System
1-hour Session
8:00-9:05 AM
Room: Mirabella D
Time Block 2
Addressing Access to Employment and Resources for Individuals with Barriers in Rural Communities toward Workforce Pipeline Development
30-minute Session
9:15-9:45 AM
Room: Broadlands A
Project RAISE: An Innovative Partnership to Strengthen Mental Health in Rural Tennessee Schools
1-hour Session
9:15-10:20 AM
Room: Mirabella D
Promising Pathways for Career and Technical Education in Rural Tennessee
30-minute Session
9:50-10:20 AM
Room: Broadlands A
Closing Keynote
Presentation by Dr. Joe Sanfelippo
1-hour Session
10:30 – 11:30 AM
Room: Oakleigh
Time Block 1
It takes a village: An ecological approach to youth substance use prevention in East Tennessees
1-hour Session
8:00-9:05 AM
Room: Mirabella C
The role of business organizations and impact of business practices on the creation of the opioid crisis in the Appalachian region
1-hour Session
8:00-9:05 AM
Room: Mirabella B
Unraveling the Interconnection: Substance Use and Health-Related Behaviors among Youth in Tennessee
1-hour Session
8:00-9:05 AM
Room: Mirabella A
Time Block 2
The Opposite of Addiction is Connection
30-minute Session
9:15-9:45 AM
Room: Mirabella C
Getting Things Done Through Relationships
1-hour Session
9:15-10:20 AM
Room: Mirabella B
Merging Recovery and Education in K-12 and beyond
1-hour Session
9:15-10:20 AM
Room: Mirabella A
Expanding Recovery Supports on College Campuses
30-minute Session
9:50-10:20 AM
Room: Mirabella C
Closing Keynote
Presentation by Dr. Joe Sanfelippo
1-hour Session
10:30 – 11:30 AM
Room: Oakleigh