2026 UT Grand Challenges Summit Schedule

Day 1 – Tuesday, February 10

10am – 5:00pm CST

10 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Opening Remarks 

10:15 a.m. – 10:55 a.m. State of the University Address with UT President Randy Boyd  

Join Randy Boyd and chancellors from across the UT System as they explore the bold vision, momentum, and possibilities that are shaping the University’s greatest decade.

11 a.m. – 12 p.m. Grand Challenges Leadership Discussions 

Hear from thought leaders across the three Grand Challenge areas as they reveal what’s underway and what’s on the horizon including: 

The Future of K–12 Education 

  • Andrea Pasinetti, co-founder of Kira Learning 
  • Ben DiChiara, Tennessee STEM Innovation Network 
  • Marianne Rice, Assistant Professor of Literacy Education, University of Tennessee, Knoxville 

Rural Community Health 

  • Wendy Likes, executive director, UT Center for Rural Health Excellence, Dean, College of Nursing UT Health Science Center 
  • J.W. Randolph, Tennessee deputy commissioner of Health 
  • Christi Granstaff, Tennessee Charitable Care Network

Overcoming Addiction 

  • Marie Williams, commissioner, Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services 
  • Stephen Lloyd, M.D., chief medical officer, Cedar Recovery and chair, TN Opioid Abatement Council
  • Jennifer Tourville, DNP, executive director, UT Institute for Public Service SMART Initiative  

12 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. Lunch  

12:45 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Breakout Panel Sessions  

Artificial Intelligence and Education 

  • Andrea Pasinetti, co-founder of Kira Learning 
  • Brandon Smith, Manager of Computer Science Implementation, Tennessee Department of Education
  • Ben DiChiara, Tennessee STEM Innovation Network 
  • Marianne Rice, Assistant Professor of Literacy Education, University of Tennessee, Knoxville 
  • Dania Bilal, Patricia D. Williams Endowed Professor, University of Tennessee, Knoxville 

The Rural Health Landscape 

  • Wendy Likes, executive director, UT Center for Rural Health Excellence, Dean, College of Nursing UT Health Science Center 
  • J.W. Randolph, Tennessee deputy commissioner of Health 
  • Andrew Burnett, Tennessee Hospital Association 
  • Gregg Mitchell, UTHSC College of Medicine 
  • Madeline Mays, Rural Health Association of Tennessee  

From Opioid Crisis to Overdose Crisis: What’s changed and what’s next? 

  • Tony Jackson, director, Office of Prevention and Early Intervention Services, TN Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
  • Mary Linden Salter, executive director, TN Association of Alcohol, Drug, & other Addiction Services
  • Linda McCorkle, director, Treatment and Recovery Services, TN Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
  • Tommy Farmer, special agent in charge, TN Bureau of Investigation and state director, TN Dangerous Drug Task Force
  • Tyler Melton, PharmD, Assistant Professor, UTHSC College of Pharmacy
  • Jennifer Tourville, DNP, executive director, UT Institute for Public Service SMART Initiative 

Rural Community Development: Creating Capacity and Opportunities 

  • Adnan Rasool, director, Center for Teaching and Learning, UT Martin 
  • Brooxie Carlton, assistant commissioner of Rural and Community Development, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development 
  • Herb Byrd III, vice president of public service, UT Institute for Public Service 
  • Hannah Wright, director of stakeholder and community engagement, UT Institute for Public Service  

Outreach & Engagement: Solving Grand Challenges – The Continuum of Outreach and Engagement 

  • Bryant Fairley, director of engagement, UT Chattanooga 
  • Amy Gilliland, associate director, Office of Community Engagement and Outreach, UT Knoxville 

Neurodiversity in the Classroom and Beyond 

  • Elizabeth O’Brien, director, School of Professional Studies, UT Chattanooga 
  • Amanda Hardin, program director, School of Psychology, UT Chattanooga 
  • Amy Rutherford, director, College Autism Spectrum and co-founder of the Mosaic Program, UT Chattanooga 

1:45 p.m. – 2 p.m. Break

2 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Roundtable Discussions and Networking

  • K-12 Literacy Education with Marianne Rice (UTK)
  • K-12 STEM with Steve Elliot (UTM) and Alex Aitken, Haywood County Schools
  • AI in K-12 Education with Dania Bilal (UTK)
  • K-12 Special Education  with Claire Paul (UTS)
  • Introducing K-12 Students to Health Careers with Rebecca Reynolds (UTHSC)
  • Neurodiversity in the Classroom with Amanda Hardin (UTC)
  • Rural Community Health  with Karen Nellis (UTHSC)
  • Youth Health Research with Ji Yoo (UTK)
  • Digital Literacy  with Sreedhar Upendram (UTIA)
  • Bridging Higher and Secondary Education to Bring Together Educator Leaders and Develop Innovative Interventions  with Frankie Weaver (UTK)
  • Substance Use Disorders with Kristin Riggsbee (UTIA)
  • Substance Use Disorders and Workforce Development  with Jeremy Kourvelas and Channie Cavitt (IPS)
  • Mental Health Challenges in Communities  with Elizabeth O’Brien (UTC)
  • Addictions in Rural Tennessee Communities  with Jamian Coleman (UTK)
  • Simulated Health Data for Small Areas with Spatial Microsimulation with Dr. Liem Tran (UTK), Trevor Henderson and Ellen Oakes (UT IPS SMART)
  • Communications: Telling the Story  with Bud Grimes (UTM)
  • Community Engaged Scholarship with Amy Gilliland (UTK)
  • Rural Health Partnerships with Diana Dedmon (UTHSC)
  • Mobile Education with Alisa Haushalter (UTHSC)
  • Mentoring in the Workplace with Erin Crip and Canidra McGuire (UT System)

3 p.m. – 3:20 p.m. Break 

3:30 p.m. – 4:50 p.m. Keynote Address: Connect the Dots: A Systems Thinking Approach to Tennessee’s Grand Challenges 

In Tennessee, the challenge isn’t a lack of effort or resources—it’s that education, addiction, and rural community challenges are often treated as separate problems. In this keynote, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera share practical systems thinking tools developed at Cornell and applied in communities nationwide. Attendees will learn how to see connections across issues, anticipate ripple effects, and build shared frameworks that drive collaboration across silos. The talk is engaging, evidence-based, and designed for immediate application to the Grand Challenges of K–12 education, overcoming addiction recovery, and rural community resilience.  

Speakers: Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera, internationally recognized systems scientists, faculty members at Cornell University, and best-selling authors.  

4:50 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Day 1 Wrap Up

Day 2 – Wednesday, February 11

7am – 11:15am CST

6 a.m. – 9 a.m. Hotel breakfast (for hotel guests only)

7 a.m. – 8 a.m. Morning yoga (register here)

Sessions

9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Collaboration Escape Room

9 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. Workforce Development and Global Citizenship Education – strengthening Tennessee – Japan partnerships for the future

9:50 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. The Certainty of Change: How to cope and succeed in a changing world, with Jessi Gold, M.D., M.S.

10:35 a.m. – 11:20 a.m. Closing KeyNote – MoonShot: From Challenge Accepted, to Mission Accomplished in our State’s Pursuits to address Poverty, with City Leadership executive director John Carroll

11:25 a.m. Summit wrap-up