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The Office of the Chancellor
University of Tennessee at Martin
325 Administration Building
Martin, TN 38238
(731) 881-7500 - phone 
(731) 881-7019 - fax 
chancellor@utm.edu

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Chancellor's Corner – About Chancellor Rakes

 

Dr. Tom Rakes became the ninth UT Martin chancellor on July 1, 2007. Rakes joined UT Martin in 2002 as vice chancellor for academic affairs and professor of educational studies. He was named provost in 2005.

 

During his first three years as Chancellor, the campus has flourished with notable enrollment growth and unprecedented success in fund raising as part of the Campaign for Tennessee.  Award-winning performances by the campus radio station, student chemical society chapter, campus recycling group, agriculture, business, Greek organizations, military science and many others highlight the accomplishments and commitment of an engaged student body. Additionally, outstanding success by student-athletes both in competition and in the classroom characterize the university’s progress and achievements in NCAA Division I athletics.  The infrastructure to support this strong, vibrant regional university continues to evolve as major capital improvement projects continue.

Gallimore

Chancellor Rakes and wife, Dr. Glenda Rakes, are pictured with Crawford Gallimore, University of Tennessee Board of Trustees member.

At the heart of the university are committed teaching faculty members who excel in providing a high-quality educational experience for students. Beyond the classroom, these faculty members publish, hold leadership positions, conduct research, and perform public service in a way that positions UT Martin for greater impact locally, regionally and beyond.

 


Chancellor Rakes is joined by UT President Joe DiPietro at the annual UT Martin Family Picnic as they prepare for Skyhawk football with the UTM Student Activities Council.

Dr. Rakes received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Milligan College, a master’s degree in reading from East Tennessee State University and a doctor of education from UT Knoxville. Before coming to UT Martin, he was interim president at University of Louisiana at Monroe. He began his employment at Monroe in 1995 as College of Education and Human Development dean and professor. He also served as vice provost and dean for Graduate Studies and Research. He became UL Monroe provost and vice president for academic affairs in 2000. Rakes previously served as a University of Memphis professor and director of the Division of Research and Development in the College of Education. He also served as chair and professor in the Department of Instruction and Curriculum Leadership. The new chancellor has been a UT Knoxville instructor and University Reading Center assistant director.

His first education position was in Johnson City, Tenn., as a teacher and basketball coach.Rakes has completed an extensive list of scholarly activities, including more than 160 refereed presentations and publications. He is a member of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission Performance Funding Standards Review Committee, the Complete College Act Funding Formual Committe, the Tennessee Campus Compact Board of Directors and the National Forum of Educational Administration and Supervision Journal advisory board. He is a recipient of the Tennessee Institute for Pre-professionals Outstanding Service Award, among numerous other honors and leadership appointments.

 

Chancellor Rakes is serving on the Weakley County United Way Board of Directors, is chair of the Ohio Valley Conference Council of Presidents, co-chair of the Weakley County P-16 Council, a member of the Weakley County Economic Development Board, the Financial Resources Task Force of the University of Tennessee Alumni Association, Executive Committee Representative, Ohio Valley Conference Competition Committee, and a member of the University of Tennessee System Task Force on Reorganization and Diversity. In August of 2010, Dr. Rakes traveled to Japan to participate in a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the partnership between UT Martin and Hirosoki University. During the visit, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Hirosoki University. He has authored or coauthored more than 160 refereed publications and presentations. Additionally, he has been involved in consultation and presentations for professional development and accreditation for more than 40 different institutions of higher education. Since 1978, he has been associated with 11 training programs that have been developed for business or nonprofit organizations operating in six states. Corporate consulting has involved communications improvement and human resources evaluation for hotel, manufacturing, insurance and retail businesses.

 

Rakes’ wife, Dr. Glenda Rakes, is a UT Martin professor of education. The couple has two children and two grandchildren.