GRADUATE ADMISSIONS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Co - Chair of the Council for Diversity
- Coordinator of Student Services for the Graduate School
Abby Sherman is the Coordinator of Student Services for the Graduate School. Abby has worked in graduate education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, since 2015. She advises students on Graduate School policies and procedures and manages thesis and dissertation reviews. She facilitates student workshops and is part of the graduate and professional student professional development team.
Abby is co-chair of the Council for Diversity and Inclusion and previously served on the Commission for Women. She is a UT Promise mentor and a First Year Studies instructor. She earned a bachelor's degree in Creative Writing and Literature from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, FL. She earned her master's degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Abby is an avid reader and is passionate about all things creative. In her free time she enjoys writing poetry and fiction, hiking, and playing music. She resides in Knoxville with her husband Chris and their daughter Penelope.
Alec Merkle currently works as one of the Admissions Specialists in the Office of Graduate Admissions at UT Knoxville. His duties include the recruitment and admission of international and domestic students into various programs, typically within the College of Engineering and the College of Agriculture, as well as non-degree seeking students and intercollegiate students. He works in close coordination with the Program Directors of the above colleges, as well as his fellow Admissions Specialists.
Alec graduated from American University, Washington D.C. with a BA in International Studies and a minor in Japanese. At American University, he also served the Admissions Officer for the International Accelerator Program.
Outside the office, he enjoys cinema, gardening, video production, and practicing his Japanese language skills. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate Dean & Director of the Office
Carl Collins serves as Associate Dean & Director of Graduate Admissions. He provides leadership for the Office of Graduate Admissions and is responsible for setting the admissions team's strategic vision and supporting the Graduate School's overall goals. Carl collaborates with faculty, staff, and leadership across the university on graduate admissions policies and achieving strategic enrollment goals.
Collins is a native of Hazlehurst, Georgia. He has earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Georgia and a Master of Public Administration from Georgia College & State University. He is currently enrolled to complete a Doctor of Public Administration at Valdosta State University. His research interests include bureaucratic representation in higher education, Public Service Motivation and motivation factors of higher education employees, and public-private partnerships and their effects on enrollment trends.
Collins' career in higher education has focused on admissions and recruitment, enrollment management, data integrity, and process efficiencies. He has worked with students from all walks of life for both on-campus and online experiences, including traditional first-year students, non-traditional students and working adults, and graduate students. His most recent experience comes from Director of Graduate Admissions roles at The Citadel and Mercer University.
When he's not in the office, his hobbies include cooking, foodie experiences, watching sports, camping, and spending time with friends and family.
Job Titles:
- Catalog Editor and Curriculum Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Member of the UT
- Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School
As Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School, Dixie L. Thompson provides oversight to graduate education at the University of Tennessee. She leads the team responsible for implementation of the Vol Vision 2020 goals related to graduate education. This strategic work requires coordination with all academic units that deliver graduate training.
Thompson has been a member of the UT faculty since 1994. She holds the rank of Professor in the Department of Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sport Studies, where she served as the Department Head from 2008 until 2012. She served as the Associate Dean for Research and Academic Affairs in the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences from 2012 until 2016. In 2008, she attended the HERS Summer Institute at Bryn Mawr College for intensive leadership training in higher education administration. She also participated in the Southeastern Conference Academic Leadership Development Program (2009-2010).
Thompson earned a BA in physical education and an MA in exercise physiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She earned a PhD in exercise physiology from the University of Virginia. She focuses most of her research on the health impact of regular physical activity, particularly in women. Her work has clearly shown that important health changes (decreased blood pressure, better glucose control, weight loss, etc.) can result when inactive women add walking to their daily routine. She is currently part of a federally-funded research group training students from various disciplines (exercise physiology, nutrition, psychiatric nursing, pharmacy) to work in teams to assist patients with multiple chronic conditions develop wellness plans. Her research has led to numerous peer-reviewed publications, articles for the general public, book chapters, a textbook, and presentations. Thompson is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and a Fellow of the National Academy of Kinesiology.
Job Titles:
- Communications Manager
- Communications Manager for the Graduate School
Sean Q. Hendricks currently serves as Communications Manager for the Graduate School. His job is to maintain communications for the Graduate School, including the promotion of professional development for graduate and professional students, the highlighting of graduate student research, and the recruitment of excellent students to graduate programs at UT.
Hendricks graduated from the University of Georgia with a BA in linguistics, and then went on to receive his PhD in linguistics from the University of Arizona. Since then, he has worked in many capacities involving the intersections of education, technology and communication. For nearly 25 years, he has been involved in the web in some capacity, from web design to web application development. He comes most recently from Clemson University, where he worked at the Clemson Libraries.
When he's not at the university, he enjoys reading, hiking, photography, knitting, woodworking, learning languages, and he's always looking for new hobbies. He blogs occasionally about his various and sundry interests at Quercus Ilicifolia.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Appeals Committee
- Appeals Committee Chair