The Extraordinary Service to the University award honors faculty members, staff members, or friends for noteworthy service to the university.
Jefferson Chapman
Jefferson Chapman has helped make the McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture a prominent university and community asset. Since he became director in 1990, the museum has added more than 40 new exhibits and about $1 million worth of rare maps. He has increased its visibility with a life-size bronze-cast dinosaur skeleton outside the entrance and new programs. Chapman has raised substantial funds through private gifts and endowments. He has established a clarified name for the museum, set a more defined direction for its collections, and created a membership program for supporters. Chapman, who is also a research associate professor in the Department of Anthropology, established an academic department to provide experiential learning in the museum. He initiated certification with the American Association of Museums, making the McClung Museum one of only two AAM-certified museums in Knoxville.