The Volunteer Spirit Award is the highest honor given to a staff member at the university. Its significance is similar to the Torchbearer for undergraduates and the Macebearer for faculty.
Ann Robinson-Craig
Ann Robinson-Craig served as budget director for the College of Arts and Sciences for more than 30 years. She is a UT alumna, with a bachelor’s degree in history as well as a Master of Accountancy. She returned to her alma mater after working as a CPA with Coopers and Lybrand.
What does being a Volunteer mean to you? How has UT empowered you to make a difference in a way you might not have imagined elsewhere?
“My office was formerly in Ayres Hall, but I’m housed now in McClung Tower, a building that has a quote in Latin etched on its exterior wall. Translated, it says, ‘You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.’ I have spent most of my career working for my alma mater, the College of Arts and Sciences, a college that is home to scholars, artists, and scientists who spend their careers searching for knowledge or ‘truth.’ We are living in a moment in which there seems to be no distinction between truth and falsehood, between fact and fiction—whether we’re referring to historical fact or scientific fact. The increasing polarization in our nation threatens the search for truth and erodes confidence in expertise at the very time when the complexity of our society requires more knowledge and expertise as well as open, honest discussion and debate about the challenges we face as a society. It’s been my honor and privilege to work with the faculty and staff in Arts and Sciences and to try to facilitate their work as they pursue the unique and critical mission of this college.”