At the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, staff and faculty exhibit a tireless dedication to student success, ensuring scholars remain aware of the endless opportunities the university has to offer. Dr. Amy Robinson is the embodiment of that never-ending commitment, striving to help every Volunteer reach their fullest potential with the resources available.
Dr. Robinson began her partnership with the Center for Career Development and Academic Exploration (CCDAE) in 2023, combining the goals of the Career Center with her role as co-director of Environmental Studies in the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences (EEP). The work conducted since the beginning of this valuable relationship has earned Dr. Robinson recognition as the 2025 Campus Career Champion.
Nominated by CCDAE Assistant Director Alexis Andershock, Dr. Robinson’s ability to support scholars is commendable, demonstrating the importance of staff and faculty involvement on a student’s college career and beyond.
“Amy is a faculty member who truly cares about the future of her students and uses her passion to create practical career opportunities for EEPS students,” said Andershock. “She is a strong advocate for career development and encourages her colleagues to embed career into their work.”
The strategic approach to unite the objectives of her academic department and the Career Center’s demonstrates a valuable understanding of how to meet scholars where they are. As Volunteers seek ways to prepare for life beyond college, an academic foundation makes anything possible, and with Dr. Robinson, students know they can achieve anything with a degree from UT.
Partnership and Career Support with CCDAE
For the past three years, the Career Center and the EEPS Alumni Council have collaborated to host the GeoScience Career Day, an annual event designed to connect current students and alumni working in fields related to the environment, space exploration, and critical minerals. A successful initiative, student and alumni attendance continues to grow each year.
GeoScience Career Day continues to thrive due to the immense effort and enthusiasm Dr. Robinson infuses into anything she chooses to work on. Her career focused approach amplifies the work of the Career Center, aligning academics and career goals.
Hands-on Student Involvement
For scholars to flourish in a university setting, it is crucial they are aware of the resources and the encouraging individuals in their corner. Dr. Robinson has made it her mission to work with each student to learn more about their interests, connect them with personal contacts, and share career opportunities she finds online.
She continues to find new ways to assist her students, integrating career-related activities into the classroom to further educate students about the possibilities of their degree.
The resources at UT are crafted to prepare students with not just the tools to navigate the job market but have a clear plan for building the future they want. The guidance Dr. Robinson imparts on each student has become an asset to the university and a testament to the community role of directing students down the best path
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Dr. Robinson, a Tennessee native, earned her bachelor’s and master’s from the University of Tennessee at Martin and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, respectively. She would go on to receive her PhD in Geology from the University of California-Davis, pursing work as an Earth Science professor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and a petroleum geochemist.
Dr. Robinson is the fourth member of the Volunteer community to be recognized as a Campus Career Champion. Previous recipients include Dr. Bob Dubois, a distinguished member of the Psychology department in May 2024, followed by Dr. Michael Camponovo, director of UT’s GIS Outreach & Engagement Laboratory in May 2023 and Lisa Parker, director of the Language World Business Program and lecturer of Hispanic Studies, in November 2021.
Campus Career Champions exemplify UT’s Strategic Vision, specifically Goal One of Cultivating the Volunteer Experience, by promoting career readiness in and outside the classroom.