Associate Vice Provost & Director of Honors & Scholars

Biography

Ron Kalafsky directs UT's Honors and Scholars Programs and coordinates the growth of these programs along with the Office Undergraduate Research and the Office of National Scholarships and Fellowships.

Kalafsky is a professor of geography and has served as the department head for the past three years. His research focuses on the geographies of trade and manufacturing and on undergraduate education in economic and urban geography.

Gallup Strengths: Input, Learner, Intellection, Analytical, Arranger

Director, Undergraduate Research & Fellowships

Biography

Andrew Seidler has been Director of UT’s Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships (ONSF) since January 2016. In 2021, the Division of Student Success combined the offices of Undergraduate Research and National Scholarships & Fellowships, naming Andrew as Director for this joint unit. During his tenure as ONSF director, UT has emerged nationally as a perennial Fulbright Student top-producing research university and a consistent producer of Boren, Critical Language, and Schwarzman Scholars. In that time, UT has also had two Rhodes Scholars, its first-ever Mitchell and Gates Cambridge Scholars, and, in 2020, a nation-best five Goldwater Scholars. Seidler received the Chancellor’s Ready for the World Citation in 2016, in part for developing and leading UT’s first-ever study abroad program to Cuba. Prior to working at UT, Seidler was an editor and award-winning newspaper reporter.

Seidler holds a B.A. in history from Colby College, an M.S. in education & social policy from Northwestern University, and is in progress on a PhD in education psychology & research.

Senior Associate Director, Academic Affairs, Honors & Scholars

Biography

Rebekah Page directs the academic affairs unit within Honors & Scholars which includes supervision of staff, budget oversight, development of curriculum and policies for four university-wide honors programs, and oversight of study abroad efforts for Honors & Scholars.

Page has an M.A. in english literature and a B.S. in business administration, both from the University of Tennessee. She has worked with Honors since 2008 when she was hired to help create the new Office of National Scholarships and Fellowships. She oversaw the Chancellor’s Honors Program until recently when she transitioned to her current role.

Page lives with her husband and two daughters in west Knoxville.

Gallup Strengths: Responsibility, Relator, Deliberative, Consistency, Discipline

Senior Associate Director of Student Engagement/Admissions, Honors & Scholars

Biography

Sarah Hunter oversees student engagement, coaching, and recruitment/admissions for Honors & Scholars.  She also serves as unit Budget Manager for Honors & Scholars.

Hunter earned a B.A. from William Penn University, an MSW from Indiana University, and an MBA from Anderson University.

Following a 25-year career in health care administration, Hunter has worked in Honors and Scholars for 7 years, long enough to see some UT scholars become young professionals.  She loves working with students through the transition to adulthood when they discover their place in this world. 

“Life is all about what you do with plan B!”