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Meet the Faculty & Staff

Dr. Patrick Akos serves as the associate vice provost for Student Success and executive director of Honors and Scholar. In addition, he provides executive oversight of the Office of Undergraduate Research & Fellowships. His professional experience spans 30+ years as a K-12 teacher, school and clinical mental health counselor, professor and academic leader. For the last 20 years, he was a professor in the School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research, teaching, supervision, clinical practice and leadership are grounded in a strengths- based framework (Galassi & Akos, 2007), which is informed by humanistic traditions and empirically supported by contemporary scholarship (e.g., positive psychology). Broadly, he studies how best to support and cultivate thriving, especially during educational and career transitions. He has applied this work in curriculum development, math pathways, data analytics, policy governance, strategic planning, and legislative advocacy in a variety of settings. Akos has a B.S. from Vanderbilt University in Human and Organizational Development and Secondary Education, a M.A. from Morehead State University in Higher Education, and a Ph.D. in Counselor Education from the University of Virginia.

He believes education is a primary pathway to equity and his passion is for empowering others toward agency and well-being.

Fun Fact: Patrick caught a football pass from the Vice President of the United States.

E-mail: pakos@utk.edu

Meredith Malburne-Wade Named New Director of Undergraduate Research & Fellowship – Division of Student Success (utk.edu)

Meredith Malburne-Wade (she/her) is the director for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships. She earned her PhD in American Literature from UNC-Chapel Hill, her MA in English from Georgetown University, and her BA in English and French from Wellesley College. Prior to relocating to Tennessee, she directed the fellowships and research office at James Madison University (JMU) in Virginia. She has taught research skills, composition, business writing, American literature, and women’s literature at universities in Virginia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. In In her free time, she loves reading, spending time with her family (including 2 cats and a dog), gardening, puzzles, and pretending she is good at crafts. 

Fun Fact: Meredith has a dog named Luna and two cats named Bacon and Maisie. 

E-mail: mmalburn@utk.edu

Dr. Janna Harvey (she/her) is the associate director for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships. She is an experienced mixed-methods researcher with expertise in government research, higher education pedagogy, and scholarly mentorship. Janna earned her Ph.D. in Geography from the Department of Geography & Sustainability at the University of Tennessee, where she was honored with the Chancellor’s Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award in recognition of her pedagogical excellence. She dedicated three years to advancing undergraduate research initiatives as Assistant Director for Undergraduate Research, where she played a pivotal role in shaping student engagement, program development, and research advocacy. During her doctoral studies, she conducted population research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) before advancing to a postdoctoral appointment with the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). Her scholarly pursuits lie at the intersection of cultural and digital geographies, with a particular emphasis on narrative dissemination and the construction of public memory.

Fun Fact: The National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, has exhibited a map Janna created showcasing streets named after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

E-mail: jcaspers@utk.edu

Dr. Sharon Jean-Philippe is the faculty director for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships and Professor of Urban Forestry in the School of Natural Resources. Sharon is the faculty advisor for all urban forestry students and is the primary director of several summer internship opportunities for students across multiple disciplines. She co-instructs courses in forestry that address vegetation establishment, management, and removal across an urban – rural gradient, legal issues, vegetation utility management, and the effects of societal influences on green infrastructure. She currently holds appointments with the Tennessee Forestry Commission as the Representative of the Public-at-Large and USDA Forestry Research and Advisory Council and is the faculty director for Tennessee Champion Tree Program, Community Riparian Restoration Program and National Champion Tree Program.

Fun Fact: Sharon is the eighth child of 13 kids!

Email: facultydirector@utk.edu

Mari LaCure is URF’s program coordinator for undergraduate research. Mari received a BA from Mount Holyoke College and an MFA in Printmaking from the University of Kansas. Prior to relocating to Knoxville in 2020, she taught printmaking, bookbinding, and drawing at Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, MA, where she also managed the continuing education program. She lived and worked in Japan for several years on the JET Program and was faculty for Montserrat’s study abroad program in Niigata, Japan.

Fun Fact: Mari created a site-specific art installation for the Multidisciplinary Research Building at the University of Kansas.

E-mail: mlacure1@utk.edu

Ryan Lee is our assistant director for fellowships. A first-generation college graduate and native of west Tennessee, Ryan holds a B.A. in English literature from The University of Memphis and a M.A. in English from The University of Tennessee. He has several years of experience as a writing tutor, English composition instructor, and academic advisor. In his spare time, Ryan enjoys cooking and reading as well as collecting/fixing old things such as motorcycles and jukeboxes.

Fun Fact: Ryan has never turned down a conversation about the TV series Mad Men, the band Oasis, or NBA basketball.  

E-mail: ryanlee@utk.edu

Ahdya Attea (they/them) is the Senior Writing Consultant for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships. While having worked with URF since 2023, Ahdya is currently based in Brooklyn, NY where they remotely assist URF with fellowships advising and student application preparation. A former graduate of UT’s College of Social Work, Ahdya holds a bachelor’s degree in Plant Sciences from UT and an MA in English from Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English. Their aspiration to support young people’s development, aspirations, and civic participation began through an AmeriCorps VISTA position with UT’s University-Assisted Community Schools program. More recently, Ahdya has worked in community and academic writing centers in Brooklyn, New York; Knoxville, Tennessee; Buffalo, New York; and Ripton, Vermont.  They also come with plenty of surprises.

Fun Fact: You can ask Ahdya about the time they saw UFOs in New Mexico while hitchhiking with an accordion on their way to work on a goat farm.

E-mail: eattea@utk.edu 

Kate Burford is a Coach with the Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Office, where she guides students in pursuing undergraduate research opportunities and professional fellowships to achieve their academic and career aspirations. Kate holds a Master of Arts in Neuroscience and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. Her research background includes exploring the effects of anesthetics on the central nervous system in a sleep medicine lab. She brings a wealth of experience in higher education, including teaching and advising at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and other institutions. Her teaching portfolio spans a variety of psychology, neuroscience and first-year studies courses. Passionate about empowering students, Kate is dedicated to helping them navigate opportunities that enrich their academic journeys. She is excited to collaborate with colleagues and students alike to foster success and growth.
 
Fun Fact: Kate played on a Women’s Collegiate Tennis team and was Psych Club President. 
 
 

Hannah Morgan is a Coach with the Undergraduate Research and Fellowship Office. She has Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Middle Tennessee State University. Her background includes Maya archaeology, Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation (NAGPRA) work, and art exhibition curation. 
 
Fun Fact: Hannah has an Australian Shepard named Leo. 
 

E-mail: hmorgan8@utk.edu