The purpose of the endowed professorship is to recruit and retain faculty who focus on classroom instruction and shaping students’ futures.
Tennessee Technological University has a new endowed professorship thanks to a seven-figure gift from Thomas and Judith Iovino. The Thomas and Judith Iovino Endowed Professorship will focus on recruiting and retaining faculty members who will focus on providing students with excellent classroom instruction and mentor them, helping to shape their futures.
The Iovinos had not even heard of Tennessee Tech until a few years ago, when New York City businessman Tom read a 2019 column by Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Peggy Noonan in The Wall Street Journal that praised the students of Tennessee Tech and described the university as “an amazing school” that focuses on supporting first-generation students and those who come from modest backgrounds.
Iovino’s first effort to support the university came in the form of donating his designer business suits to the College of Business's Scarlett & Murphy Business Professional Closet. The Closet provides students with free business attire for use in interviews, networking events, presentations, and other professional opportunities.
In an article on Tennessee Technical University’s website, Iovino was quoted as saying of Noonan’s article spurring his decision to act, "I read about Tennessee Tech and these first-generation students who were working hard and just needed a little help. I thought, 'I can do something about that.'"
After his donation, Tom was encouraged by university leadership to come visit the school. Tom and Judith visited campus and had the opportunity to connect with the campus community.
He said, "I got a chance to speak to the students, and that made me feel pretty good, too. I think what connected me with the school was that there are a lot of first-generation kids, and they appreciate this country and what it offers them. It resonated with me that there are teachers who really want to teach. Everybody wasn’t just interested in material things. I don't need my name on a building. But if we could keep the really good teachers there, that would really make an impact with the students."
This brought about the idea of the Thomas and Judith Iovino Endowed Professorship, which will support the university as it works to recruit and retain excellent faculty members who focus on providing their students with mentorship and classroom instruction.
Chelsea Dowell, an economics lecturer in the College of Business’s Department of Economics, Finance and Marketing, has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the Thomas and Judith Iovino Endowed Professorship. Dowell has earned recognition for her immersive classroom experiences that challenge students to apply their newly learned economics skills to real-life situations. Additionally, she founded the Journal for Societal Impact for students to have the opportunity to publish scholarly articles, and helped launch the “Everyone Loves Economics" for students to practice explaining complex ideas and situations.
Thomas Payne, the dean of Tech's College of Business, said, "We are deeply grateful to Tom and Judith for their extraordinary generosity and their belief in our students. By tailoring their gift to specifically support classroom instruction, they are helping the college attract and keep world-class faculty who further our 'students first' mission. Dr. Dowell is an outstanding teacher and mentor. She embodies the creativity, expertise and commitment to student success that are hallmarks of our college."
Iovino reflected on his deep desire to support organizations that create opportunities for others. He said, "I don't want anything. I have all that I need. I've been blessed with a great wife, good kids and good grandkids. I think it's incumbent upon me to give back. If I can do some things that make the world a better place, it'll make me feel better about the success that I've had and the money that I've earned."
For more information about Tennessee Technological University, visit the school’s website.