Family and Consumer Sciences Professor Recognized for Career and Service
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The accomplishments of the faculty and staff of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture were celebrated at an annual awards luncheon held on the UT Knoxville campus in the new Agriculture and Natural Resources Building on July 30. Many of the awards are gifts made possible by faculty, alumni and friends of the institute.
UTIA Senior Vice Chancellor and Senior Vice President Keith Carver hosted the luncheon and praised the honorees for their work. “The enthusiasm and expertise demonstrated by our UTIA faculty and staff is unparalleled,” he said. “I am always in awe of their dedication to providing real life solutions to the people of Tennessee. These well-deserved awards represent impacts and accomplishments that benefit Tennesseans and society now and for years to come.”
Matthew Devereaux, professor and human development specialist, received the Webster Pendergrass Outstanding Service Award. This award is presented in memory of former Vice President for Agriculture Webster Pendergrass and recognizes a teaching, research, or Extension faculty member who has contributed most to the fulfillment of the institute’s goals and objectives.
“I’m always humbled and appreciative when receiving an award chosen by my peers. I want to thank my fellow departmental colleagues for their encouragement, and I want to thank my family, especially my wife, for their continued sacrifice so that I can make a lasting impact on those children and families who need our services most.”
Devereaux has been with the UT System for 28 years. He received his doctorate from the University of Tennessee in child and family studies in 2000. Among his many professional accomplishments and honors, he was the first UT Extension faculty member to receive the National Excellence in Extension Award, a distinction he earned in 2019.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch, and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.