The nomination period for the Skyhawk Summitt Award – planned to be a prestigious award given by the University of Tennessee at Martin – will be from Tuesday, Sept. 1, through Wednesday, Sept. 30.
The Skyhawk Summitt Award – named for Pat Head Summitt, who played basketball at UT Martin and graduated from the university in 1974 before earning fame as a women’s basketball head coach at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville – will be presented annually to up to six people, which would include a maximum of one faculty member, one non-exempt staff member, one exempt staff member and three students.
The inaugural ceremony is planned to be held during I Heart UTM Week in April 2027.
The announcement of the establishment of the Skyhawk Summitt Award – a presentation to honor leadership, excellence, success and service among faculty, staff and students – was made June 1.
The process leading to the presentation of the inaugural award includes:
• Sept. 1-30: Nomination period opens; nominations may be submitted by individuals, teams or groups. Self-nominations will not be accepted. Before beginning the nomination process, nominators are encouraged to gather the information they will need to complete the form, which is linked to the award’s official website.
• Oct. 1-Dec. 1: Nominee application period.
• January-February: Selection process begins.
• April: Award recipients will be announced.
The award will be presented to those who:
• Lead with courage, purpose, integrity and compassion.
• Demonstrate unshakable resilience and discipline.
• Commit to high standards of excellence in academics, leadership and service.
• Invest in the growth and success of others, serving as a mentor, advocate and role model.
• Embody strength of character and accountability in every aspect of life.
• Believe in service to team before self and uplift their community through commitment and consistency.
Along with these ideals, each recipient has other standards to meet.
• Faculty members must be full-time instructors, have been employed at UT Martin for a minimum of 12 months and be in good standing with the university.
• Staff members must be employed full-time, have been on staff at UT Martin for a minimum of 12 months and must be in good standing with the university.
• Students must have earned at least 30 credit hours, have a minimum grade-point average of 2.5 and be in good standing with the university.
The creation of this award is a part of Strategy 1 of Goal V of the UT Martin 2025-2030 Strategic Plan: to recognize and encourage excellence for students, faculty and staff.
For more information about the award, contact Dr. Jamie Mantooth, executive director of strategic leadership in the Office of the Chancellor, at 731-881-7022 or mantooth@utm.edu.
PHOTO: Pat Head Summitt, a 1974 UT Martin alumna famed for her women’s basketball leadership as a player and coach, is shown with the eight NCAA national championship trophies won by her teams at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Summitt is the namesake of a new, prestigious award created by UT Martin.
