The University of Tennessee at Martin has announced the establishment of the Skyhawk Summitt Award, a prestigious presentation to honor leadership, excellence, success and service among faculty, staff and students.
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: 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.
“Coach Pat Head Summitt is arguably the most famous alumna from the University of Tennessee at Martin,” said Chancellor Yancy Freeman Sr. “She is also one of the most iconic and influential figures in the history of sports and education.
“Her reputation and success were built on characteristics such as purpose-driven leadership, integrity, resilience, discipline, dedication to excellence, mentorship, character and accountability. This honor is reserved for individuals whose leadership reflects not just talent but character and, like Pat Head Summitt, leave an enduring impact on those they lead.”
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 UT Martin, visit www.utm.edu or call 1-800-829-UTM1 (-8861).
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.
