The Board of Trustees at Tennessee Tech University approved a proposal for a new Ph.D. in integrative biology at its quarterly meeting on March 12. The program would be the university’s first doctoral offering in the Department of Biology and aims to launch this fall, pending final approval from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.
According to the university’s written proposal, the new program “takes a systems-based approach to biological research, preparing scholars to address complex biological questions across multiple scales — spanning molecular, cellular, organismal and ecosystem levels.”
University leaders say the program will stand apart by leveraging the Upper Cumberland region’s rich biological diversity as a “living laboratory” for student exploration and research.
They also note that the program addresses key workforce needs, with employment of biological scientists and related research positions in Tennessee projected to grow by 7.2% through 2032, outpacing the state’s overall projected employment growth.
Graduates of the program would be equipped for employment as research directors, faculty members, principal investigators and senior scientists in academic institutions, government research facilities and private industry, among other roles.
The university’s proposal is backed by letters of support from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s Division of Natural Areas and others.
In other board news:
- President’s report: Tech President Phil Oldham used his quarterly report to reflect on the 10-year anniversary of passage of the Focus on College and University Success (FOCUS) Act, landmark legislation that created individual governing boards for the state’s public universities. Oldham praised the law as “a very bold and forward-looking disruption to the status quo” and highlighted university accomplishments during that time, including a 25% increase in freshman enrollment, a 15% increase in the four-year graduation rate, 11 new buildings completed or under construction and 15 new academic majors alongside 78 new concentrations. “We’ve gotten pretty good at demonstrating we can do hard things and make them look easy,” said Oldham, summarizing the university’s work over the past decade.He noted that 30 individuals had served on the board during that time, including 10 student trustees, five faculty trustees and three current trustees who were part of the founding board: Trudy Harper, Tom Jones and Barry “Butch” Wilmore. Oldham concluded by challenging colleagues not to become complacent and to continue pushing the university to aim higher on behalf of its students.
- Enrollment update: Vice President for Enrollment & Communication Karen Lykins briefed trustees on the university’s enrollment efforts, noting that Tech is experiencing a 10-year high in spring enrollment and is on track for another fall freshman class exceeding 2,000 students.Lykins provided a profile of admitted students for the fall semester, sharing that they have an average 3.74 high school GPA and that the cohort includes 27 National Merit semifinalists. Lykins also previewed the university’s upcoming Student Orientation, Advisement and Registration (SOAR) sessions for incoming freshmen this summer. She added that sign-ups opened March 10 and that the program recorded its largest first day of registration on record.
- Update from the College of Arts & Sciences: Daren Snider, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Tech, provided an update on the college, which includes nine academic departments: biology, chemistry, earth sciences, English, foreign languages, history, mathematics, physics, and sociology and political science.Snider shared that the college enrolled 1,229 students as of fall 2025, with biology as its most popular degree program. He added that the history program has also seen notable recent growth. Snider discussed the college’s focus on experiential learning, highlighting projects such as The Iris Review, the English Department’s student-edited literary magazine, which recently earned a “superior” ranking from the National Council of Teachers of English.He also noted that the college accounted for $4.16 million in grant activations during fiscal year 2025 and that faculty and students published a combined 248 books, chapters, articles and software products.
- Update from the Senior Vice President for Planning & Finance: Senior Vice President for Planning & Finance Claire Stinson shared that the university recently received its fiscal year 2025 audit from the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury. For the fifth consecutive year, the university received an unmodified audit opinion with no findings.Stinson also briefed trustees on Tech’s funding share in Gov. Bill Lee’s fiscal year 2026-27 budget proposal, which includes $4.2 million for capital maintenance projects across campus and $83.9 million in total recurring appropriations for operating expenses.While the amounts are less than the university’s budget request, Stinson noted the university’s gratitude for specific allocations allowing Tech to complete utility infrastructure improvements and elevator upgrades across multiple buildings on campus. Stinson added that, based on projected funding levels and operating expenses, the university will likely request approval for a modest tuition increase later this year.
- Student recognition: Trustees spoke virtually with Isabella Tkachuk, a Tech junior double majoring in business management and operations, logistics and supply chain management. Tkachuk is a native of Ukraine who came to the United States when war broke out in her home country. She spoke with trustees from Athens, Greece, where she is currently studying abroad through Tech’s Center for Global Experiences.
Materials from today’s meeting and video of the full board meeting will be available at the board’s website, www.tntech.edu/board. The board’s next meeting is scheduled for June 25, 2026.
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