The University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service

Welcome to Michael Hanson, who is an IPS Public Service Intern this summer in Morristown. Michael is pursuing his master's degree in public administration at East Tennessee State University. He says he's excited to learn all he can about the intricacies of city planning and the processes involved.

Welcome to IPS Public Service Intern Kristian Ozane! Kristian is a student at UT Chattanooga. He is pursuing his degree in political science and economics. He is passionate about public service, law and local government.

Congratulations to our Chief Business Officer Rumira Xhaferaj on her 15 years of service at UT!

Welcome to Molly McGill, one of our summer Public Service Interns! Molly is working with the city of Elizabethton, where she is looking forward to learning more about local government and the many different departments that work together to create a successful city. Molly is pursuing her master's in public administration degree at East Tennessee State University.

📖The UT Center for Local Planning has released a new policy guide to assist Tennessee municipalities and counties in understanding and implementing Public Chapter 1090, which significantly impacts planning, zoning, and development authority outside municipal limits.

The guide outlines key provisions of the law—including the ability of counties to supersede municipal regulations in extraterritorial areas, new annexation declaration requirements, and opportunities for interlocal agreements—as well as practical considerations and best practices for compliance. If you have questions or need assistance, the Center for Local Planning is available to help.

Welcome to Irman Sazzad, an IPS Public Service Intern this summer for the city of Oak Ridge! Irman is currently pursuing his master's in economics at UT Knoxville. He has a background in data analysis, economic research and public policy.

🎤 On this episode of In Touch with Tennessee, we sit down with Advanced Manufacturing Consultant Danny Norman with University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services to talk about what it really takes to put artificial intelligence to work on the factory floor without getting lost in hype.

In Touch with Tennessee Podcast | Institute for Public Service [{"settings":{"element":"gva_row","bg_position":"center top","bg_repeat":"repeat","bg_attachment":"scroll","bg_size":"default","style_space":"remove_padding_bottom","layout":"container","class":"before-help-region","class_css":"el-30599480"},"columns":[{"settings":{"element":"gva_column","class_css"...

This Memorial Day, we honor and remember those who sacrificed all for our country and freedom.

Reminder - our statewide offices will be closed on Monday.

🎤 IPS Executive Directors Drs. Jennifer Tourville and Macel Ely spoke earlier this week at the 2026 Consortium of University Public Service Organizations (CUPSO) in Anchorage, Alaska on the topic of Partnerships That Inform Policy. They were joined on the panel by (L-R) Drs. Greg Forehand (Human Services Research Institute in Cambridge, MA), Rachel Dicke (Institute of Public Policy, University of Missouri), and Kristi Eustice (Morrison Institute for Public Policy, Arizona State University).

You can find the University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services Health and Safety team on any given day, providing life-saving training to Tennessee's first responders. Thanks for hosting us Murfreesboro Fire and Rescue.