Monday, March 8, 2010
Contact: Madge Gibson
news@utsi.edu
“The Voice of Change” will be Rita Sanders Geier’s topic at The
University of Tennessee Space Institute’s Black History Celebration
on Wednesday, March 17, 2010, at 2:00 pm in the UTSI Auditorium. Ms.
Geier is Associate to the Chancellor and Senior Fellow at the Howard
H. Baker, Jr. Center for Public Policy at the University of
Tennessee at Knoxville. She leads UT’s intercultural efforts and
implements goals of the university’s diversity plan and Ready For
The World initiative
In 1968, Ms. Geier was a 23 year old law student at Vanderbilt
University and instructor at Tennessee State University in
Nashville, an historically black university. During that time, the
University of Tennessee, a predominately white university, had a
campus in Nashville and announced plans to expand. Fearing such
expansion would be detrimental to Tennessee State University, she
sued the State of Tennessee to desegregate its higher education
system. The suit spanned 39 years, seven governors and, “as a
result, Tennessee has spent $77 million since 2001 to increase
equality and diversity at state colleges and universities.” The
lawsuit was dismissed in September 2006.
Ms. Geier has a law degree from Vanderbilt University, a master's
degree from the University of Chicago and a bachelor's degree from
Fisk University.
Prior to joining UT, Geier worked at the Social Security
Administration in Washington, D.C., as executive counselor to the
commissioner for special initiatives, serving as principal adviser
on Medicare appeals, identity theft and other initiatives. She has
had a long career in federal government as a trial attorney and
administrator working with the Department of Justice and the
Appalachian Regional Commission in Washington, D.C. She received the
Presidential Rank Meritorious Executive Award from President Bill
Clinton and is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public
Administration.
The program will include special music, presentations, and a
reception following the program. The UTSI Celebration is free and
the public is invited to attend. Please contact UTSI Human Resources
at (931) 393-7226 for any questions.
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