Friday, February 22, 2008
Writer: Shanna Relford
news@utsi.edu
Dr. Donald C. Daniel, UT Associate Vice President for the
University of Tennessee Space Institute, has announced that he will
retire in May. Daniel joined UTSI in 2006 following a national
search to lead the Institute. Prior to joining the UT team, he
served in a wide variety of engineering, management and executive
positions in industry, government and academia. Those included being
a research engineer with The Boeing Company and serving for 30 years
with the Department of the Air Force in various positions including
Chief Scientist of the Arnold Engineering Development Center; Deputy
Director of Science and Technology and Chief Scientist, Air Force
Materiel Command; Executive Director of the Air Force Research
Laboratory; and Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force
(Science, Technology and Engineering). Following his Air Force
career, Dr. Daniel simultaneously served as a Principal Research
Engineer with Georgia Tech, a Distinguished Research Professor at
the National Defense University in Washington D.C., and Chairman of
NATO’s Research and Technology Board.
Daniel said in a recent interview that he was honored to have led
UTSI and greatly enjoyed the opportunity to learn about the many
facets of the University of Tennessee System throughout the State.
“Leading UTSI has been an extremely interesting experience. Donna
and I love Tennessee and the great people here. We are very pleased
to have had the opportunity to live here twice in my professional
career. We like it so much in fact that Tullahoma will remain home
to us. We look forward to continuing our friendships and activities
and expanding our enjoyment of this great area.”
Dr. John Petersen, UT President, echoed Daniel’s feelings about the
Tullahoma area and Tennessee. He stated: “The University of
Tennessee has made great strides in providing for our citizens and
we continue to move forward every year. UTSI is a key part of our
University structure and I am confident that, like UT as a whole,
they will continue to move forward as well. I am very appreciative
of the excellent senior leadership Don brought to UTSI and to UT. He
has been an active participant and key player on my staff since the
first day he arrived in Tullahoma. Replacing such a leader is always
difficult but I will name a Search Committee immediately to begin
this very important task.”
Dr. David Millhorn, UT Executive Vice President, also praised
Daniel’s leadership. “Don was exactly the right fit at the right
time for UTSI when we were fortunate enough to attract him. He has
done a great job for UT on campus and off. I am delighted that he
and Donna will maintain their home in Tennessee and I am equally
sure that they will continue to contribute to our great area of the
country.”
