Pictured above are UTIA Fulbright winners Alex Crockette, left, and Miles Ownby, right. Photo by E. Hoffman, courtesy UTIA.

KNOXVILLE — The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture has new bragging rights thanks to two extremely accomplished students. These two students, Alex Crockett, of Jamestown, Tennessee, and Miles Ownby, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, have won Fulbright awards, giving them the opportunity to study, research and teach in cities around the world during the 2018-2019 academic year. The Institute’s winning students are both members of the class of 2018, Haslam scholars, and will soon be graduates of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, a unit of UTIA.

One of the most prestigious student awards in academia, the Fulbright US Student Program is the largest US international exchange program. To be selected for a Fulbright award, students must submit a formal proposal for international study, exhibit both academic and personal excellence, complete language study for the nation they will travel to (if applicable), and must complete a conferred bachelor’s degree before the start of their study abroad.

Crockett majored in food science and will be working on his master’s degree in agriculture and rural development at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom. A graduate of Alvin C. York Institute, Crockett is the son of Johnny and Rebecca Crockett. On winning a Fulbright, Crockett commented, “This will help shape my future career aspirations to serve as a medical doctor working with nonprofit organizations and government agencies in rural and underserved communities.”

Ownby studied biosystems engineering and will also begin work on a master’s degree. Ownby’s focus will be chemical engineering at the Université Laval in Canada. “I’m fulfilling my dreams of language immersion and acquisition, environmental stewardship, and the opportunity to be a cultural ambassador for the United States,” says Ownby of his Fulbright win. A graduate of Siegel High School, he is the son of Chris and Cathy Ownby.

The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture celebrates 50 years of excellence in providing Real. Life. Solutions. through teaching, discovery and service. ag.tennessee.edu.