Distinguished Alumnus and Donor Ron Nutt
The audience at the 2004 College of Engineering Honors Banquet didn't realize at first what was going to happen when COE alumnus Ron Nutt asked to make a special announcement.
The initial mystery soon turned into a celebration as Nutt, who received his bachelor of science, master of science and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from UT, made a "challenge gift" of $1 million to the College of Engineering. Nutt said that his generosity rose from the desire to encourage other engineering graduates and friends of the college to join with the him in giving back some of the rewards he had received through his association with UT.
Nutt is a founding partner of CTI Molecular Imaging Inc. (CTI MI), the highly successful international company that he co-founded with three other fellow UT alumni over two decades ago.
The company develops and globally markets positron emission tomography (PET) imaging equipment and services. PET scanners use the body's metabolism to reveal abnormalities, including cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's.
All three of Ron Nutt's children, Robert Nutt, Rhonda Nutt Goble and Randall Nutt, attended UT as electrical engineering majors. Robert graduated with a B.S. in electrical engineering in 1987, and Rhonda received the same degree in 1993. Nutt's younger son, Randall, had just completed his freshman year at the university when he was killed in a tragic motorcycle accident. In 1998, the Nutts made a $100,000 gift to establish the Randall Keith Nutt Engineering Scholarship Endowment, named in memory of their son. Since then, 18 students have been named Randall Nutt Scholars and have been awarded with more than $108,000 in scholarship funds.
Funds from the $1 million gift have been used to establish both a new scholarship and a new fellowship. The Ronald Nutt Family Engineering Scholarship will be available to junior and senior engineering students. The Ronald Nutt Fellowship in Image Formation and Processing will be available to graduate students in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, (ECE) with first preference given to recipients of the Randall K. Nutt Engineering Scholarship or the Ronald Nutt Family Engineering Scholarship. The remainder of the gift will be used to increase the funding for the Randall K. Nutt Scholarship.
"Our support of the college comes down to a matter of providing opportunities," Robert Nutt said. "Our parents have given us the chance to succeed, and it is rewarding to see our scholarships providing those same opportunities for young people to attend the University of Tennessee to receive an education."