Former Gov. Bill Haslam named University of Tennessee professor for new Baker School

Former Gov. Bill Haslam will be a "professor of practice" at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville this fall.

But he won't be teaching at the Haslam College of Business, which is named after his dad. Instead, he'll be part of the Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs at 1640 Cumberland Ave.

As a former Tennessee governor and Knoxville mayor, Haslam has the expertise for the role. The school focuses on educating students on forms of government, preparing them to become future leaders and areas of public policy and service.

"Howard Baker’s legacy is more inspiring and more necessary than ever, and we invite all prospective students to come and be part of the solution,” dean of the school Marianne Wanamaker said in a press release. Wanamaker also serves as a professor of economics. “Our academic and public programs will model productive pluralistic debate, and future students at the Baker School can expect access to firsthand experiences in the world of public service and numerous mentoring and other supportive resources to grow their talents in policy making and public problem-solving.”

Haslam worked for his father Jim Haslam's Pilot Company through the 1990s. He served as mayor of Knoxville 2003-2007, and was the governor of Tennessee 2011-2019.

With almost 20 years in politics, Haslam will bring his experience to the role as a professor of practice - the same designation Peyton Manning received while teaching in the College of Communications.

Haslam has already been working with the Baker School through a podcast that he and former governor Phil Bredesen host. Each episode of "You Might be Right" discusses a tough topic and the two, along with a guest, discuss different viewpoints to promote civility and debate.

He'll be joined in teaching this year by several more faculty experts:

• Donde Plowman - chancellor of UT Knoxville

• Katie Cahill - contracted assistant professor and senior director of strategic initiatives

• Josh Dunn - professor and executive director of the school’s Institute of American Civics

• Joe Hoagland - contracted professor and vice president of innovation and research at the Tennessee Valley Authority

• Michael D. Jones - professor of public policy and public affairs

• Benjamin Leard - assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics in UT’s Herbert College of Agriculture

• William Lyons - professor emeritus and interim associate director of the Institute of American Civics

• Matt Murray - research professor, professor of economics in UT’s Haslam College of Business and executive director emeritus of the Baker Center

• Jonathan Ring - lecturer and director of undergraduate studies

• John Scheb - professor of public policy and public affairs and interim associate dean of academic affairs

• Charles Sims - director of the Center for Energy, Transportation and Environmental Policy and associate professor of economics in the Haslam College of Business

• Xuhong Su - associate professor and director of graduate studies

• Krista Wiegand - professor of political science and director of the school’s Center for National Security and Foreign Affairs

• Priscilla Zotti - visiting professor and former dean of the Division of Humanities and Social Sciences at the U.S. Naval Academy

The Baker School is one of three new colleges this year. The other two are the College of Music and the College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies.

Keenan Thomas is a higher education reporter. Email keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com. Twitter @specialk2real.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Former Gov. Bill Haslam named University of Tennessee professor