Bunker Medbery (second from left) with Makerspace student worker Caleb Napper, Dean of Libraries Steve Smith, and Makerspace student worker Sarah Pastor
Bunker Medbery, a 1977 graduate of UT’s Haslam College of Business, is passionate about educating and inspiring the next generation of Vols, especially lady Vols. “My passion to equip and encourage women to thrive in nontraditional careers is nothing new. I think it started by watching my mom,” he explains. After raising Bunker and his two sisters, his mother went to college to earn a degree in library science—even earning better grades than her children!
Medbery imparted this same sense of purpose and can-do attitude to his two children. When his daughter, Rachel, displayed a natural affinity for science at an early age, he encouraged her sense of wonder and curiosity. Rachel went on to become the first female thoracic surgeon in her region. Bunker’s wife, Treva, a retired university professor, is similarly enthusiastic about supporting education. While not a UT alumna herself, Treva can often be seen decked out in orange and white, ready to cheer on the Vols.
In 2019 Medbery made a major commitment to the UT Libraries to create the Medbery Makerspace at Hodges Library as well as a certificate program that is a partnership between UT Libraries, the Haslam College of Business, and the Tickle College of Engineering. The program is aimed at encouraging university students—and women in particular—to explore careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.
Bunker with Michelle Brannen, head of Immersive Spaces and Technologies
STEM studies are not typically pursued by young women beyond middle school. A recent report by MIT, citing a statistic from UNESCO, says “the gender gap in STEM remains significant, with women making up only 28% of the STEM workforce.” Despite female students’ high aptitude for STEM careers, the 2022 YouScience Aptitude and Career Discovery survey shows that interest and exposure to those opportunities lag far behind. This gap is unfortunate, considering that STEM careers—particularly those in engineering and computer science—are projected to be some of the fastest-growing and highest-paying career options for workers in the coming years.
These alarming figures spurred Medbery to create the Medbery Family STEAM Endowment in 2024. His generous gift will provide needed resources to inspire future generations of Vols to explore, create, and access state-of-the-art collections and equipment to feed their curiosity in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. Medbery has agreed to serve as the UT Libraries Campaign Steering Committee chair for the upcoming It Takes a Volunteer campaign. Giving selflessly of his time, talent, and treasure, Medbery truly embodies what it means to be a Volunteer.
Thank you to every person and organization that made a donation to the University of Tennessee Libraries this past year. Whether you are an employee who faithfully contributed five dollars a month through payroll deduction, a new supporter who just made your first gift, or a UT retiree who created a named endowment in honor of a loved one, your gift is meaningful. A list of endowments and a roll with the names of donors in the James D. Hoskins Legacy Circle and the Felicia Circle are available on the Libraries’ website. lib.utk.edu/society
