Retired Army Lt. Col. Scott Hardin, the ESGR Chattanooga committee chair, left, presents Dr. Chris Smith with the Patriot Award on Tuesday, Aug. 12. Smith was nominated for the award by Terry Ellis, right, a member of the School of Nursing faculty and a first lieutenant in the Army National Guard. Photo by Angela Foster.
Dr. Chris Smith, director of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga School of Nursing, has been recognized with the Patriot Award from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) program.
The Patriot Award honors individual supervisors who demonstrate exceptional support for National Guard and Reserve employees through measures such as flexible schedules, time off before and after deployments, and a commitment to supporting military obligations beyond what the law requires.
Smith, who also serves as chief health affairs officer for the Division of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, was nominated for the award by Terry Ellis—a first lieutenant in the Army National Guard and an assistant professor of practice in the UTC Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.
A formal presentation took place Tuesday, Aug. 12, at the Challenger STEM Learning Center during the UTC College of Health, Education and Professional Studies’ annual back-to-school event for faculty and staff. Retired Army Lt. Col. Scott Hardin, the Chattanooga ESGR committee chair, was on hand to present a framed certificate honoring Smith’s dedication to fostering a supportive workplace for service members.
“We help those who help us,” Hardin said. “She helps him and he helps her. That’s what it’s all about.
“We equate ESGR to a three-legged stool. You’ve got the service member, the family and the employer. If all those things work right, you get a great deployment, and you get a great worker because of the leadership skills the military builds.”
Smith expressed gratitude for the recognition, saying the award reflected the strength of the entire School of Nursing team.
“It’s such an honor to be recognized by the Office of the Secretary of Defense,” Smith said. “But what means even more to me is how the School of Nursing embraces our faculty and students who have a commitment to serving this nation.
“From our nursing majors in ROTC to the faculty members who have a record of military service and now are serving to educate our students, I am truly humbled to have been nominated by Lt. Terry Ellis as a patriotic employer.”
Dr. Valerie Rutledge, dean of the College of Health, Education and Professional Studies, praised Smith for creating a culture of care, collaboration and trust in the School of Nursing.
“She is always invested in what’s going to be the best opportunity and the best setting for the people that work for her,” Rutledge said. “She takes the individual and says, ‘How can we work with you not just to make our program better, but also to give you the opportunity to do the things that matter or that are a part of what you’ve obligated yourself to?’”
Rutledge said Smith’s actions set a tone for the department and helped foster what she called “a very positive organizational health perspective.”
“Let’s help our colleagues be as successful as possible,” Rutledge said. “Let’s make sure that when something comes up that they have obligated themselves to, we help by supporting whatever needs to be done. That’s absolutely the type of place where people want to work and the department they want to work in.”
Smith has served as director of the School of Nursing since 2014. She is also a UC Foundation Professor and the University’s chief health affairs officer. She earned a master’s degree from UTC in 1997 as part of the school’s first family nurse practitioner cohort.
Dr. Chris Smith and Terry Ellis
Ellis, a veteran nurse and entrepreneur with more than a decade of military service, said the award reflects Smith’s unwavering support of his military obligations.
His military role, which began as a private first class in 2014, involves regular travel to locations such as Fort Stewart in South Georgia and participation in multi-week summer operations coordinating statewide medical logistics.
“I’ve worked at places before as a Guard member where it was almost looked at as a shortcoming because there were going to be specific days you couldn’t be at work,” said Ellis, a member of the UTC faculty since 2023. “Here, I’ve not felt that way at all.
“I’ve never waited more than five minutes for approval of my military leave. That speaks wonders to who they are as individuals, as leaders from the institution side.”
Smith’s leadership, Ellis said, goes beyond approving paperwork. It reflects a deep commitment to faculty development, mentorship and service to others.
“Her support is a character trait that I wish could be copied and pasted among a lot more individuals or leaders,” he said. “UTC is the only job I’ve ever worked without having a Plan B. I love it here, and that’s one of the reasons I love it.”
Ellis said the nomination was driven not by a single moment but by the sustained and proactive support he’s received, especially when his training schedules change at the last minute or require extended absences.
“There are times when schedule conflicts come up and the response is always, ‘OK, that’s fine. Just let us know, and if you don’t have time to plan it, we’ll make a plan,’” he said. “The leadership here has been super supportive.”
Ellis balances faculty and military duties with his own academic pursuits. He is currently enrolled in both the Doctor of Nursing Practice and Master of Business Administration programs and serves as founder and CEO of Optimized Access—a Chattanooga-based medical device startup.
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From left: Retired Army Lt. Col. Scott Hardin, Dr. Chris Smith and Terry Ellis at the Patriot Award presentation.
