Emily Parker has been named the new director of the Parents Association at UT. Parker received both her bachelors and masters degree from UT and has been the interim director of the UT Parents Association since May 2006.

The UT Parents Association is a group of over 4,300 families and was started in 2002 to provide parents additional support for their children in college. Membership into the Parents Association is $35 annually or $100 for all four years or as long as their child is in undergraduate study.

The Parents Association also gives parents a chance to stay connected with UT through weekly e-mails and three mailed newsletters a year. These e-mails and newsletters help parents to keep up with events and happenings around UT.

I have the highest level of confidence in her abilities and in her dedication to ensuring development of the UT Parents Association. Tim Rogers, vice-chancellor for Student AffairsBefore she was appointed to director, Parker was the assistant director for student orientation and development of leadership at UT.

In a press release to the university, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Tim Rogers said, "Emily's extraordinary communication skills, breadth of experience and knowledge of university academic and administrative protocol render her a unique and natural choice for the director's position. I have the highest level of confidence in her abilities and in her dedication to ensuring development of the UT Parents Association."

The Parents Association is in charge of Family Weekend in the fall and various events to recognize different scholarship beneficiaries as well as being a support to the Parents and Families Fund.

The Parents and Families Fund is a fund that helps to provide scholarships to students. These scholarships are based on academics and leadership. Parents can make a tax deductible donation to the Parents and Families Fund on the Parents Association Web site.

A few of the scholarships funded from the Parents and Families Fund are the Parents Association Programs Abroad Scholarship (PAPAS), Parents Association International Internship Scholarship (PAIIS) and the Parents Association Academic, Service and Leadership Scholarships.