Tennessee Tech's Julie Baker reflects on 20 years of university service and the power of education
Before each Tennessee Tech University commencement ceremony, Julie Baker can often be found on the arena floor exchanging hugs, taking selfies and sharing conversations with graduating students.
For Baker, Tech's associate provost and dean of the College of Graduate Studies, those moments are among the most rewarding parts of a career dedicated to education and student success.
“That day is so exciting for them. It's such an accomplishment,” Baker said during a recent interview on Tech's “College Town Talk” podcast. “And I'm proud, too, that they've earned that degree.”
The sentiment reflects a philosophy that has guided Baker throughout her years at Tech and even longer during her time as a high school teacher: education has the power to transform lives.
A three-time Tech graduate from rural Morgan County, Baker is celebrating her 20th anniversary at the university this fall, where she serves in dual roles in the Office of the Provost and the College of Graduate Studies.
In those positions, Baker helps administer more than 60 graduate concentrations and programs while also leading the university's academic integrity efforts, honors program and study abroad opportunities.
Yet despite the breadth of her responsibilities, Baker still sees herself as an educator at heart.
“I always wanted to be a teacher,” she said. “From early on I was teaching, setting up a classroom and teaching my younger cousins. ... It never felt like a job.”
Her passion for education runs deep. Baker comes from a family of teachers, including a great-grandmother who taught school in Tennessee before formal licensure requirements existed and later returned to Tech to finish her degree. Baker still displays her diploma in her office.
“I always grew up learning about how important the teaching profession was and how important teachers are to students and what kind of difference they can make,” Baker said.
That belief helped inspire Baker's work on a nearly $10 million federal GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) grant awarded to Tech in 2024. The initiative supports college readiness efforts in rural and underserved Tennessee communities, beginning with students as early as sixth grade.
“I come from a very small town ... and so that piece of it was important to me,” Baker explained. “The purpose that we had behind it is giving back to the communities and the students in those communities because we know that education can make such a difference.”
Before joining Tech in 2006, Baker taught high school English in Cookeville and Ooltewah. Those experiences continue to shape her perspective on recruiting and retaining teachers.
“Teaching is really hard,” she said. “But it’s such a special career. It’s so impactful ... We need the best and brightest young students to be teachers, to want to be teachers and move the profession forward.”
Asked to reflect on the most meaningful memories from her 20 years at Tech, Baker pointed not to titles or accomplishments, but to relationships.
“I think just the strong connections with students and faculty,” she said. “Years later, you see a student who comes up and remembers you… and says, ‘Oh my gosh, I remember your English class, and that was so fun, and I learned so much.’”
Those connections continue long after graduation. Baker recalled receiving Mother's Day messages this year from former students she taught years ago.
“Those are really feel-good moments,” she said. “They remember you for some reason. They know that you made some difference.”
Although she never imagined she would still be at Tech two decades later, Baker says the university has become deeply intertwined with her life. Three of her four sons have attended or are attending Tech and her brother is a faculty colleague.
Away from campus, Baker is an avid gardener who recently built a backyard greenhouse and enjoys growing plants from seed with her 5-year-old granddaughter.
“I love plants. I love gardening, growing plants, and I love building things,” Baker said.
Still, her greatest passion remains for education. Whether teaching high school English, mentoring future teachers or serving as an administrator, Baker sees a common thread running through every role she has held.
“It’s still serving students,” Baker explained. “And that’s at the core of what’s most important to me.”
Listen to Baker’s full College Town Talk interview on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Pandora, Amazon Music or at www.tntech.edu/collegetowntalk.