Chris Powless
Ellington Hall Room 101
901-258-5274
Department of Biological Sciences Technology Support Division:

Bringing over 30 years of administrative leadership and technical skill to campus each day Chris Powless, a member of the Oneida Nation, strives to lead her team to achieve their motto of Dedication, Service and Pride each day.  Dell certified and a participant in the Homeland Security Cybersecurity Professional Development & Training program Chris serves on 3 committees and boards professionally and privately. Chris was recently accepted as a developer with EduPad, a mobile education app development company located in France. In recent years Douglas Hurley, then VP and CIO of ITD at The University of Memphis presented an award to Chris in "Recognition for Innovative Technology Excellence". A member of Educause,a nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of information technology she is also a recipient of the Deans Service Award, Outstanding Young Women of America Award, and a lifetime member of the International Thespian Society and Modern Music Masters. Chris formerly served the College of Arts and Sciences as Staff Senator and also served on the Executive Committee of Staff Senate, and represented the Staff Senate on the Facilities and Services Committee, Election Committee, and was a 2012 Nominee for LSP of the Year.

Chris and her life partner Marion are the proud parents of a young son. An advocate of Gay and Lesbian rights, Native American rights, victims, and children's rights Chris' door is always open.

Responsible for strategic planning and implementation of all ITD projects, my team serves over 40 faculty with research interests that integrate molecular, cellular, and developmental biology with ecology, evolution, and behavior which include two endowed Chairs of Excellence, in molecular biology and in functional genomics. We are pleased to support facilities well-equipped for contemporary research in laboratory and field biology such as the Meeman Biological Field Station, Ecological Research Center, Integrated Microscopy Center, and Feinstone Center for Genomic Research where we are able to  provide modern and competitive educational and research opportunities for over 400 undergraduate majors and more than 50 M.S, and Ph.D students. Keeping mission critical and daily operations moving 24 hours a day 7 days a week the BioTech team is here to serve with dedication and pride!

Should you require any type of service please submit a request on the web at umhelpdesk.memphis.edu These requests are evaluated and routed to the technical support person best able to handle your particular issue. You will receive e-mail notification confirming your request, and during the resolution process you may receive additional confirmation e-mail's (if call is vendor pending for example).  You may also call 678-8888 to have a customer service representative enter the service request for you. For software information please fill out a "special request" form. 

If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.

-Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Sin is just a bunch of made up malarkey and you really need to do something with that hair of yours.

~Dru Stratton