UofM Trustees Extend Cato Johnson’s Chairmanship 

Dec. 4, 2024 — The University of Memphis Board of Trustees approved extending Cato Johnson’s chairmanship through 2025 in its quarterly meeting Wednesday.  

“I am humbled to continue serving as chair of the University of Memphis Board of Trustees in 2025,” said Johnson, SVP and chief of staff at Methodist Healthcare. “The University is on an upward trajectory with so many positive developments. The future is bright, indeed, and I am honored to continue leading our board with passion.”  Johnson is a founding University of Memphis Board of Trustees member and has served various roles on the board prior to becoming the board chairman. He received UofM’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2019.

Trustees also received an update on enrollment from enrollment management leadership, who outlined the strategies they are using to recruit students from across the country, including adding recruiters in Chicago and Dallas. 
 
They also saw a presentation from Dr. Eddie Jacobs, a research professor in the College of Engineering who traced his University tenure from a $20,000 small seed grant for the first drone to the nearly $20 million this past year for a drone mega-project at President’s Island. 
 
Jacobs emphasized the importance of student involvement, sharing that one of the students who worked in his lab, Brandon Simmers, made his master’s thesis about one of the drone projects.   

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MEDIA CONTACT: 
Jennifer Godwin 
Director of Media and Public Relations 
jennifer.godwin@memphis.edu 
(O) 901.678.4822 (M) 501.529.7482