Faculty & Staff - Resident Assistants
Katie Freeman, Head Resident
Katie Freeman is a senior science communication major in UT’s School of Journalism. She is a freelance writer for the Knox News Sentinel and hopes to have the luxury of getting her master’s degree in creative writing. She spends most of her free time reading, playing with her dog, and pretending like she goes to the gym. And of course, during the month of June and beginning of July, she is hanging out with the amazing students that come to GSSE!
James Humble, Head Resident
Born in October 1988, James Humble hails from Nashville, Tennessee. After experiencing the Governor’s School for the Sciences in 2006 James decided to attend UT, where he studies chemistry and Spanish. James enjoys visiting the mountains whenever possible, playing Frisbee, Kayaking, or enjoying the outdoors in any other way.
Justin Arunthamakun, Resident Assistant
Justin is a Junior at Vanderbilt University majoring in Neuroscience with a minor in Financial Economics. He graduated from Sevier County High School and attended Governor's School for the Sciences in 2006, where he clearly loved every minute of it or else he wouldn't have come back as a RA for the 2nd year. He hopes to get into medical school in the future to pursue a MD/PhD but has to survive this thing called life first, which he clearly doesn’t have. Although Justin is a Vanderbilt Commodore, his blood still runs orange and is a true VOLs fan. In his free time, he enjoys playing sports, watching movies, reading books and hiking the Great Smoky Mountains. He looks forward to an amazing summer ahead!
GSSE = Just What I Needed!
Daniel Conrad, Resident Assistant
Daniel Conrad is a Junior at the University of Tennessee Knoxville majoring in Material Science and Engineering. He has lived all over West Tennessee and currently resides in the Memphis area. He plays several musical instruments include guitar, piano, and harmonica. Daniel also enjoys playing a variety of sports as well as his classic Super Nintendo. He is looking forward to the opportunity to meet everyone and enjoy having a blast at Governor's School 2009!
Rachel Davis, Resident Assistant
Rachel Davis was born and raised in Mt. Juliet, TN. She is currently a sophomore at the University of Tennessee majoring in Pre-Med/Child and Family Studies. She attended GSSE in 2007 and loved every minute of it. Rachel spends most of her spare time volunteering at the Sudanese Community and Women’s Services Center in Nashville, TN where she teaches English and computer classes and helps with the youth program. Some of her other interests include tie dying, polar bears, and Christmas. When Rachel isn’t decorating for Christmas four months in advance or tie dying herself a new shirt, she enjoys spending time out at the lake with her friends and watching the Atlanta Braves attempt to dominate in the National League East. She is excited for this summer and all the people she will meet!
James Gibson, Resident Assistant
James Gibson is a rising junior who was born and raised in Murfreesboro, TN. He is enrolled at UT as a College Scholar, with a program studying international political economy and development economics. James works on campus with the intramural sports program as a referee and manager during the year and is looking forward to using his sports knowledge at GSSE. This will also be a chance to see things from the other point of view, as he attended GSS 2006 as a student.
Matthew Goodman, , Resident Assistant
Matthew was born in Macon, Georgia where he was raised a Bulldog. Working here at UT will not change the fact that he bleeds red and black. He currently attends Tennessee Technological University. He is a all around good guy who enjoys the occasional mischief making. He attended Governor's School in the summer of 2007 and is the definition of Freebird. He is looking forward to a great summer!
Britta Johnson, Resident Assistant
Britta Johnson just finished her first here at the University of Tennessee. She is from Knoxville. Although she began college thinking about a biology major, Dr. Kovac's General Chemistry course made her change her mind. She is now majoring in Chemistry and thinking about Mathematics as well. When she isn't studying, she hangs out with her friends, reads, and swims. She is looking forward to meeting everyone this summer and knows she is going to have a great time.
Dylan Meggs, Resident Assistant
Born in 1879 to an Estonian wine merchant and a Nigerian revolutionary with three toes and a slight lisp, Dylan Meggs is nothing if not extant. Armed with his taciturn, solar-powered umbrella and his uncanny ability to make awkward even the most innocuous silence, Dylan has traveled throughout the tri-state area attempting to find his 1.54 meter long lost lover and equidistantly long lost car keys (although one might surmise the disappearance of the two are related, Dylan has a superstitious fear about making assumptions even remotely involving combustion engines and romance, so he treats the two as completely separate endeavors). He is, with only lackluster apprehension and ever-so-surreptitious disdain, slightly enthused about his impending sojourn at the Governor's School State Penitentiary for the Numerically Inclined. He hopes you mirror these sentiments (WARNING: emotions in mirror may be more poignant than they appear).
Michele Miller, Resident Assistant
Michele Miller is a sophomore from Memphis majoring in Biology/Pre-Med. While her academic life is dedicated to the study of the sciences, she also has a great love for art and photography. When she is not studying or hanging out with friends, she enjoys running or reading. She looks forward to meeting everyone and is ready to have a great summer.
Chelsea Oliver, Resident Assistant
Chelsea is a Junior at the University of Tennessee. During her time at the university, she has explored several majors, including biomedical engineering and biochemistry, but eventually she settled on a major in statistics with minors in business and economics. She is a graduate of Pigeon Forge High school, and attended the Governor's School for Engineering in 2006. In her free time, she likes to play softball and tennis (with moderate proficiency), and is always up for a good board game. She startles easily, doesn't like to j-walk, and loves diet coke. This is Chelsea's second year working as an RA for GSSE, and she is greatly looking forward to spending the summer with Tennessee's brightest students!
Rachel Taylor, Resident Assistant
Elizabeth Williams, Resident Assistant
Elizabeth Williams is a sophomore from Norris, TN majoring in political science with a concentration in education policy and reform. She is an alumnus of the 2007 Governor's School for the Humanities and continues to be astounded by what the Governor's School programs can do in the lives of their participants. Though she probably can't help you with your chemistry homework, Elizabeth will always be ready to lend moral support in the form of snack foods and episodes of The Office (or The West Wing if you're a fellow government nerd). She can't wait to spend her summer with some of the smartest high schoolers in the state.