Valerie C. Rutledge

Valerie Rutledge, EdD, is dean of the College of Health, Education and Professional Studies at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga (UTC) where she is also the Mildred Routt Outstanding Teaching Professor and UC Foundation Professor.

As dean of UTC’s College of Health, Education and Professional Studies, Valerie oversees the Departments of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Interior Design, Social Work, Health and Human Performance, School of Nursing and School of Education. Before this, she directed UTC’s School of Education. She has been a professor, co-director of Governor’s School for Prospective Teachers and an adjunct instructor at both UTC and the University of Tennessee-Knoxville (UTK).

Valerie has authored and co-authored multiple articles in peer-reviewed journals and presented at disciplinary conferences and coalitions. She has also been the invited speaker at numerous events, conferences, as well as made many community service presentations. She serves on the Principals’ Leadership Academy Advisory Board; the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce Education Committee; UTC’s Banner Security Committee, Council of Academic Department Heads and Doctoral Dissertation Committees, Faculty Club Committee, and ThinkAchieve Committee. She maintains membership in the National Association for Education of Young Children, Alpha Society, Tennessee Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Tennessee Association of Colleges of Teacher Education, National Council of Teachers of English, Phi Delta Kappa Education Fraternity, International Reading Association and Tennessee Reading Association. She is active in Chattanooga Women’s Leadership Institute, Tennessee Federation of Republican Women, Chattanooga chapter of Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, Hamilton County Republican Party, Hamilton County Republican Women’s Club, Alpha Delta Kappa International Honorary Sorority for Women Educators, and Pi Beta Pli Alum Club. She serves on the Advisory Council for Downtown Schools and Chattanooga Council for the Preservation of African-American Song, and the advisory boards of Allied Health CAREERS Program; Autism; Chattanooga Autistic Programs; Red Bank High School Leadership; and UTC Children’s Center.

Valerie earned a BS in secondary education-English and a master’s in secondary-English from UTC. She earned a doctorate of education in leadership studies from the UTK.