When 40 Under 40 Winner Meets Haslam and Melton Scholar
by Vivian DiSalvo (Class of 2026)
Senior Tim Held met Nikhil Morar (’19), manager of business analytics and strategy for the Los Angeles Lakers, when the 2025 cohort of Volunteer 40 Under 40 winners was honored at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. For the day’s events, each winner was paired with a member of the Student Alumni Associates (SAA), a student organization that enriches the lives of all Vols through events and initiatives that bring together alumni, students, and future Vols.
“I’m a business analytics major, I’m really into sports, and I’m doing some research with the Tennessee basketball team—what Morar is doing is absolutely something I could see myself doing in the future,” says Held, having recently concluded his term as SAA president and now in his fourth year with the organization.
As Morar’s point of contact for the day, Held showed the 40 Under 40 winner around campus, telling Morar about the new Haslam College of Business building in process and introducing him to the analytics he does for the men’s basketball team—an opportunity Held secured as a Melton Scholar. The Melton Scholars program, generously funded by George Melton (’68), connects undergraduate analytics students with same-field faculty to complete an original research project. This experience contributed to Held’s recognition as one of the 100 Best & Brightest Undergraduate Business Majors of 2025 by Poets&Quants, an award given to 100 senior business majors from across the country who have had a significant impact on their college’s program and personified the best of their class. For his project, Held uses analytics to predict how high school freshmen will perform their first college season.
Held joking with Smokey during the Volunteer 40 Under 40
UT Alumni Board of Directors President Lisa Reed presenting a Volunteer 40 Under 40 award to Morar
Morar was impressed by the analytics software at UT.
“I was able to meet with their analytics team, and they showed me stuff they’re working on, like how they prep for games and scouting,” says Morar. “I didn’t realize they were already this advanced and was especially impressed that students were doing it versus staff.”
Morar even gave Held his card in case he ever needed help with anything—something that truly speaks to the bond between one Vol and another.
“It’s a very hard industry to get into,” says Held. “Already having a connection to the sports analytics field and being able to learn about it will be incredibly helpful as I’m planning for my future.”
Having alumni come back and take pride in being a Vol makes being here all the more special. I’m a third-generation Vol, and meeting so many alumni when they return to campus only deepens that connection.”
Tim Held
Class of 2025
Morar believes alumni engagement is an integral part of the student experience, helping students bridge the gap between college and the real world, and Held agrees wholeheartedly. From career networking to finding support to reaching goals, Held says connections with alumni like Morar and other experiences working with alumni have been invaluable and transformational to his time at UT.
“You can teach academics anywhere. What makes a school unique is the community that you’re in,” says Held. “Having alumni come back and take pride in being a Vol makes being here all the more special. I’m a third-generation Vol, and meeting so many alumni when they return to campus only deepens that connection.”
Held with fellow Haslam Scholars in Ireland
Held has also made meaningful connections as a Haslam Scholar, an experience made possible by a founding gift from alumni Jimmy and Dee Haslam and Jim and Natalie Haslam. With Haslam Scholars, Held had the trip of a lifetime in Ireland for two weeks where he learned about the importance of leadership as well as cultural immersion, which was beneficial for Held’s international business collateral. While there, they ran into a fellow Vol, which really goes to show that the Vol community exists all over the world.
Though his time as an undergraduate is coming to a close, Held plans to pursue his master’s at UT. And he looks forward to being an alumnus who, one day, can help make the Volunteer experience as rewarding as his own.
“As a student, you get to see the investment alumni are making as things continue to advance on campus,” says Held. “Whether it’s giving or just coming back to visit campus or speaking to students, I definitely want to continue to invest in UT.”
