Roane State Community College is mourning the loss of one of its own this week following the passing of former president Dr. Sherry L. Hoppe on January 25, 2026. She was 78 years old.

Dr. Hoppe was a dedicated educator and visionary leader whose career spanned decades of service to higher education in Tennessee. She became the first female president at both Roane State and Austin Peay State University, where she was later named president emeritus.

A graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, she began her career as a teacher and counselor at Chattanooga Valley High School before advancing into administrative leadership roles at Chattanooga State Community College.

Dr. Hoppe went on to serve as interim president of Nashville State Community College before her term as Roane State’s second president from 1988 to 2000.

She was then named interim president of Austin Peay in 2000 and served as president there from 2001 until her retirement in 2007. She is credited as the first person within the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) system to have advanced from a community college presidency directly to president of a four-year university.

Roane State’s current president, Dr. Chris Whaley, remembers her tenure as a pivotal and decisive moment for the college.

“Dr. Hoppe came to Roane State during very trying times. Enrollment was dropping in critical parts of our service area and the college needed to grow and adapt,” Dr. Whaley explained. “Dr. Hoppe met those challenges with an expansion of academic programs and the college’s footprint, which has become one of the core ways Roane State supports its students – the convenience of learning close to home.”

Thanks in no small part to all of Dr. Hoppe’s efforts, Roane State established permanent campuses in Cumberland and Scott Counties, Oak Ridge, and Knox County, with the latter location focused exclusively on health science education. The college recently opened the doors for its second location in Knoxville – a direct result of Dr. Hoppe’s mission to meet students where they are and increase access to higher learning.

Under Dr. Hoppe’s leadership, Roane State also experienced significant technological advancement, including the implementation of its first email system, online student grade access, and the development of distance education classrooms, positioning the college for long-term growth and innovation.

Dr. Hoppe continued to share her wisdom and life experiences through writing during her retirement. She authored several books, and her tenure at Roane State is documented in Dr. John Brown’s Change Over Time: A History of Roane State Community College, 1970–2020, which highlights her lasting impact on the institution.

A memorial service will be held at the Anglican Church of the Redeemer in Chattanooga on Sunday, February 1, 2026, at 1:30pm ET. In lieu of flowers, Dr. Hoppe’s family asked that friends and loved ones celebrate her life by giving to a cause close to her heart.

To make a monetary gift in Dr. Hoppe’s memory to Roane State Foundation, visit roanestate.edu/sherryhoppe. Contributions may be directed to the “Raider Fund” for student scholarships (supporting all Roane State students) or to the Sherry L. Hoppe Endowment (benefitting Roane State’s Oak Ridge Campus), helping ensure her commitment to student success continues for generations to come.