UT research tackles some of society's biggest challenges with partnerships, innovation, & collaboration.

Joined December 2012
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The winning team was selected for their “Homework Helper” AI tool designed to reduce homework-related anxiety by offering support in time management and problem-solving. Congrats to the team and to UT professor Emily Holtz!
Congratulations to the Alcoa Intermediate students who won their age group in the national Presidential AI Challenge! Learn more about how AI Tennessee, a UT-led initiative, assisted K-12 students and teachers to bring AI education to the national stage. news.utk.edu/2026/06/10/elem…
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Trinh's patented technology transforms agricultural materials like corn stalks into products such as butyl acetate, an industrial chemical usually made from petroleum.
Cong Trinh is advancing sustainable chemical manufacturing through Estersol, a UTRF startup engineering microbial "cell factories" that convert renewable feedstocks into high-value industrial chemicals. Learn more about Estersol below! 👇 lnkd.in/eeFBWubQutrf.tenness…
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AI Tennessee and UT faculty are shaping the future of AI in education at every level—and helping elementary students develop research and presentation skills as they explore how to use AI for solving community challenges.
With support from the AI Tennessee initiative, a team of local students will represent the state next week in Washington, D.C.! Learn more about how this UT-led initiative assisted K-12 students and teachers in the Presidential AI Challenge. news.utk.edu/2026/06/02/elem…
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This research could lead to better therapies for depression, PTSD, migraines, and other health issues and revolutionize how scientists study cell types that resist culture outside the body.
#EngineeringVols of @cee_utk and Research Associate Professor Millet are using Cell-Like Adhesion through Matrix-Polymer Substrates (CLAMPS) to grow and study magnocellular neurons, a finicky cell involved in everything from child labor to diabetes. 🔗 bit.ly/4v5NWiF
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The Knoxville Quantum Accelerator, also known as K‑Quantum, will accelerate quantum innovation from theory into real-world applications and economic impact.
UT is launching the Knoxville Quantum Accelerator, which will help position East Tennessee as a leader in quantum technologies and systems. Read more about how this innovation will benefit companies and communities across Tennessee. ⤵️ news.utk.edu/2026/05/29/ut-l…
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Theoretical Nuclear Physics professor Thomas Papenbrock studies atomic nuclei using advanced theory and computation to answer some of the universe's biggest questions and to better understand how matter behaves at its most basic level. bit.ly/4e9J3zl
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SmartSHOTS combines systems-level thinking with expertise in coding, health science, public science communication, and user-friendly design to create a convenient app with big potential to improve health outcomes for Tennessee children.
ISE Professor Xueping Li and a multidisciplinary team of UT leaders are applying industrial systems expertise to public healthcare with SmartSHOTs. This award-winning app tackles barriers to childhood vaccination. #TeamTCE #EngineeringVols Learn more 🔗 bit.ly/42Lv5gS
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Congratulations to Vasileios Maroulas, who has been named a 2026 Research Leader Fellow by the @APLU_News Council on Research. The Fellowship helps research leaders develop expertise outside their roles and fosters connections with a network of senior research officers.
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More than a billion people will watch @FIFAWorldCup 26 and see the outcome of years of research by UT turfgrass experts to create the best possible pitches. Read more about the science of turfgrass: bit.ly/42Lu5cC
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This funding will support @knaidubobba's nuclear medicine research and advance the development of safer and more effective treatment options for patients with advanced prostate cancer.
Assistant Professor Kondapa Naidu Bobba has been selected to receive the 2026 Young Investigator Award. 🏆 The reward will support Bobba's research to improve the outcomes for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Full Story 🔗 bit.ly/3PfDl5k
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The unexpected discovery that dozens of bee and wasp species are magnetic raises more questions for future research and upends what we understand about how bees use their awareness of Earth's magnetic field.
Associate Professor Dustin Gilbert and his wife, Anne Murray, a Research Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UT, have measured magnetism in more than 120 different species of bees over the last six years. 🐝 Full Story 🧲 bit.ly/4cQxmgx
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As the nation’s energy systems are becoming more complex, Yilu Liu is helping build a stable power grid that is more reliable, resilient, and affordable. Learn more: bit.ly/42v45C0
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This research team interviewed more than 100 geospatial researchers to develop OS-EARTH, which will make it easier and more efficient to study large geographic regions and analyze large data sets.
Assistant Professor Jack Marquez received a $260,000 NSF grant last year to integrate Global Computing Lab’s open-source tools into an ecosystem that makes geospatial research faster and easier. Get details on his work: 🔗 bit.ly/4d2GZaW
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New UT-ORNL Governor's Chair @Orlando93842114 leads research to develop biologically inspired materials with applications spanning sustainable manufacturing, biomedical systems, energy storage and more.
UT welcomes Orlando J. Rojas as the UT-ORNL Governor’s Chair for Circular Biomaterials. Rojas will hold a joint appointment in @UTIAg and at @ORNL beginning in late 2026. news.utk.edu/2026/05/06/ut-n…
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UT Research retweeted
UT welcomes Orlando J. Rojas as the UT-ORNL Governor’s Chair for Circular Biomaterials. Rojas will hold a joint appointment in @UTIAg and at @ORNL beginning in late 2026. news.utk.edu/2026/05/06/ut-n…
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Assistant professor of political science Wayde Marsh has been named a 2026 Andrew Carnegie Fellow and will receive a $200,000 stipend to support his work. Marsh researches political behavior and decision-making, informed by insights from psychology. bit.ly/4cPE3iW
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This innovative research uses AI to analyze data and explore the factors involved in thousands of police-reported pedestrian crashes, and may lead to improved safety with autonomous vehicles.
Professor Asad Khattak and PhD #EngineeringVol Zeinab Bayati’s AI-enhanced research shows that rare crash scenarios are disproportionately deadly to pedestrians. The hope is that this study will result in more impactful safety interventions. 🔗 bit.ly/4e7xLw5
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This research partnership explores dementia care, healing-centered home environments, and community-engaged behavioral interventions. Read more: nursing.utk.edu/blog/2026/04…

As the spotlight returns to coach Pat Summitt’s legacy through the new Pat Summitt documentary, faculty researcher Hong Xiao is working closely with the Pat Summitt Foundation to advance critical research aimed at improving care and outcomes for patients and families.
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From learning a new instrument to mastering a sport, the brain constantly reshapes itself through plasticity. UT's @KeerthiKrishna3 is uncovering how it works at the genetic and cellular level—and what it could mean for treating neurological disorders. bit.ly/4e4ZoWG
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Professor John Sorochan and Research Scientist Kyley Dickson needed a way to make sure turfgrass playing fields are safe for athletes — so they invented the fLEX Device. Read more about their innovative solution. ⬇️ bit.ly/4cr4hYN
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Watch this video to learn more: youtube.com/watch?v=zLHm3XWG…

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