Torchbearer Staff

When it comes to technology and innovation that improves our standard of living, manufacturing leads all other efforts, and UT is leading the way.

From the beginning, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s partnership with the University of Tennessee has fueled an era of American research innovation.

The works of notable women artists highlight the incredible diversity of the McClung Museum’s collections and enable the museum’s mission of educating and empowering our community.

On September 10, 1794, at the edge of the American frontier, a spark of an idea was kindled. That flame has grown into a beacon that continues to grow stronger.

In 1859, US Representative Justin Morrill helped shape the future of Tennessee and the rest of the nation with the idea that higher education should be available to everyone. President Abraham Lincoln signed into law the Morrill Act of 1862, which established land-grant colleges to teach agriculture and the mechanical arts to anyone who desired to learn, not just the privileged. The spirit of the “people’s colleges” continues at UT today through teaching, research, and extension work.

From early classrooms to our first cheerleader, take a look at these snapshots of life at the university.

With the purchase of the Hill in 1826, our institution began building and expanding. Here are the 10 oldest buildings that are still standing on campus today.

She plays the piano, loves to read, wakes up at 4 a.m. every day, and says her biggest influence was her father. Find out more about our ninth chancellor, Donde Plowman, and see what she did on her first day back on Rocky Top.

Numbering more than 5,200, this fall’s freshman class is the largest in recent history and is teeming with impressive students who all chose UT for different reasons. Get to know 12 of our new Vols—from writers, artists, and musicians to engineers, athletes, and activists—and find out more about the Class of 2022.

For most people, murder, arson, and violent crime are the stuff news stories and urban legend. But UT researchers who specialize in forensic work stare down death and sift through the ashes every day to help law enforcement solve mysteries and bring justice to victims. In this collection of stories, you’ll learn about the beginnings of the Body Farm, catch up on Forensic Anthropology Center research, and meet an alumnus who is the world’s leading expert on fire investigations.