Research and Discovery

It’s hard to imagine what Blount College’s first scholars in 1794 would say about the university’s current research efforts in areas like artificial intelligence, driverless cars, advanced materials manufacturing, and big data. But many of the programs and courses upon which our innovation efforts rely have been a foundation of education at the institution from the very beginning.

From our roads to our schools and hospitals, you don’t have to look far to see the positive impact the University of Tennessee is making in all 95 counties of the state we call home.

A UT scientist is researching how virus-infected bacteria could help in the fight against climate change.

With more than 520,000 acres in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, UT professors and students have a one-of-a-kind classroom right in their own backyard.

Senior Grant Rigney has joined an elite class since being named UT’s eighth Rhodes Scholar.

Lindsey Owen, a graduate student in the College of Communication and Information, recounts her experience working with UT’s Land Grant Films on a documentary about the 100 millionth book being given away by Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Owen learned not only about filmmaking but also how the program changes lives.

For the 150 children ages seven through 21 who have various disabilities and the 200 UT students who spend a week as counselors, Camp Koinonia is an experience that lasts a lifetime.

Maker’s Club turns student idea into a prosthetic limb.

Increasingly, faculty and students are crossing the silos of academic disciplines. Interdisciplinary collaborations are key to solving some of society’s greatest challenges. Here are a few of the Volunteers striving to make a difference through unique and sometimes surprising partnerships.

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.