“I study the influence of samurai on people and ideas outside Japan.” Natalia DoanAssistant ProfessorDepartment of History My most recent project examines how a teenage samurai became a national celebrity in the United States before the American Civil War, and, in doing so, challenged many of the ideas and values of antebellum American culture. Much […]
An estate endowment by former history and political science faculty members supports student research on democracy in the Middle East. The Louay Bahry and Phebe Marr Middle Eastern Democracy Studies Endowment will establish a scholarship to reward the best undergraduate or graduate student essays on topics of democracy in the Middle East. Bahry served as […]
A substantial new National Endowment for the Humanities grant helps continue and expand UT’s Papers of Andrew Jackson project. UT’s Papers of Andrew Jackson project received a grant worth over $2.8 million from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the largest grant ever awarded to the project, which launched in 1971. The goal of the […]
An international research team unveils how viral lysis of blue-green algae in the Sargasso Sea enhances ecosystem-scale productivity. Newly published interdisciplinary research led by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and University of Maryland shows viral infection of blue-green algae in the ocean stimulates productivity in the ecosystem and contributes to a rich band of oxygen […]
“I use mass spectrometry to ‘take pictures’ of proteins within our cells so we can see how they look when they work and how they change in disease.” Jie SunAssistant ProfessorDepartment of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology My lab develops mass spectrometry-based structural proteomics, such as chemical footprinting approaches, to study the structure and […]
Vols learn to steer 21st century narratives through Visual and Interactive Storytelling. Storytelling traditions drive the heartbeat of the shared human experience, from the age-old intimacy of campfire tales to today’s world-wide digital platforms. The recently launched Visual and Interactive Storytelling (VIS) program offers UT students a major that connects history and traditions with these […]
Alumnus shares geologic passion through new endowed professorships. Alumni David and Barbara McDonald established two endowed professorships that support new faculty members specializing in critical minerals and energy in the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences (EEPS). Assistant Professor Manuel Scharrer began in August 2025 as the David McDonald Endowed Professors in Critical Minerals. […]
Center for the Dynamics of Social Complexity evolves with society. UT’s Center for the Dynamics of Social Complexity (DySoC) brings together researchers from across disciplines and around the world to investigate the human behaviors and social interactions that lead to discovery and transformation in societies. The center’s members and affiliates use computational social science, social […]
Faculty members new and familiar take on leadership roles for College of Arts and Sciences departments. Three new faculty members joined the College of Arts and Sciences on January 1 in department head roles, adding to new departmental leadership announced in August 2025. They add their rich expertise and experiences to the college’s environment of […]
“I explore various ways that art engages our minds and, thereby, fosters self-understanding and empathy for others.” Mojca KuplenTeaching Assistant ProfessorDepartment of Philosophy My research reflects overlapping interests in the philosophy of art, contemporary aesthetics, epistemology, and the philosophy of mind. I am interested in how and why we come to appreciate artistic (and aesthetic) […]
