
New College of Arts and Sciences professorships announced for 2025-2027. Photo by Steven Bridges The College of Arts and Sciences is excited to announce new professorships for 2025–2027. These positions recognize faculty members for their exceptional academic achievements and research contributions, celebrating their roles as leaders in their departments and expertise in their specialized academic…

A new book by religious studies Professor Tina Shepardson examines religious devotion and polarization within Christianity during late antiquity. Examining conflicts over Christian doctrine in the fifth and sixth centuries might provide a case study for thinking about religion and violence today, a University of Tennessee, Knoxville, scholar suggests. Tina Shepardson, UT Distinguished Professor in…

Burghardt paper on interpreting animal behavior earns Biosemiotics Award for 2024. Professor Emeritus Gordon Burghardt received the 2024 Biosemiotics Achievement Award for his contribution to a special issue of Biosemiotics, titled “Jakob von Uexküll, heterophenomenology, and behavior systems I: Core ethology and Merleau-Ponty.” In the special issue, Umwelt Theory and Phenomenology, Burghardt’s winning paper compares…

“I use computer models to predict the hidden underground flow of water, especially in terms of how it interacts with rivers, lakes, and the ocean.” Anner PaldorAssistant ProfessorDepartment of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences My research seeks to elucidate the dynamics of groundwater interactions with surface water bodies, and to better predict how these dynamics…

Researchers from math and molecular biology collaborate for a new analysis method. Photo by Erik Campos An interdisciplinary team of University of Tennessee researchers recently published in Biophysical Journal on their development of a new statistical method that improves analysis in single-molecule fluorescence experiments, which are used to study important protein complexes in cells. The…

“I introduce students to the vast histories and exciting cultural expressions of the French-speaking worlds.” Moussa SeckAssistant ProfessorDepartment of World Languages and Culture I enjoy teaching the French language and francophone studies with a focus on culture. I study the historical trajectories of the African migrant and the impacts of migration on post-independence African communities,…

Vogiatzis leads international workshop in computational catalysis and machine learning. Associate Professor Konstantinos Vogiatzis, Department of Chemistry, received a senior fellowship for 2024–2025 from Collegium Helveticum, a Swiss institute for advanced study. The fellowship is supported by ETH Zurich, the University of Zurich, and the Zurich University of the Arts. As part of the fellowship,…

“I study tiny organisms—like bacteria living in mammals, insects, and soil that eat dead things and waste products—to understand how they can help us break down our wastes or clean up pollution.” Zachary BurchamAssistant ProfessorDepartment of Microbiology My research focuses on microbial community dynamics using computational and lab-based approaches to understand how microbes interact with…

An international team including UT Professor Alycia Stigall offers a new way to examine the long-term impact of humans and other living organisms on the planet. An international team including a professor from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has developed a new approach for understanding how living organisms—including modern humans—fundamentally change Earth’s ecosystems. The researchers…

New academic programs add to career readiness for students in the College of Arts and Sciences. Photo by Erik Campos New academic programs for the 2025–2026 year add to the advantage for students in the College of Arts and Sciences, preparing them to succeed in today’s career landscape and the flexibility to grow with future…