Natural Sciences & Mathematics

Alumni Awarded for Business Success

Arts and Sciences alumni take high ground on the Rocky Top Business Awards. The Rocky Top Business Awards, presented by the University of Tennessee and PYA Accountants and Advisors, celebrate the fastest-growing businesses owned or led by UT alumni. This year, alumni of the College of Arts and Sciences lead 16 of the 64 companies…
Protein-DNA Research Adds Insights for Human Genetics

Research led by a graduate student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, revealed an unexpected molecular mechanism in gene transcription. The study published in Science Advances with lead author David P. Lohry (PhD ’24) focused on a nuclear hormone receptor, thyroid receptor-α (TRα), and found both functional and structural changes when bound to DNA. Nuclear…
More to Explore in Appalachian Studies

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, sits squarely within Appalachia, and a group coming together from across campus aims to enhance the scholarship, creative activity, and community engagement with the region and across disciplines. A recent Appalachian Studies Showcase highlighted opportunities already available in areas ranging from scientific research to art to law. “Our vision for…
Russell Finds the Right Chemistry at UT

Jerred Russell’s adaptability and Volunteer Spirit motivated him through multiple challenges to earn his chemistry PhD. Jerred Russell grew up in the Bahamas, playing high school soccer at Kingsway Academy and dreaming of becoming a medical doctor. His excellent biology grades fueled this original career goal, but after a few unexpected turns—both academic and personal—he…
UT Grad Beams Up for Astrobiology

Starry nights inspire Opal Cianciolo for a career in planetary sciences. Opal Cianciolo traces her inspiration to study astrobiology directly to a lifelong affinity for starry nights and Star Trek. The Knoxville native and Hardin Valley High School alumna boldly reached for those stars and completes her four-year undergraduate mission in the Department of Earth,…
The Sky Isn’t the Limit for Undergraduates

Javier Gómez Marchant was surrounded by a passion for science during his childhood in Santiago, Chile, and YouTube videos drew his interest to astronomy. Undergraduate research opportunities at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, cemented his interest in a career seeking to better understand the cosmos. He is graduating with a BS in physics and preparing…
Armsworth Named Fellow of Ecological Society of America

Professor Paul Armsworth elected as a Fellow of the Ecological Society of America. The Ecological Society of America (ESA) announced Professor Paul Armsworth, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, among its cohort of 2025 ESA Fellows. He joins seven other new fellows and 10 new early career fellows. The fellowship status recognizes the many ways…
Lessons to Learn from Fascinating Ferns

Jacob Suissa is known for his enthusiastic approach to teaching about botany, both in the classroom as a professor of evolutionary biology at UT and through the non-profit “Let’s Botanize” social-media platform. He has now channeled that green-world energy into a new book about the complex history of one of the planet’s most enduring plants.…
Meeting Merges Networks for Microbial Data

International group of scientists met at UT Knoxville to form a “network of networks” for microbial research. The Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) hosted a meeting of 34 scientists from around the world March 20–23, 2025, to build a synthetic vision for the field of plant-microbe interactions across space, time, and levels of…
Drone Adds Detail to Crater Study

Researchers from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, have shown that when they use cameras mounted on a drone, they can develop a digital model of a crater faster and with more detail than previously possible. Their study, “A Drone-Based Thermophysical Investigation of Barringer Meteorite Crater Ejecta,” was published in the February 2025 issue of the…