Natural Sciences & Mathematics

Annual Awards Recognize Excellence in Arts & Sciences

Faculty Honored at the Annual College of Arts and Sciences Convocation The College of Arts and Sciences hosted its annual awards ceremony on Monday, March 31, 2025, at the UT Conference Center in downtown Knoxville. The annual ceremony honors faculty members in all areas of the college’s mission, selected by their colleagues as representatives of…
Symposium Features Undergraduate Research

The Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research Symposium (ASUReS) provides a venue for undergraduate students across all disciplines in the college to showcase their research and creative achievements in individual or group projects or their contributions to class capstone projects. ASUReS, pronounced “azures,” offers an opportunity for research Vols to gain experience in delivering professional presentations…
Microbial Manners on the High Seas

Sargasso Sea plankton and other marine microbes take turns sharing nutrients. A new study co-authored by Steven Wilhelm, Kenneth and Blaire Mossman Professor in microbiology; Joshua Weitz, mathematical modeling professor at the University of Maryland; and team found that microbes in the Sargasso Sea divide nutrients throughout their communities over time, supporting coexistence and efficient…
Choice Overload

Does it get overwhelming? UT faculty team investigates how animals react to overwhelming options. Humans can have a lot to consider when working out the best choices for their needs: buying a car, choosing a home, or just shopping for groceries. An overwhelming number of options can give a person pause. Animals experience this same…
Monteith Lab tracks immune response

Assistant Professor Andrew Monteith’s lab in the Department of Microbiology is documenting how key immune cells detect infection and how that fails to happen in people with lupus. Research Associate Ashley Wise led a study focused on neutrophils, the most abundant type of immune cell, and how their mitochondria function as sensory organelles to detect…
Defense Scholarship Supports Microbiology Student

While pursuing a PhD in microbiology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Meaghan Adler knows exactly where she’ll be starting her career. The Department of Defense (DoD) awarded her a scholarship for service, providing financial support for her studies in exchange for future employment with the DoD. Adler joined the Department of Microbiology in 2023…
Math Teacher Honored with Presidential Award

The White House recently honored Emily McDonald (MM ’24) with a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). A Hamilton County Schools teacher since 2015, McDonald completed her Master of Mathematics degree in 2024 through an online program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and is pursuing a PhD in math education…
Huang Named Fellow of Mineralogical Society

A Vol researcher who studies the geochemistry of rocks and meteorites to understand the deep interior of Earth and the early history of our solar system has been named a Fellow of the Mineralogical Society of America (MSA). Shichun Huang, the Gerald D. Sisk Associate Professor in the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences,…
Happy Birthday, Darwin

UT Knoxville faculty and students share science and history to celebrate Darwin Day. Biologist Charles Darwin would be 216 years-old this month, and museum educators and UT scientists at the McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture are celebrating with Darwin Day on February 23. This annual event invites families to the museum for a…
UT-Led Study Finds Vulnerable Communities Face Greater Risks from Multiple Environmental Hazards

Environmental disasters disrupt lives across entire regions, layering disproportionate burdens faced by communities that already face social and economic hardship. Extreme events like the flooding caused by Hurricane Helene in Tennessee and North Carolina illustrate this phenomenon in real time. A new study led by UT Knoxville Professor Paul Armsworth offers a comprehensive analysis of…