Student Experience

  • Vols Get the GIST of Mapping Data

    Vols Get the GIST of Mapping Data

    Students and faculty in the Geographic Information Science and Technology program map down-to-Earth data for community-based projects using drones and other advanced scanning techniques. License to Fly (Remotely) The Geographic Information Science and Technology program launched the GEOG 314: Introduction to Uncrewed Aerial Systems class in fall 2025, offering vital skills and experience for students…

  • License to Fly (Remotely)

    License to Fly (Remotely)

    New class opens opportunities for Vols to build skills and certification to pilot Uncrewed Aerial Systems. The Geographic Information Science and Technology (GIST) program within the Department of Geography and Sustainability launched GEOG 314: Introduction to Uncrewed Aerial Systems in fall 2025. The class is a vital step for students seeking an undergraduate minor or…

  • Human Insight from the Animal World

    Human Insight from the Animal World

    The interdisciplinary Animal Behavior major gives students a look into animal ecology, psychology, and more while building analytical skills that apply to an array of human career paths. How do the birds and the bees know where to fly to get the best food? Why do wolves live in packs? How do female frogs select…

  • Southern Food Culture Takes Students from Seed to Table

    Southern Food Culture Takes Students from Seed to Table

    A new course from the Department of Africana Studies will examine the geographic, social, and economic histories of okra, watermelon, fried chicken, and more. A new course at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, will show students there’s a rich cultural history behind the delicious flavors on a plate of Southern food. Southern Food Cultures, Africana…

  • Philosophy as a Professional Skill

    Philosophy as a Professional Skill

    Assistant Professor Judith Carlisle’s courses empower students to examine, discuss, and explore topics they will face in their careers and the wider world. College students searching for courses that will advance their career skills might overlook philosophy, but the Professional Responsibility class at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, connects theory with analytical skills so they…

  • UT Students Hone Field Geology Skills in Bahamas

    UT Students Hone Field Geology Skills in Bahamas

    San Salvador Island provides a natural laboratory for undergraduate and graduate students to compare the history preserved in rock with the modern environment. Ten students from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, spent spring break in the Bahamas, investigating the geological history and honing their abilities to observe, record, analyze, and interpret as part of a…

  • Buller-Young Receives Trailblazer Award for Outstanding Service and Scholarship

    Buller-Young Receives Trailblazer Award for Outstanding Service and Scholarship

    Jake Buller-Young, an English doctoral student, received the Trailblazer Award for his service, academic achievement, and commitment to others. Jake Buller-Young came to Knoxville in 2019 to dig into the struggles of public discourse, and he is now the newest recipient of the highest doctoral student honor at UT: The Trailblazer Award.   Buller-Young, a doctoral…

  • Investigating Appalachian Life Through Biomarkers

    Investigating Appalachian Life Through Biomarkers

    While earning her PhD in biological anthropology, Caroline Znachko has researched how stress during early life can be seen in the skeleton and genetic markers. Caroline Znachko first learned that skeletons can reveal information about people’s lives when she was a child visiting the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. At the University of Tennessee,…

  • Shining a Light Across Ethical Environments

    Shining a Light Across Ethical Environments

    Graduating Vol Anja Shull works to put philosophy and ethics into big-picture action for environments that work best for animal welfare—and human connections. Anja Shull grew up holding a childhood goal close to her heart: find ways to help animals. She brought this inspiration to her studies, coupling her philosophy major with a minor in…

  • Humanitarian Foundations

    Humanitarian Foundations

    Tori McCall applied her Volunteer spirit to honors history studies and goals of helping others in need. Tori McCall forged her unique Volunteer journey from rural Tennessee to Central Europe and back home to Rocky Top, excelling in classwork and research while also working to pay her way through college. Her path to success was…