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Vols Behind the Vision: Laura Clayton
Laura ClaytonFinancial AdministratorCollege of Arts and Sciences (CAS) What do I love about working for the college? I love helping people and managing finances. I am proud to say that I work for UT and the College of Arts and Sciences. I also love sports and attend many athletic events at UT. I am a…
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UT Research Shows Viral Impact on Ocean Oxygen
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…
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Scholar Spotlight: Jie Sun
“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…
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Storytelling in the 21st Century
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…
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McDonald Family Endowments Add Professorships
Alumni share 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 Professor in Critical Minerals.…
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Sorting Social Complexity
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…
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College of Arts and Sciences Announces New Department Heads
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…
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Mary Dzon in ‘The Conversation:’ The Bible says little about Jesus’ childhood – but that didn’t stop medieval Christians from enjoying tales of him as holy ‘rascal’
An illustration from the Vernon Manuscript, from around 1400, shows the familiar motif of an ox and ass watching over the newborn Jesus. © Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, CC BY-NC Mary Dzon, University of Tennessee Manger scenes displayed around Christmastime usually feature an ox and an ass beside the infant Jesus. According to the…
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Steven Lautzenheiser in ‘The Conversation:’ Why can’t I wiggle my toes one at a time, like my fingers?
Steven Lautzenheiser, University of Tennessee Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to [email protected]. Why can’t I wiggle my toes individually, like I can with my fingers? – Vincent, age 15, Arlington, Virginia One of my favorite activities is…
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Carolyn E. Holmes in ‘The Conversation:’ The American fixation on white Afrikaners in South Africa stretches back nearly a century
Gemma Ware, The Conversation A few days after Donald Trump boycotted a G20 summit in Johannesburg, he announced South Africa would not be invited to the next G20 meeting, taking place at his resort in Miami in March 2026. Trump said it was a “total disgrace” that South Africa hosted the November event, citing allegations…
