Orlando J. Rojas has been named the University of Tennessee–Oak Ridge National Laboratory Governor’s Chair for Circular Biomaterials. An internationally recognized leader in sustainable materials science, Rojas will hold a joint appointment in the UT Institute of Agriculture and at ORNL beginning in late 2026.
The Governor’s Chair program aligns institutional investments to recruit world-class researchers and accelerate innovation in important fields.
The University of Tennessee–Oak Ridge Innovation Institute identified circular bioeconomy systems as a convergent research initiative in 2024. Backed by a $20 million five-year commitment, the initiative is designed to position Tennessee as a hub for advances in sustainable agriculture, forestry, and manufacturing.
“This is exactly the kind of talent we are working to bring to UT and to Tennessee,” said UT Chancellor Donde Plowman. “Through UT-ORII and the Governor’s Chair program, we are strengthening our ability to recruit top faculty and build on the momentum of our broader research growth while also expanding the impact of the UT Institute of Agriculture.”
Rojas currently serves as Canada Excellence Research Chair at the University of British Columbia and director of the BioProducts Institute. His research group develops biologically inspired materials relevant to sustainable manufacturing, environmental technologies, biomedical systems, and energy storage.