Energy and Environment
Yilu Liu, UT-ORNL Governor’s Chair for Power Grids, and Parans Paranthaman, jointly appointed at UT and ORNL, have been recognized by the 2026 R&D 100 Awards. Paranthaman’s work in lithium recovery has led to production of battery-grade lithium carbonate. Liu’s pulsar-based timing system will provide energy grids with a higher degree of precision and resilience.
Local agriculture and global resource efficiency may look unconnected at first glance. But UT researchers see how developing the circular bioeconomy will improve both at once. Their work spans the cultivation of natural resources, design and manufacture of bio-derived products, and engineering of product end-of-life solutions.
UT is working with Kairos Power, Oak Ridge National Lab, the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI), Barnard Construction, and local schools to advance new methods for nuclear technology and develop training opportunities for the workforce.
Theoretical Nuclear Physics professor Thomas Papenbrock is studying atomic nuclei using advanced theory and computation to better understand how matter behaves at its most basic level.
A professor at UT and the UT-Oak Ridge National Laboratory Governor’s Chair for Power Systems, Yilu Liu studies how to keep the power grid operating safely, efficiently, and affordably—even as it becomes more complex and unpredictable.
Joshua Rosenberg uses data science principles to improve educational outcomes while teaching students to analyze and interpret data. His work empowers teachers and students to use data and digital technologies to explore scientific questions in meaningful ways.
