Institute for 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.
UT is raising the bar in research excellence with the addition of eight exceptional researchers, three of whom are tackling pressing challenges related to energy and environment. Two of these preeminent faculty hires are advancing the circular bioeconomy. A new engineering professor’s work with materials and structures under extreme conditions has applications for nuclear energy.
The NSF has recognized the BRIDGES Engine, co-led by UT, as a winner of the nationwide Regional Innovation Engines competition. BRIDGES will receive up to $160 million over 10 years to strengthen the circular bioeconomy in the southeastern US, cultivate a lasting innovation ecosystem, and drive economic growth in rural Tennessee communities and beyond.
Andrew Monteith has been named a Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences—an early-career honor that recognizes promising scientists and supports bold, high-impact research. Monteith receives the honor for his research on heat in the form of fever and localized hot spots within the body.
