Education
Empowering the next generation to shape their futures—and the future we all share
The Institute for Energy and the Environment promotes active engagement in research, scholarship, and creative activity, aligning innovations in research and teaching to enhance the educational experience and outcomes for students. Together these efforts support UT’s commitment to workforce development initiatives across both traditional and emerging career paths. Our goal is for more Tennesseans to learn, use, and apply new technology while shaping the jobs and economies of the future.
Academics
Research, education, and creative activity take many forms at UT. We offer a range of diverse opportunities for students and faculty alike, from training and education in partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory to community-based engagement through partnerships across colleges and disciplines. Our goal is to facilitate interactions and opportunities where UT students and faculty can make an impact—where knowledge intersects with opportunity. In this way, we are working to ensure that Tennessee is at the forefront of the innovation frontier, securing a sustainable and just planet for all life.
UT students, from first year to doctoral, participate in IEE programs including research internships, community-engaged activities, and experiential learning opportunities. Undergraduates interested in these opportunities should contact the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.
Graduate students pursue research and hands-on experience through traditional graduate research and teaching assistantships, making the most of UT’s unique interdisciplinary opportunities. Graduate students interested in learning more should contact the UT Graduate School.
“Students are the next generation of explorers and discoverers. We teach them how to do experiments and help them think about creative ways to apply their findings. The goal is for them see their own potential and the potential of their work for transformational applications.”
—Brad Day, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation Initiatives
Explore Student Experiences
Growth
Sixteen students representing civil engineering, biosystems engineering, nursing, and forestry traveled to Panama, where they learned how to use their skills to improve clean water availability for remote communities.
Learn about these students’ experiences in Panama.
Innovation
PhD and undergraduate students are part of a team receiving US Environmental Protection Agency funds to create a solution for removing “forever chemicals” from water. The two-year project includes opportunities for students to publish and present.
Hear from this research team.
Workforce Development
Tennessee’s workforce must be prepared to attract new industries, investments, and entrepreneurial opportunities to maintain a leadership position in the innovation economy. UT is developing the next generation of innovators and explorers—not only for our state and region but also for the nation.
Explore Development efforts
One of the greatest things I’ve encountered about the state of Tennessee is the optimism and the partnership that exists across the entirety of the state. The fact that the public sector, the private sector, the commercial sector, the universities, the national labs such as ORNL are all coming together to tackle these problems is unparalleled in the rest of the US.”
Stephen Streiffer
Director, Oak Ridge National Laboratory