Institute for Energy and Environment

Sustainable Environment

Creating a healthy, resilient future for life on earth

John Schwartz and a student work in a mobile lab in the Smoky Mountains.
A graduate student wearing an orange UT hoodie prepares a marine microbiology sample.
Two researchers wearing red winter coats stand in front of a glacier.
Orange arrow.

We understand that humanity’s actions affect the natural environment, and environmental changes affect humanity’s ability to thrive. UT faculty and students approach sustainable environment research as a responsibility and an opportunity for innovation.

UT researchers are developing solutions to reduce pollution, preserve habitats, and secure the planet’s natural resources. Our work opens new pathways for industries and individuals to improve environmental stewardship and protect the life forms that call this planet home.

Several researchers stand on the deck of a research boat as large equipment collecting specimen moves from the ocean to the boat deck.

UT’s Approach

Our research spans species and habitats from coastal wetlands to deserts to the Appalachian ecoregion. Many projects are designed to inform federal conservation strategies or enable industries to improve environmental stewardship in their supply chains. For example, faculty members studying disease pathogens that threaten global amphibian biodiversity also explore how the global pet trade could proactively mitigate pathogen transmission between captive and wild amphibians.  

The UT One Health Initiative serves as an interdisciplinary hub for understanding the connections between all life and the planet. From environmental health and sustainability to emerging health threats driven by changes in climate, UT researchers are working across disciplines to create knowledge and to deliver solutions. UT faculty are part of a five-year federal grant to study links between climate change, harmful algal blooms, and human health.  

UT researchers apply artificial intelligence, machine learning, and multimodal modeling to understand interactions between health and environmental factors and improve environmental outcomes. One team studies machine learning models used to monitor air quality, while another uses them to study wildfires and their carbon emissions in vulnerable ecosystems. A transdisciplinary faculty cluster is using AI to advance climate-smart agriculture and forestry. 

UT prioritizes research and engagement in sustainable agriculture around the world and here at home. UT leads the US Department of Agriculture–funded Grasslands Partnership to engage farmers in climate-smart regenerative practices that increase soil carbon storage, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and optimize productivity. UT Extension is engaged in another USDA-funded project, a five-year collaboration focused on West Tennessee producers and landowners. 

“Developing new approaches to conserving species and ecosystems, while also trying to understand the many ways nature benefits people, is an interdisciplinary challenge. It’s about biodiversity and all of its complex interactions. But it’s also about people and how they interact with each other and with the natural world. By leveraging the breadth of expertise on our campus, our partnerships with conservation organizations and natural resource managers, and our location in a biodiversity hotspot, UT is ideally positioned to deliver on these challenges.”

—Paul Armsworth, Distinguished Service Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Research Associate and Technical Manager Adrian Gonzalez prepares to inject dye in sand in a seepage and drainage bench tester as students record data in the Water Resources/Hydraulics Lab in the John D. Tickle Engineering Building at the University of Tennessee.
Working on equipment on a ship offshore.
John Schwartz holds a water bottle in front of a waterfall.
A couple paddles a kayak on the Tennessee River.
Working on an experiment in a microbiology lab at the University of Tennessee.

Highlights

Team Receives Grant to Remove ‘Forever Chemicals’ from Water

A team of faculty, PhD students, and undergraduate students received a research grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency for a two-year project to remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from water.
 
Learn about the research team

Wilhelm Sargasso plankton research

Microbial Manners on the High Seas

Researchers from UT and the University of Maryland found that microbes in the Sargasso Sea divide nutrients throughout their communities over time, supporting coexistence and efficient nutrient use in nutrient-limited environments.

Read about the study.

A juvenile eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) traversing the Appalachian landscape.

Researchers Find High Risk to Amphibians from Fungal Pathogen

Research conducted in the UT Institute of Agriculture highlights the danger native amphibian species could face if invasive fungi are introduced to North America. It demonstrates the need for proactive measures in the global pet trade to avoid spreading pathogens. 

Learn more about this amphibian research.

Detail photo of a solution droplet on the end of a glass dropper before going into a glass vial in the Polymer Characterization Laboratory at the University of Tennessee.

UT Chemist Researches Micro- and Nanoplastics to Reduce Future Harm to Health and Environment

Researchers are studying microplastics and nanoplastics to determine how they form in the environment—and how to reduce or even prevent their formation. Professor Mark Dadmun and his students have provided insight into the formation of these nanoplastics and explore what is triggering the polymer chains to break down into nanoplastic fragments that persist in the environment.

Read more about their efforts.

The bottom portion of several tubes containing marine microbiology samples.

Facilities & Initiatives

Our sustainable environment research is carried out in labs, on farms, and across communities. We apply insights we create here in Tennessee to shape a healthier future around the world.

A graduate student deposits a marine microbiology sample for testing.

Researchers

  • Brad Collett.

    Brad Collett

    Executive Director, Tennessee RiverLine; Professor, UT Extension

    Community development, asset-based development, landscape performance, watersheds, rivers, Tennessee River, landscape architecture, design, water resource management, stewardship, economic development, public health, outdoor recreation, tourism, and outdoor economy

  • Chris Cox.

    Chris Cox

    Department Head and Robert M. Condra Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering

    Microbial gene expression profiles during biofuel production from cellulosic feedstocks

  • Mingzhou Jin.

    Mingzhou Jin

    John D. Tickle Professor & Director, Institute for a Secure & Sustainable Environment

    Manufacturing energy efficiency, optimization, sustainability, transportation, supply chain and logistics, building environment, climate change, clean energy transition, advanced and smart manufacturing

  • Niki Labbe.

    Niki Labbé

    Professor & Assistant Director, Center for Renewable Carbon

    Circular bioeconomy, integrated biorefining, sustainable advanced manufacturing, green chemistry, bioenergy, bioderived chemicals and materials

  • Alycia Stigall.

    Alycia Stigall

    Department Head and Jones/Bibee Professor; Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences

    Earth system evolution, invasive species, biotic responses to climate change in Earth’s history, marine ecosystems, paleontology, mass extinctions and biodiversification events

  • Siqun Wang.

    Siqun Wang

    Professor, School of Natural Resources

    Lignocellulosic materials, nano materials, nano-mechanics, composites, energy, remediation

See all Sustainable Environment Faculty