{"id":346,"date":"2023-01-13T12:30:43","date_gmt":"2023-01-13T17:30:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/research-multi-dev.utk.edu\/energy-dev\/?page_id=346"},"modified":"2026-04-21T16:30:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T20:30:41","slug":"education","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/research.utk.edu\/iee\/education\/","title":{"rendered":"Education"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Education<\/h1>\n\n\n

Empowering the next generation to shape their futures\u2014and the future we all share<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Academics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Research, education, and creative activity take many forms at UT. We offer a range of 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\u2014where 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 planet for all life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u202fshould contact the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Graduate students pursue research and hands-on experience through traditional graduate research and teaching assistantships, making the most of UT\u2019s unique interdisciplinary opportunities. Graduate students interested in learning more should contact the UT Graduate School<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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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.\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Brad Day, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation Initiatives<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Explore Student Experiences<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Growth<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019 experiences in Panama.<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Innovation<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

PhD and undergraduate students are part of a team receiving US Environmental Protection Agency funds to create a solution for removing \u201cforever chemicals\u201d from water. The two-year project includes opportunities for students to publish and present.

Hear from this researc<\/a>h team.<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Accomplishment<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Zach Arwood (BS \u201818) is researching sustainable wind energy capture by developing recyclable turbine blade materials. After a diverse career in cabinetry, construction, and automotive work, he returned to UT for a PhD in civil engineering, focusing on glass-fiber reinforced thermoplastic for wind turbine blades.

Learn about Zach’s unique story.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Training<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

UT prepares graduate students for success in multiple ways, including professional development training<\/a> to help them convert their high-quality research into prestigious funded fellowships from the National Science Foundation.

Meet NSF Graduate Research Fellows<\/a>.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Recognition<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Materials science and engineering major Jakob Scroggins investigates bioderived components for sustainable energy storage devices at the Center for Renewable Carbon. Now his resume includes a Goldwater Scholarship.

Meet this undergraduate scholar and researcher.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Workforce Development<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tennessee\u2019s 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\u2014not only for our state and region but also for the nation. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Explore Development efforts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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TEAM TN<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

UT is leading TEAM TN (Technology-Enabled Advanced Mobility in Tennessee), a statewide coalition to develop and commercialize new transportation technologies and prepare Tennesseans for high-demand jobs through STEM and mobility-related skill development and education programs.

Visit the TEAM TN website.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Quality Green Jobs Regional Challenge <\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

An interdisciplinary UT team has secured phased funding to connect more Tennesseans with vocational training for high-quality, high-demand jobs in sustainable transportation, technology, and manufacturing.

Learn more about this effort.<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Greening the Southeast<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To ensure a sustainable future across the automotive, housing, and food sectors, UT is developing new technologies and industries based around the circular bioeconomy with partners from Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina.
   
Read about this project, funded through an NSF Engines Development Award.<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Spark Cleantech Accelerator <\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

UT and Oak Ridge National Laboratory launched a partnership in 2023 to amplify the support and resources each organization provides to East Tennessee entrepreneurs in clean energy and advanced manufacturing.

Learn how UT supports entrepreneurs<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Stephen<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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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.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Stephen Streiffer<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Director, Oak Ridge National Laboratory<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Empowering the next generation to shape their futures\u2014and 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\u2019s commitment to workforce development initiatives across […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_genesis_hide_title":true,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-346","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","5":"entry","6":"has-post-thumbnail"},"yoast_head":"\nEducation - Institute for Energy and Environment<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"IEE promotes active engagement in research to support curricular innovations and enhance learning outcomes.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/research.utk.edu\/iee\/education\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Education - 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