The University of Tennessee Board of Trustees approved a proposal today to rename a joint UT-Oak Ridge National Laboratory research institute.

Ernest Wollan (left) and Clifford Shull (right) work with a double-crystal neutron spectrometer at the ORNL X-10 Graphite Reactor in 1949. (Credit: ORNL)

The Joint Institute for Neutron Sciences is now the Shull Wollan Center—A Joint Institute for Neutron Sciences, named in honor of two esteemed physicists and pioneers in neutron scattering, Clifford Shull and Ernest Wollan.

Trustees unanimously approved the proposal at the full board meeting held today at the University of Tennessee, Martin.

Shull and Wollan studied neutron scattering at ORNL in the 1940s while working on the X-10 Graphite Reactor. The work they accomplished together after the Manhattan Project established neutron diffraction as a quantitative research tool.
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Andrew Briggs, of The University of Oxford, England, will speak on “The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Curiosity” as part of the The Eugene P. Wigner Distinguished Lecture Series in Science, Technology, and Policy, hosted by the ORNL Corporate Fellows. Best known for his pioneering work in acoustic microscopy for materials characterization, Briggs is currently focusing on nanomaterials for new technologies and for incorporation into practical devices.

WHEN: Tuesday, March 8; 10–11:30 a.m.
WHERE: Iran Thomas Auditorium, ORNL, SNS
DETAILS: Flyer

OAK RIDGE—Alan Tennant has been appointed director of the Joint Institute for Neutron Sciences at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The institute is a partnership between ORNL and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

“Neutrons are the future in characterizing materials, especially soft matter,” said Taylor Eighmy, vice chancellor for research and engagement at UT. “With Alan as director, we can begin to establish deep thought leadership at UT and ORNL in this growing field.”

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Left to right: Marc Gibson, Senior Director of Corporate and Foundation Engagement at UT; Gary Luce, Technology Liaison for Eastman Innovation Center; David Millhorn, Executive Vice President for UT and President of the UT Research Foundation; Theresa Lee, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; Steve Crawford, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for Eastman; Stewart Witzeman, Director of Eastman Innovation Center; Taylor Eighmy, Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement at UT; Jennifer Stewart, Vice President for Corporate Innovation at Eastman

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Eastman Chemical Company have signed a multiyear agreement to conduct collaborative research in multiple scientific disciplines, especially in the neutron science and additive manufacturing fields in which UT is recognized worldwide for its unique expertise.

Officials from UT and Eastman—which have worked together in other ways for years—gathered Monday at Eastman’s world headquarters in Kingsport to christen this new aspect of their relationship. UT is now the third academic partner in Eastman’s network of partner universities, joining North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

As part of the research agreement, Eastman will provide $750,000 in funding over three years to support research endeavors between Eastman scientists and UT faculty and students.
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