Rankings and Recognition

Michael Folkerth

1 year ago

Former Sen. Lamar Alexander, left, joined UT Knoxville Chancellor Donde Plowman and former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, who teamed up to teach an undergraduate honors course on leading with courage—the first course to be offered through the university’s new Institute of American Civics.

UT Knoxville is ranked among the best colleges in America for affordability and quality by Money Magazine. It is the only public university in Tennessee to make the list. It also ranked in the top 30 percent among 1,500 of the best higher education institutions in the world, according to the 2023-24 QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) World University Rankings. Forbes Magazine recognized the university as one of America’s best employers for new graduates for the third consecutive year.

Meeting the Needs of the State

Some 95 students, one from each Tennessee county, joined the Volunteer family this fall as Distinguished Tennessean Scholars. The scholarship is part of UT Knoxville’s continued commitment to providing Tennessee students with access to an affordable and valuable education.
UT Knoxville is leading a transformative coalition focused on mobility and funded by the National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines program. TEAM TN, the first initiative of its kind in Tennessee, unites groups across academia, economic development, industry and government to focus on inventing and commercializing new transportation systems and technologies.

Growth in Research Grants, Partnerships and Facilities

UT Knoxville leadership broke ground on Innovation South, an 85,000-square-foot multi-use facility at the UT Research Park that will allow researchers to develop and test sustainable composite materials for advanced manufacturing applications and educate the nation’s future manufacturing workforce.

UT Knoxville has been awarded an $18 million Materials Research Science and Engineering Center from the National Science Foundation. The new Center for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing will develop sophisticated artificial intelligence and computational tools to help drive advances in quantum materials and materials designed for use in extreme environments.
UT Knoxville and Volkswagen Group of America are leveraging the expertise of both organizations to accelerate their partnership and develop technologies to transform the automotive industry and build the workforce of the future. Plans include launching 10 new joint research projects through 2025 and creating additional Ph.D. fellowship and internship positions.

Record Support

More than 67,320 alumni, supporters and friends of UT Knoxville rallied in philanthropic support during the 2022-23 fiscal year, surpassing last year’s number of donors and raising more than $264 million in contributions.

Leadership

Josh Dunn was named the first executive director of the Institute of American Civics.
The Southeastern Conference announced that Chancellor Donde Plowman will begin a two-year term as vice president of the SEC’s Executive Committee.