- Genomic research from Rachel Patton McCord, associate professor of biochemistry and cellular and molecular biology, received more than $3 million in funding. McCord and team established collaborations through the UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute Convergent Research Initiative, which brings together experts from UTK, the UT Health Science Center and ORNL.
- Researchers in the Tickle College of Engineering are using artificial intelligence and machine learning to provide treatment plans to breast cancer patients more quickly by analyzing pathology reports and other clinical records to determine how much breast cancer is in the body. Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in Tennessee and the second most common cancer among women in the United States.
Generosity and Service
- The UT Knoxville College of Law has been named the Frank Winston College of Law after a $32.5 million gift from The Bill Gatton Foundation. The gift establishes two fellowship programs—the Frank Winston Public Interest Law Fellows and the Frank Winston Business Law Fellows. These fellowships will cover three years of juris doctor studies plus a stipend, paid summer work experience, and educational and professional activities.
- Vols donated more than $428 million to support UTK during the 2024–25 fiscal year, the university’s largest fundraising total in history. This comes one year after UTK surpassed $300 million in philanthropic support for the first time and is more than double the support the university received in fiscal year 2020-21.
Rankings and Recognition
- UT Knoxville received a silver ranking as a Military Friendly School in recognition of its ongoing efforts assisting student veterans and military-connected students. The designation places the university among the nation’s leading institutions for creating a supportive and inclusive environment for those who have served.
- The Princeton Review recognized UT Knoxville on its annual list of the nation’s Top 50 Best Value Colleges (Public Schools). UTK is the only Tennessee school to make the 2025 list.
- The U.S. National Security Agency recognized UT Knoxville as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity.
Student Achievement
Twenty-five UT Knoxville students were named Gilman Scholars by the U.S. Department of State. Awarded annually, the scholarship encourages students to develop skills essential to the United States’ national security and economic prosperity.
Collaborative Programs
The Tickle College of Engineering is part of a groundbreaking statewide initiative to introduce nuclear energy concepts to students in kindergarten through second grade. More than 280 elementary teachers statewide will be trained to deliver age-appropriate inquiry-based lessons that introduce young learners to key energy concepts.