The Tickle College of Engineering received a $20 million U.S. Department of Energy grant for the IMPACT project, led by UT-Oak Ridge National Laboratory Governor’s Chair for Nuclear Materials Steve Zinkle. This project aims to revolutionize high-performance materials for fusion energy systems. UT Knoxville researchers will use a $17.8 million U.S. Air Force grant to create a wind tunnel at the UT Space Institute in Tullahoma. This facility will test materials like high-temperature ceramics under hypersonic conditions above Mach 5, essential for advancing hypersonic vehicles such as space shuttles, which re-enter Earth’s atmosphere at nearly Mach 25. The new wind tunnel will be among the few worldwide capable of simulating these extreme conditions. UT Knoxville also signed a new five-year master research agreement with Lockheed Martin, reinforcing their partnership in advancing research from lab to field.
Student Success
More than 2,100 graduates joined the Volunteer alumni family after fall commencement, with approximately 1,412 undergraduate and 709 graduate degrees awarded. Lamar Alexander, former U.S. senator, governor and UT System president, delivered the keynote address and received an honorary Doctor of Educational Leadership and Policy degree. The fall graduates included 40 members of the new Nursing Scholars Program, a partnership with UT Medical Center. Students trained at the hospital while earning their Bachelor of Science in nursing and received tuition assistance in exchange for a three-year work commitment post-graduation.
University Rankings and Recognition
UT Knoxville was named in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best Online Education Programs, ranking among public institutions: No. 16 Best Online Graduate Business Programs (non-MBA), No. 21 Best Online Graduate Engineering Programs and No. 35 Best Online Bachelor’s Programs. UT Knoxville was recognized as a 2025 Veteran Ready Business by the Tennessee Department of Veteran Services, earning bronze certification. UT Knoxville was named to Forbes magazine’s inaugural list of America’s Dream Employers and received designation as a Best Place for Working Parents.
Vol Generosity
UT Knoxville’s Vols of Honor Scholarship was awarded to 23 students this fall, doubling support since its inception. Established in 2022, the scholarship assists students with a military or first responder parent or spouse who was disabled or killed while serving.
