UT Martin Office of Research, Outreach, and Economic Development

The UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute’s Second Annual Research Symposium is only two weeks away —-Tuesday, March 25, 2024, at the UT Conference Center. This exciting event will showcase the UT-Oak Ridge National Laboratory collaborative research funded by UT-ORII and the Science Alliance in FY24. The symposium will feature presentations from our FY 24-funded faculty members and several graduate students from the Bredesen Center. We are also excited to highlight the research of about 40 other UT students during a special Student Poster Session. Check UT-ORII’s website for more information. https://utorii.com

Excited to be giving a talk at the Department of Political Science at Western Kentucky University about the crucial subject of bureaucracy and its necessity for a functioning democracy. In an era of significant domestic institutional change, I'm looking forward to sharing insights from my fieldwork in Türkiye, Pakistan, and Taiwan, examining how functional bureaucratic systems can either strengthen or undermine a nation's democratic foundations. Special thanks to Timothy Rich for the invitation to discuss this vital intersection of institutions and democratic resilience! #PoliticalScience #Democracy #Institutions #HigherEducation #GlobalPerspectives

The University of Tennessee at Martin is hosting the Wildlife Society Southeastern Wildlife Student Conclave during the campus spring break March 27-29. The conclave is hosted by a different university each spring. About 350 people will be attending this year from 20 different universities. Dr. Eric Pelren, a professor in the Department of Agriculture, Geoscience and Natural Resources, is one of the people ensuring the conclave this year will go smoothly. “This will be the first time that the conclave has ever been held on the UT Martin campus,” Pelren said, “we are really excited to show off our campus to those other students and universities.” The three-day conference includes competitions, field trips, workshops and networking activities and ends with one university taking home the trophy. The competitions encourage students to use their classroom knowledge to showcase their skills and hone them further. The conclave will begin with a Quiz Bowl where teams of four from each university compete in answering wildlife-related questions. Afternoon competitions will be divided into multiple specialized events such as team competition, where students from each university will run from table to table throughout the campus and answer as many questions as they can in five minutes. Then a horn will sound, and the five-minute timer will start again until they have completed all 20 tables. This opportunity will benefit UT Martin wildlife students by allowing them to network with people in their field from all over the Southeast. “Graduate faculty will be seeing our campus and facilities and experience our content and instruction.” Pelren said. “I think it makes a favorable impression on them, so when they are interviewing our students, they will be more inclined to take them on as grad students.” Photo: UT Martin students are shown competing in the events at the 2024 Wildlife Society Southeastern Wildlife Student Conclave, held at Murray State University.

Dr. Jeffrey Bibbee, professor of history and dean of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts, participated in the unveiling of a blue plaque historical marker for George Brewster (1863-1875) in Cambridge, UK, on February 11. Brewster died at age 11, the last apprentice child chimney sweeper to die in England. Brewster’s death inspired the final parliamentary acts outlawing child labor and ushering in compulsory public education for all children up to age 14. The Earl of Shaftesbury, whose great-great-great grandfather advocated for the abolition of child labor, unveiled the plaque on the site of Brewster’s death exactly 150 years later to the day. Bibbee completed the research and application for the plaque.

A paper co-authored by Dr. Changrui Liu, assistant professor of statistics, named “Finite Markov chains with absorbing states and mis-specified random effects: application to cognitive data” has been published in the January 2025 issue of the journal “Biostatistics & Epidemiology.” The paper was co-authored by Dr. Pei Wang of Bowling Green State University, Dr. Jiyeon Park of the University of Kentucky, Dr. Suzanne L. Tyas of the University of Waterloo and Dr. Richard J. Kryscio of the University of Kentucky. The paper can be seen online at https://lnkd.in/efBbxG9f

Dr. Amanda Burkhart, assistant professor of chemistry, and two undergraduate research students, Austin Vest, a senior chemistry major from Enville, and Imani Peat, a junior chemistry major from Union City, attended the 77th annual Scientific Conference of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences held Feb. 17-21 in Baltimore, Maryland. Vest and Peat both have a concentration in forensic science, and both presented posters at the national meeting. Vest presented a poster titled, “Analysis of Commercially Available Delta-8 THC Products from Martin, TN Using GC-MS,” which included work that aimed to characterize cannabis products sold in the local area. Peat presented a poster titled, “A 12-Month Study on the Storage Conditions of Ignitable Liquids on Carbon Strips Used for Forensic Fire Debris Applications,” which included research that should help guide protocols for the proper storage of evidence obtained from intentional fire scenes. Burkhart and her two students attended several days of oral presentations in the areas of seized drugs, forensic toxicology and latent prints.

The Spark Cleantech Accelerator is now accepting applications for its 2025 cohort! ?? This 12-week program provides a stipend of $15,000, specialized workshops, expert mentorship, connections with investors and strategic partners such as the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee Valley Authority, the City of Knoxville, the Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council, and more. ? ?- Apply by May 16, 2025 at https://lnkd.in/dt4rHZXr Learn more at https://lnkd.in/dT4ETjs2? - Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at the University of Tennessee UT Center for Advanced Materials & Manufacturing (CAMM) UT Institute for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing University of Tennessee Research Foundation - UTRF Knoxville Chamber (Knoxville, Tennessee) Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) DOE Office of Technology Transitions UT Research Park at Cherokee Farm University of Tennessee Research Knoxville Entrepreneur Center Piper Communications Innovation Crossroads teknovation.biz LaunchTN F6S US - #innovation #circulareconomy #energyefficiency #sustainableag #wastewatertreatment #energystorage #advancedenergy #advancedmanufacturing #mobility #tennessee #knoxville #knoxvilletn

The UT Martin Research Series resumes at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 6, in the Paul Meek Library with an event featuring research projects involving students in the UTM Scholars Program. “The Scholars Program attracts students from across the campus,” notes program director Dr. John Glass, “as a result their, research activity touches on all disciplines.” Since its founding in 1981, the University Scholars Program has emphasized the importance of individual integrity, academic achievement, and education that develops intellectual, moral, and social responsibility. The University Scholars Program’s core curriculum, its emphasis on cultural events, and its opportunities for service and leadership are designed to prepare students for post-baccalaureate success through deepened and enriched understandings of themselves and the world in which they live. The UT Martin Research Series is co-sponsored by the Division of Academic Affairs and the Paul Meek Library. This free public event will be held in the north reading room of the Paul Meek Library, with a recorded livestream broadcast. Registration is not required but can be found on the Library’s Runway event page. For more information, contact Erik Nordberg, Dean of the Paul Meek Library, at 731-881-7070.

I’m excited to share my latest research, published in International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education: Police officers’ uniform needs: an undershirt wear protocol. This wear study explores how different undershirts could affect the police officers’ comfort level. This study extends prior research on ballistic vest discomfort by examining the impact of different undershirt materials on police officers’ comfort, wearer acceptability, and performance. While previous studies identified ballistic vests as uncomfortable, this is the first study to analyze how undershirt fabric composition affects officers' experiences while wearing them. You can read it here: https://lnkd.in/dV3DFUve I’d love to hear thoughts from colleagues and peers in the field! ?

More than 370 individuals from the University of Tennessee System, state and local government, and various community organizations gathered for the two-day Grand Challenges Summit in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The summit connected experts, educators and community leaders across the state engaged in research or professional work contributing to solutions for the Grand Challenges. Grand Challenges represent complex, interconnected, large-scale issues that if left unaddressed would continue to create uncertain futures for Tennesseans. This year’s summit focused on three key areas: advancing K-12 education, strengthening rural communities and overcoming addiction. “Our goal for this summit was to facilitate opportunities and we accomplished that,” said John Lacey, systems strategist for the UT System and summit organizer. “These are opportunities for our university researchers to connect with colleagues across knowledge areas, and with community leaders and state agencies. We believe connections, relationships and collaborations lead to more holistic solutions and ideas that can ultimately create positive change for Tennesseans.” Alisha Melton, executive director for the UT Martin Office of Research, Outreach, and Economic Development, attended the summit with other UTM representatives and attended multiple sessions. “The summit showcased UT’s impact on addressing critical issues affecting Tennesseans,” Melton said. “Representatives from every UT campus, community leaders and government representatives connected about mutual interests, shared research, and initiated partnerships to create positive change across our state.” Dr. Adnan Rasool, Ph.D., director of the university’s Center for Teaching and Learning, presented a session titled “Strengthening Rural Governance in West Tennessee.” “My presentation highlighted our work with the Grand Challenge Grant that is supporting student placements in public service in collaboration with the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development,” Rasool said. “As part of the project, UTM is supporting local and county governments in West Tennessee through governance capacity building.” Closing out the summit Friday morning, keynote speaker Dr. Joe Sanfelippo, author, speaker and former National Superintendent of the Year, spoke about the transformative impact of prioritizing people, showcasing how this approach fuels innovative solutions to today’s most pressing issues. The Grand Challenges initiative was established in 2023 to address complex, large-scale issues that threaten the future of Tennesseans. These issues include the opioid addiction crisis, teacher shortages, low student performance in schools, and scarcities in health and mental health care. For more information about the Grand Challenges Grants, visit the Grand Challenges website. UTM attendees left to right: Dr. Elliott Elliott, Dr. Adnan Rasool, Bud Grimes, Alisha Melton, and Lesa Finch.