The new faculty members are joining an institution that has positioned its research enterprise around close partnerships with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Y-12 National Security Complex and the Tennessee Valley Authority. These relationships provide access to specialized facilities, large-scale computing, advanced materials laboratories and expertise in nuclear science and energy systems. University Chancellor Donde Plowman said the recruits were attracted by UT’s growing research ecosystem and by opportunities to work on problems with direct significance for Tennessee and the wider nation.

Among the most technology-focused appointments is Shaundra Daily, who is joining UT from Duke University as a professor in the College of Communication and Information. Daily studies artificial intelligence, human-centered technology and affective computing, a field that uses computational systems to recognize, interpret or respond to human emotions. Her work examines sociotechnical systems, meaning systems shaped jointly by technical tools, human users and social institutions. By designing technologies that improve participation and achievement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, she investigates how AI can become more inclusive rather than simply more powerful.

Deep Jariwala, arriving from the University of Pennsylvania in 2027 as the UT-ORNL Governor’s Chair for Quantum Devices, will focus on materials and devices for next-generation computing, sensing and communications. His research is expected to explore how emerging materials can manipulate charge, light or other physical properties at very small scales. Such materials could support specialized chips for artificial intelligence, where conventional architectures increasingly face limits in energy consumption and processing efficiency. Quantum devices may also enable sensors capable of detecting subtle changes in magnetic fields, chemical environments or biological signals.

The university is also strengthening its research in digital health through the appointment of Graham Thomas, who joined UT from Brown University as a professor and center director in the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences. Thomas studies methods for optimizing and delivering health interventions, using digital platforms and advanced analytics to understand behavior. His work includes weight management, eating patterns and physical activity. By analyzing data from mobile devices, virtual tools and other digital systems, researchers can examine how interventions work for different individuals and adjust them over time rather than relying on a single treatment approach for everyone.

Laurent Capolungo, who is coming from Los Alamos National Laboratory as a professor in the Tickle College of Engineering, brings expertise in computational materials science. His research uses multiscale modeling to predict how materials and structures behave under extreme conditions. Multiscale approaches connect phenomena occurring at atomic or microscopic levels with the performance of components that can be meters in size. This capability is particularly important for advanced manufacturing, nuclear energy and defense, where materials may encounter intense heat, radiation, mechanical stress or corrosive environments. Better simulations can reduce development costs while helping engineers design safer and more durable systems.

Sustainable materials and circular manufacturing will be advanced through the appointment of Orlando J. Rojas, who will join UT from the University of British Columbia as the UT-ORNL Governor’s Chair for Circular Biomaterials. Rojas studies soft matter, a category that includes polymers, gels, colloids and biological materials whose physical behavior differs from that of rigid solids. His research contributes to the development of technical textiles and biomedical materials, while also examining how renewable or discarded biological resources can replace petroleum-based feedstocks. A circular approach aims to keep materials in productive use for longer, reducing waste and the energy required to manufacture new products.

Jeffery Tomberlin, joining the UT Institute of Agriculture from Texas A&M University as the Chancellor’s Excellence Professor, will bring his pioneering work on black soldier flies. The insects are efficient decomposers whose larvae can convert organic waste into protein-rich biomass and nutrient-containing residue. This process has potential applications in animal feed, fertilizer and waste management, making it a notable example of the circular bioeconomy. Tomberlin’s research also supports forensic entomology, which uses insect development and ecological patterns to help estimate the timing and circumstances surrounding death in criminal investigations.

Two additional appointments extend UT’s reach into precision medicine and population health. Carolyn Anderson, arriving from the University of Missouri as the UT-ORNL Governor’s Chair for Nuclear Medicine: Radiopharmaceutical Therapies, develops radioactive compounds designed to diagnose and treat disease. Radiopharmaceutical therapy agents can carry beta- or alpha-emitting radionuclides directly to cancer cells, delivering highly localized radiation. Companion positron emission tomography agents can reveal where those compounds travel in the body, helping clinicians select treatments and monitor responses. Kimberly Powell, also from Missouri, joins the College of Nursing as an associate professor specializing in precision health for aging populations. Her work examines health data, telehealth and text-messaging interventions that could make care more responsive to older adults’ needs.

Together, the eight appointments represent a deliberate expansion of UT’s research portfolio rather than a collection of isolated hires. Their fields share a common reliance on data, advanced modeling, engineered materials and partnerships across disciplines. From AI systems designed around human needs to insects that transform waste, quantum materials that could reshape computing and radiopharmaceuticals that target cancer, the researchers are working on technologies with both scientific and societal consequences. UT officials say the appointments will create new opportunities for students while accelerating collaborations with national laboratories, industry and public agencies—an approach intended to turn the university’s growing research capacity into visible advances in health, energy, manufacturing and environmental sustainability.

Subject of Research: Artificial intelligence, quantum devices, digital health, computational materials science, circular biomaterials, black soldier flies, nuclear medicine and precision health.

Article Title: University of Tennessee Recruits Eight Researchers to Expand Innovation Across AI, Quantum Science and Health

Web References: https://research.utk.edu/research-strengths/; https://research.utk.edu/partnerships/; https://news.utk.edu/2026/04/08/ut-names-new-governors-chair-for-quantum-devices/; https://news.utk.edu/2026/05/06/ut-names-governors-chair-for-circular-biomaterials/; https://news.utk.edu/2026/07/27/ut-names-governors-chair-for-nuclear-medicine/

References: University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Y-12 National Security Complex; Tennessee Valley Authority.

Image Credits: University of Tennessee

Keywords: University of Tennessee, research priorities, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, digital health, computational modeling, biotechnology, sustainable materials, circular bioeconomy, nuclear medicine, radiopharmaceuticals, precision health, nursing, aging populations, black soldier flies.

Kate Evans brings a rare combination of scientific rigor and seasoned leadership to her new role at BESSD. Her career trajectory illustrates a dedicated focus on harnessing computational sciences and engineering to solve complex biological and environmental problems. Under her direction, the BESSD is set to integrate expansive scientific datasets with advanced computational models to create robust frameworks aimed at improving energy resilience and infrastructure protection. This direction is particularly important as the nation confronts an evolving landscape of climate risks, resource scarcity, and technological disruption.

ORNL Director Stephen Streiffer highlighted Evans’s diverse experience and visionary approach. Streiffer emphasized her ability to bridge laboratory-wide strategic initiatives with hands-on scientific innovation. As a leader, Evans has not only advanced ORNL’s quantum computing roadmap but has also prioritized scalable, autonomous research methodologies that capitalize on exascale computing and artificial intelligence. These cutting-edge technologies will be pivotal in BESSD’s mission to accelerate biomanufacturing capabilities and foster resilient energy systems aligned with the Department of Energy’s strategic objectives.

Evans’s previous role as director of the Office of Institutional Strategic Planning (OISP) positioned her at the nexus of ORNL’s long-term scientific planning and technology integration. She managed the development of critical documents such as the Annual Lab Plan and Laboratory Agenda, ensuring coherence across multidisciplinary research endeavors. This elevated her influence in shaping laboratory directed research and development (LDRD) investments aimed at pioneering scientific breakthroughs. Her leadership of the “Accelerating Southeast Resilience at ORNL” initiative exemplifies her commitment to regional and national strategies that leverage scientific innovation for societal benefit.

With a firm belief in multidisciplinary approaches, Evans underlines the importance of integrating exascale computing power, machine learning, and autonomous research pipelines into biological and environmental sciences. The BESSD under her stewardship will pursue research avenues ranging from critical mineral sustainability to next-generation biomanufacturing. By exploiting ORNL’s computational infrastructure, the directorate aims to translate scientific discoveries into scalable solutions that support energy abundance and infrastructure resilience, key components in addressing the pressing challenges of climate adaptation and industrial innovation.

Evans’s tenure leading the Computational Sciences and Engineering Division reinforced her expertise in scalable computing solutions across diverse science domains. Her efforts contributed to address computational challenges spanning physics, engineering, health sciences, and quantum information, underscoring her capability to lead interdisciplinary teams addressing complex scientific questions. This foundation equips her well to helm BESSD’s multifaceted research portfolio, which integrates biological systems science with environmental analytics and energy technologies.

Since joining ORNL in 2007, Evans has ascended through roles demonstrating her aptitude for scientific problem-solving and team leadership. She transitioned from an R&D staff member to a group leader in Computational Earth Sciences before taking on divisional directorships. Her technical acumen is matched by her commitment to scientific communication and community engagement, exemplified by her leadership roles in the ORNL Gives campaign. This blend of technical and community-oriented leadership underscores her holistic approach to advancing science with societal relevance.

Beyond her responsibilities at ORNL, Kate Evans holds a faculty position at the University of Tennessee’s Bredesen Center, an interdisciplinary hub combining engineering, science, and policy. Her engagement in academia fosters a fertile environment for collaborative innovation, spanning university and national laboratory partnerships. Such integration between academic research and national labs accelerates the translation of disruptive technologies from conceptual science to practical application, reinforcing ORNL’s role in the national innovation ecosystem.

Evans is a recognized authority within the scientific community, actively involved in organizations such as the American Meteorological Society, the American Geophysical Union, and the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematicians. Her interdisciplinary expertise was recently honored with the prestigious SIAM Activity Group on Mathematics of Planet Earth Prize in 2024, acknowledging her contributions to multidisciplinary algorithm development, scientific computing, and leadership in integrating diverse scientific disciplines. This acclaim further validates her capacity to drive pioneering research at the interface of computation, biology, and environmental sciences.

Her academic credentials are rooted in earth and atmospheric sciences, with a doctorate and master’s degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology, complemented by a bachelor’s degree in physics from Haverford College. This strong foundation underscores an enduring commitment to quantitative sciences as tools to understand and solve environmental and technological challenges. Evans’s career exemplifies the trajectory from foundational sciences through computational innovation to strategic laboratory leadership, embodying the evolving nature of 21st-century scientific enterprise.

As the associate laboratory director of BESSD, Evans is poised to lead initiatives that capitalize on ORNL’s exceptional scientific resources, including exascale computing and a suite of analytical and autonomous research capabilities. These resources enable the laboratory to advance fundamental understanding and applied innovation in domains critical to the Department of Energy’s mission: from securing resilient energy infrastructures and optimizing biomanufacturing to safeguarding ecosystems. Under her guidance, BESSD is expected to emerge as a nexus for transforming biological and environmental data into actionable technologies that address both national needs and global challenges.

UT-Battelle’s stewardship of ORNL ensures that the laboratory continues to serve as a fundamental engine of basic and applied scientific research, supported robustly by the Department of Energy’s Office of Science. This partnership facilitates resource-intensive investigations aimed at solving some of the most profound scientific and technological questions of our time. With leaders like Kate Evans, ORNL is well-positioned to sustain its trajectory as a world-class research institution that blends scientific discovery with innovative solutions to enhance national security and promote sustainable development.

Subject of Research: Biological and environmental systems science directed at energy security, infrastructure resilience, and biotechnology innovation.

Article Title: Katherine Evans Appointed to Lead Biological and Environmental Systems Science Directorate at ORNL

News Publication Date: 2024

Web References: https://energy.gov/science

Image Credits: Credit: Carlos Jones/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Keywords

Life sciences, Energy, National laboratories, Biological systems, Environmental systems, Exascale computing, Biotechnology, Energy resilience, Quantum computing, Scientific leadership, Computational sciences, Multidisciplinary research