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.

The Texas Innovation Conference & Awards serves as a vital platform for strengthening Texas’s innovation ecosystem by showcasing outstanding researchers whose work accelerates commercialization, fuels startup creation, and fosters meaningful partnerships between academia and industry. The University Innovator category specifically identifies individuals who have demonstrated measurable progress in bridging the gap between laboratory research and real-world applications, thereby contributing to regional and national economic growth and public welfare.

Among the esteemed UTSA honorees is Dr. Lyle Hood, an associate professor of mechanical engineering whose work has revolutionized airway management technologies in emergency and combat care environments. Through the Medical Design Innovations Laboratory under his leadership, Hood has engineered a suite of portable suction devices specifically designed for diverse prehospital and aeromedical evacuation scenarios. These innovations are characterized by their lightweight design and unwavering reliability, addressing critical challenges faced by first responders in the field.

Dr. Hood’s research portfolio also includes the design and development of next-generation endotracheal tubes aimed at improving intubation success under extreme and high-pressure conditions. His designs were guided by extensive early end-user engagement, encompassing hundreds of clinicians and medics to ensure that engineering solutions effectively meet practical needs encountered during emergency interventions. This collaborative approach has culminated in the launch of EmergenceMed LLC, a UTSA-backed startup devoted to commercializing these critically important medical technologies. His efforts have attracted over $3 million in competitive funding from federal and private sources, simultaneously mentoring a pipeline of more than 100 student innovators.

Equally transformative is the work of Dr. Amina Qutub, the Burzik Endowed Professor of Engineering Design and associate professor in biomedical engineering, whose research integrates artificial intelligence with precision medicine to enhance healthcare delivery. Dr. Qutub spearheads the MATRIX AI Consortium, a cutting-edge collaborative initiative dedicated to advancing AI applications in biomedical research. She also co-directs the Center for Precision Medicine, further consolidating UTSA’s leadership in this interdisciplinary frontier.

Dr. Qutub’s research is situated at the confluence of computer science, biology, and engineering, where she has co-founded two innovative biotech startups: PaloBio and Leah. PaloBio develops sophisticated digital advocates to assist individuals with atypical neurological disorders, while Leah leverages AI to improve trauma care outcomes. She leads the ambitious BEACON project, a state-level initiative aimed at transforming trauma and stroke care by providing real-time AI decision support and recovery tools. This project is a product of the iRemedyACT Consortium, which unites more than thirty clinicians, AI scientists, and biomedical engineers across seven university hospitals, enabling the development of AI-driven data infrastructure to reduce emergency care delays.

Additionally, Dr. Qutub directs the Quantu Project, a nationwide longitudinal study that combines biosensing technology with neurogenesis assays to optimize brain health throughout the human lifespan. Her innovative work has earned numerous accolades, including a fellowship in the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, the National Academies Keck Future Initiatives award, and a National Science Foundation CAREER award. In 2025, she will represent U.S. scientific innovation as a Department of State Overseas Speaker on the “AI in Innovation” tour, further amplifying the international reach and impact of her research.

Addressing the burgeoning mental health crisis, Dr. David L. Roberts, associate professor of psychiatry, was recognized for his groundbreaking platform, Reflective Training (RT), which fundamentally reshapes psychotherapy training. Faced with a critical shortage of qualified behavioral health professionals, Dr. Roberts developed RT as an innovative web-based system that replaces traditional lecture models with dynamic and scalable experiential learning methods. RT employs structured role-playing exercises combined with actionable feedback, promoting a performance science approach that enables advanced trainees to become coaches, thereby mitigating the burden on scarce expert faculty.

RT has been integrated successfully into UTSA’s medical education programs, including a notable initiative where student leaders train peers to deliver counseling skills in residential substance use treatment centers. Research validating RT’s effectiveness found that counseling interns trained through this model perform on par with licensed clinicians in crisis intervention, resulting in significant cost savings—close to $300,000 over two years for Bexar County. To expand the platform’s reach, Dr. Roberts co-founded Reflective Learning Inc., which currently supports clinical onboarding and quality assurance across multiple UT clinics as well as community agencies throughout Texas.

The RT platform has also been adopted by Communities in Schools, where 60 school counselors use it to impart emotion regulation skills, and by the Haven for Hope homeless services campus, serving all Bexar County, to enhance crisis counseling staff training. Beyond RT, Dr. Roberts is renowned for developing Social Cognition and Interaction Training (SCIT), a therapeutic approach for individuals with schizophrenia that is implemented by over 3,000 clinicians in eight countries, further demonstrating his impact on mental health treatment paradigms.

Together, these three UTSA researchers exemplify the university’s commitment to harnessing academic excellence for societal benefit. Their interdisciplinary efforts span mechanical engineering, artificial intelligence, biomedical innovation, and psychiatric care—collectively addressing some of the most urgent healthcare challenges of our time. The successful commercialization of their technologies and their active engagement with industry and clinical partners exemplify the high-impact potential of academic research when coupled with entrepreneurial vision and community collaboration.

The inaugural Texas Innovation Award not only honors these researchers but also highlights the essential role of state-supported programs in fostering an ecosystem where scientific discovery translates into real-world improvements. Their work epitomizes the fusion of rigorous scientific inquiry with practical innovation, resulting in medical devices that save lives, AI systems that enhance critical decision-making, and scalable mental health platforms that expand access to quality care.

UTSA’s rapidly evolving research enterprise serves as a beacon of how universities can serve as powerhouses for technology transfer and innovation-driven economic development. The university’s holistic approach—from bench to bedside, and from prototype to startup—demonstrates how strategically supported translational research infrastructure can fuel breakthroughs that meet complex healthcare needs with scalable and sustainable solutions.

As the recipients continue to lead transformative projects, their collective impact is poised to elevate Texas as a global leader in health-related technological innovation. Advances such as portable airway management systems, AI-enabled trauma care, and scalable psychotherapy training platforms herald a new era of integrated, technology-powered healthcare solutions that hold promise for improving patient outcomes and system efficiencies worldwide.

In sum, the Texas Innovation Award shines a spotlight on the critical contributions of Drs. Hood, Qutub, and Roberts, who have successfully intertwined engineering, artificial intelligence, and psychiatry into innovative tools and platforms. Their pioneering work not only enhances lives in Texas but also charts pathways for future breakthroughs in emergency medicine, neurological disorders, trauma care, and mental health treatment on a national and international stage.

Subject of Research: Translational innovations in emergency medical devices, AI-driven healthcare solutions, and scalable mental health training platforms.

Article Title: UT San Antonio Researchers Earn Texas Innovation Award for Revolutionary Advances in Medical Technology and AI

News Publication Date: April 24, 2024

Web References:

• UTSA Medical Design Innovations Laboratory
• EmergenceMed LLC
• MATRIX AI Consortium
• Center for Precision Medicine
• Reflective Training Platform

Image Credits: UT San Antonio

Keywords

Emergency Medicine, Artificial Intelligence, Biomedical Engineering, Mental Health, Medical Devices, Trauma Care, Translational Research, Innovation, Health Technology, Behavioral Health Training, Precision Medicine, Startup Ecosystem