University of Tennessee College of Arts & Sciences

Department of Anthropology Associate Professor Kandace Hollenbach was honored at the 2024 Faculty Awards with a Faculty Academic Outreach award for her work teaching the community about archaeology with a focus on human/plant relationships and the Southeastern region. Her efforts engage and educate the East Tennessee community about archaeology and ancient horticultural practices. Read more about our award-winning faculty: https://bit.ly/4cjbGYp #UTArtSci #EndlessOpportunities

The following is an excerpt from a story titled "From Greenland to Fort Bragg, America is caught in a name game where place names become political tools" published for The Conversation U.S. and written by University of Tennessee Department of Geography & Sustainability PhD candidate Seth T. Kannarr, Chancellor's Professor Derek Alderman, Visiting Assistant Professor of Geography at Macalester College Jordan Brasher. "Renaming a place is always an act of power. People in power have long used place naming to claim control over the identity of the place, bolster their reputations, retaliate against opponents and achieve political goals. These moves can have strong psychological effects, particularly when the name evokes something threatening. Changing a place name can fundamentally shift how people view, relate to or feel that they belong within that place. Place names affect how people perceive, experience and emotionally connect to their surroundings in both conscious and subconscious ways. Psychologists, sociologists and geographers have explored how this sense of place manifests itself into the psyche, creating either attachment or aversion to place, whether it’s a school, mountain or park." #UTArtSci #EndlessOpportunities Photo Credit: Tim Rains/National Park Service, CC BY

Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Assistant Professor Jacob Suissa aims to foster a love of plant biodiversity and botany in the public through his educational non-profit Let's Botanize. He uses social media to promote and educate more than 167,000 subscribers about plant biodiversity! Now, Suissa has been honored by the College of Arts and Sciences with a Faculty Outreach Award for his research and his work with Let's Botanize. Read more about our award-winning faculty: https://bit.ly/4cjbGYp #UTArtSci #EndlessOpportunities

Department of English Associate Professor Lisa King was recently awarded a Faculty Outreach Award from the College of Arts and Sciences for her exceptional leadership through her co-curatorship of the current Homelands exhibit at McClung Museum. Join us in congratulating King on this achievement! Read more about our award-winning faculty: https://bit.ly/4cjbGYp #UTArtSci #EndlessOpportunities

Congratulations to our Director of Support Services Jennifer Donley! The college honored Donley with the Lorayne W. Lester Award, which recognizes a faculty member or an exempt staff member who has demonstrated outstanding service through research, outreach, and/or administrative, teaching, or advising services to the UT College of Arts and Sciences, State of Tennessee, local community, or beyond. Read more about our award-winning faculty and staff: https://bit.ly/4cjbGYp #UTArtSci #EndlessOpportunities

It's the final countdown to the second annual Arts & Sciences Undergraduate Research Symposium! “ASUReS is a crucial component of the undergraduate experience in the College of Arts and Sciences,” said Associate Dean for Academic Programs Liem Tran. “It is a valuable platform for students to build confidence in their research and communication skills. Presenting their work publicly fosters critical thinking and professional growth, which are essential for academic and career development.” Read more about the Arts & Sciences Undergraduate Research Symposium: https://bit.ly/4iX3n7i #UTArtSci #EndlessOpportunities

Congratulations to Department of Psychology Professor Theresa Lee, who served as College of Arts and Sciences Dean from 2012 to 2023, for being honored as the College Marshal for 2025! Lee was selected to receive this award by unanimous vote of the Dean’s Cabinet for her 13 years of dedicated service to the college. Read more about our award-winning faculty: https://bit.ly/4cjbGYp #UTArtSci #EndlessOpportunities

Department of Microbiology Professor Steven Wilhelm co-authored a new study with a team that found that microbes in the Sargasso Sea divide nutrients throughout their communities over time, supporting coexistence and efficient nutrient use in nutrient-limited environments. Check out the full details of his research: https://bit.ly/3QTm67m #UTArtSci #EndlessOpportunities

Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) Professor Ben Fitzpatrick was recently featured by National Parks Traveler for his expertise on salamander diversity, especially in Great Smoky Mountain National Park. The writer, Jennifer Bain, embarked on a trek around the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont in search of salamanders. Read more about the Salamander Capital of the World: https://bit.ly/4l9B86D #UTArtSci #EndlessOpportunities

We are so proud of the students from the College of Arts and Sciences who hosted undergraduates from more than a dozen other colleges and presented their own papers during the 13th Annual Tennessee Undergraduate Classics Research Conference! For several students, this was their first time presenting their undergraduate research to others. “Conferences that focus on undergraduate research are incredibly valuable to show off early research that many students wouldn’t consider ‘research enough’ to submit to a bigger conference,” sophomore student Gabby Puckett said. Get all the details from the conference: https://bit.ly/3FO2pLR #UTArtSci #EndlessOpportunities