National Science Foundation

Founded in 1794, we’re big on tradition and proud of our humble beginnings as the first public university chartered west of the Appalachian Divide. We serve the state by educating its citizens, enhancing the culture, and making a difference in people’s lives through research and service. U.S. News & World Report ranks UT fiftieth among all public universities in the nation. By attracting the best and brightest students and leading faculty, we’re on track to join our peers in the nation’s Top 25. An aggressive roadmap guides our journey. We’re improving undergraduate and graduate education, research, support for faculty and staff, our campus infrastructure, and our resources. With more than 27,000 students and 10,000 faculty and staff, we power the state’s economy and fuel innovations that yield ideas and solutions that improve people’s lives and our society. Our faculty are renowned scholars in their disciplines and committed teachers who serve through the university’s nine undergraduate colleges and eleven graduate and professional programs. With more than 300 degree programs, we prepare and empower leaders in just about every profession. Our engineering, business, education, law, and social work programs consistently rank among the Top 50 in the nation among public universities, at the undergraduate or graduate level. UT is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Consistently cited as a “best buy” and great value, we’re committed to access and affordability. A wide range of scholarships help to open doors for many qualified students to become Volunteers. The number of students who study abroad has soared during recent years with the rise in new scholarships, internships, and service learning opportunities around the world. We are committed to ensuring our campus is a welcoming environment where people are open to learning from one another. We celebrate our differences and the opportunities they create through experiences with people who have different beliefs and come from other places, cultures, and backgrounds. Diversity means more to our campus community than race and ethnicity; it’s about moving beyond just tolerance to a place of understanding about political views, religion, gender identity, values, age, abilities, and sexual orientation, among other differences. We are proud of our students and committed to their success by providing comprehensive academic support and programs that engage them in campus life. Each new freshman class demonstrates our ever-increasing academic quality. A quick drive through our 560-acre campus illustrates our momentum in enhancing our academic and student life facilities. We opened the $40 million Natalie L. Haslam Music Center, home of the university’s School of Music, the $23.2 million John D. Tickle Engineering Building, which houses the departments of civil and environmental engineering and industrial and systems engineering, and the Fred D. Brown Residence Hall. Work also continues on the new student union, the largest single project in the university’s history. Thirteen new sorority houses, adjacent to campus, are part of the Sorority Village development on Morgan Hill. Our campus master plan guides our vision, which includes a more pedestrian-friendly campus with more green space and the addition of significant classroom and laboratory space in the next decade. Our undergraduate and graduate students have unprecedented opportunities for hands-on work and research through our partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research provides opportunities for graduate students in energy-related science and engineering and puts the university front and center in training the country’s scientists to take on the world’s most challenging energy problems. The partnerships enhance the state’s role as a growing hub for research in critical challenges that include alternative energy, national security, and the creation of new materials. The new UT Humanities Center is broadening research opportunities in the disciplines through a fellows program modeled after the National Humanities Center.

Secure Food Solutions Inc., established in 2014 and based in Martin, Tennessee, specializes in enhancing global food safety by developing advanced detection technologies for toxins, pathogens, and contaminants. The company's core offering is a patented hyperspectral imaging technology designed to swiftly identify corn contaminated with aflatoxin, aiming to improve food quality and safety worldwide.

CrossLink Composites, founded in 2017 and based in Harriman, Tennessee, specializes in the development of proprietary carbon fiber technology. The company focuses on creating low-cost, high-performance carbon fiber and composites tailored for a variety of industrial applications, including cleantech, automotive, wind energy, and civil infrastructure. By emphasizing high-volume production, CrossLink Composites aims to provide customized carbon fiber solutions that meet the specific needs of its customers, thereby enhancing performance across diverse sectors.

TCPoly designs and manufactures thermally conductive plastics and 3D printing materials that facilitate efficient heat transfer in electronic devices. Its product range includes filaments, heat sinks, cold plates, LED fixtures, and battery packs. TCPoly's flagship product is Ice9TM Flex filament, used in industries such as heat exchanger manufacturing, mold tooling, and electronics thermal management. The company was founded in 2016 and operates from Atlanta, Georgia.

Eden Concepts is a precision agriculture technology development and consulting firm based in Lenoir City, Tennessee, established in 2018. The company focuses on enhancing farm productivity for small-scale farmers by developing innovative agricultural technologies tailored for vegetables and specialty crops. Its precision systems are designed to prepare and plant germinated seeds, replacing the traditional methods of growing and transplanting seedlings. By improving soil health and offering greater flexibility in crop selection, Eden Concepts aims to streamline farming operations, helping farmers reduce labor costs and energy consumption.

Dextrous Robotics is a robotics company founded in 2019 and based in Memphis, Tennessee. The company specializes in developing artificial intelligence-enabled robots designed for warehouse operations. Its robots are capable of managing various logistics tasks, including loading and unloading pallets, trucks, and containers, as well as material picking, sorting, and storage. By providing automation solutions, Dextrous Robotics aims to enhance operational efficiency in warehouses, enabling clients to optimize their logistics processes.

EndoShunt Medical is a Nashville, Tennessee-based company founded in 2022 that specializes in developing medical devices for targeted hemorrhage control in emergency situations. The company has created a device designed to shunt blood past hemorrhaging vessels endovascularly, allowing surgeons to perform definitive repairs while maintaining blood flow. This innovative approach aims to enhance patient outcomes during critical medical emergencies by providing effective hemorrhage management.

Winter Innovations is a Knoxville, Tennessee-based startup founded in 2018 that focuses on developing medical devices aimed at enhancing patient outcomes in orthopedic care. The company is in the process of launching EasyWhip, a patent-pending suturing needle specifically designed for orthopedic ligament and tendon reconstruction surgery. This innovative device seeks to simplify and standardize the whip stitching technique, offering advantages such as ease of use, speed, stability, and versatility. Through these improvements, Winter Innovations aims to help surgeons perform orthopedic reconstruction procedures more efficiently and consistently.

NellOne Therapeutics, Inc. is a regenerative medicine company based in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, focused on developing and commercializing protein therapeutics aimed at restoring cardiac muscle mass and function in patients recovering from myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure. The company was established in 2007 as a spin-out from the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where research led by Dr. Cymbeline Culiat identified the Nell1 gene's role in the formation of essential mammalian tissues and organs. NellOne is dedicated to translating these scientific discoveries into clinical applications, specifically by leveraging Nell1 protein therapeutics to rebuild cardiac muscle and improve patient outcomes following heart-related conditions.

Active Energy Systems is leveraging its scientific expertise to develop and market an improved form of ice thermal energy storage. The company's headquarters are in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Healing Innovations, Inc. is a medical technology company established in 2018 and based in Nashville, Tennessee. The company specializes in manufacturing advanced rehabilitation equipment aimed at supporting individuals recovering from spinal cord injuries, strokes, traumatic brain injuries, and conditions such as cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, and muscular dystrophy. To enhance care within the rehabilitation continuum, Healing Innovations focuses on the development and commercialization of market-leading robotic technologies. These innovations aim to improve health, mobility, and independence for users, while also enabling medical professionals and managed care organizations to enhance efficiency and quality of care at a reasonable cost.

Couture Technologies is a software development firm that specializes in AI, ML, and 3D simulation to power virtual fitting and try-on capabilities for e-commerce. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Gallatin, Tennessee, the company builds tools that show how apparel items will look and fit on a customer's body, enabling retailers to offer an interactive online shopping experience.

CrossLink Composites, founded in 2017 and based in Harriman, Tennessee, specializes in the development of proprietary carbon fiber technology. The company focuses on creating low-cost, high-performance carbon fiber and composites tailored for a variety of industrial applications, including cleantech, automotive, wind energy, and civil infrastructure. By emphasizing high-volume production, CrossLink Composites aims to provide customized carbon fiber solutions that meet the specific needs of its customers, thereby enhancing performance across diverse sectors.

VenoStent develops bioabsorbable smart polymer wraps for vascular surgeries. Its flagship product, SelfWrap, is a perivascular wrap designed to reduce failures at the vein-artery junction in dialysis patients by promoting outward vein growth and providing custom-fit mechanical support. The company's technology acts as an external stent, reducing surgery time, infection risk, and wound reopening while improving vein usability and durability.

LiBAMA Power, established in 2017 and based in Cookeville, Tennessee, specializes in the design, manufacture, and marketing of advanced metal anodes (AMAs) for next-generation lithium-metal batteries. The company's core business involves developing and commercializing cutting-edge lithium metal battery technology, aiming to enhance energy density without disrupting existing manufacturing processes. This innovation caters to various industries, including consumer electronics, electric vehicles, and aerospace, offering unprecedented mobile power solutions.

TCPoly designs and manufactures thermally conductive plastics and 3D printing materials that facilitate efficient heat transfer in electronic devices. Its product range includes filaments, heat sinks, cold plates, LED fixtures, and battery packs. TCPoly's flagship product is Ice9TM Flex filament, used in industries such as heat exchanger manufacturing, mold tooling, and electronics thermal management. The company was founded in 2016 and operates from Atlanta, Georgia.

VenoStent develops bioabsorbable smart polymer wraps for vascular surgeries. Its flagship product, SelfWrap, is a perivascular wrap designed to reduce failures at the vein-artery junction in dialysis patients by promoting outward vein growth and providing custom-fit mechanical support. The company's technology acts as an external stent, reducing surgery time, infection risk, and wound reopening while improving vein usability and durability.

Tennessee State University’s College of Engineering provides quality education in engineering, technology, mathematics, and computer science. It aims to produce graduates with technical competency and excellence, leadership skills, and a global life/language experience. Tennessee State University’s College of Engineering was founded in 1912.

Active Energy Systems is leveraging its scientific expertise to develop and market an improved form of ice thermal energy storage. The company's headquarters are in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Stony Creek Colors, Inc. is a manufacturer of bio-based colorants specifically designed for the textile industry. Founded in 2012 by Sarah Bellos and based in Springfield, Tennessee, the company collaborates with small farmers in the Southeastern United States to produce plant-based dyes, including indigo. Stony Creek Colors aims to provide clean and safe alternatives to hazardous chemicals traditionally used in dyeing processes, supporting environmentally conscious practices within the textile and fashion industries. Through its innovative technology, the company enables mills and brands to offer premium products that prioritize sustainability and health.

PATH EX develops a proprietary technology for extracorporeal blood cleansing, focusing on treating sepsis by selectively removing intact bacteria and toxins from human blood. This innovative approach aims to reduce diagnostic times, treatment costs, readmission rates, and sepsis-related deaths.

Secure Food Solutions Inc., established in 2014 and based in Martin, Tennessee, specializes in enhancing global food safety by developing advanced detection technologies for toxins, pathogens, and contaminants. The company's core offering is a patented hyperspectral imaging technology designed to swiftly identify corn contaminated with aflatoxin, aiming to improve food quality and safety worldwide.

Vanderbilt University is a top-tier private research university with approximately 12,000 students across undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. It comprises 10 schools, including Peabody College ranked #1 for Graduate Education, and offers a wide range of academic disciplines. Consistently ranked among the nation's top 20 universities, Vanderbilt is known for its strong academic programs and research initiatives.

PurSolutions is a biotechnology startup that specializes in cytoskeletons for self-assembling materials and devices. The company was founded in 2015 and is based in Nashville, Tennessee.

PATH EX develops a proprietary technology for extracorporeal blood cleansing, focusing on treating sepsis by selectively removing intact bacteria and toxins from human blood. This innovative approach aims to reduce diagnostic times, treatment costs, readmission rates, and sepsis-related deaths.

Secure Food Solutions Inc., established in 2014 and based in Martin, Tennessee, specializes in enhancing global food safety by developing advanced detection technologies for toxins, pathogens, and contaminants. The company's core offering is a patented hyperspectral imaging technology designed to swiftly identify corn contaminated with aflatoxin, aiming to improve food quality and safety worldwide.

Founded in 2014, Branch Technology specializes in developing and implementing Cellular Fabrication technology for construction. Using proprietary algorithms and 3D printing, the company creates complex geometries without support materials or controlled environments, enabling cost-effective designs, improved material strength, reduced energy use, and job site efficiencies.

Stony Creek Colors, Inc. is a manufacturer of bio-based colorants specifically designed for the textile industry. Founded in 2012 by Sarah Bellos and based in Springfield, Tennessee, the company collaborates with small farmers in the Southeastern United States to produce plant-based dyes, including indigo. Stony Creek Colors aims to provide clean and safe alternatives to hazardous chemicals traditionally used in dyeing processes, supporting environmentally conscious practices within the textile and fashion industries. Through its innovative technology, the company enables mills and brands to offer premium products that prioritize sustainability and health.

Founded in 2014, Branch Technology specializes in developing and implementing Cellular Fabrication technology for construction. Using proprietary algorithms and 3D printing, the company creates complex geometries without support materials or controlled environments, enabling cost-effective designs, improved material strength, reduced energy use, and job site efficiencies.