Professional Promise in Research and Creative Achievement

Bin Hu, assistant professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, focuses his research on renewable-energy technology. In the past five years, he has achieved excellent research and educational performance, which is proven by his scholarships, publications of top-level journal research papers, preparation of high-quality students and presentations at national professional society meetings. His work has resulted in a widely recognized research program focusing on nanoscience-driven renewable energy at UT.

Nathan Sanders, assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, examines the structure of ecological communities, specifically focusing on ants. His work has resulted in a large number of publications, he has served on two grant advisory panels, and he has significant editorial responsibilities for three journals. But what makes Sanders stand out is his dedication to his students. One of his undergraduate students said it best: “What makes a great researcher goes beyond how many papers in how many prestigious journals, but also how well he reaches his students in the course of his research.”

Aleydis Van de Moortel is an assistant professor of classics in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is currently leading the most important active Bronze Age excavation on the Greek mainland in Mitrou, Greece. During her research, she has found examples of monumental building and street plans that have caused scholars to rethink the entire chronology of this society’s development. Van de Moortel is admired among her peers and is viewed as one of the finest scholars of her generation, cutting-edge in her approach to evaluating archeological material.

Jie (Jayne) Wu, assistant professor of electrical engineering, focuses her research on electromechanics for nanobiotechnology. Her work has attracted nearly $600,000 in external funding and has produced several of the world’s first microfluidic devices here at UT. Her recent accomplishments have been recognized by a National Science Foundation Career Award, as well as an Oak Ridge Associated Universities Junior Faculty Award. Wu’s pioneering contributions are being recognized by her peers all over the world. She has been invited for 12 seminars, published 23 journal papers and had 29 conference proceedings—all since 2004.