Collaboration with Indian National Institute of Technology at Warangal
Research Collaboration with the Indian National Institute of Technology at Warangal Improving water resources monitoring and modeling
Drs. John Schwartz (University of Tennessee Knoxville), and Alfred Kalyanapu and Tania Datta (Tennessee Tech) are collaborating on a research project with the Indian National Institute of Technology (NIT) at Warangal. At NIT-Warangal, the PI is Dr. Venkata Reddy Keesara. The project is funded by an Indian government initiative, the Scheme for Promotion of Academics and Research Collaboration (SPARC). The project “Development of Low-cost Hardware Enabled Watershed Monitoring System for India” involves working with available infrastructure to construct in-situ monitoring sensors for river flow and water quality. The sensors are to provide real-time data recording and processing, communication telemetry, and data management. This effort requires developing the necessary software in open source systems for receiving the sensor data and visualizing processed data in the web interface. Read more…
3rd Annual ISSE Research Conference Student Poster Winners
ISSE’s 3rd Annual Research Conference took place on September 16, and a major highlight was the Student Poster Competition. First Prize was awarded to Mohamed Shatarah for his poster, “High Fidelity Prediction of Long-term Climatic Impact on Water Infrastructure Treatment Dynamics.” Mr. Shatarah is pictured with his collaborator, Assistant Professor Haochen Li, of the Water Infrastructure Lab, which is housed in UTK Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering. Second Prize went to Trinity Bissahoyo (Validating Arduino-Portable Detection Model for Change in Capacitance). Ms Bissahoyo is a student in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, and her advisor is Jayne Wu, a professor in EECS. Third Prize went to Yue Yao (The Overview of Main Food Shelf-life Extension Technologies and the Framework of the Tool for a Comprehensive Analysis). Mr. Yao is a student in Industrial & Systems Engineering, and his advisor is ISE Department Head Mingzhou Jin.
2022-2023 ISSE Annual Report
ISSE’s 2023-24 Annual Report is now available online.
ISSE continues to implement its five-year strategic plan to increase its research, educational, and outreach activities at the University of Tennessee. ISSE will promote the development of policies, technologies, and educational programs that will address and help remedy critical environmental issues around the world. We will strengthen our emphasis on cross-disciplinary collaborations that will help bring about global sustainability and environmental equity and justice.
Quick Look – ISSE Centers & Programs
Appalachian Leadership Institute is a comprehensive leadership and economic development training opportunity for people who live or work in Appalachia and are passionate about helping their communities thrive. Appalachian Leadership Institute Fellows participate in an extensive training curriculum developed by the Appalachian Regional Commission in partnership with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; The Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy; Tuskegee University; and Collective Impact.
UTK and the UT Center for Industrial Services proposed the East Tennessee Initiative for Smart Energy Management (ETISE) to promote the integration of smart manufacturing for energy management through technical assistance and workforce training. The goal is to create a regional model to integrate smart manufacturing in energy management systems into energy-related business practices. ETISE is funded by the Department of Energy through the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE), Industrial Efficiency & Decarbonization Office (IEDO), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO).
ISSE Climate Change Initiative Climate change is one of the most critical challenges faced by humans and our planet. Researchers at ISSE, working closely with the Climate Change Science Institute at Oak Ridge National Lab, are advancing our understanding of climate change and its impacts on human and natural systems. We use Earth system modeling, integrated ground and remote sensing observations, and advanced data analytical tools to study climate change and its effects on water availability, soil moisture, wildfires, and vegetation. Team members are Drs. Yaoping Yao, Yulong Zhang, Jiafu Mao, Joshua Fu, Mingzhou Jin.
DriveElectricTN promotes the adoption of electric vehicles for fleets and individuals across Tennessee with a goal of getting 200,000 EVs on TN’s roads by 2028. An autonomous program of TNCleanFuels, DriveElectricTN is supported by 60+ stakeholders from across Tennessee and the United States, with focus areas such as EV Awareness, EV Policies & Program, and EV Infrastructure intended to achieve precise, targeted development goals for electric vehicles in our state. DriveElectricTN and Knoxville Electric Vehicle Association volunteers chat with Ijams Nature Center visitors during a Drive Electric Earth Day Showcase. The new Ford Mustang Mach-E, Ford’s latest and most visible electric car is pictured in the background.
East Tennessee Clean Fuels mission is to increase the use of cleaner American fuels and vehicles and energy-saving transportation technologies to improve air quality and health, curb dependence on imported petroleum and support Tennessee’s economy. More specifically, we work to implement alt fuel projects in East Tennessee and work to make ETCleanFuels a sustainable coalition of involved participants from across East Tennessee. We serve as fleet guides to navigate alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies in the 21st century. ETCleanFuels is a nonprofit and a designated participant in U.S. DOE’s Clean Cities Program.
FEWSUS stands for International Research Coordination Network to Create Transdisciplinary Nodes of Food-Energy-Water to Support Sustainable Urban Systems. FEWSUS is funded by the US National Science Foundation. The grant, awarded to faculty and scientists at the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, supports the development of an International Research Coordination Network, designed to facilitate transdisciplinary, multinational communications and accelerate the development and transfer of multisectoral data, standards, analysis tools, new technologies, and a trained workforce among differently urbanized countries.
The Tennessee Water Resources Research Center (TNWRRC) is a federally designated state research institute supported in part by the U.S. Geological Survey. It serves as a primary link among water-resource experts in academia, government, and the private sector. Our staffs’ backgrounds are broad, deep, and highly diversified, allowing TNWRRC to establish a range of productive partnerships. TNWRRC is housed within the Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment (ISSE) at the University of Tennessee.
FERSC is a Tier 1 University Transportation Center consortium led by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Its focus is the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)’s research priority, Improving Mobility of People and Goods as its primary area. The consortium supports the DOT Strategic Goals of Economic Strength and Global Competitiveness as the primary focus and Equity and Transformation as the secondaries.
Energy and Environmental Justice (EEJ) is dedicated to interdisciplinary exploration into social justice, clean energy, accessibility to renewable resources, and infrastructure resilience. EEJ experts examine social-psychological and policy factors that influence energy and environmental justice, particularly in water systems, built environment, energy efficiency, microgrids, electric vehicles, and solar technology adoption. EEJ’s research initiatives empower academics, communities, utilities, and policymakers alike, fostering a shared commitment to equitable access to clean energy and a sustainable future.
ISSE Magazines & Annual Reports
Sustainability News
Growing divide: Agricultural climate policies affect food prices differently in poor and wealthy countries. Farmers are receiving less of what consumers spend on food as modern food systems increasingly direct costs toward value-added components like processing, transport, and marketing.
UT Awarded $5M to Lead Global Center for Sustainable Bioproducts – U.S. NSF has awarded a $5 million grant for UT to tackle one of the world’s biggest scientific challenges: developing environmentally and economically sustainable bioderived composites and plastics to replace petroleum and its derivatives.
Upcoming Events
Feb 9-11, 2025 – CERV 8th Biennial Conference on Electric Roads & Vehicles. Registration info here.