US DOE selects Tennessee Universities and State Agencies for Smart Manufacturing Leadership Program
The U.S. Department of Energy, through the Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains, is partnering with states to accelerate the adoption of smart manufacturing and high-performance computing technologies across their small- and medium-sized manufacturing (SMM) firm base. Tennessee has been selected for the new State Manufacturing Leadership Program, Tennessee Partnership for Smart Manufacturing (TPSM). The major participants and key partners in this project are Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Office of Sustainable Practices, Tennessee Tech University, University of Tennessee, Knoxville (via the Institute for a Secure & Sustainable Environment), University of Memphis, and the Tennessee Manufacturing Extension Program. ISSE Director Dr. Mingzhou Jin will be the program’s principal investigator.
3rd EXCET Workshop, March 27-28, 2025 in Osaka, Japan
See details and agenda.
Online Registration is open at tiny.utk.edu/3rd-excet-workshop
The University of Tennessee leads the collaboration between Japan and the USA in an academic, interdisciplinary platform called EXCET (U.S-Japan Exchange Program for Green Growth Collaboration through Clean Energy Technologies). The purpose of EXCET is to encourage communication and collaboration with researchers on issues of renewable energy and green energy. Supported by the US Department of State and the US Embassy in Tokyo, EXCET is a high-level collaboration with the University of Tennessee (UT), Waseda University, and Osaka University.
In this third workshop, activities will consider both countries’ barriers, strategies, points of view, and strengths from different backgrounds. The goal is for long-term collaboration to serve as a model to support collaboration among researchers, industrial leaders, investors, community leaders, and policy makers in both countries.
Workshop Topics
- Resilient, Smart, and Sustainable Power Systems
- Clean Energy Policy and Finance
- Smart City for Clean Energy and Green Growth
- Demand Response through Smart Connection
- Sustainable Regional Systems for Net-Zero
Jin Selected as Editor-In-Chief of IISE Journal
The Engineering Economist is a quarterly refereed journal published jointly by the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) and the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE). The journal publishes articles, case studies, surveys, and book and software reviews that represent original research, current practice, and teaching involving problems of capital investment, life-cycle cost assessment, techno-economic analysis, and other economic analysis of engineering projects and systems. Jin, an IISE Fellow, Director of Institute for a Secure & Sustainable Environment, and head of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at UT, will assume his new role in January 2025.
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…
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.
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).
EXCET is the U.S.-Japan Exchange Program for Green Growth Collaboration through Clean Energy Technologies, dedicated to fostering an international network of researchers and experts spanning a wide range of fields, encompassing both engineering and social sciences. Funded by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, the objective is to develop policy recommendations and actionable strategies that can drive sustainable economic growth and facilitate decarbonization in Japan and the United States. The impact of this initiative is expected to reverberate through academia, industry, and grassroots community organizations.
ISSE Earth System Modeling Initiative Researchers at ISSE, working closely with the Earth System Modeling Initiative at Oak Ridge National Lab, are advancing our understanding of earth systems and their impacts on human and natural systems. We use Earth system modeling, integrated ground and remote sensing observations, and advanced data analytical tools to study its effects on water availability, soil moisture, wildfires, and vegetation. Team members are Drs. Yuefeng Hao, Jiafu Mao, Joshua Fu, and 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 varied, 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.
ISSE Magazines & Annual Reports
Sustainability News
Paul Armsworth Receives SEC Faculty Achievement Award as the Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology for excellence in teaching, research and service.
US DOE grants $20 million to Tickle College of Engineering to revolutionize the design and manufacturing of high-performance materials for fusion energy systems.
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
March 27-28, 2025 – 3rd EXCET Workshop, Osaka, Japan
March 24 – UTK Career Fair, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the UT Creamery. This in-person event allows job seekers to meet face-to-face with departments hiring across campus and provides valuable insights into roles, responsibilities, and team culture. It allows UTK to showcase its range of opportunities and helps candidates understand what makes each department unique. This exposure can attract future talent and keep our candidate pipeline strong.
May 11—15 – International Conference on Ecology and Transportation, Hybrid Conference and Training, Denver, CO. Hosted by the Colorado Department of Transportation and Colorado Parks & Wildlife. Register – Program
Transportation Research Board Webinars:
•March 12 – Strategic AI Implementation and Developing Agency Policies. Register
•March 18 – Tort Implications for Flexibility and Engineering Judgment. Register
•March 21 – Maritime Work in the Industrial Revolution 5.0
2025 ISSE Research Conference is slated for September 15, 2025 in the University Conference Center Building. This annual event features updates by ISSE research staff, presentations by ISSE industrial and research partners, and the Student Poster Contest with cash prizes for winners.