University of Tennessee College of Arts & Sciences

The UTK Herbarium - TENN is one of the largest plant biodiversity collections in the southeast storing over 600,000 dry-pressed plant specimens.

Students from the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB at UTK), along with researchers, graduate students, and the public, can visit to learn how herbarium specimens support research, conservation, and education.

Just another unparalleled student experience you can find in the College of Arts and Sciences!

This summer, we welcomed students from the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department's Summer Field Botany course to the UT Herbarium for a behind-the-scenes tour of the collection!

Students learned how herbarium specimens support research, conservation, and education, and got a glimpse of the work that goes into preserving plant collections. During their visit, they explored the microscope rooms, watched a specimen being mounted, toured the collection areas, and examined some of the unique artifacts and specimens housed in our Cabinet of Curiosities.

Herbaria are much more than collections of pressed plants; they are libraries of biodiversity. Herbarium specimens can be used to identify plants, document species distributions, study taxonomy, track changes in flowering times, and even help researchers understand how plants respond to climate change.

Congratulations to Ross Johnson, academic advising coordinator for the Division of Biology, on being honored with an Excellence in Advising award! 👏

Johnson is known to exemplify the phrase “a rising tide lifts all boats.” His approachability, coupled with a wealth of knowledge regarding curriculum, policies, and procedures, helps advisors provide better outcomes for their students.

Our college is grateful for advisors like him who help us provide an unparalleled student experience!


Office of the Provost, UT Knoxville

The challenges facing our communities, environment, and resources are connected.

The Online Bachelor of Arts in Sustainability helps students explore topics like climate variability, biodiversity, water resources, and sustainable development while building skills that can make a difference in the real world.

Offered through the University of Tennessee College of Arts & Sciences.

Learn more: https://volsonline.utk.edu/program/bachelors/sustainability-basus/

University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Research can take you anywhere in the College of Arts and Sciences! 🚢

University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Department of Microbiology third-year PhD student Jason Olavesen spent nearly seven weeks on a voyage aboard the British Antarctic Survey’s flagship, the RRS "Sir David Attenborough," as a part of an international research expedition.

While on the trip to Antarctica, the research team investigated microscopic organisms that drive global carbon cycles through water collection. Some samples were even brought back to Knoxville for another UT graduate student, Sarah Lott, to analyze.

Read more about Olavesen's memorable experience: https://artsci.utk.edu/ut-graduate-student-joins-researchers-in-antarctica/


UT Graduate School

This incredibly generous gift will be transformational for both the McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture and the University of Tennessee Department of Theatre.

The gift completed funding for the new Jenny Boyd Theatre, which has already hosted two productions, and will fund the new "Tennessee River Journey" exhibition at the McClung Museum.

We are thankful for the Johnstons’ extraordinary support of arts and culture at UT!


Clarence Brown Theatre
UT Knoxville Alumni

Did you hear the BIG news? The McClung Museum is celebrating the largest single gift in its history. 🎉

Split evenly between the McClung Museum and Department of Theatre, a more than $2 million estate gift from Florence Fair Johnston and Hendon Russell Johnston Jr. will help fund the development of Tennessee River Journey, a major new permanent exhibition opening in 2032, along with other museum priorities.

The McClung is honored by the Johnstons' generosity and the confidence they placed in the museum. Their support will have a transformational impact on the museum for years to come. Visit the link in the comments to read the full story.

We love inviting future students to join us on Rocky Top to hear directly from our current students, faculty, and staff about the Arts & Sciences advantage! 🧡

Arts & Sciences students experience hands-on learning in the classroom and around the world. 🌎

Eleven UT students in our "GIS in the Community" course brought their knowledge of geographic information science (GIS) to Uvita, Costa Rica.

Members of UTK Geography and Sustainability partnered with the education organization GISetc, which has deep connections with the leaders in Uvita, an area experiencing both population growth and overtourism.

While abroad, students worked together to investigate environmental and urban planning issues such as identifying erosion and tree line loss along the coast that could become a future problem for the community.

We are proud that our students have the opportunity to turn classroom knowledge into community impact at home in Tennessee and abroad.



Photo Credit: Michael Camponovo

Big ideas start with inspiring mentors. 💡

Our faculty invite students to celebrate their curiosity, join them in discovery, and to work together to make a difference in Tennessee and beyond.

Distinguished Professor of English Urmila Seshagiri teaches an interdisciplinary course, English 475, that offers students the unparalleled opportunity to take a deep dive into the world of music, art, film, and poetry through the Big Ears festival.

Check out the feature on this course in Torchbearer magazine!


University of Tennessee Department of English

Big Experience Big Experience

Join us in celebrating Department of Chemistry (Chemistry, UTK) Professor Michael Best on being named an Undergraduate Research Mentor of the Year! 👏

In his two decades at UT, he has mentored 91 undergraduate chemistry students through involving them in his research studying the application of lipid membranes. He has even included students as authors on peer-reviewed publications nearly every year since 2012!

Best is a fantastic example of the next-level mentorship and research opportunities our students can expect in the College of Arts and Sciences.


Office of the Provost, UT Knoxville