UTSI - Key Persons


A. Vakili

Job Titles:
  • Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Vakili is a Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Tennessee Space Institute, on phased retirement. Vakili has over 35 years of experience in theoretical and applied research in the aerospace and mechanical engineering related fields. He has taught a number of courses at the undergraduate and mainly at a graduate level in the related subject areas. He has worked with large industries and small companies and has been successful in helping improve performances of various existing industrial processes and or help design and develop new processes. Vakili helped develop a patented high-speed carbon fiber spinning technology. He has developed expertise in fiber production and processing technologies and carbon-based composite materials development. Vakili's research areas of interest are in areas of applied, theoretical and experimental simulations of aerodynamics, fluid mechanics, vortex dominated flows, flow structure interactions, flow control, instrumentation, combustion and carbon fibers, and composite materials manufacturing technologies. His specific research experience areas include fundamentals of flow control, flow control applied to mixing and combustion control and industrial flow technologies. He has served as the principal investigator or co-investigator of numerous research projects, grants or contracts. He has published over 160 technical papers and reports and has a number of patents awarded and a number of patent applications in process. He has received numerous honors and awards, served on review panels, and has been a reviewer for national and international journals and scientific funding organizations. Vakili has transitioned (starting August 2016) to spend the majority of his time as the Chief Manager of Flow Integration and Control Systems, (FICS, LLC), an innovations development and high technology solutions company. Z. Yue, A. Vakili, M.P Duran, Surface treatments of solvated mesophase pitch-based carbon fibers. J. Mater. Sci. 2017. 52:10250-10260. DOI: 10.1007/s10853-017-1197-0.

Abhijeet Borole

Job Titles:
  • Research Professor

Ahmad D. Vakili

Job Titles:
  • Adjunct Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Ahmad Vakili

Job Titles:
  • Adjunct Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Education Ph. D. Engineering (Mechanical/Aerospace) 1978, The University of Tennessee Knoxville. M. S. Engineering (Mechanical/Aerospace) 1976, The University of Tennessee Knoxville. Non-degree 1973-1974, Rhein.-Westf. Technische Hochschule; RWTH Aachen, Germany. Scholarship from Deutscher Academischer Austauschdienst B.S. General Engineering (Mechanical and Chemical Engineering) 1972, Abadan Institute of

Ahmedullah Aziz

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Professor

Alexander Terekhov

Job Titles:
  • Manager of Research Eng & Operations Research Lab Support

Aly Fathy

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Amir Sadovnik

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Professor

Andrew Dickerson

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Professor

Andy Sarles

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor

Angelica Palomino

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor

Anita Mills

Job Titles:
  • Director of Enablement University of Tennessee - Huntsville

Anming Hu

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor

Annette Beets

Job Titles:
  • Financial Associate

Antonios Danalis

Job Titles:
  • Research Assistant Professor

Arthur Ragauskas

Job Titles:
  • UT - ORNL Governor 's Chair Professor

Arthur Ruggles

Job Titles:
  • Research Professor

Ashley Brooks

Job Titles:
  • HR Associate

B. H. Goethert

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Bamin Khomami


Becky (Martha) Stines

Job Titles:
  • Director Continuing Ed and Outreach Special Short Courses

Benjamin Blalock

Job Titles:
  • Professor, Associate Department Head

Bin Hu

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Bradley Jared

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor

Brett Compton

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor

Brian Canfield

Job Titles:
  • Researcher

Brian Edwards

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Brian Wirth


Bruce LaMattina

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Leadership Team
  • Senior Director
  • Senior Director for Space and Defense Programs
LaMattina is the Senior Director for Space and Defense Programs at the University of Tennessee Space Institute (UTSI), an internationally recognized graduate education and research institution located in Middle Tennessee adjacent to the U.S. Air Force Arnold Engineering Development Complex. Prior to accepting the UTSI appointment he served as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Strategic Research Initiatives from 2019 to February, 2021 at UT Knoxville. Before joining the UT family, he served in the same position at The University of North Carolina. LaMattina has more than 25 years of experience spanning academia, government, and corporate research and defense. He is a creative leader with a strong background in strategic planning, resource management, tech transfer, and workforce development that unites partners from diverse backgrounds to form successful teams that advance research and development with maximum impact. He specializes in research and development, proposal development, teaching and advising, program manager, strategic planning, and more. His technical strengths include manufacturing, solid mechanics, composite materials, and computational modeling, and is an author of over 25 journal articles including two book chapters, one edited book, two journal special issues, numerous conference publications, and more than 25 invited talks. LaMattina earned his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of North Carolina and his MS and BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Delaware.

Casey Bain

Job Titles:
  • Financial Business Manager & Program Manager

Catherine Schuman

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Professor

Cathy Thompson

Job Titles:
  • Manager for Grants and Contracts Business, Finance & Strategy

Chad Duty

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Charlene Hane

Job Titles:
  • Coordinator of Registration Student Services ( UTSI Campus )
  • Manager for Student Affairs Dean for Academic Affairs

Charles Johnson

Job Titles:
  • Research Assistant Professor
A detailed study has been made on Eu-doped ZBLAN fluorochlorozirconate glasses and glass ceramics containing BaCl2. These have uses in optical devices (e.g. fiber lasers and amplifiers), up-converting and down converting glass layers for solar cells, and x-ray storage phosphors or scintillators for x-ray detection and imaging (see Dr Jackie Johnson's report). The effective Debye temperatures for Eu2+ and Eu3+ have been measured. The results were used to optimize the performance of image plates for digital x-ray radiography. This involves maximizing the amount of Eu2+ and determining the conditions required for precipitating BaCl2 nanocrystals containing Eu2+ from a barium chloro-fluorozirconate glass (ZBLAN). On x-irradation in this system Eu2+ stores defects and hence can be used in imaging. Eu3+ scintillates and so is a detector.

Charles Melcher

Job Titles:
  • Research Professor

Charlotte Henley

Job Titles:
  • Administrative Associate

Chen, P. Zhao

Chen, P. Zhao, P. Dai, Z. Chen*, "On the prediction of hot spot induced ignition by the Livengood-Wu integral," Proc. Combust. Inst., 2020, accepted.

Chris Cox

Job Titles:
  • Professor and Department Head

Chris Hale


Christopher Mears

Job Titles:
  • Adjunct Associate Professor
Biography Christopher Mears has worked at Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) as a government contractor. He has performed several different roles related to management, industrial engineering, systems engineering, reliability engineering, and continuous improvement, from an individual project level up to the enterprise level of AEDC. In his current role as Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Support Manager, Christopher is functionally responsible for work management processes related to O&M support of craft work (resource forecasting, planning, scheduling, CMMS). Christopher has played an active leadership role in sharing maintenance, reliability, and asset management best practices across multiple military, space, manufacturing, building, and test facilities across the world. He has performed on-site support with assessing and improving operations and maintenance programs at a number of NASA facilities, including NASA Ames (California), NASA White Sands (New Mexico), NASA Michoud (Louisiana), NASA Stennis (Mississippi), and NASA Kennedy Space Center (Florida).

Claudia Rawn

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Cliff Baker

Job Titles:
  • IT Technician

Cong Trinh

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor

Courtney Maricle-Frazier

Job Titles:
  • HR Associate

Damiano Baccarella

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Professor

Dan Wilson

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Professor

Dana Hale

Job Titles:
  • Service Specialist

Daniel Costinett

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor

David Icove

Job Titles:
  • UI Professor of Practice

David Keffer

Job Titles:
  • Professor and Associate Head

David Mandrus

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Dayakar Penumadu

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Deanna Flinchum

Job Titles:
  • Interim Associate Director at Center for Transportation Research

Deborah Penchoff

Job Titles:
  • Associate Director of Innovative Computing Laboratory and Research Assistant Professor

Denise Ford Jackson

Job Titles:
  • Adjunct Associate Professor, Engineering Management
Education 1980, B.S., Industrial Engineering. Georgia Institute of Technology 1983, M.S., Industrial Engineering. The University of Tennessee 1989, Ph.D., Engineering Science and Mechanics with specialization in Industrial Engineering. The University of Tennessee Professional Experience 1984- Present, The University of Tennessee, Department of Industrial and Information Engineering 1980-1984, Union Carbide Corporation (later Martin Marietta Energy Systems), Oak Ridge, Tennessee Courses Taught IE 514: Information Systems II IE 518: Advanced Engineering Economy EM 541: Change and Improvement EM 532: Productivity and Quality Engineering EM 537: Analytical Methods EM 536: Project Management Research Interests Performance Management Knowledge Management Engineering Systems Management Project Management

Dennis Harbin

Job Titles:
  • Technical Specialist

Devina Sanjaya

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Professor

Dibyendu Mukherjee

Job Titles:
  • Research Assistant Professor

Dominique Joyner

Job Titles:
  • Research Associate III

Doug Warnberg

Job Titles:
  • Technical Specialist
  • Safety & Security

Douglas Aaron

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Department Head

Dustin Crouch

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Professor

Dustin Gilbert

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Professor

Easo George

Job Titles:
  • Professor Emeritus

Eric Lass

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Professor

Eric Lukosi

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor

Fangxing Li

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Fei "Fred" Wang

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Feng-Yan Zhang

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Feng-Yuen Zhang

Job Titles:
  • Professor
Education 1987 Nanjing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics, China BS, Mechanical Engineering 1990 Nanjing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics, China, MS Mechanical Engineering 1999 Nagoya University, Japan, Ph.D. Teaching Inviscid Flow Micro/Nano ElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS/NEMS) Viscous Fluid Flow Research Interests Micro-/nano-scale fluidics, transport, heat transfer, and combustion Novel multifunctional materials Micro/Nano electro mechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) Low-emission electric propulsion and high-efficiency combustion engines Electrochemical energy storage and conversions, including fuel cells, electrolyzers, batteries Alternative fuel and renewable energy, including biofuel, solar energy and wind power Hybrid energy systems Thermal control and thermal management Advanced spectroscopies, including laser, optics, x-ray and electron Professional Experience 2012-Present Associate Professor, Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee Space Institute 2011-2012 Research Assistant Professor, Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville 2006-2010 Research Staff, Mechanical Engineering, University of Delaware 2004-2005 Postdoc, Mechanical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University 2003 Postdoc, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) 2002 Visiting Scholar, Stanford University 1999 - 2002 Assistant Professor/Research Associate, Nagoya University 1990 - 1995 Research Engineer, Beijing Institute of Machine & Electricity

G. Ivan Maldonado

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Gabriel Goenaga Jimenez

Job Titles:
  • Senior Research Associate

Garrett Rose

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Gary Payne

Job Titles:
  • Research Coordinator

George Bosilca


George M. Murray

Job Titles:
  • Adjunct Professor
  • Adjunct Research Professor, MABE
Professor George Milton Murray is an Adjunct Professor of Mechanical Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Tennessee Space Institute. He came to UTSI in 2007 from Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. He specializes in chemical analysis, sensors and molecularly imprinted polymers. One of Professor Murray's areas of expertise is the preparation of luminescent sensors for toxic compounds. The techniques of molecular imprinting and sensitized lanthanide luminescence have been combined to create the basis for a sensor that can selectively measure a specific organophosphorous compound. A complex of polymerizable sensitizing ligand europium [III) and an organophosphorous compound are copolymerized in a cross-linked polymer matrix. The best coordinators are trifluoromethyl-substituted b-diketones. The best polymerization mechanism is by Reversible Addition Fragmentation Transfer polymerization. This approach is allowing the production of soluble processable imprinted materials. Analogous methodologies are currently being applied to the production of sensors for the detection and determination of toxins, drugs of abuse, explosives and meat spoilage. Toxins are measured using piezo-electric transducers. Drugs are measured in an analogous manner to the nerve agents while explosives are being detected by the production of charge-transfer complexes between the explosives molecules, (acceptor) and immobilized amines (donor). Meat spoilage sensing is obtained using luminescence from a transition metal macrocyclic complex. All of the materials are also capable of providing highly selective binding sites to other transducers such as quartz crystal microbalance and surface plasmon resonance sensors. Murray has published over 50 peer-reviewed papers in scientific journals as well as articles in the popular science press. He holds twenty U.S. patents and was named as one of the twenty Master Inventors of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. Murray's research interests are centered on developing methods for the sequestration and ultra-trace determination of toxic or useful substances in real samples. The means to this goal involves the production of molecularly Imprinted materials for sequestration and as specific polymer sensors. Laser spectroscopy is used for sensor transduction and verification. Laser processing is used to obtain specific form factors. Materials are also prepared for direct electronic or electrochemical transduction using electro-active polymers with imprinted polymer receptors.

Gerd Duscher

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Gila Stein

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Gregory Peterson

Job Titles:
  • Professor & Department Head

Hahn Choo

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Hairong Qi

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Haixuan Xu

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor

Hans DeSmidt

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Harry Richards

Job Titles:
  • Research Assistant Professor

Heike Jagode

Job Titles:
  • Research Assistant Professor

Hongyu Zhou

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor

Howard Hall

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Hugh Medal

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Professor

J. Wesley Hines

Job Titles:
  • Chancellor

Jack D. Whitfield

Job Titles:
  • Graduate Programs Director for MABE
  • Professor, Associate Professor

Jack Dongarra

Job Titles:
  • Professor Emeritus

Jack LeGeune

Job Titles:
  • Research Coordinator

Jack Parker

Job Titles:
  • Research Professor

Jacqueline Anne Johnson

Job Titles:
  • Professor

James Economy

Jinwen Wang , Zhongren Yue, James Economy. Novel method to make a continuous micro-mesopore membrane with tailored surface chemistry for use in nanofiltration. Journal of Membrane Science 2008, 308, 191-197 Yue, Zhongren; Economy, James; Rajagopalan, Kishore; Bordson, Gary; Piwoni, Marv. "Removal of trace amounts of atrazine from water using porous carbons coated on a fiberglass substrate". 228th ACS National Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, United States, August 22-26, 2004.

James L. Simonton

Job Titles:
  • Associate Executive Director
  • Member of the Leadership Team
  • Associate Executive Director of Academic Affairs / Director of Online Education Program / Program Coordinator for Engineering Management
Simonton is the Associate Executive Director at UTSI and an Associate Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Tennessee. His current job duties include program academic coordination as well as the Director of Online Education at UTSI. His research interests include project management, systems engineering, operational research, engineering economics, statistical analysis, logistics, lean six-sigma, and quality. His research continues to be involved in alternative energy in the areas of electrical generation, biomass gas to liquids, and utilization of stranded or flared natural gases. Resulting from his work in biomass and natural gas to liquid, he has several patents in alternative energy-related areas.

James Lyne

Job Titles:
  • Clinical Associate Professor

James Ostrowski

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor

James Plank

Job Titles:
  • Professor

James Popovich


Jamie Coble

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor

Janice N. Tolk

Job Titles:
  • Adjunct Assistant Professor

Jason Hayward

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Jason Riley

Job Titles:
  • Technical Specialist

Jayne Wu

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Jeff Marsh

Job Titles:
  • Maintenance Specialist

Jeffrey Reinbolt

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor

Jenell Burt

Job Titles:
  • Business Manager

Jennifer Retherford

Job Titles:
  • Distinguished Lecturer

Jeremy Keele

Job Titles:
  • Maintenance Specialist

Jerry Dahlberg

Job Titles:
  • Associate Director
  • Member of the Leadership Team
  • Associate Director for Space and Defense Programs
Dahlberg is the Associate Director for Space and Defense Programs at the University of Tennessee Space Institute (UTSI) Huntsville Research Office. As the associate director, Dahlberg is focused on developing key relationships between the university, federal agencies, and industry in Huntsville, Alabama. Additionally, he advises investigators on emerging research and engagement opportunities of strategic importance with key partners in the Huntsville region. His research interests include experimental aerodynamics, molecular hydrodynamics, and STEM education for veterans. Dahlberg spent 20 years in the Army and retired as a Sergeant First Class in 2010. Dahlberg then earned his PhD, MS and BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Before joining UTSI, he served as an Associate Professor of Practice and Assistant Teaching Professor at The University of North Carolina where he was the College of Engineering Senior Design Chair.

Jerry Everett

Job Titles:
  • Interim Director at Center for Transportation Research

Jessie Tipton

Job Titles:
  • Financial Associate

Jian Liu

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Professor

Jindong Tan

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Jinyuan Sun

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Joel Davenport

Job Titles:
  • Director

John Schmisseur

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director
  • Member of the Leadership Team
  • Executive Director of UT Space Institute
Schmisseur is the Executive Director at UTSI and a Professor of Aerospace Engineering. As director, Schmisseur sets the overall direction for the institute and serves as a direct connection to the dean of the Tickle College of Engineering in Knoxville. His goals include positioning UTSI as a regional hub for advanced technology, expanding the aerospace and defense industry presence in southern Tennessee, fostering workforce and economic development in the area, strengthening the ties between researchers and students in Tullahoma and Knoxville. Planned areas for expansion of research capabilities include aerospace propulsion, materials for aerospace and defense applications, and advanced optical instrumentation. His research interests center around hypersonics, aerospace engineering, and defense capabilities.

John Schwartz

Job Titles:
  • Professor

John Strike

Job Titles:
  • Research Associate

Jonathan Kolwyck

Job Titles:
  • Manager of Res Eng & Operations MABE Research Lab Support

Joshua Fu

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Joshua Hodges


Kai Sun

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Kanawful Massingille

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Director for IT Computer Services

Katharine Page

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Professor

Kathleen Franklin

Job Titles:
  • Custodian

Kaycee Edwards

Job Titles:
  • Senior Business Manager

Kenneth Kihm

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Kevin Holst

Job Titles:
  • Research Assistant Professor

Kevin Kit

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor

Kevin Tomsovic

Job Titles:
  • Chancellor

Khalid Alshibli

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Kia Atkins

Job Titles:
  • Operations Specialist I Dining Hall

Kirk Davenport

Job Titles:
  • Research Associate

Kivanc Ekici

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Kwai Wong

Job Titles:
  • Computational Scientist

Larry Alexander

Job Titles:
  • Technical Specialist

Larry Bray

Job Titles:
  • Research Professor

Larry Wadsworth

Job Titles:
  • Professor Emeritus

Laura Horton

Job Titles:
  • Media Coordinator Distance Education

Laurence Miller

Job Titles:
  • Professor Emeritus

Lawrence Heilbronn

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Lawrence Townsend

Job Titles:
  • Chancellor 's Professor Emeritus

Lena Lazareva

Job Titles:
  • Oliver Alderman

Leo Bonner

Job Titles:
  • Safety Officer

Leon Tolbert

Job Titles:
  • Chancellor

Lu Liu

Job Titles:
  • Research Scientist

Luis Stand Stracuzzi

Job Titles:
  • Research Assistant Professor

Lynn E. Reed

Job Titles:
  • Adjunct Associate Professor
  • Associate Adjunct Professor for the Department of Industrial Engineering
  • UT CIS As an Engineering Consultant
Biography Lynn E. Reed is an Associate Adjunct Professor for the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Tennessee Space Institute and a full time employee of the University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services. His professional interest are furthering knowledge in risk management strategies and excellence in industrial product quality improvements and cost mitigation. His current work is associated with quality, environmental, and energy management systems and environmental / regulatory law. From 1974 to 1995, Lynn worked as an engineer in a chemical manufacturing plant. He worked primarily in production and engineering management responsible for training, manufacturing, safety, scheduling, personnel, engineering, maintenance, and environmental management associated with his operating area. From 95 to 96, he taught high school math and algebra before joining the University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services (UT CIS) in 1996 while completing his MS and PhD degrees. From 1996 to the present time, Lynn has worked for UT CIS as an engineering consultant providing technical assistance to Tennessee industries across the state. Much of his last ten years was devoted to work in risk assessment and risk management strategies in collaboration with a major OEM located in Middle Tennessee and its extended North American supply chain. He sees risk management as one of the most significant challenges facing manufacturers and suppliers in the 21 st Century. He spent the last three years working on research into the impact of formal supply chain training on reduction of manufacturing defects and costs for the automotive industry. Courses Taught Introduction to Engineering Management Industrial Quality Management Quality Management Systems Environmental Management Systems Energy Management Systems Industrial Risk Management Industrial Problem Solving Statistical Process Control Automotive Core Tools Environmental & Regulatory Law Waste Reduction & Mitigation

Lynne Parker

Job Titles:
  • Associate
  • Vice Chancellor

Mahshid Ahmadi

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Professor

Maik Lang

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor

Mariya Zhuravleva

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor

Mark Denavit

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Professor

Mark Gragston

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Professor

Matthew Mench

Job Titles:
  • Dean and Chancellor 's Professor

Matthew Young

Job Titles:
  • Rosenberg Associate Professor

Meghan Morris

Job Titles:
  • Communications & Marketing Special Events Coordinator

Melissa Lemonds

Job Titles:
  • Administrative Associate

Micah Beck

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor

Michael Berry

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Michael Jantz

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor

Michael Langston

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Michael Liesenfelt

Job Titles:
  • Research Assistant Professor

Michael Simpson

Job Titles:
  • Adjunct Professor

Michelle Carmack

Job Titles:
  • Director of Finance and Administration

Mingzhou Jin

Job Titles:
  • Professor and Associate Head

Misty Brown

Job Titles:
  • Business Manager

Montgomery Smith

Job Titles:
  • Adjunct Associate Professor
Montgomery Smith received a B.S. in Mathematics and Physics from Rhodes College in 1978, and B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Tennessee in Electrical Engineering in 1982, 1984 and 1988, respectively. He has previously worked as an Assistant Physicist for Southern Research Institute in Birmingham AL (1978 - 1979), a Radiological Physicist for the Tennessee Department of Public Health in Nashville TN (1980 - 1981), and a Research Engineer for the University of Tennessee Space Institute in Tullahoma TN (1984 -1989). From 1989 to 1996, he was an Assistant Professor for University of Tennessee Space Institute, and from 1996 to 2012, served as an Associate Professor. In the summers of 1997 and 1998, he was a Summer Faculty Fellow at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville AL. His research and teaching interests include the general fields of optics, signal processing, and communications theory, with specialized involvement in electronic and optical diagnostic techniques emphasizing post-acquisition algorithms for data processing and analysis utilizing digital signal and image processing. Smith has published 23 refereed journal articles, primarily in IEEE and OSA journals, 25 conference presentations, and 5 book chapters. He has served as Major Professor for 25 M.S. students in Electrical Engineering and Engineering Science. His professional activities include Senior Member of the IEEE, and Member of the OSA, Sigma Pi Sigma, and Sigma Xi. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Tennessee, License #022307.

Natallia Kaptur

Job Titles:
  • Student Services Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Nicholas Wierschem

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor

Nicole McFarlane

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor

Nik Smith


Orlando Rios

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Professor

Pam Ledford

Job Titles:
  • HR Consultant

Patricia Burks-Jelks

Job Titles:
  • Director

Paul Dalhaimer

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor

Paul Palies

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor
  • PARC Director
Education Doctorate (PhD), Combustion, Ecole Centrale Paris (now CentraleSupelec), 2010. Paul Palies is Associate Professor at UTSI and the founding director of the Combustion and Propulsion for Aviation Research Center (C-PARC) at UTSI. His research is in reacting fluid dynamics with specializations in aeronautical propulsion research and physics of premixed swirling flames. He developed an expertise in combustion dynamics applied to laboratory scale combustors and jet engines with a demonstrated experience in acoustics, combustion, and fluid dynamics. His published work has focused on understanding key physics and passive control strategies in this context as demonstrated by a patent, a book and nearly 50 publications. He graduated from Ecole Centrale Paris in aerospace and from University of Paris XI in mechanics-physics. He has broad-band fundamentals knowledge in sciences and engineering. He holds a doctorate in combustion from Ecole Centrale Paris. His doctoral thesis investigated combustion dynamics mechanism identification, prediction and passive control for swirl-stabilized flames with theoretical, experimental and numerical methods. He was senior research scientist at the research center of United Technologies Corporation developing passive control strategy and modeling capabilities to support NASA and Pratt and Whitney's commercial combustors programs. He has managed as PI or lead several projects. He is establishing the C-PARC at UTSI to conduct research to develop technologies for premixed combustion enabling higher efficiency. One key goal of the C-PARC is to describe and demonstrate swirling flame stabilization for 100% hydrogen content under premixed combustion regime at scales ranging from laboratory to full jet engine conditions within the facilities available at UTSI and thus eliminating the emission of CO 2.

Peng Zhao

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor

Peter Liaw

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Peter Tsai

Job Titles:
  • Adjunct Professor

Philip Rack

Job Titles:
  • Professor and Associate Head

Phillip Kreth

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Professor
Education B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Florida State University, 2008 Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, Florida State University, 2015

Piotr Luszczek

Job Titles:
  • Research Assistant Professor

Qiang He

Job Titles:
  • Professor

R. Lee Leonard

Job Titles:
  • Adjunct Research Associate Professor
Education 2015 - PhD, Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville 2010 - MS, Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville 1995 - BS, Mechanical Engineering, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville Professional Experience 2023-present - Solutions Consultant, Center for Industrial Services, University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service, Nashville, TN 2023-present - Adjunct Research Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee Space Institute, Tullahoma, TN 2022-2023 - Research Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee Space Institute, Tullahoma, TN 2020-present - Visiting Scholar, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 2015-2022 - Research Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee Space Institute, Tullahoma, TN 2011-2015 - Research Associate, Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee Space Institute, Tullahoma, TN 2009-2010 - Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee Space Institute, Tullahoma, TN 1996-2008 - Project/Tooling Engineer, Walker Die Casting, Inc., Lewisburg, TN Research Interests Ceramics, Glasses, and Glass ceramics Luminescent Materials X-ray and Neutron Radiography Thin Films Ion Batteries Functionalized Nanoparticles Carbon Materials

Ragini Acharya

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor

Reza Abedi

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor

Rhonda Trail

Job Titles:
  • Custodian

Richard Wood

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Rigoberto Advincula


Robert Bond

Job Titles:
  • Senior Lecturer

Robert Dodds

Job Titles:
  • Research Professor

Roger Bass

Job Titles:
  • Maintenance Supervisor

Ronald Pevey

Job Titles:
  • Professor of Practice

Ryan Bond

Job Titles:
  • Research Professor
Education 1998, B.S., Aerospace Engineering, Mississippi State University 1998, B.S., Mathematics, Mississippi State University 2001, M.S., Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University 2003, Ph.D., Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University 2015, M.B.A., University of New Mexico Professional Experience 2016 - Present, Research Professor, Dept. of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee Space Institute 2015-2016, Senior Engineer, Computational Simulation, Modeling & Analysis Section, Arnold Engineering Development Complex 2010-2015, Department Manager, Computational Thermal & Fluid Mechanics Department, Sandia National Laboratories 2010, Principal Member of Technical Staff, Aerosciences Dept., Sandia National Laboratories 2003-2010, Senior Member of Technical Staff, Aerosciences Dept., Sandia National Laboratories Research Interests High temperature gas dynamics and thermochemistry Numerical methods for compressible flows Wall-bounded turbulence

Ryan Winton

Job Titles:
  • IT Technologist Computer Services

Saeed Kamali

Job Titles:
  • Adjunct Professor
Education M.Sc. in Engineering Physics, with a project in Particle Physics. Thesis title: "pd reactions atWASA", Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden, 2000 Ph.D. in the Experimental Condensed Matter Physics, Department of Physics in the Ångströmlaboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden, December 9, 2005. Thesis title: "3dTransition Metals Studied by Mössbauer Spectroscopy". Supervisors: Profs. Roger Wäpplingand Lennart Häggström. Download thesis. Professional Experience 2000-2001 - Uppsala University, Research Assistant at Dept. of Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis (ESCA). Supervisor: Nobel Laureate, Prof. Kai Siegbahn. 2001-2005 - Uppsala University, Dept. of Physics. (While a PhD Researcher) 2003-2005 - Member of the board at the Physics department, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. 2006-2006 - Postdoctoral studies at the Division for Spintronics at The Royal Institute ofTechnology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden. 2006-2007 - Lecturer at the Physics department, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. 2007-2009 - Research member at the Research and Utilization Division at Japan SynchrotronRadiation Research Institute (JASRI), SPring8, Japan. 2009-2011 - Research member at the Department for Applied Science, University of CaliforniaDavis, and Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley CA,USA 2011-present - Research member at the Department of Chemistry, University of California Davis, andPhysical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley CA, USA

Sagar Godse

Job Titles:
  • Researcher

Samantha Baker

Job Titles:
  • Student Services Associate Admissions & Student Services

Sarah Fried

Job Titles:
  • Program Manager

Seddik Djouadi

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Seungha Shin

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor

Shane Foister

Job Titles:
  • Senior Research Associate

Shannon Burks

Job Titles:
  • Financial Associate

Shuai Li

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Professor

Siris Laursen

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor

Stanimire Tomov

Job Titles:
  • Research Assistant Professor

Stephanie TerMaath

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor

Stephen Paddison

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Steven Zinkle


Subhadeep Chakraborty

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor

Susan Murphy

Job Titles:
  • Director for Facilities Physical Plant

Tai-Gang Nieh

Job Titles:
  • Professor Emeritus

Tamara Bonner-Thompson

Job Titles:
  • Operations Supervisor

Terry Garner

Job Titles:
  • IT Administrator

Terry Hazen


Thomas Zawodzinski


Tim Johnson

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Director for Campus Services, Student Life & External Engagement Student Services

Timothy Truster

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor

Toby Boulet

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor Emeritus
  • Interim Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs

Tony Schmitz

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Trevor Moeller

Job Titles:
  • Associate Professor

Uday Vaidya


Veerle Keppens

Job Titles:
  • Chan Cellor 's Professor and Department Head

Vinit Sharma

Job Titles:
  • Computer Data Scientist II

Vladimir Sobes

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Professor

William Hamel

Job Titles:
  • Research Professor

William Weber

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Wojciech Dmowski

Job Titles:
  • Research Associate Professor

Xiaopeng Zhao

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Xueping Li

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Yanfei Gao

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Yilu Liu


Zach Brown

Job Titles:
  • Maintenance Assistant

Zhenbo Wang

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Professor

Zhili Zhang

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Zhongguo Ma

Job Titles:
  • Professor

Zhongren Yue

Job Titles:
  • Research Associate Professor
Education 1984 - BS in Chemical Engineering, Hefei Univ. of Technology, China 1987 - MS in Polymer Science, Univ. of Science and Technology of China 1995 - PhD in Polymer Chemistry and Physics, Zhongshan (Sun Yat-sen) University Professional Experience Jan, 2007 - Current, Research Associate Professor at University of Tennessee Space Institute 2003 - 2006, Research Scientist, Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 1998 - 2002, Post-doc Research Associate, Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 1995 - 1997, Assistant Professor at the Zhongshan (Sun Yat-sen) University 1987 - 1992, Assistant Researcher in Polymer Materials Institute, Anhui University, China Research Interests High-performance carbon fibers Fiber reinforced composites High surface area, porous materials Advanced materials for water and air purification Jinwen Wang, Zhongren Yue, and James Economy, "Preparation of polyelectrolyte multilayer films consisting of sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) which alternates with various anionic layers". SUST 59. Sustainability of Energy, Food, and Water, The 233rd ACS National Meeting, Chicago, IL, March 25-29, 2007. Li Ding, Vernon L. Snoeyink, Benito J. Mariñas, Zhongren Yue, James Economy, "Effect of pore size distribution of activated carbon on the competitive adsorption between trace contaminant and natural organic matter". NSF Water CAMPWS Annual Symposium, Atlanta, Georgia, April 13-15, 2005.