Research and Creative Achievement—Professional Promise Awards honor faculty members who are early in their careers for excellence in research, scholarship, and creative achievement.
Aaron Buss
Aaron Buss is an associate professor of Psychology. He received a BS from North Central College in 2007 and a PhD from the University of Iowa in 2013. His research focuses on neural mechanisms of cognition with a particular emphasis on the development of executive function in early childhood. His research is funded by an R01 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
What does being a Volunteer mean to you? How has UT empowered you to make a difference in a way you might not have imagined elsewhere?
Being a Volunteer means blazing a trail to challenge the big theories in science and create a new understanding through novel insights. The research program I have developed here at UT has greatly benefited from the community and resources and would not have been possible anywhere else.
Zoi A. Traga Philippakos
Zoi A. Traga Philippakos is associate professor in Theory and Practice in Teacher Education at CEHHS. She is originally from Sparta, Greece, and completed her PhD at the University of Delaware in 2012. She joined UT in 2018 and received the LRA Early Career Achievement Award in 2019. Her research interests include reading and writing in K-12 and postsecondary settings, strategy instruction with self-regulation, writing motivation, and teacher professional development.
What does being a Volunteer mean to you? How has UT empowered you to make a difference in a way you might not have imagined elsewhere?
Being a Volunteer to me means working with dedication, integrity, and compassion to make a difference in the lives of learners of all ages and all needs. I conduct research across educational settings with younger and adult learners through innovative practices contributing to literacy development. As a Volunteer at UT, a land grant university and a flagship state school, I strive to make a difference in the lives of the thinkers, readers, and writers of today and of the citizens of tomorrow.
Matthew Serfling
Matthew Serfling is an associate professor in the Finance Department. His research interests span several areas including issues related to the corporate takeover market, how corporate decisions interact with labor markets and other non-financial stakeholders, and how managers shape the information environment of their firms.
What does being a Volunteer mean to you? How has UT empowered you to make a difference in a way you might not have imagined elsewhere?
It means having the freedom to try new things to continuously improve research, teaching, and the community.
Mariya Zhuravleva
Mariya Zhuravleva holds BS and MS degrees from Moscow Institute of Fine Chemical Technology, Russia, and a PhD degree from Tohoku University, Japan, all in materials science and engineering. She joined the University of Tennessee as a post-doctoral research associate and has worked her way up to recently become an associate professor in materials science and engineering.
What does being a Volunteer mean to you? How has UT empowered you to make a difference in a way you might not have imagined elsewhere?
UT has provided unique research infrastructure for discovery and development of new materials that have important societal impact on human health and national security.