Research and Creative Achievement—Professional Promise Awards honor faculty members who are early in their careers for excellence in research, scholarship, and creative achievement.
Georgi Gardiner
Georgi Gardiner is an assistant professor of philosophy. Before that she was the Andrew Fraser Junior Research Fellow at St. John’s College, Oxford University. She received her doctorate from Rutgers University and undergraduate and master’s degrees from Edinburgh University. She was formerly a Fellow of the American Council for Learned Societies and next year will be a fellow at UT’s Humanities Center.
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?
“The students here are special to me. I love interacting with them. They are enthusiastic, interesting, and insightful. Undergraduate classes have been wonderful, and my graduate research students are strikingly intelligent, wise, and diligent. They are truly a source of joy, and I learn a lot from them. Funding from the Office of Research, Innovation, and Economic Development allowed me to create scholarly retreats to build innovative, supportive research communities for early career women in philosophy. I am so grateful for that opportunity.”
Stephanie Kilvin
Stephanie Kivlin, an assistant professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, focuses on ecosystem ecology, microbial ecology, and global change of plant–soil interactions. A 2021 recipient of a mid-year career research award from the College of Arts and Sciences, Kivlin is currently involved in several major projects funded by the National Science Foundation and the US Departments of Energy and Agriculture.
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?
“As a first-generation college student, I connect with the commitment to engagement, training, and mentoring that UTK provides undergraduates and graduate students from disparate backgrounds. The university’s dedication to our students inspires me to be a more effective mentor and advocate. This along with the collegial atmosphere of the ecology and evolutionary biology department empower me to create innovative research, teaching, and service synergisms.”
Shuai Li
Shuai Li is an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering. He joined the University of Tennessee in 2017. His use-inspired research focuses on developing AI-enabled, community-engaged, human-centric cyber-physical systems to advance future manufacturing and robotic construction paradigms, and revolutionize the design, operation, and management of civil infrastructure systems and communities to make them smarter, safer, more sustainable, and socially inclusive and equitable.
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 embodies dedication, passion, and unwavering commitment to the UT community, Tennessee, and beyond. As a Volunteer, UT has enriched my journey by nurturing an interdisciplinary atmosphere that fosters collaboration with diverse professionals and inspiring me to tackle complex and pressing challenges faced by our community and society. I am deeply honored to contribute to the advancement of education, research, and service within UT and throughout Tennessee.”
Katharine Page
Katharine Page is an assistant professor of materials science and engineering and a joint faculty member with the Neutron Scattering Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. She is a first-generation college graduate, earning her BS in chemical engineering at the University of Maine and her PhD in materials from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is a recipient of Early Career Awards from both the US Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation, and was awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 2019.
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?
“As part of the Vol nation, I feel emboldened to ‘think big.’ I’m driven to help transform the East Tennessee region through materials and manufacturing innovations and STEM education and outreach. ‘Vol is a verb!’ The allies, collaborators, and mentors I’ve gained within UT’s departments and institutes make anything possible.”