The Undergraduate Researcher of the Year award honors a junior or senior who has demonstrated excellence in undergraduate research through independent inquiry, classes, and student employment.
Alexander Greenhalgh
Alexander Greenhalgh is a senior in material science and engineering with minors in math and computer science from Oak Ridge, Tennessee. His research involves the intersection of material and computer sciences, using computational methods to discover the next generation of sustainable high-performing materials. In the fall, he will begin work at the Army’s Research and Analysis Center through the Department of Defense’s SMART program. He plans to eventually pursue a PhD in computer science.
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 to selflessly pioneer the way forward, whether through advancements in academia, service to society, or kindness in community. My time on Rocky Top has been defined by the students and faculty I’ve met who personify this idea. Throughout the last four years, the examples of these role models have allowed me to reframe what I know I am capable of. In what comes next, I hope to illuminate a path for others just as these true volunteers have provided their light to me.”
Nolan Ragland
Nolan Ragland majors in political science and global studies with minors in statistics and public policy analytics. He works as a research assistant for the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy, focusing on East Asian security and the international human rights agenda. In the fall, he will pursue his PhD in political science at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, hoping to research the relationship between domestic and international politics, human rights, and international institutions.
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 using your knowledge, skills, and connections to make the world a little bit better in every way that you can. Throughout my time at Rocky Top, my professors have demonstrated to me how knowledge and research into the most complex problems of our politics provides the basis for understanding for how to make things better. As I leave Knoxville, I hope to always remember to utilize my position and abilities to support those who are marginalized and neglected.”