The Undergraduate Research Mentor of the Year award honors a faculty member who has shown outstanding commitment to mentoring undergraduate research students.
David P. Harper
Dr. Harper grew up in Parsons, WV. He earned a B.A. in Physics from West Virginia University and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Washington State University. He joined the UT faculty in 2004, and is a Professor in the School of Natural Resources and Center for Renewable Carbon with joint appointments in Materials Science and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. He is deeply grateful for his wife, Jessica, sons Wyatt and Sam, and daughter, Ruth, a Molecular Biology senior.
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?
“Dr. Harper has taken to heart UTIA’s mission to improve the lives of Tennesseans. Our group’s research and outreach efforts aim to accomplish this by improving the environment and creating jobs by helping companies develop new materials and processes that reduce our environmental impact. Being a Volunteer means openly collaborating between students and faculty. Science requires a diverse and interdisciplinary team to tackle complex problems by building trust and giving freely of oneself.”