TCE Faculty Receive Grand Challenges Grants 

Five faculty members from the Tickle College of Engineering are involved in projects that received 2024 Grand Challenges Type 1 Grants, a key initiative of the University of Tennessee System to turn bold ideas into impactful action.  

Grand Challenges Grants embody the UT System’s commitment to tackling the pressing issues facing the state.  

The grants provide essential seed funding to address three pivotal areas: advancing K-12 education, strengthening rural communities. and overcoming addiction. 

A total of 27 Type 1 proposals, each eligible for up to $100,000 per project, have been awarded more than $2.6 million in funding: 

• 10 grant awards in advancing K-12 education: $987,500 

• 10 grant awards in strengthening rural communities: $965,000 

• 7 grant awards in overcoming addiction: $682,500 

The five TCE faculty members are involved in the following projects:  

Advancing K-12 Education  

Access + Content + Language = STEM Learning for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Youths (ACL=STEM) 

• Betsy Chesnutt, senior lecturer in engineering fundamentals (EF) in TCE  

Thermal runaway in EV batteries: a transformational PBL unit for high school chemistry 

• Peng Zhao, associate professor in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering (MABE) 

Strengthening Rural Communities 

Feasibility of Implementing Personalized eHealth Program through Fitness Wearable and Application Among Rural Cancer Survivors  

• Weizi Li TCE, assistant professor in the Min H. Kao Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) 

• Jian Liu TCE, assistant professor in EECS 

• Xiaopeng Zhao, professor in MABE and program director of AI Initiatives  

Rural Expansion of Access to Genetic Counseling and Healthcare through AI Innovations (REACH) 

• Xiaopeng Zhao, program director of AI Initiatives  

This year’s Grand Challenge Grants competition saw 110 proposals submitted from teams across all UT campuses and institutes. The proposals were reviewed by a panel of experts, with the top-scoring submissions forwarded to the UT System Executive Leadership Team for final selection. 

Contact 

Rhiannon Potkey (865-974-0683, rpotkey@utk.edu)