Research & Innovation

More than half of Tennessee is now in a drought, according to ETSU’s Climate Office.

Sidney Booher’s undergraduate research project started as a summer internship – but it wasn’t long until it became a central part of her ETSU journey.

ETSU’s 3MT competition spotlighted research from a rare young rhino fossil at the Gray Fossil Site to national health disparities, showcasing graduate scholars.

ETSU’s first-ever iGEM team presented innovative research in Paris, tackling global hidden hunger and establishing ETSU as a rising leader in synthetic biology.

The ETSU Center for Rural Health and Research is collaborating with the State to launch a new website that maps factors shaping quality of life in Tennessee.

ETSU senior Kyah Powers has been named a Rhodes Scholarship finalist, marking the university’s third consecutive year with a Rhodes finalist. 

ETSU students are representing the university at the international iGEM competition in Paris with an innovative project.

Researchers at East Tennessee State University’s Quillen College of Medicine have received more than $4.9 million in NIH funding in recent months.

Zoo Knoxville honors ETSU’s Dr. Steven Wallace, naming a red panda cub after the Gray Fossil Site paleontologist. 

ETSU’s Dr. Aaron Polichnowski received the 2025 Distinguished Faculty Award in Research for his work in the field of hypertension and chronic kidney disease.

ETSU’s Dr. Tianhu Sun received the prestigious FFAR New Innovator Award for research boosting vitamin content in seeds naturally.

ETSU and regional biotechnology industry in Appalachia leading the way for talent development and pathways to innovation in the national biotechnology sector.

ETSU’s Gray Fossil Site team discovered 5-million-year-old deer fossils – among the earliest deer family records in America.

Dr. Ashana Puri of ETSU recently earned the 2025 Innovation and Teaching Excellence Award from AACP.

Dr. Aruna Kilaru of ETSU was recently named a Fellow of the American Society of Plant Biologists (APB).

ETSU wins a 2025 CASE Circle of Excellence Award for “Bucs on Parade,” a video celebrating the Marching Bucs’ Macy’s debut and true ETSU spirit.

Dr. Jodi Polaha of ETSU’s Quillen College of Medicine is part of the Leadership Tennessee Signature Program Class XII.

ETSU educators have earned a seat in the 2025-26 cohort of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities’ Emerging Leaders Program.

Five trailblazing companies selected for Beta Tech accelerator, backed by ETSU.

ETSU will mark 25 years since the Gray Fossil Sites discovery with a public celebration on May 31 featuring new exhibits and more.

PBS Eons spotlighted ETSU professor Dr. Steven Wallace and the Gray Fossil Site in an episode exploring the evolution of red pandas.

ETSU's Dr. Mark Kleinman recently received a 2.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study age-related macular degeneration.

ETSU's Dr. Theresa McGarry has been named a Fulbright Scholar and will study Colloquial Sinhala as part of an immersive project in Sri Lanka.

Dr. Justin Ledogar and researchers published a new study suggesting the earliest human ancestors may have ditched hard foods earlier than previously believed.

Award-winning filmmaker and ETSU professor Stokes Piercy has been named a 2025-26 Fulbright Scholar.

ETSU is proud to announce that nine students have been awarded the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for spring 2025.

Eric Jorgenson represented ETSU at the national AI Biotechnology Summit, highlighting ETSU's leadership in rural biomanufacturing and applied research.

Investments from Governor Bill Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly will top $59 million in funds at ETSU in 2025-26.

More than 300 students, faculty and staff participated in ETSU's Dr. Jay W. Boland Research Day.

Leah Loveday, an ETSU junior studying Community Health, has won the highly competitive Truman Scholarship, marking the university's second winner in two years.