Our first Fall 2026 Undergraduate STEM Research Seminar will be this Friday with Mechanical Engineering major Christian Chesser and Physics major Elijah James both giving presentations describing their research on different aspects of fusion energy. Christian will describe Flownex Modeling of Fusion Reactor Balance of Plant and Eli will talk about Understanding Kinetic Plasma Transport in Proto-MPEX Lite. The seminar will be at 4pm in Bruner Hall 210 with snacks served starting at 3:30pm. These seminars are geared for undergraduates from any STEM major, but graduate students and faculty are encouraged to attend!
Category: Research
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Apply Now for up to $20,000 in Grant Funding
The Rural Reimagined Faculty Grant Program offers TN Tech faculty members the opportunity to secure up to $20,000 in research funding to address rural challenges. All academic disciplines are encouraged to submit a proposal. The application window runs through Friday, September 30, 2026, at 4:30 p.m.
For comprehensive information and proposal submission, click here.
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Any Goldwater Candidates?
Are you mentoring a really bright sophomore or junior in research? Do they want to pursue a career in STEM research? Please encourage them to apply for the Goldwater Fellowship! Feel free to email me if you want to discuss a student in detail, or simply encourage your mentee to register their interest at https://goldwaterscholarship.gov/
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Undergraduate STEM Research Seminar: Dr. Smain Sekal, TTU Physics
This Friday’s Undergraduate STEM Research Seminar will feature Dr. Smain Sekal, a postdoctoral researcher here at TTU. Dr. Sekal is a nuclear physicist, and in his talk Exploring Nuclear Structure and Its Evolution, he will describe how he uses experimental techniques to better understand why exotic nuclei deviate from the usual patterns observed in stable and nearly-stable nuclei. The seminar will be at 4pm in Bruner Hall 210 with snacks served starting at 3:30pm. These seminars are geared for undergraduates from any STEM major, but graduate students and faculty are encouraged to attend!
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Come see the exciting innovations that your faculty colleagues are working on!
Come see the exciting innovations that your faculty colleagues are working on at the faculty innovator showcase! The showcase will take place on April 22nd from 5:00-7:30pm, with presentations by faculty members who are working to bring their research to market.
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Undergraduate STEM Research Seminar: Dr. Alfonso Rodriguez, DABR
This Friday’s Undergraduate STEM Research Seminar will feature Dr. Alfonso Rodriguez, a medical physicist at the Rio Grande Cancer Center in El Paso, TX. In his talk Medical Physics: From Fundamentals to Frontiers, Dr. Rodriguez will describe the training pathways for a career in this field, introduce the physics principles associated with major clinical modalities, and describe his own research. The seminar will be at 4pm in Bruner Hall 210 with snacks served starting at 3:30pm. These seminars are geared for undergraduates from any STEM major, but graduate students and faculty are encouraged to attend!
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Research and Creative Inquiry Symposium Schedule of Events
Schedule of Events in Memorial Gym
Monday, April 20
9:30-6:00 Poster Setup
Tuesday, April 21
8:00-4:30 Poster Judging (Students are not present)
Wednesday, April 22
8:00-10:30 Poster Judging (Students are not present)
1:00-4:30 Open for viewing
5:00-7:00 Innovation ShowcaseThursday, April 23
8:00-10:45 Open for viewing
11:00- Awards Ceremony Begins
(All posters must be picked no later than 3:00 pm)
Good Luck!
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Undergraduate STEM Research Seminar: Dr. Anne Campbell, ONRL
This Friday for the Undergraduate STEM Research Seminar we will be visited by Dr. Anne Campbell, R&D Staff in the Advanced Nuclear Materials group at ORNL. In her talk The Changing Landscape of Nuclear Materials R&D, Dr. Campbell will discuss materials science for advanced nuclear reactors, highlighting the modern role of graphite, the first nuclear structural and moderating material. The seminar will be at 4pm in Bruner Hall 210 with snacks served starting at 3:30pm. These seminars are geared for undergraduates from any STEM major, but graduate students and faculty are encouraged to attend!
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Innovation You Can See: Faculty Innovator Showcase
The Third Annual Faculty Innovator Showcase will take place Wednesday, April 22, from 5:00–7:30 p.m. at Memorial Gym. Full‑time faculty and staff are invited to register to present innovative projects, research applications, or early‑stage inventions and can earn $1,000–$1,500 in non‑instructional pay for participating. The event is free and open to campus and the public—no registration required to attend. Presenters register here.
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Rahnama Lab Research Wins Prestigious Award at International Conference
At the 33rd Fungal Genetics Conference in California, Dr. Mostafa Rahnama attended with three graduate students. Among them, Ari Mortensen received a Mycota Best Poster Award—selected from 319 posters, with only two recipients—an honor associated with The Mycota (Springer), a leading book series in fungal biology. Ari’s research was a collaborative effort with Rahnama lab members Justin King, Sahar Salimi, and Astha Mishra and explores molecular mechanisms controlling fungal pathogenicity.