News & Notes | UTK names new Associate Vice Chancellor and Director of AI Tennessee Initiative
The UT APEX Accelerator holding two events - one in-person and the other virtual.
From Knoxville:
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) has appointed Vasileios Maroulas as Associate Vice Chancellor and Director of the AI Tennessee Initiative. AI Tennessee was established in 2022 to strengthen UTK’s research in AI, expand the number of UT students developing artificial intelligence skills and competencies, and position the State of Tennessee as a national and global leader in the data-intensive knowledge economy.
“I look forward to advancing UT into a leader for AI research, innovation, and education,” said Maroulas. “By harnessing the power of transdisciplinary research, pioneering new learning opportunities, and forging strategic partnerships, we will empower a new generation of AI leaders shaping global industries and advancing the future of the knowledge economy.”
Maroulas, a national leader in artificial intelligence, is a Professor of Mathematics with appointments in UTK’s College of Arts and Sciences and Haslam College of Business as well as in the UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute’s Bredesen Center. He will lead the creation of AITechX, an AI Tennessee initiative to explore innovative AI tools, technologies and workforce development solutions for Tennessee employers.
From Chattanooga:
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced on Thursday that the City of Chattanooga was one of 12 local governments and tribes selected to receive more than $31 million in funding through the “Communities Sparking Investments in Transformative Energy” (C-SITE) funding opportunity. Under DOE’s new Local Government Energy Program, C-SITE supports the implementation of high-impact clean energy projects in disadvantaged communities, energy communities, and small- and medium-sized jurisdictions.
In the case of Chattanooga, the $2.9 million in funding will create a community resilience hub by renovating and expanding a closed school to provide employment services, including roof insulation, high performance windows, LED lighting, and an efficient chiller. “The James A. Henry building was already going to operate as a health clinic and early childhood education center for the people of the Westside, and now it will also be an energy efficient resilience hub,” said Mayor Tim Kelly.
From Memphis:
The application deadline is today for Epicenter‘s Capital Readiness Accelerator, a six-week, cohort-based program designed to prepare participants for the equity capital journey. Each week, they will participate in presentations, classroom discussions, and fieldwork, covering topics from understanding equity markets to fundraising strategies.
Participants will receive a $50 commitment bonus for each week attended, and graduates will gain access to personalized support for their fundraising efforts.
The program begins September 24 and runs weekly from 5:30 to 8 p.m. CT at the Epicenter offices. The topics are:
- Week 1: Understanding Equity Capital Markets;
- Week 2: What is Equity Capital for?;
- Week 3: How Do You Get Equity Capital? Part 1;
- Week 4: How Do You Get Equity Capital? Part 2;
- Week 5: Mechanics of Equity Capital; and
- Week 6: Review and Graduation.
To apply, click here.
Another from Knoxville:
East TN Clean Fuels has launched a new initiative named Charging Smart in Tennessee. Funded by the U.S. Deptartment of Energy, this new technical assistance and designation program aims to remove barriers to electric vehicle (EV) adoption in communities throughout Tennessee.
The program provides personalized, no-cost technical assistance to help local governments in Tennessee align their policies with national best practices to facilitate the equitable expansion of EVs. Upon achieving certain criteria, local governments can earn Bronze, Silver, or Gold designation, providing national recognition for their hard work and a public statement that their community is open to EVs and EV investment.
Charging Smart is currently only available in certain locations across the U.S.; the program will be made available to communities throughout the country in the future.
For an overview of the program, click here. To express interest, click on this link.
From Nashville:
The University of Tennessee’s (UT) APEX Accelerator, formerly known as the Procurement Technical Assistance Center, is hosting or part of two events later this month.
The first is the afternoon of September 16 when it, along with Launch Tennessee and the UT Research Foundation, will host a virtual event titled “UT-Industry Technology Collaboration: Connecting Research with Small Businesses.” It is designed to help participants learn how the Department of Defense (DoD) and other agencies fund science and technology, the basics of technology transfer for University faculty, and how small businesses can successfully collaborate with university faculty.
This event features a first-of-a-kind curriculum and networking opportunity, designed to assist faculty and small businesses begin the discussion of advancing innovation into the marketplace, utilizing university partnerships and seeking Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program funding.
To register, send an email to jutta.bangs@tennessee.edu.
The second event is a collaboration with the Music City Center and the Nashville Business Incubation Center who are joining forces to present the “Construction Opportunities Conference,” providing attendees the opportunity to meet face-to-face with large prime contractors and government agencies interested in doing business with small construction and engineering firms.
Procurement representatives are expected to attend from the University of Tennessee, Veterans Administration, Skanska, TVA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville, GO-DBE, Y-12 National Security Complex, Layton Construction, UCOR, Hensel Phelps, MDHA, Garney, Tennessee Board of Regents, Brasfield Gorrie, Tennessee State Parks, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Messer, Tennessee Department of Transportation, Metro Nashville Davidson County, EPB, Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority, MICC Fort Campbell, Turner, Huntsville Utilities, Vanderbilt University, and HJ Russell.
Scheduled to run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. CDT on September 27 at the Music City Center, registration at this link is $75 which covers the cost to attend plus parking and meals.
Another from Nashville:
Applications to join the Q4 cohort of Jumpstart Foundry (JSF) are being accepted until October 4 at this link. Those accepted receive $100,000 investment to grow their start-up and $50,000 for membership into Jumpstart Insight. The latter is JSF’s virtual program equipped with a suite of digital resources designed to help founders build successful, venture-backed healthcare companies.
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