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On Friday afternoon, university and government officials convened to usher in the construction of a new home for the chemistry department with a groundbreaking ceremony. Chancellor Donde Plowman, Interim Dean Robert Hinde and President Randy Boyd spoke about what the development will mean for chemistry students and faculty.
Rows of seats closest to the podium were reserved for a number of local and state government officials whose support had made the project possible. In front of them were orange shovels, their handles wrapped with bows, ready to break ground. Hinde was the first to take to the podium.
“Once in operation, it will be a major catalyst for faculty and student innovation and discovery, helping us make life and lives better across Tennessee and around the world,” Hinde said.
Hinde went on to acknowledge leadership in the department, not only of the past and present, but of the future as well.
“I’m especially pleased to welcome our incoming future chemistry department head Kevin Shaughnessy, who will step into the role on Jan. 1, 2026,” Hinde said.
Hinde went on to thank Gov. Bill Lee and other members of the local government for their contributions in ensuring the project stayed on course. He also recognized Chancellor Plowman for her unwavering support in making this project a reality as part of her efforts to take UT to the next level.
Hinde then turned the podium over to Brandon Watson-Sanders, a PhD student in the chemistry department and the president of the Association of Chemistry Graduate Students at UT. Sanders acknowledged that this new building means moving away from the department’s current home in Buehler Hall.
“(It’s) a bittersweet moment, knowing that soon our research labs will be leaving our old corner on the hill, where generations of brilliant researchers have been forged,” Sanders said. “Working at Buehler for the past four years has probably been the most profound time of my life thus far.”
Sanders then spoke of his excitement for the new building and its advantages, primarily noting its proximity to Strong Hall.
“(Strong hall) is where most of us graduate students spend a majority of our time, teaching undergraduate labs and inspiring the next generation of scientists,” Sanders said.
Chancellor Plowman spoke next.
“This groundbreaking of this new chemistry building represents, to us, a crucial investment not only in the University of Tennessee, but in all of Tennessee,” Plowman said.
She emphasized the opportunities the new building would provide to the growing population of chemistry students.
“Students will have access to research labs, teaching labs, and collaborative spaces, creating an unparalleled student experience,” Plowman said. “More than 16,000 Tennesseans are already working in the chemical industry… UT currently ranks first in the United States for polymer science, a subset of chemistry.”
Plowman then welcomed President Randy Boyd to the podium.
Boyd began by noting the magnitude of the investment backing the building’s construction.
“This is the biggest investment in higher education in the history of the state of Tennessee. We owe that to our General Assembly and our Governor,” Boyd said.
He thanked the faculty of the chemistry department and other university staff who helped make the project possible.
“Congratulations to the College of Arts and Sciences, congratulations to UT Knoxville and really congratulations to the state of Tennessee. This is gonna make such an impact on the state of Tennessee, all the hundreds and thousands, eventually, of chemists and so many other disciplines that are gonna come through this facility,” Boyd said.