KNOXVILLE—A University of Tennessee, Knoxville, researcher has been tapped to serve the U.S. Department of State as a science advisor in Washington, DC.
Brad Fenwick, a professor of pathobiology in the UT College of Veterinary Medicine, has been named a Jefferson Science Fellow, one of thirteen scientists chosen for 2011.
“My goal as a Jefferson fellow will be connecting UT Knoxville with federal efforts to promote international research cooperation,” Fenwick said. “This will link UT scientists to global research needs, including climate change, food production, energy issues, economics, and security.”
Fenwick’s specific assignment at the Department of State will be determined in the next few weeks, after his security clearance is completed. The appointment begins in August.
Fenwick, a specialist in renal and respiratory pathology of animals and humans, is the first UT faculty member to receive the fellowship and the first veterinarian. Fenwick served for three years as the vice chancellor for research on the UT Knoxville campus. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
The Jefferson Fellowships, created in 2003, bring a corps of experienced, tenured researchers to the Department of State for a year to strengthen the science and technology capabilities of the department. At the end of their appointment, the fellows return to their academic appointments but remain available for special projects for five years. Fellowships are awarded on the basis of scientific achievements, articulation, and communication skills, and their interest in science policy issues.
Jefferson Science Fellows “use their professional experience to increase the understanding among policy officials of complex, cutting-edge scientific issues and their possible impacts on US foreign policy and international relationships,” according to Department of State literature.
—
C O N T A C T :
Whitney Holmes (865-974-5460, wholmes7@utk.edu)