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Two UTIA Faculty Members Elected as 2025 AAAS Fellows

Mar 30, 2026

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Being elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science is one of the most prestigious honors a scientist can receive. The honor recognizes efforts across disciplines — including research, teaching and technology as well as leadership in academia and industry. In recognition of their extraordinary achievements, AAAS Fellows are elected to a lifetime appointment by their peers on the AAAS Council.

UT has shown sustained strength in AAAS Fellowship recognition, with multiple faculty members elected each year. The latest additions bring the university’s total number of AAAS Fellows to 103.

This year’s cohort includes two faculty members from the UT Institute of Agriculture’s Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science: Jennifer DeBruyn and Jie Zhuang.

Jennifer DeBruyn

A professor of environmental microbiology in UT’s Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science — which is ranked among the top agricultural and biological engineering graduate programs in the U.S. — DeBruyn studies how microbial communities break down organic materials from agricultural plastics to animal and human remains.

Source : tennessee.edu

Video: Syngenta Ag Stories - Robyn McKee, Government and Industry Relations Manager

Syngenta Ag Stories - Robyn McKee, Government and Industry Relations Manager.

You don't need to grow up on a farm to build a career in Canadian agriculture. Robyn grew up in Richmond, Ontario - not on a farm, but in a community shaped by them.

Now she works at the intersection of policy, innovation, and the people who grow our food. Her drive? Making sure the right people understand what Canadian agriculture needs to thrive.

Her message to the next generation: "Agriculture today is full of possibilities - science, technology, business, communications, and policy. You're helping grow the food we eat, and it's hard to think of many things more impactful than that."