Jacqueline A. Johnson

Professor

Jacqueline Johnson completed her doctorate in solid state physics in the research area of magnetic phase transitions at the University of Liverpool in 1985. She transitioned to working on glass materials after being approached by Pilkington Glass to solve technical problems. She was a Professor in Liverpool until 1995 when she joined Argonne National Laboratory in the United States, where she was introduced to solving the structure of amorphous materials using neutron scattering. After a 2-year period in administration she returned to research to develop a new mammography system using a glass-ceramic plate. In 2007, Johnson returned to academia at the University of Tennessee Space Institute and continues to synthesize and characterize glasses, glass ceramics and nanomaterials pertaining to medical devices, non-destructive evaluation and image enhancement. 

Saeed Kamali

Adjunct Professor

Since 2015 Saeed Kamali has been performing his research at the University of Tennessee Space Institute. His PhD was in experimental condensed matter Physics from Uppsala University, Sweden. He studied aspects of Material Science, especially on magnetism in nano-structured materials such as superlattices and nano-crystallines using various characterization techniques with emphasis on Mössbauer spectroscopy. For Post-Doctoral studies, he joined the Spintronic Division at the Department of Microelectronics and Applied Physics at The Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. Subsequently, he received a high prestige Japanese grant from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science to work at Japanese synchrotron facility, SPring-8, for two years. During 2009-2015 he continued his research at University of California Davis. He is heavily involved in synchrotron radiation research as well. He is also serving as a Physics instructor at Middle Tennessee State University.

Charles “Chad” Bond

Senior Research Associate
Chad Bond is a Senior Research Associate at the University of Tennessee Space Institute. Chad earned his PhD in biomedical engineering from UTSI in 2021, specializing in the development of optically active thin films for use in medical imaging. He also holds an MS in biomedical engineering (2018) from UTSI and a BS in chemistry from University of the Cumberlands (2015). Prior to returning to UTSI as a staff member, Chad worked as a Senior Chemist in the print industry, focusing on depositing multilayer metallic coatings.

Bailey Urhahn

Masters Student

Bailey Urhahn was raised in Oak Ridge, MO and earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechatronic Engineering from the University of Tennessee – Martin in May 2025. She is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Engineering Science with a concentration in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Tennessee Space Institute. Her current research focuses on the development of novel materials for thermal protection systems on hypersonic vehicles.

Drake Pyle

Masters Student

Drake Pyle was raised in Lafollette, TN and earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Tennessee Technological University in May 2025. He is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Engineering Science with a concentration in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Tennessee Space Institute. His current research focuses on the development of novel materials for thermal protection systems on hypersonic vehicles.

Tyler Roy

Masters Student

Tyler Roy graduated from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, TN, with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Physics. He was an intern at UTSI during the summer of 2022, working on battery materials. He rejoined UTSI in the Fall of 2023 as a graduate research assistant working on a NASA CAN project developing a battery cathode. He is currently participating in another NASA CAN project to develop a transparent diamond-like carbon thin film for lunar dust mitigation.

Will Graham

Masters Student

Will Graham was raised in White House, TN and graduated from Tennessee Technological University in May 2021 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. He is currently pursuing his Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering at UTSI. His current research involves the synthesis and characterization of iron nanoparticles and their application as magnetic particle imaging tracers.

Adam Evans

Adam Evans was born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee and graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2013 with a degree in Biomedical Engineering through the Chancellor’s Honors Program. He arrived at UTSI in the fall of 2014 and completed his Master’s in Biomedical Engineering in August 2016. He received his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Biomedical Engineering in December 2020. He is currently employed by the US government.

Aleia Williams

Aleia Williams was raised in Morristown, TN and graduated from Carson Newman University in May 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. She obtained her Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering from the UTSI in December 2022 and Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering in May 2025.

Charles “Chad” Bond

Senior Research Associate
Chad Bond is a Senior Research Associate at the University of Tennessee Space Institute. Chad earned his PhD in biomedical engineering from UTSI in 2021, specializing in the development of optically active thin films for use in medical imaging. He also holds an MS in biomedical engineering (2018) from UTSI and a BS in chemistry from University of the Cumberlands (2015). Prior to returning to UTSI as a staff member, Chad worked as a Senior Chemist in the print industry, focusing on depositing multilayer metallic coatings.

Julie King

Julie King was born in Mount Airy, NC and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Physics and Mathematics from King University in Bristol, TN in 2012. She obtained her Master of Science degree in biomedical engineering in 2015 and Graduate Certificate in engineering management in 2016 from UTSI. Julie received her PhD from UTSI in the spring of 2019. Julie is currently employed as Manager of Special Projects Operations at Pike Corporation in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

R. Lee Leonard

Lee Leonard received his PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Tennessee in 2015, following an MS in Materials Science and Engineering (2010). Upon graduation, he continued his research as faculty at the UT Space Institute until 2023, specializing in advanced glass-ceramics and medical imaging materials. He subsequently served as a Solutions Consultant for the UT Center for Industrial Services (CIS), where he focused on operational improvements for Tennessee manufacturers. In 2026, Dr. Leonard returned to UTSI to serve as the Director of Academic Programs, overseeing the Department of Academic and Student Affairs.