The Racheff Chair was established in 1987 in honor of the late Ivan Racheff, owner of the Knoxville Iron Works, now AmeriSteel, to recognize excellence in both teaching and research in the materials science and engineering discipline.
Dr. C. Neal Stewart assumed the Racheff Chair of Excellence in Plant Molecular Genetices in 2002. He and his Lab Team conduct research in plant biotechnology, genomics, and ecology. Dr. Stewart and his team have been performing agricultural biotechnology and biotechnology risk assessment research. His research has been supported by various granting agencies including the DOE, USDA, NSF, EPA, NASA, and various US military agencies.