Sam Rosolina, 36, Vice President of Applied Innovation, Microbial Insights, Inc.

Growing up in Carter and Unicoi counties, Sam Rosolina has kept his eye on the little things in life. His work revolves around looking for beneficial microbes for Microbial Insights, and he serves as the board chair for Discover Life in America, a nonprofit focusing on biodiversity in the Great Smoky Mountains.

When he's not looking through a microscope, Rosolina looks to the stars to change the world through science.

Most recently, I'm proud of the work we did in East Palestine, Ohio, after the Norfolk Southern train derailment in 2023. Teaming up with the Löffler Lab at UTK, we received grant funding from the National Science Foundation to travel to East Palestine and assess the long-term potential for toxin degradation by native microbes. A good reminder of why we do the work that we do and that humans have a long way to go in terms of prioritizing human and environmental health.

My first role at Microbial Insights, eight years ago, was as a lab director. I jumped from teaching chemistry at the University of Tennessee to being asked to set up and run an analysis so unique that no one else in the U.S. offered it commercially. I was young, and it was intimidating and stressful. But thanks to the encouragement of my bosses and hours of research and testing, we became globally recognized in environmental isotope analysis.

Right now, Microbial Insights has a lot of opportunities in 2025 that I'm so excited to pursue. Some of those things include dedicated continuation of projects we're already working on: identifying new biomarkers for predicting and preventing corrosion, working with The Or Foundation in Ghana to help them clean up one of the most polluted lagoons in the world, collaborating with a group of scientists to identify and tackle hurdles for not-so-distant deep space travel. But we also have a number of (hopefully) world-changing projects and exciting collaborations that we're looking forward to diving into in 2025.

I feel so content with my current career trajectory that I think my biggest professional dream right now is to help Discover Life in America obtain the global recognition it deserves. A nonprofit and Great Smoky Mountains National Park partner that's demonstrated the value and impact of documenting biodiversity and has resulted in the discovery of over 1,000 species that are completely new to science in our own backyard? And with only three staff members? Long after I've exhausted my board term, I'll still preach it: (Discover Life in America) is the best.

I don't need to revisit specific mistakes - I have a lot of them - but the vast majority of those mistakes have been due to a lack of communication on my end and a lack of comfort in asking for help or delegating. It really does take a village, and I've learned the value of trusting others on my teams to get things done. It's also been a reminder for me to make sure that everyone else feels comfortable enough to speak up when necessary.

I feel passionate about having a positive impact on the environment. That passion motivates me.

I don't think I've intentionally listened to any bottled business advice, so I don't have a good answer here. I've just been extremely lucky in having incredible mentors my entire life, and I've tried to emulate them the best I can.

I value communicative and direct co-workers who work hard and stay in their lanes. I also value co-workers who don't take themselves too seriously and are up for moments of humor and bad puns.

Knoxville needs a climate action plan as soon as possible. It needs to not only address decreases in emissions, but also preparedness for extreme weather events, preparedness for an influx of people to the region. And it needs to address how climate change will disproportionately impact different communities. We also need affordable housing and more options for housing in general. Yes! Knoxville is doing great work in this space (yesknoxville.org). Also, every issue that Justice Knox has prioritized and continues to address (justiceknox.org). This interfaith organization is making real change in our community, and I hope people are seeing that.

Many folks don't know that I was homeschooled from first through 12th grade. I'm forever grateful to my parents, especially my mother, for spending so much time and energy ensuring that my sister and I had a good education.

- Keenan Thomas