There are plenty of activities occurring on the University’s 123rd birthday. Come celebrate your alma mater’s heritage during Founder’s Day 2009.

History of UTC

When the Methodist Episcopal Church began to explore the possibilities of developing a central university in the South, Chattanoogans came forward to work with the church in this effort. Since its founding as Chattanooga University in 1886, The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has developed an institutional excellence which rests on an unusual blend of the private and public traditions of American education. Read the rest of this entry »

Answer any of the questions (by commenting on this post)…or just share your own thoughts about your University experience.

1. How did your college education prepare you for your career?
2. What are some of your favorite campus memories?
3. Looking back at your experience during your years at UTC and post-graduate, how have you changed?
4. How did you feel when you walked across the stage at graduation and received your diploma?
5. What’s been your greatest accomplishment since you’ve graduated?
6. What goals do you have for the future?
7. What advice do you have for current or future UTC students?

UTC Homecoming, September 15-20, 2008. Visit the Homecoming website at www.utc.edu/homecoming.

Homecoming week is one week away and many alumni and friends of the University are making plans to return to campus to enjoy the Homecoming festivities. Are you?

Here is a sampling of events occurring throughout the week:

• Monday: Check out the annual homecoming banner competition as you join the campus community for the homecoming kickoff pep rally at Heritage Plaza starting at 11:45 a.m.
• Tuesday: Come enjoy the musical performances as student organizations compete in the Homecoming Lip Sync contest (Roland Hayes Auditorium, 8:00 p.m.)
• Wednesday: Tradition abounds as students compete in the annual bed cart races down Vine Street during the Homecoming Field Games (Vine Street and Chamberlain Field, beginning at 5:00 p.m. and lasting all afternoon)
• Thursday: Meet and greet other Mocs fans at Big River Grille Downtown Chattanooga and enjoy a special UTC Homecoming Steamer Ale while sharing memories of your days at UTC (5:30 – 7:00 p.m.)
• Friday: Get a team of friends together to play in the Homecoming Golf tournament (shotgun start at 12:30 p.m.) and then head downtown for a UTC sponsored evening of music at the city’s Nightfall Music Concert at Miller Plaza. Or catch the thundering excitement of the annual Delta Sigma Theta Homecoming Stepdown, where student groups compete in a step show competition (McKenzie Arena, 8:00 p.m.). 
• Saturday: It’s game day. Take a tour of campus, watch the homecoming golf cart parade and then head over to First Tennessee Pavilion for a fun filled time at Scrappy’s Tailgate Nest. Afterwards, don your best blue and gold and head into Finley Stadium for the Mocs Homecoming matchup with the Jacksonville State Gamecocks. After the game head over to T. Bones for a 5th Quarter social event sponsored by the UTC Alumni Office and the UTC Mocs Club.

For a complete list of events, including all details (times, locations etc.), visit the UTC Homecoming website at www.utc.edu/homecoming.

Join us as we Moc ‘n Roll in style for Homecoming 2008.

 UTC Alumni Director Jayne Holder with UTC graduate (and former Alumni Office
sutdent worker) Kenny Allen at the May Graduation.

On behalf of the UTC Office of Alumni Affairs, we would like to say CONGRATULATIONS and WELCOME to our 2008 graduates of UTC. Those of you who have graduated are now officially a part of the UTC Alumni Association, the GOLD Alumni Program (GOLD=Grads Of the Last Decade) and the University of Tennessee Alumni Association (UTAA is the UT system alumni association).

The UTC Alumni Office is putting together a photo slide show to post on our UTC GOLD Alumni facebook, MySpace account (www.myspace.com/utcmocs) and UTC alumni website (www.utcalumni.com). If you have any photos that you would like to include in this slide show, please e-mail them to alumni@utc.edu. 

Also, as you enter into the “real world” of life after college, make sure you do the following:
1. Tell us about any changes in your life: new job, new e-mail (your @utc.edu will go away soon), new address and phone number (relocation), and any marriage or birth announcements.
2. Register for the UTAA On-line Community
3. Attend UTC Homecoming and other great alumni events
4. Bookmark the UTC Alumni website on your “favorites” list on your computer, and visit it often for news and information. And also make sure to subscribe to the UTC Alumni Moc Blog to receive the latest news.
5. Serve and give back to your alma mater - volunteering time to serve on committees or boards, using your skills to advance the University and making financial contributions to help future UTC students.
6. Wear your UTC apparel and colors with pride.

Congratulations again!
And don’t forget to send us your graduation photos!!!

Forever Mocs!

The 2008 Trisha Obear Memorial Tennis Tournament, sponsored by the UTC Alumni Board of Directors, will take place on May 30, 2008 at the UTC Tennis Courts and Manker Patten Tennis Center. The tournament is named after Trisha Obear, former wife and first lady of UTC Chancellor Emeritus Fred Obear, who always played in the UTC Alumni tennis tournament. Partial proceeds from the tournament will go to the Jimmy Jackson Memorial Scholarship Endowment, which is awarded each year to junior and senior students who demonstrate outstanding campus and community service.

Any person may register to play in the tournament, which includes a doubles, round robin mixed format in both a mens and womens division. The registration fee for the tournament is $25 and is due with the registration form no later than Monday, May 26.

For more information, please click here.

Each year the Alumni Board comes together to celebrate and recognize the outstanding accomplishments of the recipients of the two highest honors bestowed on a UTC alumnus at the annual Legends and Leaders dinner. The two honors are that of Outstanding Service Award and the Distinguished Alumnus Award. These awards are to recognize those who have made significant contributions to the community and society and whose accomplishments and career activities have reflected glory on UTC.  This year’s Legends and Leaders Banquet will take place on Friday, May 2, 2008 at the Chattanooga Golf and Country Club.

 HAROLD McALISTER (UTC ‘71) - DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS

Dr. Harold A. McAlister has been named the 2008 UTC Distinguished Alumnus. After completing his bechelorís degree at UTC, McAlister attended the University of Virginia and received the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in astronomy. He joined the faculty of Georgia
State University in 1977, where he founded the Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA). CHARA built the world’s most powerful optical interferometric telescope array.

McAlister has written numerous research publications and has served on review, advisory, and oversight panels for the NSF and NASA. He teaches and directs CHARA and serves as Director of the Mount Wilson Institute, a nonprofit organization which manages the Mt. Wilson Observatory.

FRED & RUTH OBEAR – OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD

Chancellor Emeritus Fred Obear and Ruth Obear will be presented with the Outstanding Service Award, an honor given to recognize enthusiastic and committed service to the university. Dr. Obear is currently Chancellor Emeritus of The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, following 16 years as chancellor of our campus. As UTC’s chancellor, he led the University in its development as a metropolitan campus, emphasizing its important role as a true partner with the community while taking full advantage of its unique blend of both public and private traditions.

At UTC, First Lady Ruth Obear organized support for the Lady Mocs basketball team with pre-game suppers and was an event organizer in support of UTC’s mission. The Obears demonstrate their love for the campus through their total dedication to UTC. They are actively involved with all athletics teams, academic programs, fine arts presentations, and alumni events and are UTC’s greatest fans, proudly wearing their blue and gold.