Since joining UTC in 1985 as an Assistant Professor, Dr. McDonald has become an iconic figure in the engineering college, praised by generations of alumni as their most impactful teacher. He received the UC Foundation Professorship in 1992, was appointed Director of Freshman Engineering, and later served as Department Head of Mechanical Engineering.
In Spring of 2025, Dr. McDonald received the UTC Lifetime Teaching Award as he completed his 40th year at UTC. Dr. McDonald’s additional accolades include the UTC SGA Outstanding Professor Award, five Cole Outstanding Engineering Teacher Awards, and the Chattanooga Engineers Club Young Engineer of the Year Award. He has taught a wide range of courses, from undergraduate lectures to graduate-level classes, labs, and senior design, and developed curricula for all levels.
Notably, he played a key role in the ME program’s accreditation in 2003. His personal commitment to individual students is evident by the seventeen departmental honors students, twenty-one graduate student thesis, and the over two thousand students he has taught. Dr. McDonald is a member, since 1986, of and publishes work with the American Society of Engineering Educators (ASEE). He has secured over $1M in educational funding to enhance UTC’s laboratories, scholarships, and the broader community, sharing his expertise freely to support the development of others. Also, Dr. McDonald was named a NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellow working on projects at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL.
A mentor, friend, colleague, champion and teacher to many, Dr. Gary McDonald is beloved throughout the University, College, and Department. He is always ready to lend a hand and offer sound, experience-driven advice, and genuine interest, when called upon. Gary will remain an integral part of UTC and the ME family for years to come. Thank you Dr. McD!!
UTC Mechanical Engineering Department Faculty and Staff