April 29-May 5, 2025
Updates and news for the week of April 29-May 5, 2025
The UTC Campus Weekly newsletter is distributed every Tuesday morning. If you have news, events or announcements you would like shared with campus, please submit your information to Peyton Schultz (peyton-l-schultz@utc.edu) in the Division of Communications and Marketing by 3 p.m. on Friday for placement in the following Tuesday’s newsletter.
Highlights
CELEBRATE THE CLASS OF 2025 AT SPRING COMMENCEMENT
This week, UTC will celebrate its 265th commencement with three McKenzie Arena ceremonies recognizing the Class of 2025. The spring 2025 ceremonies will recognize approximately 1,300 undergraduates and 300 graduate students earning their degrees.
The celebration begins at 2:30 p.m. Friday, May 2, as the Graduate School ceremony welcomes Dr. Tyler Forrest, president of Tennessee Wesleyan University and a three-time UTC graduate, to deliver the graduation charge (Vimeo link).
On Saturday, May 3, undergraduate ceremonies will honor graduates from all four academic colleges, with UTC alumna and Thirty-One Gifts founder Cindy Monroe sharing words of inspiration as the keynote speaker.
- The 9 a.m. event (Vimeo link) will celebrate graduates from the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering and Computer Science.
- The 2 p.m. ceremony (Vimeo link) will recognize graduates from the Gary W. Rollins College of Business and the College of Health, Education and Professional Studies.
Commencement ceremonies are open to the public and tickets are not required. Click here for the UTC Newsroom preview, which provides speaker biographies and additional commencement information.
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Chancellor Finalists Visiting Campus
Finalists have been selected in the search for the next chancellor of UTC. Candidates will visit campus this week to meet with faculty, staff, students and community leaders, and will participate in campus public forums.
The first finalist will visit campus today (April 29). A campus public forum will be held at 4 p.m.
The second finalist will participate in a public forum at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 30.
All sessions will be held in the Benwood Auditorium in the College of Engineering and Computer Science Building (752 Vine St.). Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Each session will be streamed live on the search website and archived for later viewing. Opportunities to provide feedback will be available online.
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UTC Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship celebrates $5 million naming gift from Max Fuller
 Max Fuller, a 1975 UTC graduate and co-founder of U.S. Xpress, Inc., stands in the center now bearing his name following a $5 million gift to UTC. The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at UTC received an exceptional gift from alumnus and successful local entrepreneur Max Fuller to name the center at the Gary W. Rollins College of Business, the Max Fuller Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. This $5 million gift will further the center’s mission to inspire discovery, innovation and entrepreneurial initiatives at UTC and the entrepreneurship community in Chattanooga and beyond.
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MOCS BEACH VOLLEYBALL TEAM IS OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS
For the second consecutive season, the Mocs beach volleyball team is headed to the NCAA Tournament after defeating UT Martin to win the Ohio Valley Conference tournament title. The team received the No. 16 seed and will face top-seeded UCLA in the opening round in Gulf Shores, Alabama, this week.
Outstanding People of UTC
 Vinny Nguyen UTC sophomore Vinny Nguyen is taking his passion for language, diplomacy and international engagement across the world. Nguyen, a double major in political science international/comparative studies and economics international public policy with a minor in Asian studies, has been selected for the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) to study Mandarin in Taiwan this summer. He will spend two months at Tamkang University in New Taipei City—from June 17-Aug. 15—as part of the prestigious U.S. Department of State initiative.
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 Destiny Pope As a participant in ThinkAchieve, an experiential learning program at UTC, Destiny Pope was asked to write a personal reflection. For Pope, what started as a class requirement quickly became something more.
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 From left: Michelle Evans, Tian Li, Beth Crawford, Jamie Harvey, Tatiana Allen, Chuck Margraves, Gary McDonald, Provost Jerold Hale, Irv Resnick, Hilary Browder-Terry, Dawn Ford, Laurie Melnik Allen, Monica Miles, Interim Chancellor Robert Dooley, Jejal Bathi and Ruth Walker. UTC recognized outstanding faculty members for excellence in teaching, research, mentoring and service at a ceremony held last week. Presented by the Faculty Awards Committee of the Faculty Senate, these annual honors highlight the impact UTC faculty have in the classroom, in research and in the community.
- Research Award Recipients: Irv Resnick, Laurie Allen, Tian Li, Michelle Evans
- Teaching and Mentoring Award Recipients: Gary McDonald, Dawn Ford, Monica Miles, Chuck Margraves, Ruth Walker
- Service Award Recipients: Hilary Browder-Terry, Jejal Bathi, Tatiana Allen
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 Dan Earl (Ray Soldano/GoMocs.com) Men’s basketball head coach Dan Earl has been named the 2025 Tennessee Sports Writers Association Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year after leading UTC to its first-ever Division I national title.
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Vio Midgett has been named the winner of this year’s North Callahan Undergraduate Essay Contest, hosted by the humanities: international studies program, with an essay titled “The Tratado: Clash of Christianity and Buddhism.”
“There are many excellent students at this school, so I am very honored to have won this competition,” Midgett said. “I am also extremely appreciative of the faculty and staff members who challenged me to improve and pushed me to do my best in every situation. I am thankful for this school and the many achievements I have accomplished within it.”
Mark Your Calendar
 Kailey Snell (photo credit: Ray Soldano/GoMocs.com) This week’s Mocs home athletics calendar:
- Wednesday, April 30: Softball vs. Tennessee Tech, Frost Stadium, 5 p.m.
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Class of 2025, join the Office of Alumni Affairs on Thursday, May 1, for a special send-off as we honor your upcoming graduation. Bring your family and friends to the beautiful Wolford Family Athletic Center for complimentary appetizers and drinks, and enjoy a relaxed evening celebrating your achievements. Register here.
As part of the celebration, which begins at 4 p.m., you’ll receive free gifts with registration:
- A professional headshot courtesy of UTC alumnus Christopher Shaw
- An exclusive Power C Alumni pint glass
- A fun graduate Scrappy sticker
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The Walker Center for Teaching and Learning will host the 2025 Instructional Excellence Conference on Tuesday, May 6, featuring keynote speaker Dr. Michelle Miller.
Miller is a cognitive psychologist, researcher and author whose work supports higher education faculty in creating effective and engaging learning experiences. Her books include:
- “Minds Online: Teaching Effectively with Technology” (Harvard University Press, 2014)
- “Remembering and Forgetting in the Age of Technology: Teaching, Learning, and the Science of Memory in a Wired World” (West Virginia University Press, 2022)
- “A Teacher’s Guide to Learning Student Names: Why You Should, Why It’s Hard, How You Can” (University of Oklahoma Press, 2024)
She is a professor of psychological sciences and a President’s Distinguished Teaching Fellow at Northern Arizona University.
Click here to register for the Instructional Excellence Conference. This event is free for UTC faculty, lecturers and adjuncts.
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Science on Tap continues in May with UTC School of Nursing’s Dr. Meagan Oslund as the featured speaker.
Join the discussion from 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 13, at the Tap House in St. Elmo. Oslund will share how MobileMOC—a custom-built mobile health clinic—is helping expand care for older adults and caregivers in rural communities.
Funded through a $2.6 million Tennessee Department of Health grant, MobileMOC is the centerpiece of the School of Nursing’s ROAD MAP initiative. The vehicle will be on site for attendees to explore before and after the talk.
Enjoy free snacks and appetizers, with local brews and other beverages available for purchase at happy hour prices. Additional 10% discount for military, first responders and students with ID. Register here.
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Only one session remains in CPE’s Spring 2025 CHAIN Lunch and Learn Series. Attendees can enjoy lunch, network with other local professionals and explore how AI can improve productivity in both professional and personal life.
- Thursday, May 15: “AI and Society – Global Challenges, Environmental Impacts, and a Responsible Future” 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
The cost is $25 and includes lunch. Departments may pay with a transfer voucher after registration. Visit the CHAIN webpage or call the Center for Professional Education at 423-425-4344 to register or for more information.
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The UTC Graduate School announced that the following student will be presenting final works of research as an advanced degree candidate. Everyone is invited to attend.
Campus Updates
The Disability Resource Center is seeking faculty and staff volunteers to help proctor during finals week, a high-volume time in the DRC testing center. Due to increased demand, additional space is reserved in the University Center, which is not equipped with cameras for proctoring.
Volunteers can sign up for one or more time slots using the form linked below. Proctors are asked to arrive 10-15 minutes early for instructions and may be in a testing room for up to three hours. Many volunteers find the time ideal for catching up on email or quiet work.
Click here to sign up. We cannot do this important work without you.
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The University is implementing a new electronic platform for IRB submissions, DASH Research IRB. In preparation for the transition from our current email submission system to DASH Research IRB, we want to inform you of some important upcoming dates. Please read carefully and make plans for your research submissions accordingly. Note that training will be provided by the UTC Office of Research Integrity so you can familiarize yourself with DASH Research IRB. Here is what you need to know now:
- Only fully approved projects will be moved into the new system. Any submissions that are not approved by 5 p.m. on Friday, June 27, will not be moved to DASH Research IRB and will need to be re-submitted in DASH Research IRB after go-live on Monday, July 14.
- To allow time for the IRB to process and approve new applications by Friday, June 27, no NEW IRB submissions (including change requests and annual reviews) will be accepted between Wednesday, June 16, and Monday, July 14.
- Please check on any outstanding IRB submissions now to see if you have any pending submissions that need to be addressed prior to this date. We recommend sending any pending submissions back to the IRB by no later than Monday, June 16, to ensure the board has time to process them.
- If you have a study that has an expiration date in June or July that you wish to continue past that end date, the IRB strongly recommends that you submit a Form B, Request for Changes, by Saturday, May 31, to avoid any issues with getting approval before the study expires.
- Monday, July 14, is the scheduled go-live date for DASH Research IRB: All new IRB applications will be submitted through this module.
If you have questions or concerns, please contact Baley Whary or call 423-425-5867 for assistance.
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Operation Move In (OMI) 2025 is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 13-14, in first-year residential spaces across campus. This marks a return to a campus-wide collaboration to welcome UTC’s newest Mocs this fall.
OMI is an opportunity for faculty, staff, students and organizations to come together and create a warm, supportive environment for incoming students and their families. A campus-wide committee is being formed to coordinate the two-day event. Volunteer roles will include unloading, parking, traffic flow, greeting and more. There will be follow-up communication to request volunteers for OMI.
For more information, contact OMI committee chair Jason Harville.
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The Center for Wellbeing launched its Mental Health Ally training program for faculty and staff to recognize employees on campus who are engaging and learning how to best support our students’ mental health. Trainings included in the Mental Health Ally program are QPR (one hour), Suicide Prevention Using the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) (one hour), Psychological First Aid (one hour) and Mental Health First Aid (eight hours). Complete trainings and receive recognition on campus for your dedication to improving outcomes for students.
Recognition tiers:
- Certificate of completion: Every training
- Mental health ally sticker to display: Complete QPR, Suicide Prevention Using the C-SSRS, and Psychological First Aid
- Mental health ally sweatshirt: Complete Mental Health First Aid
- Mental health ally recognition on Center for Wellbeing website and Campus Newsletter: Complete all four trainings
If you have questions about this program, please reach out to Amy Kyriakidis or Megan McKnight.
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The Department of Chemistry and Physics and the UTC Quantum Center are hosting a quantum summer camp from May 27-30 for high school students entering the 10th and 11th grade. A registration link will be available soon.
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Starting in July, rising second to sixth graders in the Challenger Exploration Camp will have the opportunity to participate in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) challenges, rocket launches and explorations of space and Earth. Each day, campers can also go on excursions to locations such as the Chattanooga Zoo, the UTC Aquatic and Recreation Center, the Clarence T. Jones Observatory and the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center.
To learn more about the Challenger STEM Learning Center and to access a link to the Challenger Exploration Camp, visit this link.
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The UTC College of Engineering and Computer Science will host the Summer Algebra Enrichment Program for rising 8th through 11th graders from July 7-18 at the CECS building (735 Vine St.). The program runs from 9 a.m.-3:45 p.m. each day and the cost is $75 per student.
This two-week experience is designed to strengthen algebra skills and introduce students to career pathways in engineering, computer science and other STEM fields. The program includes Algebra 1 instruction led by experienced educators, mentoring sessions with UTC students and hands-on career exploration activities. Space is limited to 30 participants and registration is required.
For more information or to register, click here or contact CECS Outreach Coordinator Alex Coker.
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Upcoming Transition from Windows 10 to Windows 11: Microsoft will be ending support for the Windows 10 operating system on October 14. After that date, there will be no more security updates, feature updates or technical support for Windows 10. To prepare for this, Information Technology will be gradually upgrading all UTC owned Windows 10 devices to Windows 11 this year, with full completion expected by October. For more information on the Windows 11 project timeline and upcoming next steps for faculty and staff, visit our Knowledge Base – Windows 11 articles.
UTC Newsroom
 Joseph Ryan (left) and Hattie Martinek present at Chattanooga’s City Hall. After spending a year studying walkability in Chattanooga’s Oak Grove neighborhood, students in Dr. Chandra Ward’s class brought their findings to City Hall—asking officials to make the area’s streets safer and invest more fairly in underserved communities.
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 April Van Brunt works with students in her Red Bank Elementary School kindergarten class. April Van Brunt, a mother of four and a nontraditional student in the UTC Master of Education: Elementary Education program, has spent the past year participating in the “Grow Your Own” initiative—which aims to help address the current teacher shortage and get more qualified teachers in classrooms. She now teaches kindergarten at Red Bank Elementary School and will graduate with honors during UTC’s Graduate School commencement on Friday, May 2.
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 Dr. Jamie Harvey Dr. Jamie Harvey, an associate professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance, is stepping down at the end of the semester after 35 years as a full-time faculty member—not to retire, but to “repurpose” her time and energy. “I still have more to give, just in a different way,” she said.
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The 2025 Fly! Mocs Business Pitch Competition gave UTC students a chance to present startup ideas to industry judges, competing for $10,000 in prizes provided by the Spencer Patton Foundation. Rizwaan Abdulkadir’s classroom tech startup “Parleii” won first place and $5,000, with other top projects including a waterproof bag and a custom 3D duck generator.
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Here are some other recent UTC stories featured in the Newsroom:
- UTC senior physics major Landon Boone has always wondered how things work. The Hendersonville, Tennessee, native, who will be graduating from UTC on May 3, is using LEGOs to do just that.
- Ten undergraduate students from UTC recently traveled to Nashville to present their work at Posters at the Capitol, a statewide undergraduate research showcase held at the Tennessee State Capitol
WUTC
Tanqueray Harper, a teaching artist in the Wolf Trap program at UTC’s Arts-Based Collaborative, was featured on WUTC’s “Scenic Roots.”
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