August 12-18, 2025

Updates and news for the week of August 12-18, 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.

UTC News  |  UTC Events Calendar  |  Campus Updates

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Highlights

Fall Semester is in the air

The fall semester is almost here. In order to prepare first-year students for their first week at UTC, several events are planned over the next few days to help them settle in, meet new people and get connected to campus life.

Events taking place this week include:

• Operation Move In kicks off Aug. 13-14 and marks the beginning of Fall Opening. Whether you’re moving in or just helping unload, here are a few smart steps that can make the day go more smoothly. If you are interested in volunteering for OMI, please fill out the OMI volunteer signup form and share the link with others.
• Snow Cones and Send-Offs (Aug. 13-14): A relaxed farewell for first-year students and their families.
• UTC Convocation (Aug. 15): A spirited UTC welcome tradition for all first-year and transfer students in McKenzie Arena, aka “The Round House.” Convocation is a must for all new Mocs.
• First Flight (Aug. 15-16): First Flight includes meetups, events and First Class—a relaxed academic session where you’ll connect with faculty.

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Operation Move In Road Closures and Parking Restrictions

To support the smooth flow of traffic and ensure a safe and welcoming experience for students and families, several road closures and parking restrictions will be in place during Operation Move In.

Road closures:

Today (Aug. 12) at 5 p.m. through Thursday, Aug. 14 at 3 p.m.

• 8th Street between Douglas Street and University Street
• Vine Street between Douglas Street and Houston Street 

Wednesday, Aug. 13 and Thursday, Aug. 14 from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day

• O’Neal Street between 3rd Street and 5th Street (Note: Closure begins after the entrance to Erlanger Family Practice)
• 5th Street between Central Avenue and O’Neal Street (Note: Closure begins after the entrance to Erlanger Family Practice)
• O’Neal Street between McCallie Avenue and 5th Street (Note: Partial closure; local traffic and emergency vehicles will be able to enter/exit at McCallie Avenue)

Parking restrictions:

Today (Aug. 12) at 5 p.m. through Thursday, Aug. 14 at 3 p.m.

• 8th Street between University Street and Palmetto Street
• McCallie Avenue between Campus Drive and University Greenway

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SUBMIT YOUR EVENTS AND VOLUNTEER FOR WELCOME WEEK

UTC honors Moc’s Golden Feather recipients

Left photo: Chancellor Lori Bruce, Farron Kilburn, Dr. Amber Roaché and Provost Jerold Hale                         Right photo: Dr. Takeo Suzuki, Chancellor Lori Bruce, Laura Livermore, Provost Jerold Hale and Eunice Davis

UTC is proud to recognize the first recipients of the new Moc’s Golden Feather Award, Laura Livermore from the Center for Global Education and Farron Kilburn from the School of Nursing. The award honors staff members who go above and beyond to help make UTC a welcoming, innovative and student-focused place to work and learn.

The Moc’s Golden Feather Award, launched by the Office of Human Resources, highlights staff excellence in areas such as collaboration, innovation, leadership and commitment to the University’s mission.

Two staff members are selected every other month, with each honoree receiving a $1,000 monetary award, a $100 UTC Bookstore credit, eight hours of leave and special recognition at a future UTC athletic event.

The success of the inaugural Mocs Golden Feather Awards sets the tone for an exciting new tradition recognizing staff excellence at UTC. Faculty, staff, students and community partners are invited to take part in the nomination process. Two staff members will be selected and announced every other month. To learn more about the award and to submit a nomination, visit the Moc’s Golden Feather Award page.

Outstanding People of UTC

Clockwise from top left: Dr. Elizabeth O’Brien, Dr. Kevin Doyle, Dr. Alexandra Frank, Dr. Amy Doolittle, Dr. Bethany Womack and Dr. Amanda Hardin

Congratulations to UTC faculty and staff who received awards or submitted proposals for sponsored programs in July. The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs announced that faculty and staff attracted $2,647,843 in external grant and contract awards during the month and submitted proposals for the potential to generate over $5,890,360 in external funding, if awarded.

Among those receiving awards in July were Dr. Elizabeth O’Brien, Dr. Kevin Doyle, Dr. Alexandra Frank (School of Professional Studies), Dr. Amy Doolittle, Dr. Bethany Womack (Social Work), and Dr. Amanda Hardin (School Psychology), who received $600,000 from the Health Resources and Services Administration for the project titled “Behavioral Healthcare through Interprofessional Training (B-HIP).”

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From left: Chancellor Lori Bruce, Dr. Rick Dierenfeldt, Erica Holmes Trujillo, Provost Jerold Hale and Dr. Pam Riggs-Gelasco. Photo courtesy of UT System.

UC Foundation Professor Rick Dierenfeldt and College of Arts and Sciences Student Success Center Director Erica Holmes Trujillo received 2025 UT System President’s Awards last Thursday—the highest honor a faculty or staff member can receive from the UT System.

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Dr. Kumar Yelamarthi

When Dr. Kumar Yelamarthi walked through the doors as dean of the UTC College of Engineering and Computer Science on July 1, he wasn’t stepping into a role.

He was stepping into something bigger: a chance to make an impact.

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Chancellor Lori Bruce

The UT System announced that Chancellor Lori Bruce has been appointed to the Board of Governors of UT‑Battelle, the nonprofit partnership that has managed and operated the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) since 2000. UT‑Battelle is jointly owned by the University of Tennessee and Battelle Memorial Institute.

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Check out these Mocs in the news:

• Teresa Harrison, academic coaching program coordinator in the Center for Academic Support and Advisement, gave note-taking tips for a U.S. News and World Report article.
• School of Professional Studies Director Elizabeth O’Brien went on Jed & JR Mornings to talk about a physiological study about being “cool.”
• A NewsChannel 9 story about teacher shortages and improving retention in Tennessee schools featured School of Education Director Kim Wingate.
• Center for Regional Economic Research Director Howard Wall spoke to Local 3 News about how local manufacturers have been affected by tariffs. He also discussed the possibility of Audi opening a plant in Chattanooga for a NewsChannel 9 story.
• A Hamilton County Herald article about the Clarence T. Jones Observatory featured Observatory Director Steven Kline.
• UTC graduate and the president and CEO of EPB David Wade sat down for a Q&A with the Times Free Press following his appointment to the UT Board of Trustees.
• UTC’s strategic research partnership with the City of Chattanooga was featured in a recent Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities newsletter.

Mark Your Calendar

A staff senate meeting will be held at 2 p.m. today (Aug. 12) in the Card Auditorium of the ECS Building. Click here to view the agenda. Staff unable to attend in person can join virtually.

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Do you have any student positions you are trying to fill? Career Connections is hosting an On-Campus Job Fair from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 21, on the first floor of Lupton Hall.

If you have open student positions in your department that you would like to advertise at the event, you are welcome to reserve one of the remaining event tables by emailing Career Connections with your interest. If you have positions but cannot commit to the event, Career Connections can advertise them for you. Please email a flyer with the information and Career Connections will promote it on your behalf.

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Mark your calendars for the 2025 Study Abroad Fair. If you’re interested in studying abroad at all during your time at UTC, you don’t want to miss this event. Stop by from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 27, in McKenzie Arena Room 301 to talk to our partners from across the globe, chat with study abroad alumni, eat food from around the world and grab some swag.

If you’re interested in studying abroad and haven’t joined the Study Abroad 101 Canvas course, you can sign up for it here.

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For the first time in school history, Chattanooga volleyball will host matches in McKenzie Arena during the 2025 Chattanooga Classic, taking place Sept. 4-6. The tournament features seven matches, with the Mocs welcoming Alabama, Cincinnati, Ohio and Jacksonville State. Admission is free, and all UTC matches will stream on ESPN+.

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Chattanooga Connect 2025, hosted by the UTC Research Institute, will take place Oct. 6-8 at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Following its successful debut last year, Chattanooga Connect will again convene industry leaders, policymakers, and researchers to explore the future of urban transportation and cutting-edge advancements in quantum computing, digital infrastructure, AI, connected and automated vehicles (CAV), and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technologies.

Campus Updates

Singing Mocs is UTC’s contemporary commercial a cappella choir, specializing in pop and jazz vocal styles. They rehearse from 5-6:15 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This is a highly select choir, but there are a few open spots for the fall semester. Auditions will be held on Monday, Aug. 18, and Tuesday, Aug. 19. For more information about the audition and to sign up for a time, please use this link.

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The UTC Bookstore is sponsoring this year’s poster sale, set for 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 18, through Friday, Aug. 22, on Chamberlain Field.

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Faculty and staff can save $20 on chairback reserved season tickets. Click here and enter the promo code FACSTAFF to access this special discount. General admission season tickets are also available for just $60 each. For further assistance, please email Samantha Maffett or by phone (ext. 5872).

UTC opens the 2025 schedule on the road at Memphis on Saturday, Aug. 30, and the home opener is against Stetson University at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13. 

The Mocs were picked to finish second in the Southern Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. UTC is coming off a 7-5 record in 2024 and is the only team in the league to have winning records in conference play since head coach Rusty Wright took over at his alma mater in 2019.

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The Department of Physical Therapy, the Nutrition and Dietetics program, and the Center for Wellbeing have teamed up for the second interdisciplinary wellness program, Mocs Wellness Initiative, for full-time faculty and staff. The Mocs Wellness Initiative is part of a research project approved by the UTC IRB.

Key components include a physical therapy exam and weekly training at the ARC, a nutrition assessment with group classes, regular health coaching, optional lab work, an unlimited ARC membership and surveys related to the research project.

Sessions run Sept. 4-Nov. 13, with a wrap-up in January. Participants must be full-time employees, available 3:15-5:15 p.m on Thursdays and willing to participate in the research study. Previous participants are not eligible. Click here to learn more and apply.

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Undergraduate Admissions announced its Power C Tour and other important dates for the 2025-2026 academic year:

• Sept. 17: Power C Tour Nashville/Franklin
• Oct. 2: Power C Tour Memphis
• Nov. 4: Power C Tour Knoxville
• Nov. 12: Power C Tour Chattanooga
• Nov. 15: Blue and Gold Preview
• Feb. 27: Accepted Student Day
• March 25: Power C Tour transfer at ChattState
• April 11: Blue and Gold Preview Spring Edition

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Do you know a young Mocs fan? Now is their chance to join our team and get in on all the fun-filled action that Mocs Athletics has to offer. Scrappy’s Kids Club is the official kids club of Chattanooga Athletics and membership is open to all kids in eighth grade and under, for only $20.

Memberships include an official membership pack with tons of Mocs swag, free tickets to select home athletic events, exclusive events and opportunities, monthly emailed newsletters and so much more. Click here to learn more.

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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.

UTC Newsroom

Ellen Centers

UTC police officer Ellen Centers has an alter ego. When she’s off duty, Centers becomes “Adrenellen,” a jammer for Chattanooga Roller Derby. Several nights a week, Centers can be found rollerblading around the Orange Grove Center gym during practices.

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Shyla Kahn (dark hair) and Claire Beach using the driving simulator at the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer.

For the last year, Shyla Khan—who earned a Master of Science in Psychological Science degree from UTC in spring 2025—has been working at the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer, conducting research utilizing a driving simulator.

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Senior Roseline Gragg, an environmental science major at UTC with a minor in communication, spent her summer participating in a coral morphology research project at the University of Southern California.

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Here are some other recent UTC stories featured in the Newsroom:

• More than 100 educators, school administrators, UTC faculty and alumni came together for the annual School of Education’s Mentor Teacher Awards Banquet, an event recognizing the critical role that pre-K–12 mentor teachers play in preparing the next generation of classroom leaders.
• A UTC-led team is bringing real-world science into high school classrooms through support from community partners, hands-on professional development and a problem-based learning unit designed to spark curiosity around the rise of electric vehicles.
• The Arts Integration Summer Camp returned to UTC’s Guerry Center this summer, drawing 67 educators eager to blend the arts with their teaching.

WUTC

Robert Busby joined an episode of WUTC’s “Scenic Roots” to discuss his book, “Bodock: Stories.”