August 19-25, 2025
Updates and news for the week of August 19-25, 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
Welcome to Welcome Week 2025
UTC’s annual back-to-school tradition, Welcome Week, is here to greet new and returning students.
More than 40 events are on the Welcome Week calendar and most can be found in MocSync—the University’s student engagement platform.
In case you missed it:
- Click here to view the Welcome Week photo gallery as it is updated throughout the week.
- Convocation 2025 at UTC was filled with many “firsts.” For students, it was their first time officially gathering as Mocs, where they received a high-energy welcome to campus.
- Despite the heavy rain, music still echoed, smiles still spread across faces and belongings still rolled into on-campus housing during Operation Move In.
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Mocs Express makes it easier than ever to get around UTC and beyond
A seat on the Mocs Express—UTC’s shuttle system—is always free.
The shuttle system, run in partnership with the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA), has been serving UTC for more than a decade and is free to all students, faculty and staff with a Mocs ID.
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UTC Named a Top Yellow Ribbon School by U.S. Veterans Magazine
UTC has been selected as a Top Yellow Ribbon School by U.S. Veterans Magazine, earning national recognition for its support of military-connected students.
The honor was announced in the magazine’s fall 2025 issue, which highlights colleges and universities that demonstrate long-term commitment and measurable impact in supporting veterans, active-duty service members, reservists and their families.
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Meal Plan Change Request Deadline
Submit your meal plan change request by emailing mocscard@utc.edu. Remember to include your UTC ID number and the meal plan you would like for the fall 2025 semester.
Any requests received after Sunday, Aug. 31, will not be accepted.
Meal plan eligibility is based on earned credit hours. The University classifies undergraduate students as freshmen, sophomores, juniors or seniors according to the number of credit hours students have completed:
- Freshman: 0-29 semester hours
- Sophomore: 30-59 semester hours
- Junior: 60-89 semester hours
- Senior: 90 or more semester hours
- The meal plans are listed by student classification. Please click here for more information.
Outstanding People of UTC
 Retired Army Lt. Col. Scott Hardin, the ESGR Chattanooga committee chair, left, presents Dr. Chris Smith with the Patriot Award on Tuesday, Aug. 12. Smith was nominated for the award by Terry Ellis, right, a member of the School of Nursing faculty and a first lieutenant in the Army National Guard. Dr. Chris Smith, director of the UTC School of Nursing, has been recognized with the Patriot Award from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) program.
The Patriot Award honors individual supervisors who demonstrate exceptional support for National Guard and Reserve employees through measures such as flexible schedules, time off before and after deployments, and a commitment to supporting military obligations beyond what the law requires.
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Check out these Mocs in the news:
- UC Foundation Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Rick Dierenfeldt went on Jed & JR Mornings to talk about road rage.
- Center for Regional Economic Research Director Howard Wall spoke to NewsChannel 9 about Chattanooga officials seeking budget solutions to raise funds for police and firefighters.
- A NewsChannel 9 story about flash flooding in parts of Tennessee and Georgia featured Physical Geography Lecturer Joshua Hodge.
- A Times Free Press story listed faith-based groups on campus.
Mark Your Calendar
 Photo by Ray Soldano/GoMocs.com This week’s Mocs home athletics calendar:
- Today (Aug. 19): Volleyball Blue-Gold Scrimmage, Maclellan Gym, 5 p.m.
- Thursday, Aug. 21: Soccer vs. Indiana State, Finley Stadium, 6 p.m.
- Saturday, Aug. 23: Volleyball vs. Belmont, Maclellan Gym, 5 p.m.
- Sunday, Aug. 24: Soccer vs. Morehead State, Finley Stadium, 1 p.m.
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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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The first meeting of the semester’s Quantum Seminar series will take place at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 28, in the UTC Library, Room 435. Formerly known as the Quantum Journal Club, the series will continue with biweekly meetings at the same time and location unless otherwise announced.
Dr. Adrian Del Maestro, professor and head of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at UT Knoxville, will present “Active Learning a Quantum Phase Transition.”
His talk will highlight a numerical study of the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) transition in the one-dimensional Bose-Hubbard model. By combining advanced simulations with Bayesian analysis, the study pinpoints the critical interaction strength with high precision and provides a new benchmark for understanding BKT physics in one-dimensional quantum systems.
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In recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day on Sunday, Aug. 31, the Center for Wellbeing will host two events:
- Friday, Aug. 29: Faculty and Staff Training: Opioid Overdose Response Training, Center for Wellbeing, 10-11 a.m., Register here
- Tuesday, Sept. 2: Student Drop-in: Naloxone 101 (in under 5 minutes), Lupton Hall Lobby, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Naloxone (Narcan) is a life-saving medication that reverses opioid overdoses by blocking the effects of opioids and restoring breathing. It is safe, effective and easy to use.
UTC has expanded opioid overdose prevention and response efforts to support the health and safety of the campus community:
- ONEboxes—emergency response kits stocked with naloxone and an instructional video—have been installed in all residence halls.
- Six additional ONEboxes are scheduled for installation in high-traffic areas.
- Free harm reduction supplies—including naloxone and fentanyl test strips—are available at the Center for Wellbeing (UC 350).
To request supplies or a customized training, email Kat James.
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The Center for Wellbeing offers a monthly line-up of trainings for faculty and staff. If interested, please sign up here. Trainings counting toward completion of the Mental Health Ally Program are noted with an asterisk (*).
The Center is happy to schedule trainings for specific teams or departments at other times throughout the year. Reach out to Megan McKnight with questions or to request a training.
- Thursday, Sept. 4: Opioid Overdose Response and Naloxone, University Center Room 350, 10 a.m.-11 a.m.
- Friday, Sept. 12: Sleep Matters: Improving Sleep Among Employees and Students (Zoom), noon-1 p.m.
- *Wednesday, Sept. 24: Suicide Prevention Using Question, Persuade, Refer and the C-SSRS, Library Room 209, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
- *Tuesday, Sept. 30: Psychological First Aid (Zoom), noon-1 p.m.
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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
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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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
 UTC’s UReCA production team at Glacier National Park. From left: Anna Melby, editor-in-chief; Dr. Jayda Coons, faculty advisor; Ainsley Henderson, editor; Ellie Minneci, managing editor; and Ally McCoy, editor. The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (UReCA), a national publication run by students, has its editorial home at UTC. Each year, UTC students help manage a nationwide team of peers, review hundreds of submissions and decide what projects earn a spot in the journal’s highly selective pages.
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Ted and Kelly Alling, both longtime supporters of education and philanthropy, have committed a significant gift to name the Alling Family Student-Athlete Academic Center at UTC.
WUTC
 Provost Jerold Hale Provost Jerold Hale joined an episode of WUTC’s “Scenic Roots” to discuss his background, University High, new Chancellor Lori Bruce and more.
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