August 5-11, 2025
Updates and news for the week of August 5-11, 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
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:
Tuesday, 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:
Tuesday, 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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Volunteer for Operation Move In
Operation Move In takes place Wednesday, Aug. 13, and Thursday, Aug. 14, for incoming freshmen and transfer students.
Housing and Residence Life could use as many hands as possible to make this day go as smoothly as possible for our newest residents. If you are interested in volunteering for OMI, please fill out the OMI volunteer signup form and share the link with others.
Those who volunteer will receive a meal voucher for UTC Dining and a signature OMI T-shirt as a special thank you. Learn more here.
For more information, contact OMI committee chair Jason Harville.
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SUBMIT YOUR EVENTS AND VOLUNTEER FOR WELCOME WEEK
Oak Street Roast is our annual Welcome Week kickoff event, and we need help from UTC faculty and staff to make it a success. Oak Street Roast 2025 is from 7-9 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 17, on Chamberlain Field. This event typically sees between 1,800-2,000 students. UTC faculty and staff volunteers are needed to assist with various parts of this event. Multiple volunteer activity options and time shifts are available. Click here learn more about the event, what help is needed and to sign up.
We are seeking UTC faculty and staff to welcome our new and returning students to campus for the start of the semester by volunteering at a Welcome Table on Monday, Aug. 18, or Tuesday, Aug. 19. Our volunteers will greet students as they make their way on campus and distribute snacks, water and Welcome Week information. Multiple locations and time shifts are available for both days. Time shifts are one hour long, and shifts overlap to ensure continued coverage during class changes. Click here to learn more about the initiative, what help is needed and to sign up.
Contact Director of Student and Family Engagement Laura Petrus with questions.
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Get your football tickets
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.
Outstanding People of UTC
 David Wade David Wade, a UTC graduate and the president and CEO of EPB, has been appointed to the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees by Lt. Gov. Randy McNally.
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UTC women’s basketball rising junior Sarah Owona has been named to Belgium’s roster for the 2025 FIBA U20 EuroBasket Tournament in Portugal. Owona joined the Mocs this summer as a transfer from Florida Southwestern State.
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Check out these Mocs in the news:
- Director of the Center for Urban Informatics and Progress Mina Sartipi was featured in stories by the Times Free Press and NewsChannel 9 about UTC’s smart traffic technology to improve roadway safety and emergency response.
- UC Foundation Professor of Criminal Justice Rick Dierenfeldt joined Jed & JR Mornings to discuss the declining crime rate in the United States.
- Dr. Lisa Piazza, director of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavor, was featured in a two-part episode of “On Campus” to discuss the power of undergraduate research. Listen to part one and part two.
- A BlueRidgeNow story about armadillos featured UC Foundation Professor Tim Gaudin.
- Director of Music Therapy Katherine Goforth Elverd spoke on Jed & JR Mornings about UTC’s music therapy program.
- A News 12 Now story featured Center for Regional Economic Research Director Howard Wall, who spoke at a Rotary Club meeting last week.
- Associate Professor of Accounting Louis “Dutch” Fayard discussed budgeting in a WalletHub article.
Mark Your Calendar
The Southeast Tennessee Age-Friendly Public Health Systems Celebration and Partner Event will take place from 8:30 a.m.-noon on Thursday, Aug. 8, in the Wolford Family Athletic Center. Click here to view the agenda. To register, click here.
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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 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
 Electrical engineering student Nelson Karnowski works on a project at his Oak Ridge National Laboratory internship. Working at one of the most prestigious science labs in the country can be intimidating, especially when you’re surrounded by some of the top researchers in the field. For three UTC students doing internships at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, they got to experience that challenge firsthand.
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 Ben DeWitt Ben DeWitt spent his summer in Raleigh, North Carolina, participating in the Integrative Microbial and Plant Systems Research REU at North Carolina State University. This is what he had to say about his REU experience.
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 Dr. Rebecca Shortridge Dr. Rebecca Shortridge, Gary W. Rollins Endowed Chair and head of the Department of Accounting at UTC, has always been mindful of finances. Shortridge, who joined the UTC faculty in 2021 after 16 years at Northern Illinois University, developed an interest in finance at a young age.
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 Dr. Tian Li leads a Quantum Camp demonstration in Grote Hall. High school students from across the region got a glimpse into the future of science and technology during the inaugural Quantum Summer Camp hosted by the UTC Quantum Center.
WUTC
 Sam Voisin Sam Voisin, the new executive director of the Chattanooga Convention Center, joined an episode of WUTC’s “Scenic Roots.”
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