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Updates and news for the week of August 8 – 14, 2023
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 chuck-wasserstrom@utc.edu in the Division of Communications and Marketing by 3 p.m. on Friday for placement in the following Tuesday’s newsletter.
Welcome University High
 Students and their families attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for University High on April 27. For the first time, UTC is not the first school on campus to get underway.
On Wednesday (Aug. 9), University High—a Hamilton County Schools program located at UTC—launches with 56 high school juniors. The University High contingent is led by principal Arielle Hayes and faculty members Eryn Queen (counselor advisor, Spanish), Kate Knox (English), Emily McDonald (math), Catie Sanhueza (social studies)—who received a bachelor’s degree in English and American language and literature from UTC—and Juney Shober (science).
Click here for more information about the UTC/HCS University High partnership.
Last Call: Submit your events for Welcome Week 2023
A message from Student and Family Engagement …
Our goal for Welcome Week 2023 is to offer a calendar full of fun and engaging events that welcome our students to the start of a new semester, and we need your help. If you are hosting an event or program during the first week of classes (Aug. 20-26), the deadline to submit events for the Welcome Week calendar is Friday (Aug. 11).
Calling all Mocs: Resource Fair Takes Place Next Week
Student Success Programs invites departments to table at this year’s Moc Resource Fair, which takes place from 2-4 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 17, on the first floor of Lupton Hall. More than 400 students attended last year’s event.
Mocs Resource Fair is a chance for students to get to know departments on campus that will play a critical role in their success. It is a part of First Flight, a pre-Welcome Week experience designed to help students after move-in and before the semester starts.
- Student Success Programs asks that each participating department sponsor a school supply to give away at your tables; please let them know if you have trouble purchasing school supplies.
- There also is an opportunity to sponsor an item for the grand prize drawing of a rolling laundry basket with towels, cleaning supplies and more.
- Click here to sign up.
The outstanding people of UTC
 Dr. Kristi Wick Older adults living in rural Tennessee counties are at a higher risk for developing chronic diseases, cognitive disorders and poor health outcomes due to a lack of access to health care, continuity of treatment and resources. A grant awarded to the School of Nursing aims to mitigate those risks by delivering health care and social services professionals to rural communities.
Dr. Kristi Wick, UC Foundation assistant professor and Vicky B. Gregg Chair in Gerontology, and Vice Provost Shewanee Howard-Baptiste are co-principal investigators on the grant-funded ROAD MAP project, leading a team that includes Dr. Sarah Treat (School of Nursing), Dr. Latisha Toney (School of Nursing), Dr. Amir Alakaam (Master of Public Health), Dr. Erin Melhorn (Occupational Therapy) and Dr. Cathy Scott (Social Work).
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 Dr. Hong Qin and Dr. Mengjun Xie The UTC program, “Collaborative Research: CyberCorps® Scholarship for Service: Strengthening the National Cybersecurity Workforce With Integrated Learning of AI/ML and Cybersecurity,” is among seven American university programs selected for renewed funding of more than $24 million from National Science Foundation over the next four years.
The UTC program is overseen by UC Foundation Associate Professor Mengjun Xie, director of the UTC Information Security (InfoSec) Center: A National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense, and UTC Professor of Computer Science Hong Qin.
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Check out these Mocs making a difference:
- UTC Assistant Professor of Sociology Chandra Ward has taken on the added role of director of community engagement for the University’s Center for Urban Informatics and Progress (CUIP).
- Dr. Cheryl Murphy has been named the new director of the UTC Office of Research Integrity. She joins ORI with significant experience in working with faculty and students from her previous role as faculty associate and lab coordinator for the Department of Biology, Geology and Environmental Science.
- Veteran and Military Affairs student ambassador Lewis Green, a senior majoring in cybersecurity, was featured in G.I. Jobs magazine’s 2023 Student Veteran Leadership Awards issue as one of 32 impressive veterans who are having a positive impact at their schools. Green served in the U.S. Army from 2013 to 2019.
- Senior Mateo Jimenez, who is majoring in political science with a minor in sociology, is a finalist in the Emerging Latino Leader category for La Paz Chattanooga’s 2023 Latino Leadership Awards. Jimenez has spent the last year as an American Connection Corps/Regional Connectivity Fellow for Lead For America—a national nonprofit organization that trains college students to serve as full-time local government or nonprofit employees in their home communities.
- Dr. Bento Lobo, department head of Finance and Economics, was interviewed by News 12 Now about the effects of the Tennessee grocery tax holiday.
- Dr. Brooke Persons, director of the Jeffrey L. Brown Institute of Archaeology, headed up a team that presented information about remains found in the lower part of a Virgin Islands cemetery at the site of an abandoned crypt.
- Space Design Technician Ray Soldano was interviewed for a press release about the installation of the ARC’s new audio system.
- Senior Ailym Ford has been named to the Walter Payton Award watchlist as one of the nation’s top running backs. Defensive lineman Jay Person and defensive back Kam Brown have been named to the Buck Buchanan Award watchlist, which goes to the country’s top defensive player. Ford, Person and Brown were also selected to the preseason Stats Perform and Phil Steele/Draftscout All-America teams.
Research Updates from the MPH Program
The Master of Public Health program has a plethora of faculty news and notes to share. Click here for the 2022-2023 research review. Among the highlights:
- Dr. Amir Alakaam was awarded $332,500 from the Tennessee Department of Health to develop a curriculum for public health workforces in Tennessee.
- Dr. Kara Hamilton, along with May 2023 MPH graduate Victoria Norwood, Hamilton County Schools students and community members implemented the fourth year of the Methodical Approach to Activity and Nutrition Education (MANE) initiative. MANE is an after-school program that equips children with the knowledge, skills and supportive environment that can help them lead healthier lives by being physically active.
- Dr. Dawn Ford and Dr. Marissa McElrone were both awarded multiple grants.
- Dr. Gregory Heath is working on a pair of funded research projects.
This week’s events
As we get ready for the new academic year, the Office of Student and Family Engagement will be offering a series of trainings on MocSync to prepare faculty, staff and campus departments for the return of students excited to engage in campus programming. Check out the list of offerings below to see what training might be most beneficial for you or click here for more information.
What is MocSync? Your Guide to UTC’s Student Engagement Platform
- Today (Aug. 8): 1-2 p.m., Library 204 | RSVP here
MocSync 101 for Student Organization Advisors
- Today (Aug. 8): 11 a.m.-noon, Library 204 | RSVP here
MocSync How To: Tracking Attendance at Events
- Wednesday (Aug. 9): 4-5 p.m., Library 204 | RSVP here
Questions can be directed to laura-petrus@utc.edu or hannah-turcotte@utc.edu.
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 Photo credit: gomocs.com The UTC Athletics Department is set to host its annual “UTC Night” at the Chattanooga Lookouts baseball game on Thursday (Aug. 10) at AT&T Field. The first pitch between the Lookouts and the Pensacola Blue Wahoos is set for 7:15 p.m.
Tickets for the game can be purchased here, with general admission tickets starting at $8.
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UTC Campus Recreation is hosting a series of family nights at the Aquatic and Recreation Center this summer open to all faculty and staff, with the next event taking place Friday (Aug. 11). Come on out for games in the gym and try out the pool and the rock-climbing wall.
The cost for non-ARC members is $10 per person. Adult guests must show their UTC photo ID.
Message from Mocs Card Services
Residential students, the fall 2023 meal plan change request deadline is Sunday, Sept. 3. Students may request a meal plan change by emailing MOCSCARD@UTC.EDU; remember to include your UTC ID number and the meal plan you would like for the fall 2023 semester. Requests received after Sept. 3 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.
Sign up for the BEST Man Forum
Exempt employees (and/or non-exempt employees with supervisory responsibilities) of any UT campus are welcome to register for the inaugural BEST Man Forum to be held Sept. 19 at the UT Conference Center in Knoxville. The forum will be based on the book “Of Boys and Men” with keynote remarks from the author, Richard Reeves. The one-day event will include facilitated small-group sessions based on chapters of the book, an executive leadership panel, extensive networking and a vendor session.
The UTC Division of Diversity and Engagement is sponsoring transportation to this event for UTC employees, leaving campus at 6:30 a.m. and returning at 6 p.m. the same day.
- Learn more about the conference and register here.
- Resources may be available through UTC’s Career Development Fund to help defray the cost of this event for non-exempt employees. Visit that website to see if you’re eligible for financial assistance.
A survey for Chattanooga
Do you care about the future of Chattanooga’s neighborhoods, housing, commercial areas, infrastructure, transportation, parks, facilities and natural resources? The Chattanooga Regional Planning Agency is undertaking an ambitious planning process to create detailed area plans for all areas of Chattanooga and a parallel process for other areas of Hamilton County.
The Plan Chattanooga survey is an ambitious effort to involve the community in creating plans for all areas of the city. These plans will address many topics and include specific actions to make our city more prosperous and livable as it grows. There will be many opportunities to get involved over the next 12 months. Click here to learn more and to take the survey.
Program for Minors Policy Information
Per the UT System-wide policy, you must register any program that deals with minors (individuals under the age of 18) as a covered program. This policy works to provide a safe environment for these individuals by following specific requirements. For more information, you can read the policy here. Contact the Safety and Risk Management office with specific questions about your program at (423) 425-5741.
Campus Updates
A message from the Office of the Bursar …
This message is for all students who are continuing the UTC experience. The process for completing payment of fees for fall 2023 has begun in the Office of the Bursar.
- Students who have registered for fall 2023 should view their E-Mocs statement via their MyMocsNet accounts. The first E-Mocs statement was available on July 13.
- The last day to pay to avoid cancellation is Thursday (Aug. 10).
- Cancellation of classes due to non-payment will occur at noon ET on Monday (Aug. 14).
- Employees and dependents, ensure that you have submitted the proper documentation for the tuition waiver if applicable.
- All students are encouraged to set up ACH/Direct Deposit for refunds through their MyMocsNet accounts. Note that a paper check mailed to the permanent address on file can take 5-10-plus days via USPS. If assistance is needed in adding the refund account information, please go to utc.edu/bursar, click the “Video Instructions” tab in the middle of the page, and click on the video titled, “Bursar Series: Direct Deposit.”
If you have any general questions, please contact our office at (423) 425-4781 or email Bursars-Office@utc.edu. The office is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Ensure that anyone permitted to discuss your account has a MyMocsPass Passphrase to receive specific information about your account.
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The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) provided its fourth-quarter report for the 2023 fiscal year, including a downloadable PDF: Q4 FY23 Final Report.
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Human Resources provided a series of August staff development opportunities and 2023 UT System conferences. Click here to learn more.
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Jeff Flowers, retirement plan advisor with Empower Retirement (aka Retire Ready Tennessee)—the 401k and 457 provider—will be on campus Wednesday, Aug. 16, and Tuesday, Sept. 19, for in-person retirement planning meetings. Meetings will be held in UTC Library Room 429. To schedule an appointment, follow this link to see available times: https://jeff-flowers.empowermytime.com.
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The student organization re-registration process for the 2023-2024 academic year is now open. All UTC student organizations are required to complete re-registration annually to maintain active status and campus privileges.
Re-registration eligibility, steps, deadlines and resources can be found here. Contact Laura-Petrus@utc.edu with any questions.
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UTC has launched the new Off-Campus Student Services (OCSS) program for the 2023-2024 academic year. Housed in the Office of Student Outreach and Support, Off-Campus Student Services aims to help students find off-campus housing, educate students on their rights and responsibilities as renters, and assist with other needs they may experience living off-campus.
In addition, UTC has entered a partnership with College Pads, which provides an online tool to help students become more-educated renters, compare off-campus housing options, and find potential roommates. The link to College Pads’ Chattanooga off-campus housing listings can be found here.
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This summer, UTC will be rolling out a new events calendar using software from Localist. The new UTC calendar will enable members of the campus community to easily share, manage and publicize events from a single, convenient platform. Event information shared via this platform also is accessible to the public.
In addition to enabling easily adding an event to the calendar, the platform will automatically incorporate events from other calendars—such as events hosted by Mocs Athletics, the UTC Library and more. The new calendar tool will offer:
- Ease of use
- Customizability
- Possibility of improved engagement/turnout at campus events
Teams involved with the project are in the final stages of development.
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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 $15. Memberships include Mocs swag, free tickets to select home athletic events, exclusive events and opportunities, monthly emailed newsletters and more. Click here to purchase a membership.
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Space is still available in International Business Experience: Portugal and Spain, a fall 2023 course open to all UTC students. This course, which is being led by Professor Bento Lobo, has no prerequisite and includes a 10-day study trip to Lisbon, Portugal, and Madrid, Spain.
Students earn three credit hours on the undergraduate level (MGT 4950) or graduate level (MGT 5950). Submit a course application as soon as possible to be considered. For more information, contact COBInternational@utc.edu or visit COB International Programs.
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The Institute of Internal Auditors Chattanooga chapter is hosting a networking event and student night from 5:30-8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 25, in 540 McCallie Ave. Building Room 104. The event is open to all business and computer science majors who are interested in learning about careers in internal auditing. Dinner is provided and chapter members from several large employers will be in attendance, including those in the corporate, nonprofit and governmental spaces. This is a fantastic opportunity for students, particularly those majoring in accounting, finance or computer science, to learn about the industry and network with hiring managers in an informal setting. Seating is limited and registration is required. | Calendar Info
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“The First Amendment, the Academy, and the Media: Restoring a Marketplace of Ideas,” is the topic of the 13th Annual Dr. Richard Gruetzemacher Constitution Day Lecture Series, which takes place at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 13, in the University Center Tennessee Room. The lecture series is presented by the UTC Center for Reflective Citizenship.
The featured speaker is Joshua Dunn, the inaugural executive director of the Institute of American Civics at the Howard H. Baker School for Public Policy and Public Affairs. For more information, contact the Center for Reflective Citizenship at crc@utc.edu or call 423-425-5603. | Livestream Link | Calendar Info
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Mocs Card Services is issuing new ID cards to all faculty, staff, and students. As campus card readers are being replaced, this new card will be necessary for door access and use.
The ID Office summer hours of operation are 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Please anticipate a higher-than-normal volume of customers on Orientation days.
What is the difference in the current Mocs Card and the NEW Mocs Card? The new Mocs Card is embedded with an RFID chip (tap technology) that will coincide with the installation of new card readers across campus.
- Bring your current Mocs Card to the ID Office in University Center Room 262 to exchange for the new card.
- If you do not bring your current ID, there is a $30 replacement fee. Replacement fees are processed in the Bursar’s Office (University Center Room 274).
- Contact Mocs Card Services (423-425-5819) or the ID Office (423-425-2218) with questions.
Music to Our Ears
Listen as Ruth S. Holmberg Professor of American Music Jonathan McNair performs Echoes of Eternity, composed by UTC composition major Christopher Ware, at the spring Campus Composers Concert.
Looking ahead
 The Mocs soccer program won its first Southern Conference regular-season title in 2022 (photo credit: GoMocs.com) This week’s Mocs Athletics calendar:
- Today (Aug. 8): Soccer (exhibition) at Murray State University (Murray, Kentucky), 2 p.m.
- Sunday (Aug. 13): Soccer (exhibition) at Georgia State University (Atlanta), noon
Looking back
Lio Mercedes Sosa (pictured) and other UTC theatre majors have been designing and building stage sets for the Obvious Dad production of “LEAR,” taking place this month in the UTC Fine Arts Center’s Jim G. Lewis Studio Theatre.
Here are some other recent UTC stories featured in the Newsroom:
- “Microplastics Sampling for Stormwater Management,” a research project being conducted at UTC, has been awarded a $25,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) program. Dr. Jejal-Reddy Bathi, assistant professor in civil engineering and coordinator of environmental engineering at UTC, is the principal investigator.
- UTC senior Adrial Poo Armas, a computer science major and Innovations in Honors student, has spent this summer as an intern at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Sandia National Laboratories.
- The Agriculture and Nutrition for Girls while Encouraging Leadership (ANGELS) summer camp experience, held at UTC this summer, aimed to teach science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) lessons and empower young Black girls. With a focus on different themes each week, the ANGELS program fostered hands-on learning, leadership experience and creativity.
- While pursuing a master’s degree in environmental science from UTC, May 2023 graduate Hannah Nelms discovered a method of propagating wild American plum trees by taking cuttings—small stems from a tree’s trunk—and getting them to root in greenhouses.
Tales from the UTC PodLab
 Nikki Collins and Paul Mallchok “Tennessee Valley Across the Table” is a student-led podcast that brings locals, often strangers with different views, together to learn who we are as people. It is inspired by StoryCorps’ One Small Step program.
In 2022, community members came to the UTC PodLab and opened their lives with stories about their families, their politics and their hopes for the future. This year, UTC Honors students, under the direction of Will Davis, studied the recordings and chose the material that most resonated with them. This episode by UTC biology student Grace Tang features a conversation between Nikki Collins and Paul Mallchok
You can subscribe to “Tennessee Valley Across the Table” on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
WUTC Spotlight: Scenic Roots
 Arielle Hayes, principal of University High Arielle Hayes recently sat down with WUTC-FM’s Ray Bassett for an introductory “Meet the Principal of University High” segment on “Scenic Roots.”
University High, a partnership between UTC and Hamilton County Schools, opens this week on the UTC campus.
UTC Student Lens: Beyond the Ring
From Rising Rock: When Jaden Newman was seven years old, he discovered a DVD at a flea market that would eventually ignite his passion for professional wrestling. The 1997 match between Rey Misterio and Eddie Guerrero revealed to Newman that his love for wrestling was more than a fandom; it was something he wanted to do forever.
His grandfather, who was with him when he discovered the flea market DVD, was determined that Newman would follow his dream of becoming a professional wrestler. “I wasn’t into sports, but I loved pro wrestling,” Newman said.
Newman’s training started when he was 14 years old, and it was brutal. “I would leave training and I was crying because I just didn’t get it, but that’s what I thought it took to become a professional wrestler. And I was wrong.”
Click here to see Rising Rock’s Beyond the Ring, filmed by Cassandra Castillo, Madison Van Horn and Maddie Charnes.
- Rising Rock features student-developed non-fiction stories about greater Chattanooga. The site is a combined effort of the Department of Communication and UTC student media—including The Echo (student newspaper), MocsNews (student video news program) and The Perch (student digital radio station).
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