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Updates and news for the week of February 13-19, 2024
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.
Last chance to Nominate your favorite UTC alumni
 Kim White, 2023 honoree David Wade and Chancellor Angle Do you know an alumnus/a who is exemplary in their field, someone who champions UTC with their time and talents or a newer graduate making early strides in their career? The online nomination forms for the 2024 Distinguished Alumni, Outstanding Service and GOLD Excellence Awards are open through Wednesday (Feb. 14).
Submit your nominations using the following links:
Call to Action: Submit your Chancellor’s Innovation Fund ideas
UTC faculty and staff, to build on your ideas and the culture of innovation UTC already has, we have established the Chancellor’s Innovation Fund and need your ideas and energy!
Please visit the Chancellor’s Innovation Fund webpage for details about how to submit a proposal to address a challenge or opportunity with an innovative solution you’ve identified.
The deadline for submission of proposals is 5 p.m. on Thursday (Feb. 15). A successful proposal may be awarded up to a maximum of $15,000 in one-time funding.
UTC’s United Way Campaign Kickoff is Today
Join Chancellor Angle and the Division of Access and Engagement from 2-3 p.m. today (Feb. 13) in the University Center Tennessee Room to kick off the United Way of Greater Chattanooga’s workplace giving campaign.
We are uniting with over 400 corporate and community partners for philanthropy, volunteering and advocacy to enhance life in Chattanooga—where we live, learn, work and play. Your participation highlights the power of the Mocs community; together, as Mocs, we can uplift and move our community forward. As Chattanooga’s University, our commitment is to make Chattanooga a better place for everyone.
Let’s “Share the Love” at UTC’s United Way Campaign Kickoff. Click here to RSVP.
FAFSA Fridays continue throughout February
Financial Aid and Scholarships staff, along with Mocs One Center team members, will be holding FAFSA Fridays in February. They will offer a series of in-person and online workshops to assist current and prospective students and their families with filling out the form. For more information about the FAFSA process, visit the Financial Aid and Scholarships page.
Upcoming session dates: Feb. 16 and Feb. 23
- In-person: 10 a.m.-noon in the Mocs One Center (University Center Room 124).
- Virtual: 11 a.m.-1 p.m., click here for Zoom links
Send in your Information for the UTC Parent and Family Association Newsletter
It is again time to recruit campus partners to send in information for the UTC Parent and Family Association newsletter, a monthly roundup distributed to more than 5,400 parents/family members. The March newsletter will be emailed to members Wednesday, March 6. Click here to see the February newsletter.
To share information with the families of UTC students—upcoming events, important deadlines, helpful suggestions and departmental news—email hannah-turcotte@utc.edu by Tuesday, Feb. 27.
- Please keep info to one paragraph of 200 (or fewer) words.
- Images or logos to accompany the paragraph may be submitted.
UTC celebrates Black History Month
The theme of UTC Black History Month is “African Americans and the Arts,” with special events taking place throughout February. This week’s events include:
- Thursday (Feb. 15): Showtime at UTC—Open Mic and Trivia Night, Lupton Hall first floor, 6 p.m.
- Friday (Feb. 16): UTC LIVE! presents The Core Ensembles’ “Of Ebony Embers: Vignettes of the Harlem Renaissance,” Fine Arts Center Roland Hayes Concert Hall, 7:30 p.m., click here for ticket information
- Sunday (Feb. 18): Black History Month Artful Yoga, Hunter Museum of American Art, 1:30 p.m.
Check the Black History Month events calendar for a complete listing of activities.
Save the Date: VW Day
UTC is hosting its first VW Drive Your Career Day on Thursday, Feb. 22, an event for our students to explore internship and career opportunities while meeting with VW personnel.
The event will take place in University Center Chattanooga Rooms B and C and the space outside the UC by the Power C. More information will be coming soon.
The outstanding people of UTC
 Dr. Hamdy Ibrahim While Dr. Hamdy Ibrahim’s career is considered to be in its early stages today, the National Science Foundation has just cast a big vote of confidence in its future. Ibrahim, a UTC assistant professor of mechanical engineering, is the recipient of a CAREER award from the NSF Faculty Early Career Development Program.
Check out these Mocs making a difference:
- The UTC chapter of the Society of Physics Students has won an Outstanding Chapter Award from the SPS National Office. This is the first time the chapter has been recognized for its excellence as a top-tier student-led physical sciences organization—a designation given to fewer than 10% of all SPS chapters.
- Ashwyn Sam, who graduated from UTC with bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering and mathematics in 2020, is one of the original Rocket Mocs—part of the team that won the national championship. The former Innovations in Honors student at UTC is now a fourth-year Ph.D. student in aeronautics and astronautics at Stanford University, and he recently appeared on the Knight-Hennessy Scholars’ Imagine a World podcast.
- Senior distance runner Lesley Boyd set the Chattanooga Mocs program record in the 3000-meter run, finishing fifth at the Music City Challenge on Saturday. With a time of 9:22.6, Boyd broke the mark of 9:31.75 set in 2006 by Mocs All-American Shannon Wommack.
Mark your calendar
The Gary W. Rollins College of Business will hold virtual information sessions about UTC’s Master of Business Administration, MS Data Analytics, MS Management and Master of Accountancy graduate programs. The Rollins College of Business graduate degree programs provide flexible course options and career advancement resources to elevate your education and propel your career.
MAcc Information Sessions
MBA Information Sessions
MS Management Information Sessions
MS Data Analytics Information Sessions
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Information sessions are taking place for the summer 2024 International Business Experience study abroad course to South Korea, which is open to all UTC students. The course has no prerequisites and includes a two-week international study trip to Seoul, led by Gary W. Rollins College of Business faculty members. Upcoming session dates:
- Today (Feb. 13): Fletcher Hall 109 and Zoom, noon
- Thursday (Feb. 15): Zoom, noon
Students earn three credit hours on the undergraduate level (MGT 4950) or graduate level (MGT 5950). For more information, contact COBInternational@utc.edu or visit COB International Programs.
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Sponsored by the George C. Connor Professorship of American Literature and the UTC Department of English, the Take Five 2024 lineup explores what it means to be educated in the modern world.
Take Five sessions occur Tuesday nights at 6 p.m. in the University Center Chattanooga Room. Each session will offer a light dinner, and no RSVP is necessary. Upcoming spring dates:
- Today (Feb. 13): Dr. Verbie Prevost presents “Dai Sijie’s Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress”
- Tuesday, Feb. 27: Dr. David Pleins presents Emma Smith’s “Portable Magic: A History of Books and Their Readers”
- Tuesday, March 19: Dr. Victoria Bryan presents R.F. Kuang’s “Babel, or the Necessity of Violence”
- Tuesday, April 9: Dr. Bryan Hampton presents Julie Schumacher’s “Dear Committee Members”
All books are available through online retailers and at the UTC Bookstore (423-425-4107). Contact Aaron-Shaheen@utc.edu with questions.
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The UTC Chair of Excellence in Judaic Studies, SunTrust Chair of Excellence in the Humanities, Adolph S. Ochs Professor of Government, Jew-TC, Chabad Jewish Center of Chattanooga, The Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga and Fillauer Companies, Inc. are co-sponsoring a campus conversation featuring an internationally recognized human rights activist.
On Wednesday (Feb. 14) in the University Center Auditorium, Bassem Eid, a Jerusalem-based human rights pioneer and expert commentator in Arab and Palestinian affairs, will moderate a discussion titled “Israel, Hamas and the Future in Gaza.” The presentation will begin at 5:30 p.m. and is free to the public. Click here to register and click here for the Campus Updates post.
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Whether Valentine’s Day left you less-than-fulfilled or over the moon, there’s a place for you at the 5th Annual Roses and Whine Poetry Jam, taking place from 5:30-7 p.m. on Thursday (Feb. 15) in the Lupton Hall first-floor common area.
The UTC English Department and Creative Writing Club invite you to come share in an evening celebrating love and anti-love, where you can join the fun by writing your own creation to enter in the Love/Anti-Love poetry contest or sit back and listen. There will be prizes and pizza and live music.
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The UTC branch of the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization—a national nonprofit focused on helping children in underserved communities—will be having an information session at noon on Thursday (Feb. 15) in 540 McCallie Building Room 461.
Big Brothers Big Sisters has bi-monthly meetings open to the campus community at 3 p.m. the first and third Thursdays of the month throughout the semester in the same room. Upcoming dates are Feb. 15, March 7, March 21, April 4 and April 18.
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What should you do after graduation? You might want to be a doctor, lawyer, IT tech, financial reporter, engagement educator, environmental activist or philosopher.
From 4-4:50 p.m. on Thursday (Feb. 15), come meet alumni and find out all the different paths that a degree in Philosophy and Religion can take you. The meet-and-greet will take place in Lupton Hall Room 302. Please email Talia-Welsh@utc.edu with questions.
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 The Clarence T. Jones Observatory is located at 10 N. Tuxedo Ave. in Chattanooga. The public is invited to the Clarence T. Jones Observatory, owned and operated by UTC, for a free Star Party on Sunday (Feb. 18).
The evening’s topic will be “Our Friend Orion” and the featured constellation is Orion. Gates open at 5:30 p.m., with a lecture and Planetarium show beginning at 6 p.m. and telescope viewing until 8 p.m. Seating is limited, so arrive early.
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Did you resolve to get more active in the New Year but find yourself struggling to stick with it now that the new semester is in full swing?
Sign up for the UTC Spring Step Challenge Feb. 19-March 3 to help yourself recommit to your goals, sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Performance and the Center for Wellbeing. All UTC students, staff and faculty are encouraged to participate (limited to first 100 to register). Click here to register.
- If you already use an activity monitor (FitBit, Apple Watch, Garmin, etc.) to track your activity, you will be able to sync it directly to the challenge platform. You also can enter your steps manually.
- You will be able to earn credit for non-step-based activities such as swimming, yoga and cycling.
- Prizes will be awarded for Most Steps and for Most Improved from Week 1 to Week 2 of the challenge.
Contact Karissa-peyer@utc.edu with questions.
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 The american vicarious theatre group presents “Baldwin vs. Buckley” From Feb. 22-24, the College of Arts and Sciences will present “Baldwin vs. Buckley” as performed by the New York-based american vicarious theatre group. Following critically acclaimed runs in New York City and London, the production of the historic 1965 debate between James Baldwin and William F. Buckley Jr. is reenacted over three nights in three locations:
- Thursday, Feb. 22: Guerry Center Reading Room, 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, Feb. 23: UTC Library Roth Reading Room, 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Feb. 24: Roland Hayes Concert Hall, 7:30 p.m.
For ticket information, visit the Fine Arts Center website.
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The UTC Honors College presents an O’Dea Lecture in Humanities at noon on Friday, Feb. 23, in the Guerry Center Reading Room.
Titled “Building the Borderlands Shakespeare Colectiva,” the event will feature guest lecturer Katherine Gillen, co-editor of “The Bard in the Badlands: Vol. 1.” Lunch will be provided.
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Students, UTC is seeking applications for the 2024-2025 student member of the UTC Advisory Board. Candidates for student member shall have completed a total of 30-semester hours with a cumulative 2.75-grade point average at the end of the semester of appointment.
- Candidate applications must be submitted by Friday, Feb. 23.
- The successful candidate must be available to serve from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, and must be enrolled full-time at UTC throughout the term of appointment (summer terms excluded).
Click here for more information. To apply, click here. If you have questions, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at dos@utc.edu or 423-425-4761.
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Everything has a history, including today’s headlines.
From noon-1 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 26, in Lupton Hall Room 393, the Department of History will host “Historians React to Current Events: Premodern Edition.” Speakers and topic include:
- Dr. James Guilfoyle on “Rapid Secularization in Catholic Ireland: The Silent Revolution.”
- Dr. Kira Robison on “Making Time: Earning an Extra Day since 45 BCE.”
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 Pearson Smith (as Judy Bernly), left, Katie Mullins (as Violet Newstead) and Harrison Faulkner (as Franklin Hart Jr.) in the UTC Theatre Co. production of “9 to 5 the Musical.” Photo courtesy of UTC Theatre Co. The UTC Theatre Co. will present “9 to 5 the Musical” from Feb. 27-March 2 in the UTC Fine Arts Center’s Dorothy Hackett Ward Theatre. Nightly shows begin at 7:30 p.m. with a 2 p.m. matinee performance on Saturday, March 2.
Tickets for “9 to 5 the Musical” can be purchased online by clicking here and through the UTC Box Office—in person or by phone (423-425-4369). Tickets are $25 for general admission and $20 for students (with proof of student ID) and seniors.
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On Thursday, April 11, the College of Arts and Sciences will be co-hosting Pulitzer-Prize-winning author and sociologist Matthew Desmond in collaboration with the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga. Desmond’s latest book, “Poverty, By America,” reached #1 on the New York Times best sellers list shortly after its release; his book “Evicted” won a Pulitzer Prize.
Dr. Zack Simoni in Social, Cultural and Justice Studies will lead a CAS faculty/staff book club on “Poverty, By America” leading up to Desmond’s visit. The six-week discussion group will meet at 4 p.m. on Wednesdays from Feb. 21 through April 3 in the University Center Chickamauga Room. A copy of the book will be provided.
This CAS-led session is a professional development opportunity for lifelong learning for faculty and staff. To reserve your spot in the class, please register at this link.
Notice of Final Defense: Upcoming Research Presentations
The UTC Graduate School announced that the following students will be presenting their final works of research as advanced degree candidates. Everyone is invited to attend.
Campus Updates
It is once again time to call for nominations for the Harold Love Outstanding Community Service Award, a recognition program administered by THEC that honors the late Tennessee Representative Harold Love, Sr. and highlights higher education faculty, staff and students demonstrating exemplary public service. As in years past, five students and five faculty/staff members from across the state of Tennessee will receive a $1,000 award check in honor of their service at an award ceremony that will be held in Nashville in late April.
For full consideration, each nomination submitted to the Chancellor’s Office must include the information indicated on the nomination form. If you are making multiple nominations, please submit separate forms for each nominee. Please submit completed nominations no later than noon on Friday, Feb. 23.
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April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and the Center for Women and Gender Equity will be distributing the annual Sexual Assault Awareness Month Zine again this year.
The Zine will display artwork or poetry made by survivors related to their healing journey. Art and poetry can be anonymous in the Zine and can be visual art (photos, three-dimensional pieces, paintings, drawings), songs, poems and short stories.
- Deadline: Noon on Friday, March 1
- Where can I submit?: MocSync Form
Email emily-rosenquist@utc.edu with questions.
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The Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Institutional Research (OPEIR) will be hosting faculty workshops regarding the process for creating and implementing new academic degree programs. Upcoming sessions are scheduled for 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 20 (register by noon on Feb. 19) and 1:30 p.m. on Friday, March 22 (register by 1:30 p.m. on March 21).
Each session will provide an overview of the multi-staged proposal process as required by the UT System and Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC). Multiple attendance options are provided, and registration can be completed through the K@TE learning management system via the link provided below. Attendees of each session will receive training credit toward UT Policy HR 128. Click here to register via K@TE.
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Faculty and staff, apply for experiential learning designation for your UTC class or non-academic credit-bearing experience
UTC’s growing list of Designated Experiential Learning opportunities is built by faculty and staff who submit an application to be read by the Experiential Learning Task Force. In spring 2024, the two application deadlines are Friday, Feb. 23, and Friday, March 22. If you are interested in applying or in how we can support you in developing Experiential Learning in your discipline or office, please contact Bengt-Carlson@utc.edu.
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Learning and Leadership is currently accepting applications to its summer 2024 Ph.D. and Ed.D. cohorts. If you, your friends or colleagues with a master’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution are interested in pursuing their terminal degree in leadership at UTC, we encourage them to apply or to reach out for more information.
Due to the cohort nature of the programs, applications are typically accepted December through February for each incoming summer cohort. New cohorts are admitted in summer only. All application materials, including official transcripts, must be submitted by Thursday, Feb. 29.
We routinely schedule Zoom meetings with the Program Advisor to determine whether our doctoral programs are a good “fit” for prospective applicants’ specific academic and professional goals. Prospective applicants may contact the LEAD Program Office at utclead@utc.edu to schedule a meeting. Click here for the Campus Updates post.
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The UTC Center for Professional Education is offering a seven-week Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam Prep Course from March 19 through May 2. The course will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30-8 p.m. ET via Zoom.
Many project managers, program managers, team leads and administrators pursue the globally recognized PMP certification to boost their professional credibility, increase their earning potential, gain a project management framework and develop risk-ready skills.
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Friday Nights are Family Nights at the ARC. Every Friday from 5-7p.m., UTC families are invited to swim, climb (5-6 p.m. only) and use our basketball courts. Our outdoors staff will teach the basics of climbing and belay youth on the wall from 5-6 p.m. Bring your family and come play at UTC Campus Rec.
The cost: Free for members; $10 per person for faculty/staff/alumni non-members and their families and guests. For more information about youth programs available through Campus Recreation, visit our new webpage.
For more information about membership options or Friday Family Nights, contact Colleen-DeMarco@utc.edu.
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The UTC Volleyball program is offering a 10% discount to all faculty, staff and students for the following volleyball summer camps:
Click here to register online. For more information, contact julie-torbettthomas@utc.edu.
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Injured in intramurals? Tweaked something in the gym? Back and neck soreness from hours of studying? Just need guidance getting back to your favorite activities? Check out UTC’s free physical therapy clinic.
The Pro Bono Physical Therapy clinic, located in the Mapp Building, is staffed by UTC Doctor of Physical Therapy students and professors and is 100% free. Clinic hours are 8 a.m.-noon on Tuesdays and 1-5 p.m. on Thursdays. Call University Health Services at 423-425-2266 or email ptclinic@utc.edu for more information.
Looking ahead
 The Mocs softball team begins its 2024 home slate this weekend at Frost Stadium This week’s Mocs home athletics calendar:
- Wednesday (Feb. 14): Men’s Basketball vs. ETSU, McKenzie Arena, 7 p.m.
- Friday (Feb. 16): Men’s Tennis vs. Lipscomb, UTC Tennis Center, 1 p.m.
- Friday (Feb. 16): Softball vs. Ball State (Chattanooga Challenge), Frost Stadium, 3 p.m.
- Friday (Feb. 16): Softball vs. Western Kentucky (Chattanooga Challenge), Frost Stadium, 5:30 p.m.
- Saturday (Feb. 17): Women’s Tennis vs. Troy, UTC Tennis Center, 2 p.m.
- Saturday (Feb. 17): Softball vs. Ball State (Chattanooga Challenge), Frost Stadium, 3 p.m.
- Saturday (Feb. 17): Softball vs. Murray State (Chattanooga Challenge), Frost Stadium, 5:30 p.m.
- Sunday (Feb. 18): Softball vs. North Alabama (Chattanooga Challenge), Frost Stadium, 1:30 p.m.
Looking back
 UTC Symphony Orchestra (Feb. 4, 2024) The UTC Symphony Orchestra concerto concert took place on Feb. 4 and featured four UTC concerto students.
- Junior baritone Owen Langford, a vocal performance major, performed “Avant de quitter ces lieux” from “Faust” by Charles Gounod.
- Senior soprano Rose Carroll, a music therapy major, performed “Song to the Moon” from “Rusalka” by Antonín Dvořák.
- Sophomore Bradley Bee, a piano performance and pedagogy major, performed “Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor Op. 18, 1st movement” by Sergei Rachmaninoff.
- Junior Ivy Smith, a piano performance and pedagogy major, performed “Piano Concerto in A Minor Op. 16, 1st movement” by Edvard Grieg.
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 From left: Mychael Allen-Fennessee, Zennia Nesmith and Ahok Wol The Department of History announced the recipients of 2024 Linnemann Scholarships and launched a new ambassador program to highlight the Africana Studies minor.
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Housing and Residence Life recently hosted a furniture showcase, with eight furniture vendors coming to campus to show off different looks. Students were asked to weigh in on new furniture selection and vote for their favorites. The UTC video team was there to capture the event.
WUTC Spotlight: Scenic Roots
 Bassem Eid (photo credit: bassemeid.com) On Wednesday, Feb. 14, in the University Center Auditorium, Bassem Eid, a Jerusalem-based human rights pioneer and expert commentator in Arab and Palestinian affairs, will moderate a discussion titled “Israel, Hamas and the Future in Gaza.” The presentation will begin at 5:30 p.m. and is free to the public. Click here to register.
Eid was a recent guest on WUTC-FM’s Scenic Roots to talk about his upcoming visit to Chattanooga.
Be Well Tip: Healthy Relationships Week
This week is Healthy Relationships Week, a week full of events about different types of relationships and how to navigate them in a healthy way. The Center for Wellbeing and the Center for Women and Gender Equity are working together to bring a good mix of events, including:
- Today (Feb. 13): Reclaiming your Power (WaGE’s version), Lupton Hall first floor, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
- Wednesday (Feb. 14): Can We Talk? Desserts and Desire, Center for Wellbeing lounge (University Center Room 350), 11 a.m.-noon
- Thursday (Feb. 15): Consent and Sexual Health pop-up, Chamberlain Plaza, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
- Friday (Feb. 16): Treat Yo’ Self Boundaries tabling event, University Center lobby, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Join us in supporting the cultivation of caring, healthy relationships across our campus and the importance of boundaries across your campus relationships: with friends, romantic partners and roommates.
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