July 28-August 3, 2026

Updates and news for the week of July 28-August 3, 2026

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.

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IN Memoriam

Dr. Frederick Obear

The UTC community is mourning the passing of Chancellor Emeritus Dr. Frederick Obear, whose visionary leadership helped transform the University during his tenure as chancellor from 1981-97 and interim chancellor from 2004-05. Remembered for his commitment to students, academic excellence and the Chattanooga community, Dr. Obear leaves a lasting legacy that continues to shape UTC. The campus will celebrate his life and legacy during a memorial reception on Friday, Oct. 9. Click here for a link to our story on Dr. Obear. 

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This section is reserved for memorial announcements of current and former UTC employees as the Office of Communications and Marketing becomes aware. To publish an announcement, a publicly available obituary must be provided. Please send any announcements to Vice Chancellor JAy Blackman at jay-blackman@utc.edu.

Highlights

2026 top University award recipients named

UTC has announced the recipients of its highest annual honors for 2026, recognizing three individuals whose leadership, service and professional achievement have made a lasting impact on the University and beyond.

Gary W. Rollins will receive the Distinguished Alumni Award, the University’s highest recognition presented to an alumnus. Movita Steiner has been selected for the Outstanding Service Award, which recognizes extraordinary service to UTC. Dr. Alexis Rollins Bennett will receive the GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade) Excellence Award, honoring exceptional achievement by a recent graduate.

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UT System President’s Awardees Recognized

Christopher Stokes, top, and Dr. Erkan Kaplanogu are recipients of 2026 UT System President’s Awards.

Dr. Erkan Kaplanoglu and Christopher Stokes have received 2026 UT System President’s Awards, the highest honor a faculty or staff member can receive from the UT System.

Kaplanoglu, department head and professor of engineering management and technology, was recognized in the “Optimistic and Visionary” category. Stokes, assistant director for fraternity and sorority life in the Center for Student Leadership, Engagement and Community, earned the President’s Award in the “Embrace Differences” category.

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SUBMIT YOUR EVENTS AND VOLUNTEER FOR WEEKS OF WELCOME 2026

Weeks of Welcome 2026 is returning with two weeks of events designed to welcome students to campus, and faculty and staff are invited to get involved.

Departments hosting events or programs between Aug. 23 and Sept. 5 are encouraged to submit them to the official Weeks of Welcome calendar by Friday, Aug. 7.

Faculty and staff are also needed to volunteer at two signature welcome events:

• Oak Street Roast: 6:30-9:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 23, at Chamberlain Field. Volunteers will help welcome more than 2,000 students as they kick off the new semester. Click here to sign up.
• Welcome Tables: One-hour shifts are available on Monday, Aug. 24, and Tuesday, Aug. 25, to greet students, distribute snacks and water, and share Weeks of Welcome information. Click here to sign up.

Click here to submit an event or learn more. Contact Laura Petrus with any questions.

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Volunteer for Operation Move In

Dr. Andrew McCarthy helps unload belongings from a pickup truck into a move-in bin during 2025’s Operation Move In.

Operation Move In (OMI) 2026 is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 19-20, in residential spaces for new students across campus.

OMI provides an opportunity for faculty, staff, students and organizations to come together and create a welcoming, supportive environment for incoming students and their families. A campuswide committee is coordinating the two-day event, with volunteer roles including unloading, moving, parking and greeting.

Those interested in volunteering can register here. For more information, contact the OMI Volunteer Committee co-chairs Erica Holmes Trujillo and Dr. Andrew McCarthy at omi@utc.edu.

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Welcome back Brown Academy

Faculty, staff, students and community members are invited to welcome Brown Academy students back to school on Wednesday, Aug. 5. Help create an exciting first day of school by cheering on students and families as they arrive and welcoming them back for a new school year.

Wear your best blue and gold, bring a pom pom and meet at 7:45 a.m. on the corner of E. 8th Street and Campus Drive. Click here to sign up.

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Celebrate Founder’s Day

UTC will kick off a yearlong celebration of its 140th anniversary on Founder’s Day, Sept. 15, honoring the University’s history while highlighting its continued impact on Chattanooga and beyond.

As part of the celebration, the campus community is invited to participate in two anniversary initiatives:

• 1886 Challenge: Faculty, staff and students will work together to complete 18,860 hours of community service during the anniversary year.
• 140 Community Events for 140 Years: UTC will recognize and support 140 community-focused events led by faculty, staff and students that strengthen connections with the Chattanooga community.

Additional information about Founder’s Week events, the anniversary initiatives and ways to participate will be shared in the coming weeks.

Outstanding People of UTC

Photo by Russell Hons

The Chattanooga women’s basketball team was recognized by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association as one of the nation’s top academic programs, finishing No. 5 among all NCAA Division I teams in team GPA. The Mocs posted a program-record 3.807 GPA during the 2025-26 academic year, the highest of any program in the South and the only Southern Conference team to rank in the Top 25.

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Dr. Reetesh Ranjan

Dr. Reetesh Ranjan, an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, develops and applies multi-scale models of turbulence, a longstanding challenge in fluid dynamics with applications in combustion and energy conversion, rocket propulsion, high-speed aerodynamics and stratified ocean flows.

Over the years, his research has received support from several federal agencies, including the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. He has collaborated with researchers across leading institutions. Click here to learn more.

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Charlie Mix (right)

Charlie Mix, director of the UTC Center for Applied Geospatial Data Science, recently accepted the Storytelling with Maps Innovation Award at the Esri User Conference in San Diego for the center’s “Mapping Chattanooga’s Urban Forests” project.

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Check out these Mocs in the news:

• Senior anthropology and psychology major James Devereaux was featured in a 715 Newsroom story about a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) experience at the University of Wisconsin-Stout Polytechnic.
• Center for Regional Economic Research Director Howard Wall spoke to Local 3 News about how conflict in the Middle East affects gas prices and other markets.
• UC Foundation Associate Professor of Political Science Saeid Golkar was interviewed by TBS News Dig (Japan) about the Iran and U.S. conflict.

Mark Your Calendar

The next Staff Senate meeting will be held from 2-4 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 4, in the University Center Auditorium and via Zoom. All staff are encouraged to attend and stay informed about initiatives and updates affecting the UTC community.

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AI is transforming the workplace, but knowing where to begin can feel overwhelming. Join instructor and CEO Tripp Stanford for a free, live webinar at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 5, to learn where AI adoption stands today, debunk common myths and walk away with a practical framework you can apply immediately.

The webinar also includes a preview of AI Essentials with Prompting, a two-day workshop designed to help participants build lasting AI skills. Whether you’re new to AI or looking to use it more effectively, this session will help you take the next step with confidence. Click here to RSVP.

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UTC departments seeking student employees are invited to participate in the Part-Time Job Fair during Weeks of Welcome. The event will take place from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 27, in the University Center Tennessee Room and provides an opportunity to connect with students looking for part-time employment opportunities on campus.

Departments interested in participating can contact Marli Wolff, assistant director of community and employer relations, for registration information.

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Photo courtesy of Derek Daniel/GoMocs.com

Kickoff times and promotions have been announced for the Chattanooga Mocs’ 2026 home football schedule at Finley Stadium:

• Sept. 5 vs. Tennessee Tech, 6 p.m.
  • Future Fans Night (free admission for children 12 and younger)
  • Annual Little Mocs Walk
  • Light-up rally towel giveaway for the first 1,000 fans
• Sept. 19 vs. Wofford, 6 p.m.
  • White Out Game
  • UTC Fall Family Weekend
  • Mocs Flock Finley
  • Academic Night
• Oct. 10 vs. Samford, 1 p.m.
  • Salute to Heroes
• Oct. 31 vs. VMI, 1 p.m.
  • Halloween with the Mocs
  • Scrappy Kids Club Day
  • Senior Day
• Nov. 7 vs. Mercer, 1 p.m.
  • Homecoming
  • Fan Appreciation Game
  • Band Day

Season tickets are on sale now through GoMocs.com.

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Undergraduate Admissions announced its fall 2026 recruitment event schedule. Faculty and staff are encouraged to save the dates and help spread the word to prospective students and families.

• Sept. 30: Power C Tour – Nashville/Franklin
• Oct. 8: Power C Tour – Memphis
• Oct. 21: Power C Tour – Knoxville
• Oct. 28: Power C Tour – Chattanooga
• Nov. 14: Blue and Gold Preview

Campus Updates

Please be advised that Vine Street, between Palmetto Street and the University Greenway, will be temporarily closed to vehicular traffic during Freshman Orientation sessions on the following dates and times:

• 4 p.m. today (July 28), through 5 p.m. Thursday, July 30

Parking Lots 10, 11 and 12 will remain open. Access to these lots will be available through the detour route via Parking Lot 15. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the UTC Department of Public Safety at (423) 425-4357 or dps@utc.edu.

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The Manage My Housing portal is open now until 5 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 2, for students to change their fall 2026 residential meal plan. Meal plan eligibility is based on earned credit hours. If your spring 2026 or summer 2026 credits will change your student classification, please wait until final grades are submitted before you attempt to make a change.

The University classifies undergraduate students as freshmen, sophomores, juniors or seniors according to the number of credit hours the student has 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 refer to this link for that information.

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Last week, the UTC Staff Senate hosted its first annual Summer Staff Conference in Lupton Hall. Staff from across campus spent the day learning, growing professionally and breaking down silos between departments.

Themed “Fill Your Bucket,” the conference featured a staff resource fair, info sessions on campus departments and initiatives, and facilities tours highlighting the people and places that keep UTC running smoothly. The conference supports a broader campus-wide goal of serving students with excellence by helping build a campus where staff, students and faculty can thrive together.

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Early-bird registration is now open for Chattanooga Connect 2026, the UTC Research Institute’s (UTCRI) third annual conference that brings together leaders from government, industry, academia and entrepreneurship to explore the future of transportation, digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and connected mobility.

Hosted Sept. 14-16 in Chattanooga, Chattanooga Connect will convene national experts, researchers, policymakers and industry leaders to share how emerging technologies are moving beyond research and pilot projects into real-world deployment. The three-day event will feature keynote presentations, panel discussions, networking opportunities, technology demonstrations and collaborative discussions focused on advancing practical, scalable solutions to some of today’s most pressing infrastructure and mobility challenges.

For registration, conference information and sponsorship opportunities, visit go.utc.edu/cc or email utcri@utc.edu.

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All aboard the UTC train! Did you know UTC has a custom train? This unique piece of campus history is available for campus and community events.

From parades, pep rallies, tailgates and more, the UTC train could bring the ultimate blue and gold energy to your next activity. To request the train for an event or to volunteer to become an official conductor, email Laura Snyder.

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UTC has launched the MocsBooks Total Access Program for undergraduate students beginning in fall 2026. The new course material delivery program provides required materials for participating courses by the first day of class, with costs included on the university billing statement at $22 per credit hour. The program is expected to save students 35-50% compared to purchasing materials individually. Click here to learn more.

How it works:

• Register for classes as usual.
• Approximately one month before classes begin, students will receive an email from the bookstore partner with instructions for reviewing courses and selecting how they would like to receive materials.
• The UTC Bookstore will prepare course materials and notify students when they are ready.
• Physical materials can be picked up at the UTC Bookstore or shipped directly to students.
• Digital materials will be available through Canvas.
• Students with rental materials will receive reminders about return deadlines at the end of the semester.

Benefits include:

• Lower costs on required course materials
• Access to course materials by the first day of class
• Digital materials delivered directly through Canvas
• One streamlined process for obtaining required course materials

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The Working Families Tax Cuts Act of 2025 includes significant changes to federal student aid programs for enrollment periods beginning on or after July 1, 2026. Updates include new federal loan borrowing limits for students and parents, a new Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP), changes to Pell Grant eligibility and revisions to FAFSA need analysis.

UTC has launched a dedicated resource page with information about the legislation and its potential impact on students. The page will be updated as additional guidance becomes available. Faculty and staff are encouraged to review the website regularly for the latest information.

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Want to learn more about the Mosaic Program? The Mosaic team is visiting departments across campus to share program updates, introduce new staff members and answer questions about supporting UTC’s neurodiverse community—all while bringing cookies.

Departments interested in hosting a Cookies and Conversation session can scan the QR code on the flyer to schedule a visit.

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Adobe Stock Image

As artificial intelligence becomes a bigger part of day-to-day work across industries, the UTC Center for Professional Education will offer two online programs in September to help working professionals build practical AI skills for different needs and experience levels.

The two offerings are AI Essentials with Prompting, a live online workshop scheduled for Sept. 15 and Sept. 17, and CompTIA Security AI+ Certification Prep, an eight-week live online course that begins Sept. 19. Together, the programs give learners two entry points into AI-related professional development: one focused on broad workplace fluency, productivity and responsible use, and one designed for cybersecurity professionals working in a threat environment increasingly shaped by AI. Click here for more information or to register.

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Love to read? The UTC Book Club invites faculty, staff and students to connect through monthly book discussions and shared reading. Building on the success of the campus group, a new community initiative—Chatty Book Club—will launch in August with the goal of bringing readers across Chattanooga together through a shared monthly book selection, discussion questions and local meetups.

Follow the UTC Book Club and Chatty Book Club on Instagram for updates, and watch for the announcement of Chatty Book Club’s first book on July 31.

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The Institute of Contemporary Art Chattanooga is now showcasing “Reconsidered Recollections,” a new exhibition co-curated by UTC students featuring works from the ICA’s permanent collection. The exhibition explores themes of identity, memory and interpretation through artworks that are rarely on public display.

The exhibition is free and open to the public at the Fine Arts Center on UTC’s campus. Learn more about gallery hours and programming at ICA Chattanooga.

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The UTC Library is making it easier for students, faculty and staff to explore all the city has to offer. 

Through the Chattanooga Passport program, members of the UTC community can check out passes to some of the area’s most popular attractions, including the Tennessee Aquarium, Chattanooga Zoo, Ruby Falls, Chattanooga Theatre Centre and Chattanooga Football Club. 

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Due to nearby construction, the Oak Street entrance to Lot 26A is closed and several parking spaces near that entrance have been temporarily fenced off. The closure is expected to remain in place through Aug. 1.

Faculty, staff and students should use the McCallie Avenue entrance to access Lot 26A during this time. Please plan accordingly and allow extra time when traveling to campus.

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UTC Newsroom

Nishat Tasnim Nisha

Nishat Tasnim Nisha’s internship at the Tennessee Department of Transportation began with a visit to a UTC career fair. 

After learning about the opportunity, the master’s student in civil engineering—with an emphasis in transportation and environmental engineering—applied with encouragement from her graduate advisor, Dr. Jejal Reddy Bathi. This summer, she’s helping TDOT keep major transportation projects on track while continuing her graduate research at UTC. 

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DNP acute care student Alexis Murray—who received her doctoral degree from UTC in May 2026—talks with a patient’s daughter during an AI simulation.

Two UTC College of Nursing faculty members recently shared their work on AI-assisted simulation with an international audience, leading a webinar on how the technology can help prepare graduate nurse practitioner students for difficult conversations in palliative care.

Dr. Chris Doneski, director of UTC’s acute care nurse practitioner program and a simulation faculty member, and Dr. Rosebelle Peters, nursing simulation program director and senior lecturer, presented “Prepare Graduate Nurse Practitioners for Difficult Conversations with AI Palliative Simulations” through HealthySimulation.com.

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Every August, as UTC begins a new academic year, more students without a reliable mode of transportation move on campus. UTC is located in an area of Chattanooga featuring plenty of places and activities within a reasonable walking distance for students. Here are 10 sites and activities that UTC students can walk to from campus and check out with their friends.

WUTC

As part of the America 250 commemoration, WUTC is presenting “Echoes of Chattanooga’s Past,” a series of poetic monologues inspired by oral histories from Chattanoogans born in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Written by playwright Dr. Peggy Douglas, directed by UTC’s Dr. Anne Swedberg and produced by WUTC, the series brings local history to life through voices preserved in the Chattanooga Public Library’s archives.