June 24-30, 2025
Updates and news for the week of June 24-30, 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
UTC hosting Quantum Technology Workshop this week
This week, the Quantum Center at the UTC Research Institute is welcoming internationally recognized scientists, researchers and industry leaders for a three-day event aimed at exploring how quantum systems can help shape the future of computing, sensing, simulation and communication.
The Quantum Technology Workshop will take place through Wednesday, June 25, in the Multi-Disciplinary Research Building. Workshop sessions will explore a wide range of quantum topics, including algorithm development, hardware challenges, simulation techniques and near-term applications in industry.
The workshop schedule and speaker list can be found at go.utc.edu/quantum-workshop-25.
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Plan ahead: Dates set for Power C Tour and admissions events
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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Mark your calendar 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.
Outstanding People of UTC
 Guerry Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering Rahul R. Bhosale Guerry Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering Rahul R. Bhosale has become the first chemical engineering professor from both the state of Tennessee and UTC to be awarded the highly competitive National Science Foundation Engineering Research Initiation Award.
Bhosale, who joined the Department of Civil and Chemical Engineering in spring 2023, has been awarded a $199,734 grant to support his research into renewable energy systems. His project, titled “High-Temperature Thermochemical Energy Storage Using Doped Calcium Manganites,” is set to run until July 2027.
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Check out these Mocs in the news:
- Mechanical engineering student Connor Mackey was featured in a Local 3 News story about the helmet he created for Wrexham, a dog with a fragile skull. Mackey and Wrexham were also featured in a We Rate Dogs post.
- UC Foundation Associate Professor Saeid Golkar was a guest on WGOW-FM’s Jed & JR Mornings to talk about the Middle East crisis.
- An economic impact report by UC Foundation and First Tennessee Bank Distinguished Professor of Finance Bento Lobo was cited in a Times Free Press story. Lobo also joined an episode of WGOW-FM’s Yaffee Live to discuss financial wellness.
- UC Foundation Professor of Health and Human Performance Andrew Bailey spoke to the Times Free Press about a summary report he produced about McDonald Farm.
- WTVC-TV’s “This N That” brought WUTC’s Ray Bassett and Richard Winham to discuss Winham’s retirement benefit concert.
- The blog “Largehearted Boy” featured Assistant Professor of English Karen Babine’s music playlist for her memoir “The All of Elsewhere.”
- Center for Regional Economic Research Director Howard Wall discussed how tariffs and inflation may affect the economy for a Times Free Press story. In another Times Free Press article, Wall discussed Chattanooga’s job growth and poverty rates.
- UC Foundation Associate Professor Trevor Elliott was a featured guest on WDEF’s “Let’s Chatt.”
Mark Your Calendar
The Center for Wellbeing is offering a series of trainings and discussions for faculty and staff this summer. If interested, please sign up here. 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.
- Tuesday, July 1: Recovery Allyship: How to Support Students Who Are Struggling or Have Struggled with Substance Use, Zoom, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
- Tuesday, July 8, and Thursday, July 10: Mental Health First Aid, University Center Room 350, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. both days
- Wednesday, July 9: Opioid Overdose Response and Naloxone, University Center Room 350, 2:30-3:30 p.m.
- Friday, July 11: Sleep Matters: Improving Sleep Among Employees and Students, Zoom, 11 a.m.-noon
- Wednesday, July 16: QPR: Question, Persuade, Refer and Suicide Prevention Using the C-SSRS, University Center Room 350, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, July 23: Thriving, Not Just Surviving: Prioritizing Wellness Through the Semester Discussion, University Center Room 350, 11 a.m.-noon
- Thursday, July 31: Recovery Allyship: How to Support Students Who Are Struggling or Have Struggled with Substance Use, Zoom, noon-2 p.m.
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Please join us in celebrating Shirley Hatfield, senior account specialist in the Office of the Bursar, after more than 36 years of service, achievements, contributions and lasting impact on UTC.
The retirement celebration will take place from 2-4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25, in the University Center Chickamauga Room.
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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
 Dr. Tian Li leads a demonstration at UTC’s recent Quantum Summer Camp for rising 10th-12th graders. Each summer, UTC opens its campus to the community through a wide range of summer camps designed for K-12 students. From science and sports to leadership and college prep, UTC hosts hands-on programs that help kids stay engaged while school is out—and give families access to university-level experiences close to home.
Most camps are open to the public, with options for elementary, middle and high school students. Offerings include full-day activity camps, weeklong academic programs, and skill-building clinics in athletics, science, math and more.
Some of this summer’s featured camps include:
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The testing center is looking for individuals interested in helping with the administration of the ACT on UTC’s campus. This is a paid position, and proctors and room supervisors are needed for the 2025-26 school year. If you are interested in working—for one session or both—please email Cathy Jackson.
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Intramural pickleball games will take place at noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays from July 1-31 at the ARC. Registration closes at noon on Friday, June 27. All skill levels welcome. Register here.
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The CEACSE Research Innovation and Strategic Expansion (RISE) program is now accepting proposals for early-stage, high-potential research projects that strengthen UTC’s Center for Urban Informatics and Progress (CUIP) and the Quantum Center.
Selected projects may receive up to $70,000 for the 2026 calendar year, supporting one month of summer salary for faculty or research staff, full-year PhD student support and additional research expenses.
- Deadline: Proposals must be submitted as a single PDF by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, July 15, to both Hannah Archer and Claudia Colpo.
- Eligibility: Lead PIs must be faculty, research faculty or postdocs at a UT System institution. If not UTC-based, the PI must advise a UTC PhD student supported by the project.
- Project Period: Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2026.
For full details and submission guidelines, view the Request for Proposals (RFP). Questions may be directed to Hannah Archer.
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Faculty and staff, are you passionate about student well-being and fostering a culture of wellness on your campus or with partners across the UT System? The new Wellness Mini Grants Program is here to support your innovative ideas.
The program offers up to ten $5,000 grants for faculty and staff to pilot projects that focus on the eight SAMHSA-defined wellness dimensions, promote collaboration across and between campuses, and create scalable, measurable student wellness innovations.
Projects that are measurable, collaborative and have a role for a student will be prioritized. Click here to learn more and apply. The application is just a short, three-page PDF and is due Friday, Aug. 1. For questions or concerns contact the UT Chief Wellness Officer.
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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
 Teresa McKinney (left) spent 20 years working for Dr. Mary Poston Tanner, watching her supervisor rise from department head to dean of the College of Health, Education and Professional Studies. When Teresa McKinney retires at the end of June, she will close the book on a 42-year chapter at UTC that began when she was a student worker in the Department of Music.
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 UTC mechanical engineering student Connor Mackey hangs out with Wrexham in the Chihuahua’s Chattanooga-area home. For UTC mechanical engineering grad student Connor Mackey, what started as an engineering experiment quickly turned into a year-long test of creativity, grit and compassion. With no blueprint to follow, Mackey leaned into his problem-solving instincts—producing more than a dozen helmet prototypes for a tiny puppy.
WUTC
In his last “Chatting with the Chancellor” interview with WUTC, Interim Chancellor Robert Dooley discussed his trip to Vietnam and Cambodia.
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