Updates and news for the week of June 27 – July 4, 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.

Campus Updates  |  UTC News

Coming Soon: The 4th of July

The University will be closed on Tuesday, July 4, for the Independence Day holiday. Next week’s issue of UTC Campus Weekly will be distributed on Wednesday (July 5).

To get you in the 4th of July spirit, click here to watch the UTC and Soddy Daisy High School wind ensembles perform “America the Beautiful,” featuring a recitation by UTC Director of Bands Randall Coleman.

Crossroads Closed Next Week

Crossroads Dining Hall will be closed for construction purposes July 3-7. Lunch will be available at the University Center daily (except on July 4) from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Volunteer for Operation Move In

Housing and Residence Life is seeking volunteers to assist with Operation Move In, which will take place on Aug. 16-17.

Volunteer assignments cover everything from greeting students and their families, parking and traffic, and unloading cars. This is a great way to welcome our incoming freshmen and transfer students to UTC and help them settle into their new homes on campus. Each faculty/staff volunteer will receive a free T-shirt and meal voucher that can be used at select campus dining locations.

The sign-up form can be found on the Operation Move In page or by using the link here.

Center for Academic Support and Advisement Awarded CRLA Certification

The UTC Center for Academic Support and Advisement (CASA) announced that all three academic support programs have been awarded certification as Level 1 certified training programs by the internationally recognized College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA). Those programs include:

• Peer Academic Coaching: Teresa Harrison, academic coaching coordinator
• Peer Tutoring: Brad Bond, assistant director, academic support
• Supplemental Instruction (SI): Vanessa Schieble, SI coordinator

Achieving certification means that these programs have met CRLA’s high standards for peer educator selection, training, direct service and evaluation as an integral part of their overall coaching, tutoring and SI programs. As a result, CASA is now able to issue CRLA-endorsed awards and certificates to any tutors or peer educators who earn recognition through training hours and service to the UTC community.

Contact academicsupport@utc.edu for more information regarding CASA’s academic support offerings or visit www.utc.edu/casa.

The outstanding people of UTC

From left: Dr. David Giles, Dr. Abdul Ofoli, Dr. Hong Qin, Dr. Donald Reising, Dr. Sungwoo Yang

Five UTC professors have been selected to receive Commercialization Acceleration grants from the Clarence E. Harris Chair of Excellence in Entrepreneurship. The professors and their projects.

• Dr. David Giles, associate professor in the Department of Biology, Geology and Environmental Science: A method to “trick” dangerous bacteria into absorbing antibiotics that kill them.
• Dr. Abdul Ofoli, UC Foundation associate professor of electrical engineering: Building SolarEagle, a drone-based AI system to detect and assess damaged solar panels.
• Dr. Hong Qin, professor in the College of Computer Science and Engineering: Using the Centers for Disease and Control’s FluSight program, which helps predict the possible extent of seasonal flu outbreaks, his research hopes to develop computer-based analysis based on genetic information from the virus to create a more accurate method to predict the spread of flu.
• Dr. Donald Reising, UC Foundation associate professor of electrical engineering, and Joshua Tyler, graduate research assistant in electrical engineering: A method to adjust digital audio to improve sound quality, especially with hearing aids.
• Dr. Sungwoo Yang, assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Chemical Engineering: Developing a cheaper and easier-to-use version of aerogel, a thermal insulating material.

Check out these Mocs making a difference:

• Ryan Russell, associate lecturer in marketing, was selected as the Stukent Professor of the Year. Each year, Stukent recognizes an outstanding educator who personifies Stukent’s core values and mission to help educators help students help the world.
• The Times Free Press interviewed Clarence T. Jones Observatory Director Jack Pitkin and Dr. Amy Brock-Hon, the observatory’s assistant director, as part of its summer solstice coverage.
• Lowe’s Companies announced the appointment of UTC alum Quonta (Que) Vance as executive vice president, Pro and Home Services. Vance received a bachelor’s degree in English from UTC in 1996.
• Two Mocs football defensive players, seniors Jay Person (defensive lineman) and Kam Brown (defensive back), were selected as first-team members of the Bluebloods FCS Preseason All-America Team. Person also was named to the Athlon Sports team.

This Week’s Calendar

Dr. Felicia McGhee, associate professor and head of the Department of Communication, is leaving UTC after 23 years to become associate dean of the Florida A&M University School of Journalism and Graphic Communication.

To celebrate her time at UTC and her future endeavors, the Department of Communication and the College of Arts and Sciences will throw a “bittersweet” going-away party from 3-4 p.m. on Thursday (June 29) at Lupton Hall (first floor). Come by, say “goodbye” and grab a sweet treat.

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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:

• Positional Camp: Wednesday and Thursday (June 28-29)
• Middle School Day Camp: July 19-20
• High School Advanced Camp: July 19

Click here to register online. For more information, contact julie-torbettthomas@utc.edu.

Save the Date: Constitution Day

“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. 14, 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. His research and teaching interests are in public law, education policy and political theory. Please click here to learn more about his career.

For more information, contact the Center for Reflective Citizenship at crc@utc.edu or call 423-425-5603.

Campus Updates

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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In order to provide new transfer students and their guests with the most information in a limited time frame, New Student and Family Programs is holding a UTC Student Services Fair from 8-9 a.m. in the University Center Tennessee Room during check-in for all in-person transfer orientation sessions on July 13 and Aug. 1.

If your office or area provides a service or program that would be beneficial to an incoming transfer student, please consider attending the Student Services Fair. Space is limited, so reserve your spot today by emailing your name and program and/or department to Carrie-Sherbesman@utc.edu.

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The UTC women’s basketball program is holding a series of camps this summer. Kids Camp, which takes place July 17-20, is open to boys and girls 7-14 years old. Kids will get an opportunity to enhance offensive and defensive fundamental skills while learning from the 2023 Southern Conference women’s basketball champions.

Click here to register online. For more information, contact tyler-r-clark@utc.edu. Please note: Medical forms are required for all camps and can be found via the registration link.

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Are you interested in a career where the health and wellbeing of others are at the forefront? If so, the UTC Master of Public Health in Chronic Disease Prevention and Control program is for you.

Apply now at utc.edu/mph. For information, email emma-sampson@utc.edu or call (423) 425-4196.

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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 even taking place 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.
• Click here to learn about Campus Rec memberships.
• For more information, email colleen-houghton@utc.edu.

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Certified Financial Planner Celeste Friend, UTC’s local Optional Retirement Program and 403b Voya representative, will be on campus from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Tuesday, July 11, in Room 429 of the UTC Library. She will be available to discuss your ORP and 403b accounts and what retirement looks like for you. To schedule a private and confidential consultation, email Celeste.Friend@Voyafa.com or call (423) 777-1591.

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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 July 15 test. If you are interested in working, email cathy-jackson@utc.edu.

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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.

Looking back

The robotics program at UTC provides students with foundational knowledge and skills they can use to land high-paying jobs in almost any industry spanning the public and private sectors. “Our graduates are really, really in demand,” said Dr. Abdul Ofoli (pictured), head of UTC’s Department of Electrical Engineering and its robotics program.

Here are some other recent UTC stories featured in the Newsroom:

• On a recent June afternoon as part of an Environmental Science Survey Methods course, several turtles were pulled from nets placed in the river by Dr. Thomas Wilson, UC Foundation professor in the UTC Department of Biology, Geology and Environmental Science. Once there, Wilson held the reptiles in his hands and talked about them before returning them to the river.
• Andrew O’Brien, an associate professor in the Department of Art, was awarded a $10,000 grant to incorporate something new into his art—the scent of honeysuckle. “It has allowed me to be a little more ambitious and try something that is certainly more experimental.”
• The Clarence T. Jones Observatory, which is owned by UTC, held a Summer Solstice Science Seminar on June 21—the day of the solstice when Earth is closest to the sun.

WUTC Spotlight: Scenic Roots

Maury Nicely, an attorney and author in Chattanooga, recently appeared on WUTC’s “Scenic Roots” to talk about his recent book, “Forging a New South: The Life of General John T. Wilder,” published by the University of Tennessee Press.

The segment included a conversation about a stone watchtower that stands at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. The Wilder Brigade Monument—or Wilder Tower—honors the Lightning Brigade, led by Gen. Wilder of the Union Army during the Civil War. In September 1863 during the Battle of Chickamauga, the brigade fought Confederate forces on the land where the monument now stands.

UTC Student Lens: Row as You Grow

“Shoulders, ready, up,” calls the coxswain as the team of rowers lifts the boat onto their shoulders. Kay Hughes and her team were moving their boat to a different dock to prepare for the Head of the Hooch regatta in early November. Even after 10 years of rowing, the thrill has not died for Hughes. “We had so much fun and people started posting pictures and the camaraderie and the group coming together, it really is truly a team sport,” Hughes mused. 

Click here to see Rising Rock’s Row As You Grow, filmed by Jake Redfern and Madison Van Horn.

• 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).