Updates and news for the week of March 7 – 13, 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  |  University Events Master Calendar  |  UTC News

Welcome our SACSCOC visitors to campus

This week, the University’s Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) on-site review is taking place. Campus visitors will meet with UTC personnel to ensure we are fulfilling our mission concerning student learning via the outlined compliance standards.

Just as a reminder, if a visitor starts a conversation about the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), “A Moc’s First Year” is intended to increase the retention and graduation of first-time, full-time freshmen students by building a sense of community in a cohort learning environment.

  • Click here for the videos introducing the value of student assessment, the value of students learning together, “A Moc’s First Year” and first-year seminars.

Hoop Hoop Hooray … and more Athletics Accolades

Photo courtesy of Laura O’Dell/GoMocs.com

Photo courtesy of Laura O’Dell/GoMocs.com

The Mocs women’s basketball team won the 19th Southern Conference Championship in program history Sunday, defeating Wofford University 63-53. Tournament Most Outstanding Player Raven Thompson led the way with 19 points and nine rebounds.

  • Earlier in the week, Thompson was named the SoCon Freshman of the Year. Yazz Wazeerud-Din was named first-team all-conference, and Thompson was named to the second team—the first true UTC freshman to be selected all-conference since the 1984-85 season.
  • Mocs men’s basketball center Jake Stephens was a first-team all-conference selection, while Sam Alexis earned all-freshman honors.
  • Mocs wrestlers Brayden Palmer (133 pounds) and Rocky Jordan (174 pounds) won individual titles at Saturday’s SoCon Championship. Palmer was the recipient of the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler award, and Jordan earned a spot on the all-Southern Conference team.
  • Mocs football offensive lineman McClendon Curtis became just the third UTC player all-time to appear in the Senior Bowl and compete in the NFL Combine. 

March Through History

Credit: Lenfest Institute for Journalism

Credit: Lenfest Institute for Journalism

UTC Women’s History Month activities include a “March Through History” exhibit in the Center for Women and Gender Equity’s Lupton Hall office and special events throughout the month. This week’s events include:

  • Today (March 7): Lizzie Therapy Dog Visit, Lupton Hall Room 118, 1 p.m.
  • Wednesday (March 8): International Women’s Day WHM Trivia, Lupton Hall Room 120, 5 p.m.

Coming Soon: I Love UTC Week

I Love UTC Week’s full calendar of events will be available very soon. Programs will include Coffee with the Chancellor, a networking event with the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce and a “zooTC” petting zoo.

Details on those events and more will be shared soon, so keep your eyes peeled for more information.

The outstanding people of UTC

For the seventh straight year, the UTC SMILE Fund team took home top honors in the CFA Institute’s Greater Tennessee Research Challenge. This year’s winning group, from left: Jacob Barber, Grant Fetters, Claire Hoeke and Nick Morris.

Check out these Mocs making a difference:

  • Dr. Stephen Craven, a UTC alum, former full-time electrical engineering faculty member and current adjunct professor, has received the 2023 Ike Zeringue Engineer of the Year Award—the highest award that TVA offers. He also was selected as the 2023 Federal Engineer of the Year by the National Society of Professional Engineers.
  • Dr. Chris Smith and Dr. Jason Peter were featured in a WDEF.com story about the new accelerated BSN degree program.
  • Student Rebecca Landfare and the Center for Wellbeing’s Cassandra Riddle were interviewed by NewsChannel 9 for a segment about mental health.
  • A recent episode of WUTC’s Scenic Roots about the SMILE Fund featured Gary W. Rollins College of Business alums and current Acumen Wealth Advisors members Reese Veltenaar and Grant Allen.

Submit Your Information for the UTC Parent and Family Association Newsletter

UTC Parent and Family Association newsletter logo

The April issue of the UTC Parent and Family Association newsletter will be emailed to members on April 5. To share information with the families of UTC students—upcoming events, important deadlines, helpful suggestions and departmental news—email hannah-turcotte@utc.edu by Wednesday, March 22. The monthly newsletter is distributed to more than 4,600 parents/family members.

  • Keep info to one paragraph of 200 (or fewer) words.
  • Images or logos to accompany the paragraph may be submitted.

Meet Tuqa Ali

An International Women’s Day message and introduction from the College of Engineering and Computer Science …

Introducing Tuqa Ali, an accomplished business and data analyst currently pursuing a master’s degree in data analytics from UTC. She has over three years of experience in software, business development and data analysis. As an international student from Sudan in Africa, Tuqa aspires to leverage her skills to help companies make data-driven decisions. She is passionate about collaborating with diverse teams and exploring emerging technologies like machine learning and artificial intelligence. Ultimately, Tuqa aims to become a leader in the field of data analytics and make a significant contribution to the industry.

Another Busy Week at UTC

Are you still deciding on your major or thinking about adding a double major or minor? Consider the career benefits of Spanish, French, the Classics and Latin, or Latin American Studies on your resumé.

Come to the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Showcase from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. today (March 7) in Lupton Hall Room 239 to find out more about the majors and minors being offered and the opportunities available to students—including scholarships, awards, study abroad opportunities and internships in the community. Lunch will be provided and MCLL alumni will share their experiences.

UTC Interior Architecture and Design is bringing renowned Cuban-American architect and author Hermes Mallea to campus for a 3 p.m. lecture today (March 7) in the Guerry Reading Room. The event is open to all students, faculty and staff.

His latest book, “Havana Living Today: Cuban Home Style Now,” celebrates the homeowners’ individual flair and ingenuity and brings the reader inside a world that has never been presented in this depth, countering long-held preconceptions about how people live in this vibrant city. Mallea sees these interiors as evidence of the Cuban people’s hopes for their future and their vision of what Havana style might be.

The Honors College and the Department of English are hosting a creative writing workshop and public reading from 6:15-8:30 p.m. today (March 7) in the Guerry Center Reading Room featuring the Braziels, Tina Mozell and James.

The Braziels live and write in a glass cabin that they are building by hand on Hydrangea Ridge. Their collection of poems about their glass cabin life will be released in 2024 by Pulley Press.      

  • Tina Mozelle Braziel is the author of “Known by Salt” (Anhinga Press), winner of the Philip Levine Prize for Poetry, and “Rooted by Thirst” (Porkbelly Press). Her work has also appeared in POETRY, The Cincinnati Review, Southern Humanities Review, and other journals.
  • James Braziel’s latest book, “This Ditch-Walking Love,” is the winner of the Tartt First Fiction Award (Livingston Press, 2021). His novels “Birmingham, 35 Miles” and “Snakeskin Road” follow a family after an environmental disaster in the future South.

The Gary W. Rollins College of Business is hosting virtual information sessions to learn about the MBA (Master of Business Administration), MAcc (Master of Accountancy) and MSDA (Master of Science in Data Analytics) graduate programs. Discover more about the region’s only AACSB-accredited business graduate degree programs, the highest business accreditation in the world.

Brooke Harwell, left, Ashly Dilbeck and Isaiah Owens at a rehearsal for “The Sound of Music.”

On Wednesday (March 8), the UTC Chamber Singers will perform selections from “The Sound of Music” in the Roland Hayes Concert Hall in the UTC Fine Arts Center. In something of a curveball, though, while the performance is intended to raise money, there’s no admission fee. Instead, there is an account with Venmo, an online payment service.

The College of Engineering and Computer Science is hosting a Marble Roller Coaster engineering design competition for middle school and high school students on Friday (March 10). The event runs from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the University Center Tennessee Room.

Email CECS-SuccessCenter@utc.edu for more information.

STEM for HER, an enriching opportunity for women and girls from middle school ages and older at every stage of their STEM journey, is being hosted by UTC in the University Center from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 11. All women of UTC are invited to the event, which is free to participants. Learn more and register here.

  • Also known as Chattanooga’s Summit for Women and Girls in Technology, STEM for HER is organized by the Chattanooga Technology Council, or ChaTech, a nonprofit professional association with a mission is to connect the city’s technology sector to help drive economic growth. UTC Vice Chancellor and Chief Information Officer Vicki Farnsworth is vice chair of the board of directors of ChaTech.
  • STEM for HER is intended to provide wide-ranging, enriching, hands-on experiences, whether for those beginning their STEM education, looking to make a career change or seasoned professionals looking for opportunities to lead. A full day of activities are planned, along with breakfast, lunch and snacks; swag bags and prizes that will be given away.
  • In addition to STEM activities, the event offers career speakers and mentorship opportunities.

Faculty Accessibility Contest

In a continued effort to increase the number of accessible content available to students in Canvas, the Walker Center for Teaching and Learning is sponsoring the third annual “Accessibility in UTC Learn Contest.” Register for the contest by Friday (March 10); the contest runs through March 31.

Any UTC faculty member who has at least 15 documents loaded into their current spring 2023 Canvas course site by March 10 is eligible to join the contest. Address questions to Jennifer-Glaab@utc.edu.

  • For full details on the contest and guidance on how to utilize the Ally tool in Canvas to improve accessibility scores, visit the faculty programming page. 
  • Contest prizes: 1st place – $50 Visa Gift Card … 2nd Place – $35 Visa Gift Card … 3rd Place – $20 Visa Gift Card.

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.

  • Tuesday, March 7: Lauren Strickland will present master’s research titled, “The Relationships Among Childhood Adversity, Working Memory Task Performance, and Subjective/Objective Stress,” 540 McCallie Ave. Building Room 107, 11 a.m.
  • Tuesday, March 7: Hannah Nelms will present master’s research titled, “Propagation of Wild-Collected Prunus americana Marsh. by Rooted Cuttings for Germplasm Conservation in the Southern Appalachians,” Holt Hall Room 229, 2 p.m.
  • Wednesday, March 8: Caitlin Jarvis will present master’s research titled, “The Effects of Urbanization on Disease Prevalence in Managed Honey Bee Hives in Hamilton County, TN,” UTC Library Room 205, 1 p.m.
  • Thursday, March 9: Muin Bogari will present master’s research titled, “Exploring the Relationship Between the Growing Number of Satellites and Space Debris in Low Earth Orbit (LEO),” ECS Room 347, 9 a.m.
  • Thursday, March 9: Emma Jackson will present master’s research titled, “Fifteen and Almost Famous: The Realities and Misperceptions of Sexual Violence in the Music Industry,” 540 McCallie Ave. Building Room 461, 10 a.m.
  • Thursday, March 9: Emma Vosika will present master’s research titled, “Identifying Personal Energy and Recovery Patterns and Their Impact on Well-being,” 540 McCallie Building Room 357, 11:30 a.m.
  • Thursday, March 9: Jamie Carr Connors will present doctoral research titled, “A Study of Burnout in Certified Public Accountants in the Southeast Region of the United States,” Zoom, 1:30 p.m.
  • Friday, March 10: Jonathan Boyd will present master’s research titled, “Automated Detection and Prediction of Electrical Disturbances in a Power Transmission System,” ECS 426, 9 a.m.
  • Friday, March 10: Madison Silva will present master’s research titled, “Something Holy,” Lupton Hall Room 372, 10 a.m.
  • Friday, March 10: Sophia Vlass will present master’s research titled, “Evaluating O*Net for the Assessment of Work-Nonwork Conflict and Balance Likelihoods: A Feasibility Study with Chefs,” 540 McCallie Ave. Building Room 357, noon.
  • Friday, March 10: Brittany Ikner will present master’s research titled, “Exploring the Moderating Role of Emotional Stability and Degree of Remote Work in Detachment from Work,” 2:30 p.m. 

Looking for survey participants

An IRB-approved research project is looking for campus participants for a 15-minute online survey asking questions about the public’s perception of space debris, including its environmental consequences and the Kessler syndrome. Space debris refers to human-made objects that have been left in space and are no longer in use, such as abandoned satellites, rocket parts and fragments of space debris caused by collisions or explosions.

  • The purpose of this effort is to leverage the growing awareness of the increasing amount of space debris in low Earth Orbit, assess people’s risk tolerance levels and gather valuable insights regarding the environmental impacts of space debris.
  • Click here for the survey link. The study ends June 15.
  • For questions, email Muin Bogari at qmv649@mocs.utc.edu.

Summer STEM Support for TRIO Program

The TRIO Upward Bound Math Science program has a summer opportunity for anyone interested in leading a STEM research project/class with high school students.

UBMS hosts a residential summer program for low-income, first-generation, college-bound high school students Monday-Thursday during the month of June. These classes focus on enrichment rather than remediation. UBMS is looking for staff who can introduce STEM concepts to high school students through activities that pique their interests and give them deeper insights into what “STEM” consists of. If you are interested, click here. For more information, click here. 

Let’s Talk Books

The Walker Center for Teaching and Learning’s Let’s Talk Books: Guest Series continues with Meghan O’Rourke’s “The Invisible Kingdom: Reimaging Chronic Illness.” The first 10 people who register will receive a copy of the book.

The series will take place with reading March 30 (Part One, Intro-Chapter 9) and April 13 (Parts Two and Three, Chapters 10-20) from 4-5 p.m. in Lupton Hall Room 118. The guest facilitators are Center for Women and Gener Equity Director Sara K. Peters and Disability Resource Center Associate Director Erica Hausler. Register here for the event. For more information, contact Jennifer-Glaab@utc.edu.

Mocs Give Day 101

Please join the Division of Advancement for a high-level overview of Mocs Give Day. Two different sessions will take place to educate faculty and staff about what Mocs Give Day is, how it works and how you can be a part.

Mark your calendar to stop by the University Center Raccoon Mountain Room from 10-11 a.m. on Wednesday, March 29, or from 3-4 p.m. on Thursday, March 30. Light refreshments will be provided.

Campus Updates

Mocs Card Services will be issuing new cards to all faculty, staff and students over the next several months. To beat the last-minute rush, please get your new card before the end of the semester.

What is the difference in the current Mocs Card and the NEW Mocs Card? The new Mocs Card is embedded with a 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.
  • The ID Office is open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
  • If you do not bring your current ID, there is a $30 replacement fee. Replacement fees are processed in the Bursar Office (University Center Room 274).
  • Contact Mocs Card Services (423-425-5819) or the ID Office (423-425-2218) with questions.

The summer 2023 class schedule is now available in MyMocsNet.

Registration is open and time tickets are available to students through MyMocsNet > Academics > My Profile.

Waitlist and FAQ information can be found here.

Research Dialogues, Tuesday, April 12, 2022 in the University Center.

ReSEARCH Dialogues has been renamed the UTC Spring Research and Arts Conference, with the event taking place April 12 in the University Center. This conference provides a place for students to showcase their academic and creative endeavors. The event will feature displays, presentations and posters from UTC undergrads, graduate students and faculty. Community college students and community partners are also invited to present.

The UTC Civil Engineering Department is hosting the 2023 ASCE Mid-South Student Symposium from March 30-April 1, and volunteers are needed. There will be approximately 450 participants, faculty, and judges. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated, so please consider volunteering.

The link to the volunteer sign-up can be found by clicking here.

The Commission on the Status of Women is seeking nominations from all staff and faculty members to serve on the commission starting Fall 2023. Established in 2019 at the direction of Chancellor Angle, the Commission on the Status of Women is part of a strategic focus on increased diversity, inclusion and engagement in all facets of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The purpose of this commission is to address the need to ensure equity for women and to create an environment based on a philosophy of social, political, and economic equality for all people throughout the institution. Click here for a link to the nomination form. Additional information about the nomination and election process can be found here. Please submit nominations by Friday, March 17.

The 2nd Annual Fly for Researchers pitch competition for UTC faculty and graduate student innovators will be held from 3:30-5 p.m. on April 19 at the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Mapp Building. This event will spotlight ideas that have the potential to be commercialized or licensed. Applicants must have a validated proof of concept, intend to pursue commercialization or licensing opportunities and have submitted an invention disclosure in IDEA.

Click here to apply. For more information, email jennifer-skjellum@utc.edu.

The Humanities Program invites all UTC undergraduates to participate in the North Callahan Essay Prize, awarded each year to an undergraduate whose exceptionally fine essay addresses a subject related to the Humanities (art, music, philosophy, religion, rhetoric/literature, history, theater or interdisciplinary studies that combine these disciplines). Essays will be evaluated by an interdisciplinary committee of professors. The prize carries a $1,000 award. Click here for information and entry requirements and email jose-luis-gastanaga@utc.edu with questions. Essays must be submitted by 3 p.m. on March 24.

UTC Campus Recreation has opened registration for its Mocs Adventure Summer Camp, Summer Pool Parties and Summer Youth Swim Lessons. Slots are expected to fill up quickly, so don’t delay in booking your child’s spots. For questions or additional information, email CampusRec@utc.edu.

Mocs Adventure Summer Camp  |  Youth Swim Lessons  |  Pool Parties

The International Symposium on Digital Forensics and Security—ISDFS 2023—will be held both online and in person at UTC on May 11-12. This symposium has been supported by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers since 2016. All papers approved by the referees and presented at the symposium will be sent for publication in the IEEE Xplore library. For information or questions, email Asaf-Varol@utc.edu.

Join faculty and staff in walking “the big lap.” Employee Wellness and the Walker Center for Teaching and Learning are leading walks for faculty and staff around campus during the lunch hour (noon-1 p.m.) on Wednesday, March 29, and Tuesday, April 4. Meet at the UTC Library by Starbucks to participate.

The Department of Chemistry and Physics will continue its spring seminar series with a lecture by Dr. Michael Kienzler, a member of the University of Connecticut Department of Chemistry, from 3-4 p.m. on Friday, March 31, in Grote Hall Room 411.

The topic: “Small Molecule Photoswitches To Remotely Control Protein Function.”

Mark your calendar for April 1

The Undergraduate Admissions Office will be hosting the annual Blue and Gold Preview Day-Spring Edition for prospective students and their families on Saturday, April 1.

Blue and Gold Preview Day includes a tour of campus, an academic department fair, a student organization showcase and a residence hall open house.

Click here for a link to the online registration.

Looking ahead

Events posted to this week’s University master calendar include:

Olivia Lipardi (photo credit: Ray Soldano)

Olivia Lipardi slides home (photo credit: Ray Soldano)

This week’s Mocs Athletics calendar:

  • Tuesday (3/7): Men’s Golf at the Jason Dufner Invite (Auburn, Ala.), All Day
  • Thursday (3/9): Men’s Tennis vs. UAB (UTC Tennis Center), 2 p.m.
  • Friday (3/10): Women’s Golf at the Clover Cup (Mesa, Ariz.), All Day
  • Friday (3/10): Softball vs. Iowa (Madeira Beach, Fla.), 11 a.m.
  • Friday (3/10): Softball vs. New Mexico State (Madeira Beach, Fla.), 1:30 p.m.
  • Friday (3/10): Beach Volleyball vs. Jacksonville State (Montgomery, Ala.), 3 p.m.
  • Saturday (3/11): Women’s Golf at the Clover Cup (Mesa, Ariz.), All Day
  • Saturday (3/11): Beach Volleyball vs. Florida Southern (Montgomery, Ala.), 9 a.m.
  • Saturday (3/11): Women’s Tennis at Austin Peay (Clarksville, Tenn.), noon
  • Saturday (3/11): Softball vs. Hartford (Madeira Beach, Fla.), 11 a.m.
  • Saturday (3/11): Beach Volleyball at Huntingdon College (Montgomery, Ala.), 2 p.m.
  • Saturday (3/11): Men’s Tennis at Austin Peay (Clarksville, Tenn.), 3 p.m.
  • Saturday (3/11): Softball vs. Sacred Heart (Madeira Beach, Fla.), 4 p.m.
  • Sunday (3/12): Women’s Golf at the Clover Cup (Mesa, Ariz.), All Day
  • Sunday (3/12): Softball vs. Bucknell (Madeira Beach, Fla.), 11 a.m.

Looking back

Times Free Press photographer Olivia Ross is a December 2021 UTC alum.

Times Free Press photographer Olivia Ross is a December 2021 UTC alum.

“Deadlines are more intense now…and nobody wants to hear your excuses for not meeting them, for not doing what you’re supposed to do,” said UTC alum Olivia Ross, who shared her insights and work with a standing-room-only crowd at the University Center Auditorium March 1 for Photo Night 2023.

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

  • For the majority of non-tenure-track faculty, the emphasis is on teaching and service. In year five of her teaching career, Dr. Sandra Affare wants to move up from an adjunct role.
  • An accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program will begin at UTC in the fall 2023 semester. The accelerated BSN program is intended for those who already have bachelor’s degrees in any field and are seeking to transition to nursing careers.
  • Sophomore Ava Bailey, a business analytics major, will be competing in the upcoming Miss Tennessee pageant.
  • Eighty-one people whose lives touched the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga were remembered at the University’s annual Blue and Gold Memorial service.
  • UTC will host events all month long celebrating the influence of women on culture both historically and currently as part of Women’s History Month.
  • Now celebrating its second year in operation, the Hatch It! Lab in the Mapp Building is far more than just a place to make 3D-printed defense weapons. Students in 41 courses such as botany, literature, psychology, Afrofuturism, education and criminal justice have used the lab.
  • In honor of National TRIO Day, eight TRIO programs from across Tennessee visited the UTC campus on Saturday, Feb. 25.
  • Taking place on the UTC campus during the weeks of June 12-16 and June 19-23, the UTC Summer Pedagogy and Conducting Institutes are for music educators and ensemble directors who want to enhance and perfect their conducting and rehearsing techniques while studying from renowned clinicians.

WUTC Spotlight: Urban Vision Initiative

The Urban Vision Initiative at UTC helps entrepreneurs such as Veatrice Conley develop and grow new businesses in underserved areas of Chattanooga.

A recent segment on WUTC’s Scenic Roots included an interview with UVI Director Mike Bradshaw, the first entrepreneur-in-residence at UTC and the interim director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship—all part of the Gary W. Rollins College of Business.

Be Well Tip of the Week: Exercise and Stress Reduction

Stressed Out?  Regular physical activity helps you gain confidence, gives you more social interaction and helps you manage stress in a healthy way.

Research on depression, anxiety and exercise shows that the psychological and physical benefits of exercise improve mood and reduce stress. Exercise releases endorphins, and feel-good brain chemicals and can take your mind off worries.

  • Pick your favorite type of exercise or try something new to see if it works. Play basketball, hike, swim, dance, climb, lift weights, garden, run, kayak, wiffleball, kickball or anything else that makes you feel good.
  • Even 10 to 15 minutes may make a difference when you are stressed. 

Not sure where to start? Talk with someone at the ARC or visit their page.

Spring Ahead

Daylight saving time will begin at 2 a.m on Sunday (March 12). If you are manually setting watches or clocks, don’t forget to move them AHEAD one hour.
 

Content curated by the Division of Communications and Marketing.
© 2023 University of Tennessee at Chattanooga