May 20-26, 2025
Updates and news for the week of May 20-26, 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
Dr. Lori Mann Bruce approved as next chancellor of UTC
 Dr. Lori Mann Bruce Dr. Lori Mann Bruce has been named the next chancellor of UTC following board approval during a special meeting of the UT Board of Trustees.
Her appointment, recommended by UT System President Randy Boyd, becomes effective June 30.
Bruce, who will become the 19th leader in University history, currently serves as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Tennessee Technological University. In that role, she oversees all academic operations and leads research and strategic planning efforts for more than 10,000 students across eight academic colleges. Click here to read what others are saying about her appointment.
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Introducing the Moc’s Golden Feather Award
Nominations for the inaugural cycle of the Moc’s Golden Feather Award are open until Friday, May 30.
Faculty, staff, students and community partners are encouraged to submit a nomination for the Moc’s Golden Feather Award. Two staff members will be selected for the award and announced in June, August, October, December, February and April each year.
The award will honor staff who demonstrate exceptional performance, creativity and innovation, and a commitment to fostering a collaborative and welcoming campus culture. This award celebrates both teamwork and the individual contributions that uplift our community.
Outstanding People of UTC
 From left: Trevor Jolley, Lexi Foley, Caleb McCool, Megan Cooper, Maleah Holder and Mallori Crocker. UTC communication students earned nine awards at the 2024 Golden Press Card Awards in Knoxville, Tennessee, including three for Trevor Jolley. Other honorees included Caleb McCool, Connor Spelta, Lexi Foley, Maleah Holder, Mallori Crocker and Megan Cooper.
- Cooper also earned 15th place nationally in the Hearst podcasting competition for her Rising Rock collection.
- In addition, a Rising Rock team consisting of Foley and Daniela Durán Pérez is a finalist in the feature category at the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters awards for their story “Tiny Ballerinas.”
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 Dr. Amye Warren and Dr. Ralph Hood On behalf of Dr. Brian O’Leary:
It is with great reluctance that I announce the retirements of Dr. Ralph Hood and Dr. Amye Warren effective June 30, 2025, after long and distinguished careers as inspirational teachers, groundbreaking researchers, and trusted advisors in the UTC Department of Psychology. Dr. Hood started at UTC in 1970, just one year after UTC became part of the UT System, having earned his PhD in Interdisciplinary Social Psychology at the University of Nevada at Reno. Dr. Warren joined our faculty in 1984 after earning her Ph.D. in General Experimental Psychology from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
In a profession where most everyone thinks they’re the smartest person in the room, Dr. Ralph Hood might actually be right. Since arriving at UTC 55 years ago, Ralph has made unparallelled intellectual contributions to UTC through his teaching and research that are unlikely to be approached in the future. He is a world-renowned scholar in the Psychology of Religion and has captivated students with his Socratic approach to teaching for decades.
In her 41 years at UTC, Dr. Amye Warren has been a force for good through her teaching, research and community service. From enlightening our students on the mysteries of developmental psychology to her years of work with the Chattanooga Autism Center and other civic organizations, Amye has worked to make UTC and Chattanooga better places.
On behalf of all those whose lives they have touched during their tenure at UTC, we thank Ralph and Amye for their service and wish them rewarding retirements!
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Check out these Mocs in the news:
- Freshman Ryleigh Simmons and graduate student Lesley Boyd were named Southern Conference champions on the final day of the conference outdoor track and field championships. Simmons became the program’s first-ever SoCon 100 meter champion with a winning time of 12.05 seconds. She was also named to the SoCon All-Freshman team for both the 100 and 200 meter races. Boyd, the 2023 outdoor 10,000 meter champion, claimed the 5,000 meter title and finished fifth in the 1,500 meter.
- Richard X. Zhang Endowed Professor in Business Frank C. Butler was featured in a WalletHub piece about the Bank of America credit cards.
- The Pulse published an article about WUTC radio host Richard Winham’s upcoming retirement and the public benefit concert in his honor.
- A Minnesota Star Tribune story featured UC Foundation Associate Professor of English Karen Babine discussing her new book, “The Allure of Elsewhere: A Memoir of Going Solo.”
- UC Foundation Professor Beth Crawford was spotlighted in a UT Knoxville Winston College of Law piece on its class of 2025.
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.
- Friday, May 23: Sleep Matters: Improving Sleep Among Employees and Students, Zoom, 11 a.m.-noon
- Tuesday, May 27: Opioid Overdose Response and Naloxone, University Center Room 350, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
- Thursday, June 12: QPR: Question, Persuade, Refer and Suicide Prevention Using the C-SSRS, University Center Room 350, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
- Thursday, June 12: Opioid Overdose Response and Naloxone, Zoom, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
- Friday, June 13: Recovery Allyship: How to Support Students Who Are Struggling or Have Struggled with Substance Use, University Center Room 350, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. (lunch will be provided)
- Friday, June 20: Mental Health First Aid, University Center Room 350, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (lunch will be provided)
- 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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After 35 years of teaching, research and service at UTC, Professor of Physics Ling-Jun “Eddie” Wang is retiring. Please join the Department of Chemistry and Physics in celebrating his career from 3-5 p.m. on Friday, May 23, in the University Center Chickamauga Room.
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 Richard Winham After nearly four decades of shaping the sound and soul of public radio in Chattanooga, WUTC-FM host Richard Winham will retire this summer
To honor his extraordinary legacy, WUTC will host a public benefit concert from 1-5 p.m. on Sunday, June 22, at Barrelhouse Ballroom, located at 1501 Long St. in downtown Chattanooga. The all-ages, family-friendly event will feature performances by local folk, blues and bluegrass artists, with a limited pre-show meet-and-greet with artists and station staff from noon to 12:45 p.m.
The benefit concert is also a fundraising event, with proceeds helping sustain WUTC’s ongoing mission to support music, arts and cultural programming in the Tennessee Valley—work inspired by Winham’s legacy. Tickets can be purchased here.
Campus Updates
Registration is now open for summer intramural sand volleyball and pickleball. Both are open leagues, meaning teams can be made up of men, women or both, and all skill levels are welcome. Register here.
- Sand volleyball games will be played at noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays from May 27-June 19 at the Sports Complex. Registration closes at noon on Friday, May 23.
- 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.
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Registration is open for 2025 Chattanooga Volleyball Camps, hosted by Director of Volleyball Julie Torbett Thomas and the Mocs volleyball staff. Camps are designed for athletes of all skill levels to build volleyball fundamentals, receive individualized instruction and have fun.
- Sunday, June 15: Father/Daughter Clinic, 2-4 p.m., $95 per pair
- June 16-17 or July 14-15: Little Mocs (ages 5–10), 9 a.m.-noon, $63.50
- June 16-17 or July 14-15: Middle School Camp, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., $232.50
- June 16 or July 14: High School Clinic, 6-9 p.m., $105.50
All camps are open to any and all entrants, limited only by number, age, grade level or gender. Staff receive a $10 discount. Click here for details and registration.
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The University is implementing a new electronic platform for IRB submissions, DASH Research IRB. In preparation for the transition from our current email submission system to DASH Research IRB, we want to inform you of some important upcoming dates. Please read carefully and make plans for your research submissions accordingly. Note that training will be provided by the UTC Office of Research Integrity so you can familiarize yourself with DASH Research IRB. Here is what you need to know now:
- Only fully approved projects will be moved into the new system. Any submissions that are not approved by 5 p.m. on Friday, June 27, will not be moved to DASH Research IRB and will need to be re-submitted in DASH Research IRB after go-live on Monday, July 14.
- To allow time for the IRB to process and approve new applications by Friday, June 27, no NEW IRB submissions (including change requests and annual reviews) will be accepted between Wednesday, June 16, and Monday, July 14.
- Please check on any outstanding IRB submissions now to see if you have any pending submissions that need to be addressed prior to this date. We recommend sending any pending submissions back to the IRB by no later than Monday, June 16, to ensure the board has time to process them.
- If you have a study that has an expiration date in June or July that you wish to continue past that end date, the IRB strongly recommends that you submit a Form B, Request for Changes, by Saturday, May 31, to avoid any issues with getting approval before the study expires.
- Monday, July 14, is the scheduled go-live date for DASH Research IRB: All new IRB applications will be submitted through this module.
If you have questions or concerns, please contact Baley Whary or call 423-425-5867 for assistance.
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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.
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Deadline: Proposals must be submitted as a single PDF by 5 p.m. on Monday, July 15, to both Hannah Archer and Claudia Colpo.
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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.
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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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Operation Move In (OMI) 2025 is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 13-14, in first-year residential spaces across campus. This marks a return to a campus-wide collaboration to welcome UTC’s newest Mocs this fall.
OMI is an opportunity for faculty, staff, students and organizations to come together and create a warm, supportive environment for incoming students and their families. A campus-wide committee is being formed to coordinate the two-day event. Volunteer roles will include unloading, parking, traffic flow, greeting and more. There will be follow-up communication to request volunteers for OMI.
For more information, contact OMI committee chair Jason Harville.
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UTC’s Master of Public Health program, specializing in Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, is still accepting applications. The program offers flexible full-time and part-time options with evening, hybrid and online classes. No GRE or prerequisite courses are required, and students from all academic backgrounds are welcome.
To learn more or apply, visit utc.edu/mph. For questions, contact Emma Sampson or call 423-425-4196.
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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.
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Starting in July, rising second to sixth graders in the Challenger Exploration Camp will have the opportunity to participate in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) challenges, rocket launches and explorations of space and Earth. Each day, campers can also go on excursions to locations such as the Chattanooga Zoo, the UTC Aquatic and Recreation Center, the Clarence T. Jones Observatory and the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center.
To learn more about the Challenger STEM Learning Center and to access a link to the Challenger Exploration Camp, visit this link.
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The UTC College of Engineering and Computer Science will host the Summer Algebra Enrichment Program for rising 8th through 11th graders from July 7-18 at the CECS building (735 Vine St.). The program runs from 9 a.m.-3:45 p.m. each day and the cost is $75 per student.
This two-week experience is designed to strengthen algebra skills and introduce students to career pathways in engineering, computer science and other STEM fields. The program includes Algebra 1 instruction led by experienced educators, mentoring sessions with UTC students and hands-on career exploration activities. Space is limited to 30 participants and registration is required.
For more information or to register, click here or contact CECS Outreach Coordinator Alex Coker.
UTC Newsroom
 Emily Kleiner UTC history major Emily Kleiner spent the spring semester curating a public exhibit for the downtown Chattanooga Public Library, “Glass from the Past,” as part of her internship with Overlooked Materials, a local glass recycling service.
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 Dr. Chris Vidmar Changing behavior is hard. Changing identity—especially the deeply ingrained ideas of what it means to “be a man”—is even harder. Dr. Chris Vidmar, assistant professor of sociology at UTC, explored that challenge in a recent ethnographic study of court-mandated intervention programs for abusive and controlling men.
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 Cindy Monroe Cindy Monroe, a 1998 marketing graduate of the Gary W. Rollins College of Business and a 2019 inductee to the UTC Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame, is one of UTC’s most successful alumni entrepreneurs.
WUTC
 Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly In an episode of WUTC’s “Scenic Roots,” Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly discussed the proposed city budget, the Alton Park connector, One Westside, National Park City, quantum and celebrating WUTC’s Richard Winham.
IN Memoriam
Former UTC graduate and adjunct professor Ehsan Sadre-Marandi passed on Monday, May 12. A native of Iran, he moved to London, England, and began his college career at the University of Oxford before completing his Bachelor of Science in Engineering and his Master of Science at UTC. His career included engineering and management positions at Beattie Systems, Tapistron International, and March Adams and Associates. His full obituary is available here.
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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.
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