November 5-11, 2024
Updates and news for the week of November 5-11, 2024
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-l-schultz@utc.edu or 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.
Highlights
Election 2024 preparation series
As we approach a critical time in our democratic process, it is important that our University community explore ways to increase civic participation, foster productive dialogue and find common ground. Over the coming weeks, the Election Preparation Series will feature several panels related to the voting process, election administration and the current dynamics of the presidential and congressional campaigns.
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First Gen Week
 Arly Perez-Morales, shown in the Civil Engineering Materials Laboratory in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, is a junior at UTC. This week, UTC is celebrating First Gen Week with a series of events and activities.
Click here to read about first-generation student stories and to see the calendar of First Gen Week events.
One first-gen student, Arly Perez-Morales, is navigating uncharted waters—and redefining what’s possible along the way. Perez-Morales, a junior at UTC, is a first-generation college student pursuing civil engineering—a field historically underrepresented among women and Hispanic/Latinx professionals. With a desire to make a difference, her first-gen story reflects the purpose and the importance of family support.
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Home Sweet Home
The UTC Power C Tour, a statewide outreach effort to prospective students on academic programs, admissions, housing, financial aid and campus life at UTC, is returning home.
The Power C Tour Chattanooga stop, which takes place from 6-7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 13, in the UC Tennessee Room, gives local high school students, transfers, graduate students and their families a feel for UTC. The event features presentations, information booths, light refreshments and cool prizes—including an opportunity to win UTC scholarships. Faculty and staff are invited to bring their families.
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CALL FOR COMMENCEMENT MARSHALS
We are looking for faculty and staff to serve as marshals at our two December commencement ceremonies:
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Friday, Dec. 13: Graduate School, 2:30 p.m.
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Saturday, Dec. 14: Undergraduate, 9 a.m.
Marshal duties include lining up students before the ceremony, leading students into the arena at the start of the ceremony, and directing students from their chairs to the stage and back during the ceremony. Marshals will need to arrive one hour before the ceremony starts, so please schedule accordingly. We will have a marshals lunch and training session on Thursday, Dec. 12. Attendance is not required but highly encouraged.
If you would like to volunteer to be a marshal, please register here and indicate which commencement ceremony(ies) you are available to marshal. Questions or concerns related to commencement marshals should be directed to Charlene-Simmons@utc.edu.
Outstanding People of UTC
Chattanooga Mocs senior defensive back Reuben Lowery III is a finalist for the FedEx Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award.
“Reuben is special,” Coach Rusty Wright said. “On the field, off the field and everywhere in between. He’s exactly what you want in a student-athlete. His impact for us is evident every week, but if you go to the Engineering department, you’ll hear the same things about him as a student. We are thankful he chose Chattanooga.”
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 Movita “Mo” Steiner with 2024 Steiner Scholarship recipients Levi Kirk (left) and Ryan Davenport (not pictured: Amy Johnson). Photo courtesy of Ruby Falls. Ruby Falls has awarded three graduate student employees—two who attend the UTC—with the annual John Thomas Steiner, Sr. Memorial Scholarship. Environmental science students Amy Johnson and Ryan Davenport were honored with the award for their “commitment to academic achievement and dedicated service to the community.”
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Check out these Mocs in the news:
- Dr. Sherah Basham appeared on “The Daily Refresh” to discuss the UTC criminal justice department’s role in organizing the First Responders Salute.
- Dr. Chris Smith was featured in a NewsChannel 9 story about UTC nursing students gaining hands-on experience at the new health department facility.
- Dr. Sarah Heise gave tips to help voters make informed political decisions in a Local 3 News story.
- Last week, philosophy and religion professors hosted a roundtable discussion on how their research and teaching relates to the upcoming election as part of the “Mocs Go Vote” series. Faculty members Ethan Mills, Jaclyn Michael and Barry Matlock did Q&As with the Times Free Press.
Mark Your Calendar
 Photo credit: gomocs.com This week’s Mocs home athletics calendar:
- Thursday, Nov. 7: Women’s Basketball vs. Tennessee Tech, McKenzie Arena, 6 p.m.
- Friday, Nov. 8: Women’s Tennis UTC Fall Invite, UTC Tennis Complex, All day
- Saturday, Nov. 9: Women’s Tennis UTC Fall Invite, UTC Tennis Complex, All day
- Sunday, Nov. 10: Women’s Tennis UTC Fall Invite, UTC Tennis Complex, All day
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UTC is hosting an Off-Campus Housing Fair from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. today (Nov. 5) in the UC Tennessee Room, where Off-Campus Student Services (OCSS) will host informational sessions for UTC students wishing to live off campus.
Stop by for free food, giveaways and prizes—and meet representatives from off-campus properties, utility companies and municipal services to learn more about the options now available to students.
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The Gary W. Rollins College of Business will hold virtual information sessions about UTC’s Master of Business Administration, MS Management, MS Data Analytics, Master of Accountancy, and Business Analytics Certificate graduate programs. The Rollins College of Business graduate degree programs provide flexible course options and career advancement resources to advance your education and elevate your career!
MAcc Information Sessions
MBA Information Sessions
MSDA Information Sessions
MSM Information Sessions
Business Analytics Certificate Information Session
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The Office of Planning, Evaluation and Institutional Research (OPEIR) will host two faculty workshops regarding the process for creating and implementing new academic programs. An overview will be provided on the required procedural steps and potential research used to support the proposal of new degree majors, degree concentrations and certificate programs.
RSVP is not required to attend but will help with the planning and communication of each session. RSVP here.
- Wednesday, Nov. 6: Process overview, 9 a.m., UTC Library Room 206. This session will provide attendees with an overview of the procedural steps required with proposing a new academic program at any level as well as the support OPEIR provides.
- Wednesday, Nov. 20: Program feasibility studies, 9 a.m., UTC Library Room 118A. This session will dive into the analysis of program and labor market data used to determine the feasibility and support for developing a new academic program. Attendance at the previous session is not required but suggested.
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Nov. 6-12 is National French Week. UTC will join hundreds of colleges and universities across the country in celebrating French culture, and we invite you to join us. All events are free and open to the public.
- Wednesday, Nov. 6: French Club: La République Crêpe, 6 p.m., MCLL Language Lab, Lupton 239. Learn how to make crêpes, then eat them.
- Thursday, Nov. 7: Le Tour de France, 6 p.m., MCLL Language Lab, Lupton 239. Take a virtual tour of France with our expert guides. Presentations by French students, in Franglais.
- Monday, Nov. 11: MCLL Game Hour, 3:30 p.m., Chamberlin Pavilion; Rain date: MCLL Language Lab, Lupton 239. Try your hand at pétanque! This foreign language game hour will be devoted to learning how to play the French ball game.
Also, come study with us in Paris this summer. Join us for two information sessions to find out more about how you can spend your summer in France. The opportunity is open to all majors, even if you don’t speak French.
- Monday, Nov. 11: 12:30 p.m., Lupton 239 (lunch will be provided)
- Tuesday, Nov. 12: 4 p.m., Lupton 239
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Employees and students showcased incredible creativity in the UTC Library’s Halloween costume contest last week. You can view all of the great costumes in the galleries on the library webpage.
Help us choose the winners. All current employees and students can login to vote for their favorite costumes. The three costumes with the most votes in both the student and the employee contests will win prizes. To vote, click the voting link on the top of library webpage before noon on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
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UTC’s Undergraduate Curriculum Committee will meet at 3:15 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 7, via Zoom. For a list of the proposals that will be considered, log on to Curriculog and select the Curriculum – Nov 7, 2024 agenda.
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Join the Department of History for the screening of the documentary “5 Broken Cameras” at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 7, in the UC Raccoon Mountain Room.
This award-winning documentary chronicles the contestation between the Israeli military and the residents of the West Bank village of Bil’in over the construction of a seperation wall on the village’s lands.
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The campus community is invited to join bi-weekly sessions of a forum to discuss select topics in Quantum Information Science and Engineering in which important developments are underway at UTC or elsewhere. All sessions are from 4-5 p.m. in Lupton Hall Room 389. For more information, visit utc.edu/research/quantum-center.
Discussion dates and topics through 2024 are:
- Thursday, Nov. 7: Edward Steele, “Machine Learning-Aided Scattering Mitigation in a Quantum System” … summary of work recently published at Arxiv
- Thursday, Nov. 21: Chris Cox, “Summary of Proceedings of recent SIAM workshop on Quantum Information Sciences“
- Thursday, Dec. 5: Tam Bang, “Quantum Computing in Intelligent Transportation Systems”
The series resumes in 2025 on these dates: Jan. 9, Jan. 23, Feb. 6 and Feb. 20. Details on topics will be shared as soon as they are finalized.
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Meet-up for Researchers––taking place from 11 a.m.-noon on Friday, Nov. 8, in the Library Southern Writers Room––is an opportunity to share research interests and projects with other faculty, staff and graduate students. Attend to learn more about the research and innovation happening at UTC. Join fellow faculty and researchers to connect and share new research projects and updates.
This month, guests from the UT Research Foundation and Dr. Tom Lyons will talk about the MOC Innovate Mini-Grant Competition for 2025. Lunch will be provided.
Register to attend here. For questions, contact Jennifer Skjellum at jennifer-skjellum@utc.edu.
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Technology Managers from UTRF will be on campus from 1-3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8, in the Maytag Conference Room (ECS 426) to meet with innovators to discuss their technology and answer questions about the commercialization process.
Register to attend here. For questions, contact Jennifer Skjellum at jennifer-skjellum@utc.edu.
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The Department of Chemistry and Physics continues its Departmental Seminar Series from 3-4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8, in Grote Hall Room 411 with a talk presented by Professor Allison Roessler from Oglethorpe University.
The seminar, “A computational approach to mechanochemistry for the development of functional materials,” explores advanced, stimulus-responsive materials with applications from packaging to cancer drug delivery, highlighting undergraduate research on mechanochemical processes. Click here to view the event on MocSync.
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Join Donuts with the Dean, a meet and greet with the Graduate School, from 8:30-9:30 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 11, in the first-floor lobby of Lupton Hall. Guests will have the opportunity to:
- Connect with the Graduate School dean and staff
- Learn more about advanced degrees at UTC
- Discover valuable resources for graduate students
- Enjoy light refreshments and donuts
The event is open to all students and faculty interested in graduate studies at UTC.
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Join the Asian Studies program at 2 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 11, in the UC Signal Mountain Room for the fall lecture, “Islamic Piety as Sovereign Transcendence in the Tablighi Jamaat in Pakistan,” presented by Dr. Arsalan Khan, an associate professor at UT Knoxville.
Sponsored by Asian Studies, Social, Cultural and Justice Studies, Political Science and Public Service, Philosophy and Religion, and the Center for Global Education, the event offers the first 10 students who register a complimentary copy of Khan’s book to pick up at the event. Register on MocSync. For questions, contact Jaclyn-michael@utc.edu
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Join the Constitution Day public lecture by Dr. Elizabeth Kaufer Busch, “Reestablishing the Constitutional Integrity of Title IX,” at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 11, in the UC Auditorium.
Busch is the Laura and Pete Walker professor in American studies, co-director of the Center for American Studies and director of American studies at Christopher Newport University, where she teaches a wide range of courses. Busch was the recipient of CNU’s highest honor, the Alumni Society Award for Excellence in Teaching and Mentoring. She earned a Ph.D. in political science from Michigan State University, with specializations in American politics and political theory. She serves on the Board of Directors and chairs the Academic Council of the Jack Miller Center for Founding American Principles and History and the Virginia Institute for American History.
The event is sponsored by the Jack Miller Center for Teaching America’s Founding Principles and History, UTC’s Center for Reflective Citizenship, and the College of Health, Education and Professional Studies.
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The Jericho Brass Band of Chattanooga will be performing a Veterans Day concert at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 11, at the Roland Hayes Concert Hall.
The concert, “A Veterans Day Salute,” will honor the men and women of our military services with patriotic songs and hymns. One piece, titled “Five,” was written and composed by UTC’s Kenyon Wilson.
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Join UTC Center for Professional Education and ChaTech from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 13, for “The AI Landscape,” part of the CHAIN AI Sessions.
This in-person session, taking place in the Mapp Building, will focus on “The AI Landscape” and will feature three panelists who will share how they are incorporating AI technology within their organization—Vicki Farnsworth (UTC), Satish Vadlamani (Kenco Group) and Aaron Welch (city of Chattanooga).
Tickets are $25 and include lunch. Register here.
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 The Sweet Research Series recently featured political science students presenting their research. The Department of Political Science and Public Service invites the entire UTC community to our Sweet Research Series, where we will share exciting research and enjoy dessert together. These sessions offer an excellent opportunity to engage with new ideas and connect with peers. All events are from noon-12:50 p.m. on Wednesdays in 540 McCallie Building Room 268 (PSPS Suite Conference Room). Upcoming events include:
- Wednesday, Nov. 13: Dr. Hassan Afzal, “Pocketbook and Sociotropic Economic Voting: How Does Inflation Affect Voting Decisions?”
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William Inge’s “Bus Stop,” a quintessentially American story about bus passengers stranded by a blizzard in a diner, is coming to the UTC Fine Arts Center’s Dorothy Hackett Ward Theatre stage.
The UTC Theatre Co. continues its 2024-2025 season with “Bus Stop,” taking place at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 19-23—with a 2 p.m. matinee performance on Saturday, Nov. 23.
Tickets can be purchased online by clicking here and through the UTC Box Office—in person or by phone (423-425-4369). Tickets are $20 for general admission and $15 for students (with proof of student ID) and seniors.
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Come celebrate GIS day on Wednesday, Nov. 20, with UTC’s Interdisciplinary Geospatial Technologies Lab.
To celebrate GIS Day, the IGTLab will offer a free cartography workshop from 9-11:30 a.m., followed by two guest speakers from noon-1 p.m. who are leaders in remote sensing and imagery analysis:
- Biology, Geology and Environmental Science Associate Professor Azad Hossain will speak about his NASA-funded research using remote sensing of water quality in the Tennessee River.
- Paul Dudley, location intelligence analyst with the State of Tennessee, will speak about the work services that his office provides.
GIS Day events are open to the campus and the public. To register, click here. For more information, click here.
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Mark you calendars for Chamique Holdsclaw, a mental health advocate, Olympic gold medalist and WNBA Hall of Famer, who will be holding a conversation at 1 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 25, in the UC Auditorium.
Hailed as the “female Michael Jordan,” Chamique Holdsclaw was a basketball superstar. From leading The University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers to three straight NCAA national championships with her team and legendary Coach Pat Summitt to the Olympics to the WNBA, nearly no one has had more focus or drive on the court. And yet underneath, she was pushing down mental health issues that eventually led to a total mental and physical breakdown.
The event is free and open to the public. Please reach out with any questions at mcc@utc.edu.
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The UTC Graduate School announced that the following student will be presenting final works of research as an advanced degree candidate. Everyone is invited to attend.
Campus Updates
It is time to start budget planning for fiscal year 2026 (July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026). We will be kicking off budget season with three campus-wide budget input sessions. With a focus on transparency and communication, these budget input sessions will be structured to provide participants with meaningful information that is intended to encourage input. Budget planning is better when we hear a variety of perspectives across a variety of topics. We want to hear from you!
Please take the opportunity to attend and participate in as many of the University Center Auditorium sessions as you would like. Once input is collected, we will report back to campus to share what we heard.
- Monday, Nov. 11: 2-3:30 p.m.
- Thursday, Nov. 14: 3-4:30 p.m.
- Friday, Nov. 15: 9-10:30 a.m.
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The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs is pleased to announce that the FY24 Annual Report has been published on our webpage. The annual report captures UTC faculty and staff’s commitment to teaching and learning, outreach, creative endeavors and scholarly inquiry through sponsored activity achievements.
Please check out the report to see more information regarding these outstanding achievements. We hope you’ll join us in recognizing the good efforts of the UTC community.
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A message from the Office of the Registrar:
Please note the upcoming dates as we prepare for the spring 2025 semester.
- Nov. 13-21: Spring 2025 priority registration for currently enrolled UTC students
Students may check time ticket, registration status, and holds on their My Profile or Prepare for Registration pages.
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Light therapy is one way to help treat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a form of depression associated with the lack of natural light during the winter months. The Center for Wellbeing offers students, faculty and staff the ability to check out light boxes to try for free for two-four weeks during the fall, winter or spring semesters.
During light therapy, you sit near a device called a light therapy box. The box gives off bright light that mimics natural outdoor light. Light therapy is thought to possibly affect brain chemicals linked to mood and sleep, easing symptoms of SAD.
Lights can be checked out in-person on a first come, first served basis. They are available from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Center for Wellbeing in the UC (on the third floor).
To check out a light box, you will need to:
- show your UTC ID
- complete a screening including a 15-30-minute educational session
- sign consent and fill our survey
Students should return the light to the same location where it was checked out. Please email Amy Kyriakidis with any questions. Book a session here to check out a box.
UTC Newsroom
 The ceremonial dirt turning for the Dorothy and Jim Kennedy Health Sciences Building included (from left) Rep. Patsy Hazlewood, Elizabeth Kennedy Spratlin, Molly Kennedy, Jim Kennedy III, Dr. Chris Smith, Chancellor Steven R. Angle, UT System President Randy Boyd, Sen. Bo Watson, Rep. Yusuf Hakeem, U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, and UTC Student Nurses Association President Olivia Walls. The future home of UTC’s School of Nursing, the Dorothy and Jim Kennedy Health Sciences Building, broke ground yesterday. Located at the corner of Palmetto and East 3rd streets, this new building will be approximately 90,000 square feet with state-of-the-art classrooms and a cutting-edge simulation lab. The new facility will also allow for a 152% enrollment increase in the School of Nursing, which currently accepts approximately 50% of applicants and turns down eligible students due to space and class size limitations.
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 Natural Research Project Coordinator Lucy Ellis shows environmental studies students the Warner Park bioretention gardens and Deanna Beasley’s Chronolog project. Dr. DeAnna Beasley is leading an initiative to raise awareness about the bioretention garden at Warner Park. Supported by a partnership with the city of Chattanooga and the Chattanooga Zoo, her project, funded by Tennessee American Water, invites visitors to contribute to a time-lapse of the garden’s evolution through the Chronolog photo monitoring system.
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Here are some other recent UTC stories featured in the Newsroom:
- Department of Art Assistant Professor Bart Pushaw is a self-described “art historian of the colonial Americas, focusing on the circumpolar North and Central America between 1700 and 1950.” When he was a postdoctoral fellow in the international research group “The Art of Nordic Colonials: Writing Transcultural Art Histories” in Copenhagen, he emphasized “the global entanglements of material and visual culture of the indigenous Arctic, especially when it coincides with the Black Atlantic and Pacific.”
- Chattanooga was recently the host site for a global gathering of researchers, industry leaders and policymakers for a multifaceted focus on urban mobility: Chattanooga Connect 2024. The inaugural conference, held Oct. 21-23, achieved its aims and set a high bar for next year.
- In celebration of National Chemistry Week, 11 members of the UTC College of Engineering and Computer Science brought chemistry to life for Orchard Knob Elementary School students on Oct. 25, as part of an ongoing Department of Energy (DOE) research project.
WUTC
“Scenic Roots” on WUTC-FM 88.1 aired two episodes of the “You Might Be Right” podcast, hosted by former Tennessee governors Phil Bredesen and Bill Haslam. One episode was recorded in the UTC Library, and the other episode was recorded at the Rotary Club of Chattanooga.
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