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Updates and news for the week of November 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.
The Power C Tour Heads to the UC
If a family member, friend or neighbor is starting to think about college, let them know about a couple of upcoming large-scale recruiting events taking place at the University Center.
The Power C Tour, a statewide outreach effort to prospective students on academic programs, admissions, housing, financial aid and campus life at UTC, arrives here on campus from 6-7:30 p.m. on Wednesday (Nov. 8)—giving high school students, transfers, graduate students and their families a feel for UTC. Representatives from the academic colleges, student services, the UTC Executive Leadership Team—and Scrappy—will be on hand to answer questions and make connections in a friendly, relaxed environment. Visit utc.edu/roadtrip for registration information.
On Saturday (Nov. 11), the Undergraduate Admissions Office will host its annual Blue and Gold Preview Day for prospective students and their families. The event includes a campus tour, an academic department fair, a student organization showcase and a residence hall open house. Click here to register for Blue and Gold Preview Day.
Commemorating Veterans Day
On Friday (Nov. 10), UTC commemorates Veterans Day, a day to reflect on the sacrifices and service our veterans and their families have made for our country.
Yesterday, UTC was selected to the 2023 Military Times Best for Vets: Colleges list. UTC takes great pride in being a veteran-friendly campus, with approximately 600 veterans, military-affiliated students, spouses and dependents of veterans enrolled.
As part of the day’s festivities, the University hosts a Veterans Day Luncheon for all students, faculty and staff who are veterans or active military. Dr. Abeer Mustafa will be the keynote speaker; after graduating from high school, she enlisted in the U.S. Army—serving for four years and attaining the rank of E-4.
Celebrating UTC’s First Gen Students
 Ja’Toria Powell, left, and Olivia Miller attend the First Gen Week kickoff National First-Generation College Celebration Day takes place Wednesday (Nov. 8) and honors the anniversary of the signing of the federal Higher Education Act of 1965, which strengthened the educational resources of colleges and universities to provide financial assistance for students in postsecondary and higher education. The Council for Opportunity in Education and the Center for First-Generation Student Success launched the inaugural First-Generation College Celebration in 2017, which has developed into an annual event across the country.
In 2019, UTC Director of Student Success Programs Crystal Edenfield took that celebration a step further, creating First Gen Week—a series of programming recognizing first-generation UTC students who are the first in their families to pursue college degrees. Click here to learn more about this week’s First Gen celebration.
A wicked good time was had by all
The UTC Library was graced with 63 entrants in its annual Halloween Costume Contest, and nearly 1,900 votes were cast to choose the most creative outfits.
Sesame Street’s Bert and Ernie (students Eli Nelson and Gunter Hullander), Cruello DeVille (Jason Harville) and Dalmatian (Stormy Sims) took home top honors.
Submit Your Events for the Winter Welcome Calendar
The Office of Student and Family Engagement is excited to announce the dates for our Spring Welcome Week: Jan. 8-12, 2024.
During the week, we offer a wide variety of events for our students. If you are hosting an event or program during the first week of classes, please consider submitting your event to the official calendar found on the Winter Welcome website.
- To submit an event, please complete this form.
- The priority deadline for the Winter Welcome calendar is 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 2. The final deadline to submit events is 1 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 5.
Email kidron-bullock@utc.edu with questions.
Commencement Marshals
We are looking for a handful of faculty or staff (around 15) to serve as marshals at each of our undergraduate commencement ceremonies on Saturday, Dec. 16.
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.
OPEIR offering new degree development workshops
The Office of Planning, Evaluation and Institutional Research (OPEIR) is hosting a series of workshops for faculty to learn about and be guided through the policy for proposing a new academic degree program at UTC. These workshops will cover the various stages of the process and feature guest speakers from departments on campus as well as the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC). RSVP is not required but will help with planning and communication of events.
Upcoming sessions:
- Thursday (Nov. 9): Julie Roberts and Dr. Katie Brackett (THEC), UTC Library Room 209, 1:30 p.m.
- Thursday, Nov. 16: General information and assistance workshop, UTC Library Room 118A, 2:30 p.m.
- Thursday, Nov. 30: Allison Evans (Budget and Finance), Joel Wells (University Registrar) and Rebecca Dragoo (Associate Registrar), UTC Library Room 118A, 2:30 p.m.
- Thursday, Dec. 14: General information and assistance workshop, UTC Library Room 118A, 2:30 p.m.
For further information, email kelli-baker@utc.edu, program coordinator for OPEIR, or call 423- 425-2216.
The outstanding people of UTC
 Breanna Evans (photo courtesy of Dr. Gail Dawson) A research study by UTC senior Breanna Evans titled “Environmental Factors that Contribute to College Students Concerning Sleep and Physical Activity,” earned honorable mention recognition at the annual Black Doctoral Network (BDN) conference in Atlanta.
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 From left: Dr. Jose Barbosa, students Nate Fortenberry, Garrett Reynolds and Joseph Patterson-Saeed, Chancellor Emeritus Fred Obear (photo courtesy of Dr. Gretchen Potts) Last week, Chancellor Emeritus Fred Obear came to campus to donate ferns to the Teaching and Learning Garden and Dr. Jose Barbosa.
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Check out these Mocs making a difference:
Mark your calendar
Dr. Chandra Ward, director of community engagement for the Center for Urban Informatics and Progress, will be hosting the UTC Research Institute’s next brown bag lunch from noon-1 p.m. on Wednesday (Nov. 8) in UTC Library Room 435. Each brown bag lunch is designed to engage faculty and staff across campus in identifying opportunities for collaboration.
Thursday’s event is titled “Multidisciplinary participation and community engagement in the era of big data, AI and smart city initiatives.”
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The UTC Department of Political Science and Public Service will be hosting a November PSPS Sweet Research series, where PSPS faculty share their research and favorite desserts. Everyone is welcome to bring a lunch. All Sweet Research events take place from noon-12:50 p.m. in the 540 McCallie Building Room 462D. Upcoming events include:
- Wednesday (Nov. 8): Dr. Chris Acuff, “A Bibliometric Analysis of Urban Greenway Literature: Implications for Interdisciplinary Research on Urban Systems”
- Wednesday, Nov. 15: Dr. RJ Groh, “Diaspora Reimagined: Understanding the Generational Component to Victim Diaspora”
- Wednesday, Nov. 29: Dr. Michelle Deardorff, “Rethinking Political Science Education: American Political Science Association’s Presidential Taskforce Preliminary Report”
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The Latin American and Caribbean Dialogues Speaker Series presents Dr. Jordan Lynton Cox, who will give a lecture titled “Hybrid Diasporas in the Age of Rising China: Tracing Contestations of China’s Presence in the Caribbean” at 5 p.m. on Thursday (Nov. 9) in the University Center Chickamauga Room.
The lecture will examine how colonially mediated ideas of race and identity are reconstituted in conflicts engendered by the extension of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI-China’s reconstruction of the Silk Route) into Jamaica and the broader Caribbean.
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On Friday (Nov. 10), the UTC Criminal Justice students and University High students will come together to launch “Pouring for Purpose: Building Pathways to Ethics and Equity,” a gallery and partner-building event taking place from 1-3 p.m. at the UTC Challenger STEM Learning Center.
The pour-painting event was organized by UTC Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice Katelyn Hancock, who said representatives from various criminal justice and social service organizations in the Chattanooga community will be on hand to create their own unique canvas paintings.
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The Department of Chemistry and Physics continues its seminar series from 3-4 p.m. on Friday (Nov. 10) in Grote Hall Room 411 with a talk by Dr. Trevor Latendresse titled “The Controlled Design of Molecular Clusters for Nanomagnets and Multi-Electron Chemical Transformations.” All are invited to attend.
Latendresse, who graduated from UTC in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, is currently a National Institutes of Health post-doctoral scholar at Harvard University.
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 Dr. Katsuya Yuasa and Dr. Ayça Çetin Duo Esplanade, a dynamic ensemble comprised of Dr. Ayça Çetin on flute and Dr. Katsuya Yuasa on clarinet, will perform at the Cadek Recital Hall at 7:30 p.m. on Friday (Nov. 10). The free concert is open to the public.
Çetin is a visiting lecturer of music theory, teaching musicianship and aural skills at UTC. Yuasa is a UTC adjunct instructor of applied clarinet.
“The audience will be treated to a smorgasbord of sounds, techniques and styles, making for an exciting evening,” said Dr. Jonathan McNair, the Ruth S. Holmberg Professor of American Music.
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The UTC Symphony Orchestra and the Chattanooga High School Center for Creative Arts String Orchestra will present a free public concert at 3 p.m. on Sunday (Nov. 12), in the Fine Arts Center’s Roland Hayes Concert Hall.
The performance will include “Carmen Suites 1 and 2” by Georges Bizet and “Tragic Overture” by Johannes Brahms.
The CCA String Orchestra, which contains students from grades 8-12, will perform selections from “Bach and Roll,” including “Brandenburg Concerto No. 3” by Johann Sebastian Bach and “Brandenburg” by Black Violin.
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 Senior Maegan Whitlock, left, and junior Calista Geralds A darkly comic Southern drama about love, art and the power of women will soon be coming to the Fine Arts Center’s Dorothy Hackett Ward Theatre stage. The UTC Theatre Co. continues its 2023-2024 season with “Alabaster,” written by award-winning playwright and Alabama native Audrey Cefaly.
Performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 14-18, with a 2 p.m. matinee performance on Saturday, Nov. 18. 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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Please join UTC’s Interdisciplinary Geospatial Technologies Lab (IGTLab) for GIS Day on Wednesday, Nov. 15—a day for users of GIS technology to demonstrate real-world applications that are making a difference in our society.
GIS Day will take place from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the Multidisciplinary Research Building, including a workshop and special guest Sunny Fleming—a UTC alum and environment lead at Esri. This event is open to all UTC students, faculty and staff and the general public. To learn more, click here.
Please RSVP here so the IGTLab knows how many visitors to expect.
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Everyone is invited to celebrate the commitment of our students, their stated goals and what they will continue to do to impact UTC and the Chattanooga community at the Moc LEAD graduation celebration and reception, taking place from 1:45-3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 16, in University Center Chattanooga Room C.
The fall 2023 cohort of the Moc LEAD Self-Awareness Experience has spent the last 10 weeks putting a magnifying glass on their “why” statements, values, strengths and pertinent leadership practices. Through experiential workshops, reflection prompts and exercises, each active participant has grown in skills such as adaptability; accountability; authenticity; communication; and relationship building.
- RSVP is not required but highly appreciated. Refreshments and dessert will be served.
- A program beginning at 2:05 p.m. will include brief remarks from select Moc LEAD Self-Awareness Experience graduates and special guest Shadrina Booker, director of community engagement for the City of Chattanooga.
Email Daniel-Grzesik@utc.edu, the director of Leadership Development and Programs, if you have any questions—or call 423-425-4252. To learn more about Moc LEAD, click here.
Online Portal for Vehicle Accident and Incident Reporting
A message from UTC Transportation Services
UT Safety and Risk Management has created an online portal for vehicle accident and incident reporting. This applies to accidents or damage while driving a University-owned vehicle, a rental vehicle or a personal-owned vehicle while on official University business. The attached PDF instructions review the steps to take after being involved in an accident as well as the information needed to report the accident to the State of Tennessee Call Center (855-253-0629) when a vehicle not owned by UT is also involved. Note: If the Call Center is not contacted, a fine of $1,000 may apply.
Please click here for the Campus Updates link. For additional information, email Motorpool@utc.edu or Debby-Corey@utc.edu.
Campus Updates
Human Resources provided a series of November staff development opportunities, including an online event from 10-11:30 a.m. today (Nov. 7) titled “The Passionate Professional” and a “Making Holidays Happier” Zoom session from 9:30-10:30 a.m. on Thursday (Nov. 9).
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Math Kangaroo, an international mathematics competition, is returning to UTC.
Math Kangaroo 2024, open to students in grades 1-12, will be held at UTC at 5:30 p.m. on March 21, 2024. Information about the competition and registration can be found on the Math Kangaroo website.
The deadline for registration is Dec. 15. The registration fee is $21 per student, and financial assistance is available.
Please share this message, the event PDF and the registration information PDF with anyone who might be interested in participating. For more information, click here. If you are new to this program, please read Math Kangaroo History.
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Free short-term physical therapy services are available for UTC students, faculty and staff.
The Pro Bono Physical Therapy clinic, located in the Mapp Building, is staffed by UTC Doctor of Physical Therapy students and professors and is 100% free. Clinic hours are 8 a.m.-noon on Tuesdays and 1-5 p.m. on Thursdays. Call University Health Services at 423-425-2266 or email ptclinic@utc.edu for more information.
Looking ahead
 Junior volleyball player Elaine Redman has been named Southern Conference Setter of the Week five times this fall (photo credit: Ray Soldano/GoMocs.com). This week’s Mocs home athletics calendar:
- Thursday (Nov. 9): Volleyball vs. Mercer (Maclellan Gym), 6 p.m.
- Friday (Nov. 10): Volleyball vs. Samford (Maclellan Gym), 6 p.m.
- Sunday (Nov. 12): Women’s basketball vs. Marshall (McKenzie Arena), 2 p.m.
Looking back
Dylan Rivera (pictured), a 2020 graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, is the director of policy planning and implementation for the city of Chattanooga. His work directly influences Chattanooga’s minority neighborhoods by bridging the disparities in generational health, safety and prosperity.
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Three online doctoral-level UTC School of Nursing programs were ranked among the Top 20 in the country by EduMed.org. The online source ranked the Nurse Practitioner and BSN-to-DNP Bridge programs at No. 19 and the Nurse Practitioner program at No. 16 as one of the country’s most affordable.
For the second time this year, the School of Nursing was recognized as the best in the state of Tennessee by Nurse.org—this time as the the top vote-getter in the Tennessee Student Choice Award competition (as voted by students and alumni). UTC is now in the running to be named one of the top three nursing schools in the country, with online voting taking place at nurse.org/win.
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Here are some other recent UTC stories featured in the Newsroom:
Tales from the UTC PodLab
 Loman Martin, left, and Reid Belew “Tennessee Valley Across the Table” is a student-led podcast that brings locals, often strangers with different views, together to learn who we are as people. It is inspired by StoryCorps’ One Small Step program.
In 2022, community members came to the UTC PodLab and opened their lives with stories about their families, their politics and their hopes for the future. This year, UTC Honors students, under the direction of Will Davis, studied the recordings and chose the material that most resonated with them. This episode by UTC communication student James Ortiz features a conversation between Loman Martin and Reid Belew.
You can subscribe to “Tennessee Valley Across the Table” on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
WUTC Spotlight: Unmasking: Elders Speak
 UTC senior theatre major Ellen Rich performs Pat Wilcox’s monologue during “Unmasking: Elders Speak.” Photo by Brooke Bragger. Twelve Chattanooga residents, ranging in age from their 70s to 98 years old, agreed to have their life memories—good and bad—transformed into dramatic monologues for “Unmasking: Elders Speak.” The production was helmed by Dr. Peggy Douglas, adjunct professor of economics in the Gary W. Rollins College of Business, and Dr. Anne Swedberg, associate professor of theater at UTC.
Be Well Tip: Let’s Talk Health Insurance
Your health matters, and we want to make sure you’re informed and covered.
Health insurance is a safety net that provides peace of mind and financial security when health challenges pop up and allows you to receive essential medical services and treatment—along with preventative healthcare. UTC offers a student health insurance option through UnitedHealthcare Student Resources (deadline for spring enrollment is Jan. 31, 2024). Click here to learn more.
- For employees who want to enroll in or make changes to employer-sponsored plans but missed the October enrollment deadline, you are able to request a one-time revision by Dec. 1.
- Students and employees may also be eligible for low or no-cost health insurance through Healthcare.gov (open enrollment lasts until Jan. 15, 2024).
Health insurance options can be intimidating and confusing, but Tennessee Healthcare Campaign is working to make finding the best option for you easier through their Insure All Tennessee initiative. For free enrollment assistance, click here to schedule a phone or in-person appointment.
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