November 5, 2026
Homecoming Brings Mocs Home: Homecoming is one of those special times when UTC’s past, present and future come together. During MOCS2K, students have been creating new memories, while alumni return to the campus where their own UTC stories began.
We are especially excited to welcome UTC alum and Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Owens back to campus. From visits with students to opportunities to meet UTC community members, his return reminds us of the accomplishments Mocs can carry long after graduation.
I hope you will join us tomorrow (Nov. 6) for the Homecoming Parade and Pep Rally from 5-7 p.m. The parade will begin at the intersection of Vine and Lindsay streets and end at Chamberlain Field, where the celebration will continue with the Marching Mocs, spirit squads, members of the football team and the blue-and-gold energy that makes Homecoming so special.
The festivities continue Saturday (Nov. 7), when the Mocs host Mercer at Finley Stadium. Kickoff is at 1 p.m., and halftime highlights will include announcements of the 2026 Homecoming Queen and King and the recipients of the Public Service Award.
Whether you are a student experiencing your first Homecoming, an alum returning to campus or a friend of UTC, I hope you are enjoying this weeklong celebration that reminds us why this University remains home to so many.
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Honoring Service and Strengthening Support: U.S. Veterans Magazine has named UTC a Top Veteran School, a recognition that affirms our commitment to veterans and military-connected students. More than 15% of UTC students have a military connection, bringing valuable experience, perspective and a strong sense of purpose to our campus.
This honor reflects the care and expertise of our Office of Veteran and Military Affairs, led by Sylvana Matthews, as well as the many faculty and staff members who help students navigate their transition to University life. I am grateful for the team’s work to ensure that military-connected students find the guidance, support and sense of belonging they deserve at UTC.
As Veterans Day approaches, I hope you will join us in recognizing those who have served. UTC alum Major General Mark McDonald will be the keynote speaker for the Chancellor’s Annual Veterans Day Luncheon. His distinguished military career and continued service offer a meaningful example for our campus community.
Veterans Day lets us express our gratitude, but it also reminds us that service continues through leadership, family and community. To every veteran and military-connected member of UTC: Thank you for what you have given and for the example you set.
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A First Look at What’s Possible: Blue and Gold Preview Day on Saturday, Nov. 14, offers prospective students and their families the chance to experience UTC in person. A campus visit helps students move beyond brochures and websites, see themselves here, ask the questions that matter, and learn more about the opportunities ahead.
Throughout the day, visitors will meet members of our campus community, explore academic programs and get a feel for student life. They will see the people and places that make UTC a welcoming place to learn, grow and prepare for what comes next.
Thank you to the faculty, staff and students who will help welcome families during Blue and Gold Preview Day, as well as those who represented UTC at recent Power C Tour stops across Tennessee. These personal connections matter, and your time and care help future Mocs see what a UTC education can mean for them.
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Designing for Greater Mobility: A group of UTC mechanical engineering students has been selected as one of 12 university teams nationwide for the SAE CivicProgress Challenge, a multi-year design competition focused on improving mobility for wheelchair users and others with disabilities. Led by senior Joseph Dawson and faculty adviser Dr. Trevor Elliott, the team will develop an autonomous vehicle using a rolling chassis provided by General Motors.
This work gives students the chance to apply their engineering knowledge to a need that directly affects people’s independence. I am proud of Joseph, Ryan Haye, Phoenix Moore, Logan Pendergrass, Garren Lockhart, Nathan Moser, Carson Hendricks and Morgan Zukas, and I appreciate Dr. Elliott’s faculty leadership and the support of Dr. James Newman, head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, as the team represents UTC in this national competition.
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Award-Winning Care: Dr. Meagan Oslund, assistant professor of practice and interprofessional education and practice coordinator for MobileMOC, has received the 2026 Mobile Health Clinics Innovation Award from the Mobile Healthcare Association. This national recognition honors her leadership in bringing health education and services to older adults and caregivers across rural Southeast Tennessee.
Through MobileMOC, Dr. Oslund creates learning opportunities for UTC students while expanding access to care in communities where distance and limited resources make that difficult. I congratulate Dr. Oslund on this well-deserved honor.
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Celebrating Student Research: Congratulations to Katelyn Hamilton and Autumn Reagan for their success in the Fall 2026 Research Pitch Competition. Katelyn, a chemical engineering graduate student, earned first place in the Three-Minute Pitch Competition. Autumn, a junior mechatronics major, won the Undergraduate Two-Minute Pitch Competition and the People’s Choice Award. Their achievements reflect the talent and determination of UTC students who are putting their ideas into action.
I am grateful to the Graduate School and the Office for Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavor (URaCE) for giving students opportunities to share their work, build confidence and communicate the value of research beyond the classroom.
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Record-Setting Day: Our seventh annual Mocs Give Day brought 2,671 donors together to support UTC, setting a record for participants and raising more than $2.7 million. I am grateful to every alum, faculty or staff member, family member, student and friend who chose to invest in our University. It is especially encouraging that 584 people made their first gift to UTC.
These contributions support scholarships, academic programs and the experiences that help students pursue their goals. More than half of all gifts were $99 or less, a powerful reminder that every gift matters. Thank you for believing in our students and helping build UTC’s future.
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Welcome to UTC, Lucky: I am pleased to welcome Lucky, the newest member of the UTC Police Department’s K-9 team. Alongside Sgt. Aaron Bayer, Lucky will serve as a therapy dog for our campus community while training as an explosives detection K-9. His arrival builds on the connection students, faculty and staff have formed with Sophie, who will continue her important work with Cpl. Ginger Dockery.
Lucky represents the thoughtful ways UTC Police supports both safety and well-being on our campus. I look forward to seeing him become a familiar, reassuring presence for Mocs while preparing for a role that will also benefit UTC and the Chattanooga community.
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A New Learning Space at UTC’s Doorstep: The recent groundbreaking for a new federal courthouse at Vine Street and Georgia Avenue marks an important moment for Chattanooga and for UTC. Plans for the courthouse include a flexible classroom-to-courtroom learning space that would give our students an uncommon opportunity to study the federal justice system just steps from active proceedings.
UTC students already benefit from strong relationships with members of the federal judiciary through mentoring, job shadowing and other experiences. This new space will deepen those connections, particularly for pre-law students across a range of majors, by linking classroom learning to court work.
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Help Shape What Comes Next: The UT Student Experience Survey remains open through tomorrow (Nov. 6), and I encourage every UTC student to participate. Your responses provide an important view of what is serving students well and where we can do better.
The survey is anonymous and takes only a few minutes to complete. Your feedback informs decisions about the experience we create at UTC, so please take this opportunity to share your perspective.
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