Welcome back, Mocs!  I hope everyone has had the opportunity to recharge and reenergize during the summer as we look forward to an exciting academic year.  I want to extend a special welcome to our new students, faculty and staff and let you know how thrilled we are to have you join our Mocs family.  During the school year,  I like to share campus happenings and selected highlights with a C-Note newsletter on the first and third Thursdays of the month.  This is the first one for the 2024 – 2025 academic year.

Enrollment for fall 2024.  All indicators are we will have a record number of new freshmen this fall.  Thank you to everyone engaged with new student orientation over the summer – our new students and their families enjoyed the sessions and personal attention everyone showed them.  A special shout out to our orientation leaders – GREAT JOB!  You are all outstanding ambassadors for UTC.

The fall semester is rapidly approaching.  Operation Move In begins August 15, with Convocation taking place August 16.  Welcome Week activities begin August 18, the day before the first day of class.  Before we know it, the campus will be back in full swing!  If you have not already volunteered for Operation Move In, I encourage you to do so; it is a fantastic opportunity to assist in welcoming our incoming first-year college students, transfer students, and their families to UTC.  We need your help, so please sign up.

Building our future success.  As you walk around campus, you will notice construction fences, signs an unprecedented capital investment is taking place.  Seven major projects totaling more than $400 million are either in process or about to start.  This September, the Wolford Family Athletic Center will be the first of the major projects to reach completion.  Later this fall, the University will break ground on the Dorothy and Jim Kennedy Health Sciences Building which will be the new home of our School of Nursing.  This will be followed by groundbreaking for the expansion of Fletcher Hall in late 2024 or early 2025.  Meanwhile, renovations totaling more than $89 million have been underway at the University Center, the 540 McCallie Ave. building, Fine Arts, and Brock Hall.

Olivia the Olympian.  Like many of you, I will be keeping close tabs on the upcoming Olympic weightlifting competition.  Olivia Reeves (senior/sociology/Hixson) is looking to become the first currently-enrolled UTC student to participate in the Olympic Games—and is believed to be the first student in the University’s 138-year history to be selected for an Olympic team.  She will compete at 7:30 p.m. Paris time (1:30 p.m. in Chattanooga) on Friday, August 9.  Go Olivia!

Introducing our new ombuds.  I am pleased to announce that Dr. Anovia Slaughter is the new University ombuds, a pivotal role in higher education that helps to foster an equitable, supportive and transparent campus environment.  Anovia brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to promoting fairness and equity within the University setting.

Engineering compassion.  Collaborations with community partners took on new meaning when the Humane Educational Society reached out to the College of Engineering and Computer Science about a 2.5-pound Chihuahua puppy with a skull that had not fully fused.  Kudos to UC Foundation Associate Professor Trevor Elliott and recent graduate (and soon-to-be master’s student) Connor Mackey on their quick work in designing a 3D-printed helmet that will protect Niblet’s head and allow him to grow up safely.

Awards and honors.  In case you missed it, numerous UTC personnel and departments were honored during the summer months:

• Mina Sartipi and Associate Dean of Students Brett Fuchs were recipients of 2024 President’s Awards—the highest accolade an employee can receive from the UT System.
• The UT Alumni Association recognized the following faculty members for their outstanding service to the University and community: Dr. Andrew Bailey and Dr. Jose Barbosa (Outstanding Teacher Award), Dr. Erika Schafer (Public Service Award) and Dr. Joey Shaw (Distinguished Service Professor).
• Cathy Scott was awarded Fellow status by the Gerontological Society of America (GSA), the world’s oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to research, education and practice in the field of aging.
• Morgan Smith was one of five principal investigators on an international research team recently awarded $1,497,512 from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management for the project titled “Reevaluating BOEM’s Guidelines for Identifying Submerged Pre-Contact Archaeological Sites in the Gulf of Mexico: An Extensive Geoarchaeological Approach.”
• UTC’s role in cyber workforce training was recognized in a White House report. The report cited UTC for achieving National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity designation with its “Collaborative Research: CyberCorps Scholarship for Service: Strengthening the National Cybersecurity Workforce with Integrated Learning of AI/ML and Cybersecurity.”
• The College of Engineering and Computer Science successfully contributed to the development of a $50-million U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development award to support Chattanooga Housing Authority’s Westside Transformation Plan. The University’s commitment via CECS to support the eight-year grant involves academic and STEM programs, computer skills training and career readiness.
• The School of Nursing simulation program received the designation of “endorsed” for the cornerstone standards of prebriefing, debriefing, facilitation and professional integrity from the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning. Meanwhile, the nurse anesthesia concentration achieved a significant milestone after being granted 10-year continued accreditation through spring 2034 by the directors of the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs.
• Colleges of Distinction, an organization that honors higher education institutions that excel in delivering exceptional student experiences and producing successful outcomes, recognized UTC in eight different award categories for the institution’s commitment to helping undergraduate students learn, grow and succeed.

Alumni Award winners.  Congratulations to Dr. Ken Grubbs (Distinguished Alumni), Roger Smith (Outstanding Service) and Lily Sanchez (GOLD Excellence) on being honored as 2024 Alumni Award recipients.  All three are extraordinary leaders in their respective communities and tremendous representatives of everything we do at UTC.  We are proud to recognize them for their achievements, and they will be honored on campus throughout the year.

Save the dates.  Founders Week activities will take place September 16-18, highlighted by the grand opening of the Wolford Family Athletic Center as the host of the State of the University at 4 PM on Monday September 16^th.  The week also includes our annual Service Awards Luncheon and Light Upon a Hill Donor recognition event.  Details will be announced soon.

December Holidays.  UTC and the UT System are granting our dedicated employees two additional administrative closing dates, Dec. 30 and Dec. 31.  This additional time off has been authorized to recognize the extraordinary commitment you have all shown over the past year. Enjoy the well-earned extra days off!

These are exciting times at UTC, and we look forward to an outstanding 2024-2025 school year.  Go Mocs!