Mocs Learn. Mocs Do. Mocs Lead:  Thank you to those of you who attended the State of the University address.  Our mission as educators is to inspire the ambitions of our students, encourage them to take bold, innovative steps, and serve as catalysts for creativity.  Mocs Learn.  Mocs Do.  Mocs Lead.  These are not just words; they are what sets us apart. 

Thanks for giving:  Thank you to everyone who participated in Tuesday’s 5th annual Mocs Give Day.  Though official figures will not be finalized for a few days, the initial results are impressive. The widespread support from across campus and throughout the community has been inspiring. A big “Go Mocs!” salute to the Division of Advancement staff for their exceptional efforts in making this important day a success.

Quantum physics:  Congratulations to Quantum Center CTO and Assistant Professor of Physics Tian Li on being awarded a $792,705 grant from the National Science Foundation for the project titled “ExpandQISE: Track 1: Demonstration of distributed quantum sensing with Heisenberg scaling by creating multipartite entanglement on a metropolitan scale quantum network.”

Emerging educator:  Kudos to Department of Physical Therapy Assistant Professor Derek Liuzzo on being named the 2024 recipient of the Emerging Educator Award by the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy.  ACAPT has 278 member institutions and awards this prestigious distinction to only one early-career physical therapist instructor each year.

Grand challenges:  A collaboration involving UTC’s Department of Chemical Engineering and Brainerd High School has landed a UT System Grand Challenges grant.  Congratulations to Dr. Bradley Harris, associate professor, on leading the $96,812 award proposal for the project titled “Thermal runaway in EV batteries: A transformational PBL unit for high school chemistry.”  The vision of the Grand Challenges program is to foster innovative solutions for some of Tennessee’s most pressing issues across three areas: strengthening rural communities, overcoming addiction, and advancing K-12 education.

Undergraduate research:  UTC Junior Zayda Dominick, a biochemistry major from Knoxville, recently presented a poster at the Southeastern Medical Scientist Symposium titled “Understanding how NtrZ affects NtrY in Caulobacter crescentus.” Zayda, who began working on this research as a freshman with former UTC faculty member Dr. Benjamin Stein, now has the distinction of being the first-ever UTC pre-health student selected to present at the symposium.  What a terrific accomplishment, Zayda!

Encore!  Encore!  If you have the chance, be sure to catch the UTC Theatre Co. production of “Blood Wedding” taking place at the Fine Arts Center’s Dorothy Hackett Ward Theatre through Saturday (Oct. 5).  Congratulations to director Steve Ray and the talented cast of 20 UTC students for delivering another outstanding performance.

STEAMagination:  For faculty, students, and staff members who have children in grades K-8, check out STEAMagination—an event hosted by our Challenger STEM Learning Center from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. next Saturday, Oct. 12.  STEAMagination is a fun family event filled with engaging, interactive experiences that highlight the importance of STEAM education.

Educating future educators:  Dr. Yvette Stewart was recently named assistant professor and literacy director for the School of Education and the Center for Excellence and Innovation in Education.  In her role, she will lead initiatives aimed at helping future teachers learn how to teach literacy, along with bolstering our partnership with Hamilton County Schools.  We look forward to introducing Dr. Stewart to campus when she joins the University on Oct. 21.

Welcome to Vice Chancellor Blackman!  This week, Dr. JAy Blackman officially transitioned into his new position as vice chancellor of communications and marketing, bringing extensive experience and a deep understanding of the community to the role—having worked at UTC since 2008.  I want to thank Vice Chancellor Vicki Farnsworth, who—for the second straight year—took on the added responsibility of overseeing the day-to-day operations of communications and marketing.

The semester is going by fast:  Fall break is Oct. 14-15. Have fun and stay safe!