A Celebration of First-Gen Students:  This week, UTC is celebrating all of our first-generation college students during First Gen Week.  The weeklong series of events recognizes trailblazing Mocs who are creating their own unique paths here at UTC as the first in their families to pursue college degrees.

Thank You for Your Service:  This Monday (Nov. 11) is Veterans Day, a day for us to reflect on the sacrifices and service our veterans and their families have made for our country.  As part of the day’s festivities, the University will host a Veterans Day Luncheon for all students, faculty and staff who are veterans or active military.  Professor of Practice John Harbison, who spent 22 years in the Army, will be the keynote speaker.  UTC takes great pride in being a military-friendly campus, as evidenced by the University being named Tennesee’s “Best for Vets College” by Military Times.  We have approximately 1,160 veterans, military-affiliated students, spouses and dependents of veterans enrolled.

A Big Round of Applause:  Mocs Give Day was a tremendous success for our students, our campus and the Division of Advancement!  The final numbers, $2,899,459 raised from 2,201 donors, were record-setting and transformational.  Thank you to everyone who participated—and congratulations to our advancement team for planning this event!

Royal Coronation:  One of the highlights of Homecoming is the crowning of the King and Queen.  A tip of the crown to this year’s Homecoming King and Queen, Braden Stillwell (senior/sociology/Etowah, TN) and Chamyra Teasley (senior/engineering management/Clarksville, TN), on being selected by their fellow students for this prestigious honor.

Public Service Award Winners:  Congratulations to Nevaeh Morris (senior/business marketing/Athens, TN) and Jordan Walker (senior/finance and investments/Sharps Chapel, TN) on receiving Public Service Awards from the UTC Alumni Board of Directors and the Division of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs.  Nevaeh and Jordan were recognized for their distinguished service to UTC and the Chattanooga community.

Prestigious Recognition:  Congratulations to Alicea Wilson, a third-year student in the School Psychology graduate program, on being awarded the 2024 William Ballard Award, recognizing her as the Tennessee Association of School Psychologists Ed.S. School Psychology Student of the Year.  What a tremendous honor!

Law in Action:  Kudos to Adolph S. Ochs Professor of Government Michelle Deardorff, Judge Tom Greenholtz (a UTC alum), and everyone involved in bringing the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals to UTC.  The court recently came to campus and heard three cases in the UTC Library’s Roth Grand Reading Room.  What a marvelous opportunity for our political science and criminal justice students to witness these legal proceedings!

Groundbreaking News:  The Dorothy and Jim Kennedy Health Sciences Building is one step closer to reality.  It was exciting to participate in Monday’s groundbreaking for the future home of the School of Nursing, located at the corner of East 3rd and Palmetto Streets.  In addition to dramatically increasing the number of students in our nursing program and helping meet the critical need for nurses in our community, the new building will provide faculty with simulation space and collaborative learning areas to ensure our nursing graduates are ready for their demanding careers upon graduation.  Thank you to everyone who attended the ceremony!

Reducing Recidivism:  Congratulations to Criminal Justice faculty members Dr. Rick Dierenfeldt, Dr. Andrew Denney, Dr. Gale Iles and Dr. Sherah Basham for partnering with Hamilton County Alternative Sentencing Programs in landing a nearly $850,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance.  The Recidivism Reduction Initiative is designed to improve public safety by reducing repeat offender rates among justice-involved individuals in Hamilton County’s misdemeanor supervision programs.

Championing Mental Health:  Congratulations to Amy Kyriakidis, assistant director for suicide education and prevention in the Center for Wellbeing, on being recognized for her exceptional contributions to suicide prevention.  She recently received the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network Southeast Regional Suicide Prevention Award, an honor created “to acknowledge innovation and excellence in the state’s suicide prevention awareness efforts.”

A First for the PT Program:  A big round of applause to Physical Therapy faculty members Dr. Stephanie Eton and Dr. Nancy Fell on the program’s first residency.  The Erlanger Acute Care Physical Therapy Residency involves licensed physical therapist residents serving as clinical instructors for UTC physical therapy students during clinical rotations and assisting with teaching didactic coursework in the University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program—with an emphasis on acute care.