The End of the Semester is Closing In:  As the semester winds down, this is a time of reflection and anticipation; the end of one year and the start of another.  To our students about to graduate, congratulations on reaching this incredible milestone.  You are an integral part of UTC’s legacy, forever connected to our University and Chattanooga.  As you step into the next chapter of your life, take pride in being a Moc, carrying our spirit and values with you.  Embrace the exciting journey ahead and cherish the memories you have made at UTC!

Celebrating Our Mocs Graduates:  Congratulations to the approximately 730 undergraduates and 130 graduate students who will receive their degrees during our 264th commencement ceremonies next week at McKenzie Arena.  In addition, many of the 237 undergraduates and 85 graduate students who completed their degrees in August will return to campus for commencement festivities.

• Graduate School commencement takes place at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13. Suzanne Forlidas, a two-time alumna of UTC (’75, ’87) and UC Foundation Board of Trustee, will deliver the graduation charge.
• The undergraduate ceremony for all UTC colleges will take place at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14. The featured speaker is Dr. Ken Grubbs, a two-time alum of UTC (’97, ’20).

Thank You to Our Marshals:  In advance, thank you to the faculty and staff serving as marshals or volunteers at commencement.  Your presence means the world to our graduates.  You have profoundly impacted their lives as UTC students, shaping their journeys both in the classroom and beyond.  Your dedication, hard work, and unwavering support prepared our students not only for success at UTC but also for life ahead.  Thank you for making a lasting impact!

A Research World Awaits:  Thank you to Dr. Steven Perlaky—a Chattanooga area emergency medicine physician, the Department of Biology, Geology and Environmental Science, and the Division of Advancement for working together to create a powerful recruitment and retention tool with benefits that will resonate for decades.  Dr. Perlaky, the owner of Raccoon Mountain Caverns since 1995, has gifted the caverns and its 5.5 miles of underground explored passageways to UTC for research purposes.  From the research standpoint, Raccoon Mountain Caverns marks a monumental leap forward for UTC, and the possibilities are endless.

Rocket Mocs Taking Flight:  Kudos to the Rocket Mocs, comprised of junior and senior mechanical engineering students, on being accepted into NASA’s 2025 Student Launch Challenge for the seventh consecutive year.  The Rocket Mocs are led by Nathan Gastelum (senior/Mt. Juliet, TN) and the faculty advisor is UC Foundation Associate Professor Trevor Elliott.  Go Rocket Mocs!

Students Making Communities Safer: Community engagement is central to our mission as Chattanooga’s University, and it was heartening to read about the terrific work being done by students in Dr. Chandra Ward’s Innovations in Honors course.  This fall, the students have been installing signage and painting crosswalks to make neighborhoods more walkable and safer.  You can click here to learn about a recent tactical urbanism traffic calming installation in the Oak Grove neighborhood.

Quantum Research:  Advancing quantum science is a national priority of the federal government, and a proposal to establish the UTC Quantum Center has been awarded $3.5 million from the National Institute of Standards and Technology.  Congratulations to a team led by Dr. Tian Li (UTC Research Institute), Dr. Tatiana Allen (Chemistry and Physics), Dr. Christopher Cox (Mathematics), Dr. Yu Liang (Computer Science and Engineering), Dr. Reinhold Mann (Vice Chancellor for Research) and Dr. Donald Reising (Electrical Engineering) on receiving the NIST grant.  Thank you to U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann for his help with this grant support.

Alumni Success:  Rebecca Godri, a 2021 graduate of UTC, is making waves in the physics world after being selected for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science Graduate Student Research program.  The SCGSR award, considered one of the most esteemed honors for graduate research in physics, supports promising graduate students by providing funding for research projects that align with the DOE’s scientific priorities.  Rebecca, who will be working on her research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is in the doctoral program at UT Knoxville after earning her master’s degree from that institution in 2023.

Education Day:  The Athletic Department had a terrific turnout at the Mocs women’s basketball game on Nov. 25, with more than 2,000 elementary and middle school students attending an 11 a.m. Education Day game.  Education Day has become an annual tradition at UTC, with one game close to Thanksgiving or holiday break moving to an early tipoff to allow local students to come to campus and experience the atmosphere.  What a great event!

Fall Sports Success:  Congratulations to our fall sports student-athletes and coaches on their recently completed seasons!  Great job by Lesley Boyd, the first Mocs cross country runner in over 10 years to represent UTC at the NCAA Cross Country Championships—where she finished in the top half of the field.  Football recorded seven wins for the third year in a row, and Head Coach Rusty Wright is the first football coach in school history with six straight winning seasons to start a career.  Soccer Head Coach Gavin McKinney’s squad won five of its last seven matches, while volleyball, led by Head Coach Julie Torbett Thomas, posted its third straight winning season.  Go Mocs!

Walk This Way:  A big round of applause to everyone involved in the creation of the new pedestrian crosswalk on McCallie Avenue near Fletcher Hall and Founders Hall, enhancing safety and accessibility to campus.  Thank you!