Happy New Year! My name is Dr. Robert Dooley, and I am the interim chancellor here at UTC. It’s a true honor to step into this role during such a pivotal time for the campus. Collaborating with Dr. Steve Angle over the past 11-plus years has been an incredible experience and I’m grateful to have played a part in his impactful legacy at UTC. I’m eager to carry forward the progress we’ve made and build on the strong foundation that has been established. While change is inevitable in life, continuity is important, too, and I will maintain the tradition he brought to UTC with C-Note messages to campus on the first and third Thursdays of every month.

A Warm Welcome! To our new UTC students and personnel, welcome to the University! To all of our returning Mocs, welcome back! I hope you had a chance to enjoy the extended holiday season with family and friends. We’ll all be ready to go when classes resume on Monday. Don’t forget to check out the Winter Welcome Week calendar for events greeting new and returning students back to campus.

One Last Look at the Class of 2024: In case you didn’t get a chance to watch our December graduates walk across the McKenzie Arena stage at the two commencement ceremonies, you still can! Click here for the Commencement 2024 recap, which includes links to photos and video from the ceremonies. Thank you to all the volunteers, staff and faculty who worked so hard to make the ceremonies memorable for the newest Mocs alums and their families.

Don’t Miss the Action: Looking for a fun event to attend this weekend? The 2025 Southern Scuffle is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at McKenzie Arena. This annual wrestling tournament brings together top NCAA Division I programs from across the nation and has become a staple in the collegiate wrestling calendar.

Inventanooga: Thank you to George Lester Nation Professor of Marketing Subin Im and STEM School Chattanooga’s Kyle Carrasco for the outstanding work they did in bringing Inventanooga 2024 to campus before the holidays. Inventanooga is a dynamic student competition in which middle and high school students pitched their solutions, inventions and business plans that addressed real-world problems to a panel of judges within the entrepreneurial field. This event not only highlights some of Tennessee’s brightest young minds but also introduces these future college students to the UTC campus.

Engineering Success: Several College of Engineering and Computer Science faculty members recently received national accolades. UC Foundation Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Trevor Elliott has been selected as one of seven recipients of the 2025 Sustained Service Awards, which recognizes sustained, significant service and contributions to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Reetesh Ranjan has been elected an AIAA Class of 2025 Associate Fellow. Professor of Civil Engineering Ignatius Fomunung, the principal investigator on a TDOT-funded project that won a High Value Research Award, was invited to present the project at next week’s Transportation Research Board conference in Washington, D.C. Congratulations to all!

Final Thoughts: As the new year begins, this is a meaningful time to reflect on all we’ve accomplished together as a campus community. At UTC, our collective dedication and teamwork drive student success and positively impact the broader community. Your hard work and commitment truly make a lasting difference. Here’s to an excellent 2025!