Championship Thursday! A big “GO MOCS!” to Head Coach Dan Earl and the men’s basketball team for advancing to the NIT Championship Game for the first time in program history! The Mocs take on UC Irvine tonight at 9 p.m. ET at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis—and the game will be nationally televised on ESPN. Whether you’re in the stands or cheering from home, don’t miss this incredible moment for our Mocs student-athletes. Thank you for representing the Power C with pride and giving Mocs fans everywhere a thrilling postseason to remember!

A Game-Changing Gift for Women’s Athletics: I’m thrilled to share that the Steiner family has made a trailblazing seven-figure commitment to explore a new women’s athletics complex at UTC. This transformational gift lays the foundation for new competition and practice facilities for women’s soccer, new locker rooms for beach volleyball, and upgraded facilities for softball—all to be located at the current UTC Sports Complex and Engel Stadium site. A longtime supporter of UTC and a passionate advocate for women’s athletics, Movita Steiner and her family continue to shape the future of our campus through their generosity. We are deeply grateful for their commitment to our student-athletes, our University and our community.

Celebrating Research: UTC’s annual Spring Research and Arts Conference returns on Wednesday, April 9, showcasing student and faculty research, innovation and creativity. Now at McKenzie Arena and the Wolford Family Athletic Center, the growing event features over 650 presenters, 320 projects and the MOCS Innovate! UTC Innovators Showcase—highlighting research with real-world impact on the community. For more information, visit the Spring Research and Arts Conference webpage. Special thanks to the Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavor (URace), the College of Engineering and Computer Science and the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship for their collaborative events in organizing this year’s conference.

Bringing Alumni and Students Together: As part of I Love UTC Week, scholarship donors and student recipients will come together tomorrow (April 4) for the University’s annual Scholarship Luncheon. Hosted by the Division of Advancement, the event celebrates donor generosity and student achievement, providing a meaningful opportunity for students to express gratitude and share their academic and career goals. A big thank you goes out to our many alums and donors coming to campus to meet our students.

Blue and Gold Spring Preview: This Saturday (April 5), the Undergraduate Admissions Office will host its largest campus recruitment event of the year—the annual Blue and Gold Preview Day for prospective students and their families. Prospective students and their families and friends will start their day at the ARC and explore academic programs, meet faculty and students, tour campus and learn why UTC and Chattanooga should be their top choice. Thank you to our faculty, staff and student volunteers for creating a welcoming experience!

CECS Dean Search Nears Completion: The national search for the new Dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science is almost complete. I want to thank the search committee chair, Honors College Dean Linda Frost, and the dedicated faculty and staff on the search committee for the terrific work they did in identifying three outstanding candidates for this critical position. Information about the process can be found here.

Drama Unfolds: A production set to debut on the Broadway stage is also coming to UTC, as the UTC Theatre Co. is presenting “John Proctor is the Villain” by Kimberly Belflower. Running April 8-12 at the Dorothy Hackett Ward Theatre, the play features a talented UTC student cast. Congratulations to the Department of Theatre on another exciting show!

Taking Center Stage: Two UTC theatre students recently competed in the 2025 Hult Prize U.S. National Competition in Cambridge, Massachusetts—a contest that challenged students to develop innovative business solutions for global issues. Congratulations to senior Pearson Smith, UTC’s first theatre entrepreneurship major and junior marketing major Harrison Faulkner—along with faculty members Thomas Lyons, Kristin Nalley and Mike Bradshaw—for the work they put in on their social entrepreneurship venture.

Planting Seeds of Change: Congratulations to graduate student Julia Prins, who recently received the North Carolina Botanical Garden’s Best Student Oral Presentation award at the 2025 Association of Southeastern Biologists annual meeting. Julia, who will soon graduate with a master’s in environmental science, was honored for her research presentation, “Modeling NatureServe Subnational Conservation Status Ranks for Tennessee Vascular Plants.” She also co-presented a second talk alongside fellow graduate student Sevyn Brothers on the flora of Booker T. Washington State Park. Congratulations to Julia on this outstanding recognition and for making an impact on plant conservation in Tennessee.

MobileMOC is Here! It has been so exciting seeing the MobileMOC mobile outreach health clinic arrive at UTC! MobileMOC will serve older adults and caregivers in the 10-county Southeast Tennessee Area Agency on Aging and Disability district by bringing interprofessional health care into underserved areas. Dr. Kristi Wick, UC Foundation assistant professor and Vicky B. Gregg Chair in Gerontology, and Vice Provost Shewanee Howard-Baptiste were co-principal investigators on the initiative—leading a collaborative team that includes Dr. Sarah Treat, Dr. Latisha Toney, Dr. Amber Roaché and Dr. Meagan Oslund from the School of Nursing; Dr. Amir Alakaam (Master of Public Health); Dr. Erin Melhorn (Occupational Therapy); Dr. Cathy Scott (Social Work); and Dr. Deborah Mullen (Management).

Your Voice Matters: Faculty, staff and students—keep an eye on your inbox. In the coming days, the Chancellor’s Office will be sending an email with details about two upcoming strategic plan open forum sessions, along with a link to share your feedback through a campuswide survey. Your input is vital as we shape the next chapter of UTC’s future.