We have now dealt with COVID-19 for 11 months. Our campus has come together to manage risk and persevere through the crisis. On behalf of the Executive Leadership Team, I want to thank everyone at UTC for their outstanding work, especially our students.
This semester, UTC has instituted a routine testing program to help manage the risk of COVID-19 on campus. Rapid identification of community members infected with the virus is essential. If you receive an email about routine testing, please follow the steps outlined and sign up for your test.
Our celebration of Black History Month continues with numerous activities during the second half of February. The complete list of events, including networking sessions, college-to-career virtual workshops and guest speakers, can be found on the Black History Month web page.
I want to say how proud I am of our Student Government Association and its Social Issues, Equity and Diversity Committee for creating the “U SEE Me?” initiative. “U SEE Me?”—which stands for Understand, Support, Empower, Embrace—was a powerful student-focused series of conversations built around the concepts of race and people who look different than them. It speaks volumes that our students are creating platforms to keep the dialogue going.
Two UTC seniors are now semifinalists for the U.S. Fulbright Student Program. Morgan Williams, a social work major and Spanish minor, has moved forward in the competition for an English Teaching Assistant (ETA) position in Colombia. Laurel Pelren, an environmental science major, has moved forward in the competition for an ETA position in Malaysia. Congratulations, Morgan and Laurel. Becoming a semifinalist is a significant accomplishment!
Congratulations to sophomore Brock Scholar and political science major Lola Oke on being named a semifinalist for the Fulbright Canada Mitacs Globalink program—a summer research initiative for undergraduates. If she is selected, Lola would be matched with a university professor in Canada to research marginalized communities.
What a tremendous honor achieved by the student members of the UTC delegation at the recent Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature! Known as TISL, this is an annual forum for college students from across Tennessee to learn how government works, exchange ideas and express their opinions. More than 20 colleges from across the state participated in this year’s mock congress; the UTC group was designated the best overall delegation for its excellence in all areas of the legislature.
What a crazy time for UTC athletics! The second half of February contains an in-season overlap of all sports, with all Mocs teams competing. You can stay up-to-date on UTC athletics by visiting gomocs.com or downloading the free Go Mocs app.
Mocs softball junior infielder Emily Coltharp was selected as the 2021 Southern Conference Preseason Player of the Year. Heading into the season, Emily’s .452 career on-base percentage ranked third in program history, while her .368 batting average tied for fifth. Go Mocs!