Chancellor’s Update

This academic year has flown by, and the end of the spring semester is almost here.  Monday (April 24) is the last day of classes, followed by Reading Day.  Final exams take place April 26-May 2.

This week, as part of our collaboration with EPB’s “Gig City Goes Quantum” initiative, we have hosted a pair of information sessions at the Center for Professional Education led by quantum technology experts.  A third session featuring Assistant Professor of Physics Tian Li is set for noon tomorrow (April 21).

As we near the completion of a national search for the next dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science, three finalists were invited to visit campus—Dr. Jaime Ramirez-Vick, Dr. Hulya Kirkici and Dr. George Nnanna.  You can learn more about them by clicking here.  We hope you will attend their public presentations, either in-person or via Livestream, and provide your feedback.

What a wild ride for Rollins College of Business SMILE Fund students Jacob Barber (senior/finance/Chattanooga), Grant Fetters (junior/finance and accounting/Mt. Juliet, TN), Claire Hoeke (junior/finance/Greeneville, TN) and Nick Morris (junior/accounting/Alpharetta, GA).  The four advanced to the Americas Region finals in the global Chartered Financial Analyst Institute Research Challenge—as the team made it to the final 16 out of nearly 1,300 university teams worldwide.

Congratulations and best of luck to the interdisciplinary group of UTC students heading to Golden, Colorado, to participate in this weekend’s U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2023 Design Challenge.  The UTC team, one of 10 finalists in the Attached Housing competition, is comprised of interior architecture and design students Landon Parker, Blake Burba, Jacob Ridenour and Robyn Wood; mechanical engineering student Caleb Traxler; chemical engineering student Daron Lyons; and construction management students Lina Abdelkarim and Kenisha Gardner.  Kudos to Dr. Eun Young Kim, assistant professor of interior design and faculty advisor for the team.

A big round of applause to 2020 graduate Jared Steiman, who currently works in the UTC Center for Community Career Education as a GEAR UP program coordinator, on being awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) in Mexico.  Participants in the ETA program assist in teaching English while representing the U.S. as cultural ambassadors.  Jared was a Brock Scholar as an undergraduate, receiving bachelor’s degrees in humanities: international studies and creative writing.  Congratulations!

Kudos to Head Coach Chuck Merzbacher and the Mocs men’s tennis team on winning its first-ever Southern Conference regular season title!  Best of luck to both the men’s and women’s teams this weekend at the SoCon postseason tournament, which takes place starting today (April 20) at the Champions Club in Hixson.

Best of luck to McClendon Curtis in the upcoming April 27-29 NFL draft.  McClendon, an offensive lineman, is looking to become the second Mocs offensive lineman selected in the draft in as many years, following Cole Strange’s UTC history-marking first-round selection last year.  McClendon is not just a star on the football field; he will graduate in May with a master’s degree in School Leadership.

Kudos to everyone who participated in last week’s Spring Research and Arts Conference!  Approximately 500 students, faculty and staff presented their research results at the campus’ largest academic conference.

We will hold our next Coffee with the Chancellor from 8:45-9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 25, in the University Center Chattanooga Room.  For those who haven’t been to Coffee with the Chancellor, stop by to chat and grab a cup of coffee; the only agenda is meaningful conversation.  Bring your ideas, questions and concerns and keep the mug!

We will celebrate our University High collaboration with Hamilton County Schools with the new program’s students and their families on Thursday, April 27.  Debuting this fall, University High is an HCS – UTC partnership headquartered on the UTC campus serving students and their families at no cost to them.  An initial cohort of 58 high school juniors will enroll in high school courses taught by HCS teachers and college-level courses taught by UTC faculty.

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, which recognizes the contributions and positive impact of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched our history, culture and achievements, occurs in May.  Since most students are not on campus in May, numerous events will occur throughout April.  Check out MocSync for upcoming events.

For the 10th straight year, UTC has been designated as a “Tree Campus USA” by the Arbor Day Foundation.  The selection honors colleges and universities for promoting healthy trees and engaging students and staff in conservation efforts.

For our students about to embark on internships, travel abroad experiences, or just taking time off to relax, I want to wish you a great summer!