Homecoming Week is fast approaching and starts Monday! Multiple events over the week will set the stage for our Homecoming football game at Finley Stadium on Saturday. We play Western Carolina University, and kickoff is at 4 p.m. Be ready to cheer loudly. Go Mocs!
It was an honor to recognize the 192 faculty and staff members during our Service Awards luncheon last week. Having worked at UTC anywhere from five to 40 years, their dedication is a testament to the family we have at UTC, and their hard work and devotion to our university is inspiring.
Please join me in congratulating Dr. Li Yang, Guerry Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, for her two-year appointment as a program director at the National Science Foundation. Over the 2019-2020 academic year, she will direct the organization’s Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace program. We are very proud that she will be representing our university at NSF.
Congratulations also are due to Theresa Liedtka, dean of UTC’s Lupton Library. She is one of 15 people statewide to be chosen for the inaugural Tennessee Higher Education Leadership and Innovation Fellows program, which will develop the next generation of enterprise leaders in higher education. Her selection is an honor for Theresa and for UTC.
Dr. Carmen Jimenez was named as the 2019 Latino Leader of the Year by LaPaz, the local organization that represents and empowers Chattanooga’s Latino population. Carmen, a professor in Spanish Modern and Classical Languages, is highly deserving of the award, and we are proud of her dedication to diversity in our community.
Last week we unveiled a set of historic plaques at our Sports Complex, located next to Engel Stadium. The plaques were part of a project carried out by UTC students under the direction of history department head Michael Thompson and follow the fascinating history of the stadium, Chattanooga baseball and their connection to nearby neighborhoods and the city.