Mocs Give Day Invests in What’s Possible: On Tuesday, Oct. 6, the UTC community will come together for Mocs Give Day. This annual day of giving is a powerful reminder of what happens when people believe in students and invest in their potential.
Every contribution, no matter the size, helps open doors. It can provide the support that allows a student to stay on course, pursue a high-impact learning experience or take the next step toward a meaningful career. Giving also strengthens the academic programs, faculty expertise and campus experiences that distinguish a UTC education.
I hope our alumni, faculty, staff, students, families and friends will join us in supporting Mocs Give Day. Together, we can help ensure that more students have the opportunity to learn, grow and build their futures at UTC.
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Welcoming GovCon to Chattanooga: Tonight, UTC is proud to help welcome leaders from across Tennessee for GovCon 2026, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s annual Governor’s Conference. As employers, elected officials and community leaders gather to consider the state’s future, the conversations will focus on issues that matter deeply to UTC and our region, including workforce development and artificial intelligence, energy and rural communities.
It is an honor for Chattanooga to host the final Governor’s Conference of Gov. Bill Lee’s administration. UTC is proud to serve as an official sponsor and host this evening’s opening reception, helping create connections that can lead to meaningful progress for our students and the state.
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Power C Tour Hits the Road: Last night, we began the fifth annual Power C Tour with a visit to the Nashville area, bringing UTC directly to prospective students, families and school counselors in Middle Tennessee. Choosing a college is an important decision, and these events give students a chance to ask questions, learn more about UTC and begin to picture themselves as part of our community.
The tour continues in Memphis on Oct. 8, Knoxville on Oct. 21 and Chattanooga on Oct. 28. At each stop, students can meet members of our campus community, explore the programs and support available at UTC, and—in some cases—receive an on-the-spot admission decision. Our goal is to help future Mocs see UTC as a place where they will be valued, supported and prepared for what comes next.
Thank you to the Enrollment Management and Student Affairs teams, our faculty and staff representatives, student ambassadors and everyone else whose work makes the Power C Tour possible. You are helping prospective students and their families make personal connections to UTC at an important point in their college search.
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National Recognition for Transportation Innovation: Congratulations to the Center for Urban Informatics and Progress research team on earning third place and a $150,000 prize in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s ARPA-I Ideas and Innovation Challenge. Selected from 448 submissions nationwide, UTC was the only university-led team among the four finalists invited to present in Washington, D.C. Special congratulations to Dr. Mina Sartipi, Austin Harris, Yasir Hassan and Dr. Maged Shoman, whose leadership and expertise represented UTC so well on the national stage.
UTC’s PRISM: AI-Powered Platform for Real-Time Intelligence in Shared Mobility uses artificial intelligence and Chattanooga’s connected transportation infrastructure to give vehicles, roadway systems and transportation operators a shared view of changing conditions. The platform is being validated on Chattanooga’s MLK Smart Corridor, building on years of research and collaboration across our community.
This achievement reflects the strength of the partnerships that make this work possible, including the City of Chattanooga, the UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute and industry collaborators. I am grateful to the entire team for advancing a technology that could make transportation safer and more efficient in Chattanooga and communities across the country.
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Opening New Doors in Quantum: UTC students and faculty will be the first customers to use EPB’s new IonQ Forte Enterprise quantum computer, which launched this month at the EPB Quantum Center. This rare access to commercial quantum infrastructure will provide our researchers and students direct experience with technology that is still emerging across industry and research.
UTC has been at the center of Chattanooga’s quantum ecosystem from the start, and this milestone creates another meaningful opportunity for our campus. I am grateful to EPB for prioritizing higher education in this effort and for recognizing that students who learn with these tools today will be prepared to lead in the quantum workforce of tomorrow.
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Expanding Wellness Support Across UTC: I encourage faculty and staff to take part in the UT System’s “Know Now, Know How” Challenge, which continues through Oct. 10. The series offers practical tools for supporting the well-being of students and colleagues. I am especially proud of Amy Kyriakidis, assistant director for suicide education and prevention in the Center for Wellbeing, whose UT wellness mini-grant supported a new self-paced training on recognizing signs of suicide risk, beginning a caring conversation and connecting someone with help. Her work is now available to faculty and staff throughout the UT System.
Kat James, assistant director for substance use education and recovery, has also helped strengthen the series through an opioid-overdose response course. The training prepares employees to recognize the signs of a possible overdose, respond confidently in an emergency.
UTC was represented among the recipients of the 2026-27 UT wellness mini-grants by Guerry Associate Professor of Communication Nagwan Zahry and Assistant Professor of Psychology Feng Guo. Their project will explore how artificial intelligence and strategic communication can improve access to campus wellness resources and identify ways to support student well-being across the UT System. I am grateful to Amy, Kat, Nagwan and Feng for using their expertise to create resources that can make a meaningful difference.
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Using Mathematics to Advance Rehabilitation: Dr. Ziwei Ma, associate professor of mathematics, has earned a U.S. National Science Foundation award to contribute to a multi-university project developing wearable technology and artificial intelligence tools for people with neurological motor disorders. Working with researchers in engineering, physical therapy and statistics, Dr. Ma will lead the development of machine-learning algorithms and analysis of complex data gathered through the study.
His work reflects how UTC faculty bring specialized expertise to questions with the potential to improve lives. I congratulate Ziwei on this national recognition and appreciate his contributions to research, teaching and service in the Department of Mathematics.
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Supporting Healthy Aging Across Tennessee: Dr. Kristi Wick, the Vicky B. Gregg Chair of Gerontology and a UC Foundation associate professor in the College of Nursing, has received the Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging’s Trusted Partner in Aging Award. MobileMOC was also recently named a 2026 BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Champion of Health Care—two honors that recognize the program’s service to older adults in rural communities throughout Southeast Tennessee.
MobileMOC brings faculty and students together with senior centers, healthcare providers and community organizations to connect older adults with health education and support. I congratulate Dr. Wick and the entire interprofessional MobileMOC team—which includes UTC faculty and students from nursing, occupational therapy, social work, nutrition and dietetics and business/finance—on these well-deserved recognitions. I am grateful for the care, expertise and commitment they bring to helping older adults remain healthy, independent and connected in the communities they call home.
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Engineering Greater Independence: A UTC research team has received a U.S. design patent for a wearable device intended to help people with essential tremor perform daily tasks with greater ease. Led by Dr. Erkan Kaplanoglu, head of the Department of Engineering Management and Technology and director of the Biomechatronics in Healthcare Initiative, the project brings together engineering, healthcare and design to address a challenge that affects many older adults.
Dr. Ahad Nasab and Dr. Gazi Akgun were key UTC collaborators in developing the device, along with a team of researchers from Marmara University in Türkiye. I applaud Dr. Kaplanoglu, Dr. Nasab and Dr. Akgun on this achievement and appreciate the work they are doing to advance assistive technology at UTC.
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A Lasting Legacy of Leadership: As we look ahead to the Oct. 9 celebration of life for Chancellor Emeritus Frederick W. Obear, I continue to hear stories that capture the generosity, wisdom and quiet strength he brought to UTC.
Over nearly two decades as chancellor, Dr. Obear guided the University through a period of important growth while remaining deeply attentive to the people who made this campus special. His influence is evident not only in the progress UTC achieved during his tenure, but in the relationships and sense of community he fostered.
I invite everyone who knew Dr. Obear to share their memories and reflections at alumni.utc.edu/obear. These stories will help us celebrate a leader whose impact continues to be felt throughout UTC.
