Sept. 4, 2025

Reflections on a Challenging Start to the Semester: The first week of the fall semester was truly a rollercoaster. We began with the energy of Convocation and the Oak Street Roast—events that brought thousands of students, faculty and staff together to celebrate the start of the year—and then those moments of connection were disrupted by stressful and potentially dangerous situations on campus. Our students, staff and faculty showed remarkable resilience, and I hope that the rest of the semester brings the calm and focus everyone deserves.

Campus safety is always our top priority. UTC has strong protocols in place for crisis situations. Emergency alerts are only sent when necessary, and every alert should be taken seriously until officials confirm otherwise. Prevention, communication and coordination with local law enforcement are critical, and we continue to strengthen those efforts every day.

I once again would like to thank our first responders and public safety partners for their prompt, decisive actions and their unwavering commitment to protecting our campus. We will continue to review our processes, learn from each incident, and provide the training and resources needed to keep our community safe.

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Putting Safety First: Mocs, the start of a new semester should be about making friends, attending class and enjoying campus life, but it also comes with the responsibility of keeping one another safe. Please stay aware at social gatherings, take care of your friends and speak up if something doesn’t feel right.

UTC also has a clear and unwavering stance on hazing: zero tolerance. Hazing is dangerous, unacceptable and has no place in our community. Prevention is key, which is why we’re investing in new resources, trainings and programs such as Hazing Prevention Week (Sept. 22–26). You’ll also find up-to-date information and reporting tools on our Hazing Prevention webpage.

We all have a role to play in creating a campus culture of respect and responsibility. Thank you for looking out for one another and for helping to keep UTC a safe and supportive environment where we can learn and grow.

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Let’s Go Mocs: A big shoutout to all of our student-athletes participating in fall sports. Our volleyball team hosts Alabama in the Chattanooga Classic at McKenzie Arena tomorrow at 6 p.m. Soccer hosts North Alabama at Finley Stadium this Sunday at 6 p.m.

The men’s and women’s cross country teams are in their championship season, while men’s and women’s tennis and golf are gearing up for the fall portions of their schedules.

The Mocs football team hosts its home opener at 6 p.m. next Saturday, Sept. 13, against Stetson. I hope you’ll join me in packing the Finley Stadium stands, cheering on our Mocs and showing what it means to be part of this incredible community.

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Celebrating Founders Week: Each September, we pause to honor our beginnings and celebrate the people who make UTC what it is today during Founders Week. Our University first opened its doors on Sept. 15, 1886, with 118 students, and nearly 140 years later, we continue to grow, evolve and build on that legacy. As I experience my first Founders Week at UTC, I’m reminded of how far this University has come and the bright future ahead.

One of the highlights of Founders Week is the Service Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, Sept. 16, where we will recognize faculty and staff who have reached milestones from five to 55 years of service. What truly defines UTC? It’s the faculty and staff whose hard work, passion and commitment shape the experiences of our students every single day. I am grateful for all you do to make this University such a special place.

Founders Week is also about giving back. Donation bins will be available in the Chancellor’s Office, University Center, UTC Library and Lupton Hall for the Scrappy’s Cupboard Founder’s Week Food Drive, which provides food, clothing, personal care and household items for members of the campus community. It’s a reminder that Mocs take care of Mocs, and that—together—we can support one another in meaningful ways.

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Powerful Recognition on the Global Stage: A research collaboration between UTC and TVA recently earned international recognition from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the world’s largest technical professional organization for advancing technology.

The UTC-TVA team’s paper—co-authored by Dr. Abdel Karrar, professor of electrical engineering and associate dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science; UTC seniors Andrew Adams and Julio Gonzalez; and TVA’s Mark Bowman—was selected as one of only four Prize Conference Papers at the 2025 IEEE Power & Energy Society General Meeting in Austin, Texas. Out of more than 1,600 submissions, just 5% were chosen as Best Papers, with only four recognized as Prize Papers.

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Grammy-Winning Jazz: Two-time Grammy Award-winning jazz pianist, arranger and composer Alan Broadbent will perform a solo concert at 7:30 p.m. next Thursday, Sept. 11, in the UTC Fine Arts Center’s Roland Hayes Concert Hall. The concert was made possible by a generous gift from Ken and Nancy Dryden, and proceeds from the performance will benefit WUTC-FM 88.1.

I hope you’ll join me in supporting WUTC and celebrating an incredible evening of music on our campus.