Happy Anniversary!Founder’s Week gives us an occasion to pause and consider what UTC has meant to generations of people. For 140 years, this University has helped students build lives and careers while strengthening Chattanooga and the region. That legacy belongs to everyone who has taught, learned, worked and partnered with UTC along the way.
Across the University, we are making purposeful investments in the experiences that matter most to our students. New facilities, growing academic and research programs, and stronger connections with employers and community partners are expanding the ways students can prepare for their futures. Our faculty and students are also advancing work that reaches far beyond campus—from healthcare and mobility to quantum science and technology—while creating knowledge that can make a difference in people’s lives.
As we celebrate this milestone, we also recognize the responsibility that comes with this moment. UTC must continue to be a place where students can access an excellent education, find a sense of belonging and graduate ready to make a difference. I am grateful for the many people who believe in this University, and I look forward to the chapter we will build together.
I am grateful to everyone who joined us Tuesday for the State of the University address and the birthday celebration that followed. I appreciated the opportunity to share the progress taking place across our campus and the goals that will guide us in the years ahead. The enthusiasm in the University Center Auditorium displayed a shared confidence in UTC’s future and in the work we can accomplish together. As proud as we are of our history, I am equally excited by what is happening at UTC today and the possibilities ahead.
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A Night That Lights Up Campus: Tonight, the Division of Advancement will host Light Upon a Hill, our annual celebration of the generosity and commitment that help create opportunity for our students. I am especially pleased to recognize this year’s alumni award recipients: Gary Rollins ’67, recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award; Movita Steiner, recipient of the Outstanding Service Award; and Dr. Alexis Bennett ’16, recipient of the Graduate of the Last Decade Excellence Award. Their accomplishments and service reflect the very best of UTC.
This evening gives us an opportunity to thank the donors, alumni and friends whose support helps students remain enrolled, pursue research, participate in internships and take advantage of experiences that shape their futures. Their confidence in UTC strengthens our ability to support talented faculty, advance important work and provide the learning environments our students deserve.
At approximately 8:10 p.m., the celebration will conclude with a fireworks show over campus. As we look toward the sky tonight, I hope it will be a visible reminder of the people who believe in UTC and the bright futures they help make possible for our students.
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Enrollment Momentum Continues: UTC welcomed 11,809 students this fall, the second-highest enrollment in University history, and set a record for graduate enrollment. Our 1,749 graduate students include more than 550 professional and research doctoral students, reflecting the continued growth of advanced academic programs and the research enterprise at UTC.
We are seeing remarkable growth in dual enrollment, which has increased by more than 90% since last fall. These programs give more high school students an affordable start on college while creating additional pathways to a UTC degree.
I am grateful to the Strategic Enrollment Team for the care, creativity and sustained effort they bring to connecting future Mocs with UTC. Their work helps ensure that students from Chattanooga and far beyond can see the opportunities available here and take the first step toward becoming part of our community.
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Serving Chattanooga Together: Founder’s Week is an opportunity to put UTC’s commitment to our community into action. Tomorrow (Sept. 18), the Division of Access and Engagement will host Day of Caring with United Way, connecting students, faculty, staff and alumni with organizations across Chattanooga that strengthen the lives of our neighbors.
Volunteers will gather at 7:45 a.m. at Lupton Hall before heading out to serve. I hope you will consider joining this meaningful morning of service. Please visit United Way Day of Caring via MocSync to get involved.
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Mocs Flock to Finley: I hope all of campus can join us at 5:30 p.m. Saturday for Mocs Flock Finley. This special pregame tradition features our first-year students gathering with classmates and leading the Mocs football team onto the field before kickoff.
There is nothing quite like sharing the excitement of game day, and I look forward to seeing our Mocs students, faculty and staff filling Finley Stadium with blue and gold for the Mocs’ 6 p.m. game against Wofford.
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Honoring Faculty and Staff: One of the great traditions of Founder’s Week is the Annual Service Awards Luncheon. Yesterday, we recognized 183 employees whose dedication to UTC has made a lasting difference, including 37 faculty and staff with at least 20 years of service. Their years on this campus represent an extraordinary investment in the students, colleagues and community they have supported along the way.
Our University is shaped by the people who bring care, knowledge and commitment to their work each day. Thank you to every honoree for the many ways you have helped make UTC stronger and for the example you continue to set for our campus community.
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Remembering Chancellor Emeritus Fred Obear: Chancellor Emeritus Fred Obear, who passed away in July at the age of 91, left an enduring mark on UTC through 17 years of steady, thoughtful leadership. His vision helped strengthen the University, expand its reach and lay a foundation for much of the progress we see today. Just as importantly, those who knew him remember a kind and generous leader who cared deeply about people and believed in UTC’s potential.
As we prepare to celebrate Dr. Obear’s life on Oct. 9, I invite members of the UTC community to share memories, stories and reflections at alumni.utc.edu/obear. These personal remembrances will help honor a remarkable leader whose service continues to shape our University and the lives of countless Mocs.
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Driving the Future of Transportation: A $25 million federal BUILD grant awarded to CARTA will bring autonomous vehicles to downtown Chattanooga, and UTC will play a central role in the work ahead. The project will replace CARTA’s downtown electric shuttles with autonomous vehicles and establish the infrastructure needed to operate them as part of a connected transportation system.
UTC faculty and students will have access to a new Live-Learning Lab at CARTA’s Shuttle Park South, located alongside the autonomous vehicle command center. Building on years of work by the Center for Urban Informatics and Progress, this environment will allow our campus community to study how autonomous vehicles, traffic signals, communications networks and transit operations work together as an integrated system.
This partnership makes Chattanooga an even stronger place to learn, test new ideas and prepare for emerging careers. Our students will gain practical experience in autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and connected infrastructure, helping ensure they are ready not only to work with these technologies, but to help shape what comes next.
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Investing in Research That Makes a Difference: I am grateful to Congressman Chuck Fleischmann for securing $3 million in federal fundingfor UTC’s Translational Research Program. This investment will help UTC move promising discoveries from research into practical solutions that benefit people in Chattanooga, across Tennessee and beyond.
As the funds become available, they will support the people, tools and infrastructure needed to carry new ideas forward. Congressman Fleischmann’s continued advocacy recognizes the role UTC can play in advancing innovation, creating opportunity and strengthening our region’s future.
