An investment in Honors

During a recent visit to UTC, alumnus Richard Zhang, left, met with Honors College students and Dean Linda Frost. Photos by Angela Foster.

“This is the best investment I could possibly make.”

That’s a bold statement from Richard Zhang (’92), a University of Tennessee at Chattanooga alumnus who triple-majored and graduated summa cum laude with bachelor’s degrees in chemistry, economics and accounting. Zhang has led London-headquartered Apax Partners’ operations in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia since 2008, including private equity investments and fundraising.

What investment is he referring to? His recent seven-figure gift to the UTC Honors College and the Innovations in Honors (IIH) program.

Designed for transfer and current UTC students at the sophomore and junior levels, the IIH program is a problem-based, community-embedded learning experience. Designed to develop critical thinking, applied creativity and collaborative leadership, IIH students take a collection of general education seminars and experiential learning courses focused on internships, service learning, study abroad, undergraduate research and more.

In addition to his triple major, Zhang was a Brock Scholar in the Honors College at UTC.

“An honors education is a fantastic example of undergraduate education at its best. Small seminar classes, the reading of classics, the interdisciplinary studies and the hugely collaborative culture between the faculty and the students and among the students: these things helped transform me into who I am today,” Zhang said.

Richard Zhang and Honor College Dean Linda Frost

While Zhang’s financial investment in UTC dates to 2019 and can be found throughout campus—including previous scholarship support for honors students to participate in study abroad—this new gift will allow Innovations in Honors students to have the same level of scholarship support as their Brock Scholars peers.

“Richard Zhang’s gifts have profoundly changed the UTC Honors College,” said Dr. Linda Frost, dean of the UTC Honors College. “While we have had two programs in the Honors College for over 10 years, only Brock Scholars have had a recurring, annual scholarship. For the first time since the UTC Honors College started in 2013, all students in both programs receive an annual $2,000 scholarship that stacks on top of their other financial aid.

“Thanks entirely to Richard, UTC’s Innovations in Honors students have the same support as their Brock Scholar peers. This completely sets the UTC Honors College apart from every other honors program in the state and most in the nation.”

Julia Lyashevskiy, a current IIH student majoring in biology and recipient of Zhang’s generosity, reflected on what this support means to her.

“Richard Zhang’s donation allows me to fully focus on my studies and experience new and exciting things every day in my classes,” Lyashevskiy said. “This scholarship has alleviated some of the financial pressures of being a full-time student and I am truly grateful.”

Zhang, the 2019 Honors College’s Sompayrac Alumni Award winner and 2024 UTC undergraduate commencement speaker, recounted his journey from China to Chattanooga due to scholarship support.

“I got a full scholarship that allowed me to attend UTC and become who I am today,” he said. “That was an investment in my future and I wanted the same investment for future generations. Innovations and Brock scholars are going to have a significant impact on society and other people’s lives. That’s a huge return on an investment you can make.”