Inspiring innovation: UTC’s signature research conference brings campus and community together

More than 650 presenters and 320 unique research projects will be featured at this year’s Spring Research and Arts Conference. Photo by Angela Foster.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Spring Research and Arts Conference returns on Wednesday, April 9, continuing its tradition of showcasing student and faculty research, innovation and creativity.

This year, the event moves to McKenzie Arena and the Wolford Family Athletic Center—marking a new chapter in its continuing evolution.

Presented by UTC’s College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS) and the Office for Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavor (URaCE), the conference highlights the breadth and depth of research happening at UTC—featuring more than 650 presenters and 320 unique research projects throughout the day.

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For more information, visit the UTC Spring Research and Arts Conference webpage. The conference schedule can be found here.

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Dr. Lisa Piazza, executive director of URaCE, is overseeing her sixth spring research conference, guiding its transformation through different names, locations and modalities.

“This is our campuswide spring event to really showcase research and creative works on campus,” said Piazza, who started at UTC in 2018. “It’s the one time a year when everyone involved in research at UTC comes together in a single space to share their work.

“It’s also a way for the broader community—local high school students, industry leaders and researchers from other institutions—to engage with the incredible things happening here.”

In addition to the student presenters, Piazza said more than 300 students will participate through class visit programs.

The 2025 edition will feature students from Baylor School and Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences as well as faculty and researchers from Vanderbilt University and Georgia Tech. UTC faculty from across disciplines will present as well.

Piazza said oral and poster presentations will cover topics ranging from engineering breakthroughs to biomedical research and environmental sustainability.

Also of note, she said, is the growing focus on artificial intelligence research—with more than 40 student presentations incorporating AI into their projects.

Among the many presentations, several standout projects include:

Graduate student Shyla Khan’s project titled “Is Fair Lovely? A Cross-Cultural Comparison of the Impact of Colorism on Mental Health in South Asian Women.” Khan’s research explores how societal and familial influences contribute to self-perception and mental health among South Asian women in the U.S. and Asia. By analyzing the psychological effects of colorism, her work sheds light on issues of identity, self-esteem and social dynamics in historically colonized communities.
Ph.D. candidate Joshua Tyler’s project, “RANDOM Neural Networks for Practical Artificial Intelligence-based Cryptography.” Tyler has developed the world’s first practical AI-driven network for generating cryptographic algorithms. His work enables near-instant encryption without communication overhead, creating a secure and efficient method for protecting digital information.
Sophomore biology major Lydia Byerly’s project, “Aeromonas hydrophila alters growth, biofilm formation, and swimming motility at host and aquatic temperatures in response to polyunsaturated fatty acids.” Byerly, also a Brock Scholar in the UTC Honors College, has investigated how a bacterial pathogen affecting fish and humans adapts to different environments—with a focus on its resistance to antibiotics. Her findings could lead to new approaches for combating bacterial infections in both aquatic and medical settings.

Attendees can expect a packed schedule—with four research presentation sessions running from 9 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. in the McKenzie Arena concourse and the Wolford Family Athletic Center—a new space offering floor-to-ceiling windows and natural lighting.

Piazza said pulling off an event of this scale requires immense collaboration. More than 100 volunteers will help ensure the conference runs smoothly, along with 10 faculty and staff serving as oral session moderators.

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A highlight of this year’s conference is the MOCS Innovate! UTC Innovators Showcase, where participants from the Fly for Researchers Faculty Pitch Competition, the Harris Chair mini-grant and the MOCS Innovate! seed funding grant program will showcase their research.

Jennifer Skjellum, commercialization counselor for the UTC Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, said that some of the innovations faculty are developing likely started with a poster session at this very conference.

“The MOCS Innovate! UTC Innovators Showcase provides a unique opportunity for attendees to explore groundbreaking research at UTC, connect with faculty innovators, and witness the real-world impact of their work,” Skjellum said. “This event highlights the path to commercialization, demonstrating how research evolves into real-world applications.

“The funding we provide acts as a catalyst, helping faculty build prototypes and advance their concepts to the point where they can apply for federal grants or explore commercial opportunities.”

Skjellum said participants in the showcase will follow a “science fair” style setup, with faculty presenting their projects at designated tables and rotating throughout the day.

“From a commercialization and technology transfer perspective, this showcase is exciting because it honors research while also highlighting what comes next,” Skjellum said. “Innovation isn’t just about invention—it has to create societal and economic impact.

“The goal is for faculty and staff at the showcase to demonstrate the next steps for their research, showing what’s possible beyond the initial discovery.”

One of the most significant shifts this year is the partnership between URaCE and CECS, which has integrated its annual Technology Symposium into the conference.

“This is a big change and it’s beneficial for us,” Piazza explained. “By merging events, we’ve streamlined the process and expanded the audience, allowing for greater participation and visibility.”

Brooke Stappenbeck, administrative project manager in the CECS Office of the Dean, said the collaboration is an opportunity to create a more impactful and unified research showcase.

“We realized that we were essentially running two similar events—the Spring Research and Arts Conference and our Technology Symposium—both aimed at showcasing student research,” Stappenbeck said. “Instead of hosting them separately, we saw an opportunity to combine efforts and make one large, impactful event.”

The partnership, she said, has opened the door for greater industry and community engagement—highlighted by a VIP breakfast coordinated by CECS Director of Advancement Jennifer Fritts.

“We’re excited because this is the first year we’ve incorporated a VIP breakfast where some of our key University and community stakeholders—including industry leaders—can engage directly with student researchers,” Stappenbeck said.

She noted that CECS alone has 110 presenters at this year’s conference, highlighting the significance of research within the college.

The CECS collaboration with URaCE also enhances opportunities for cross-disciplinary partnerships, as faculty and students from different colleges will share the same space to present their work.

“This is a perfect opportunity to break out of academic silos,” Stappenbeck said. “Engineering students will see what’s happening in business, arts and sciences, and other fields—and vice versa. If we’re aware of what’s going on across campus, we can spark new collaborations and expand our impact beyond UTC.”

For Piazza, the conference isn’t just about research presentations—it’s about giving students a competitive edge.

“I’m passionate about undergrad research just because it is such a powerful tool for students and the next step in their life journey,” she said. “For example, three students that I’ve been in contact with this week have been accepted into these really spectacular summer REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduate) programs.

“That’s why I get up every day. The return on investment when you do this as an undergrad student is going to pay really big dividends.”

Piazza added that many UTC students who have participated in undergraduate research have gone on to secure prestigious research fellowships and gain admission into top-tier graduate programs.

“We see it in all of these different opportunities that students get into once they start working with faculty on a research project,” she said. “It might start with just going into the lab a couple of days a week or doing some field research; you get that bug, and the student continues in these projects for a semester or a couple of years and it leads to other really spectacular opportunities.

“That’s why I’m passionate about it. I really see what students are able to do with the experience and how they’re able to leverage this experience—whether they’re going on to medical school, grad school or going right into a job. They have a really, really strong story to tell about their time at UTC and that is extremely valuable.”

Sponsors of this year’s Spring Research and Arts Conference include College of Arts and Sciences; College of Engineering and Computer Science; College of Health, Education and Professional Studies; Gary W. Rollins College of Business; UTC Graduate School; UTC Honors College; UTC Library; Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research; and UTC Library Studio.

The conference’s organizing committee includes:

Associate Professor of Psychology Kristen Jennings Black
Associate Professor Bernadette DePrez, coordinator of the School of Nursing’s DNP: Nursing Administration Systems curriculum
Assistant Professor of Education Lorna Durrant
UC Foundation Associate Professor Natalie Haber, online services librarian and research services desk coordinator for the UTC Library
Assistant Professor of Education Jennifer Lynberg
Adjunct English Instructor Madonna Kemp
Assistant Professor Marissa McElrone, coordinator of nutrition and dietetics for the Master of Public Health program
UTC Research Institute Administrative Specialist Kim Sapp
Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Commercialization Counselor Jennifer Skjellum
UC Foundation Associate Professor of Health and Human Performance Karissa Peyer
Associate Professor of Physical Therapy Max Jordon