Chancellor Lori Bruce wearing her academic regalia—a navy doctoral gown with orange accents, a velvet tam, and the University’s ceremonial medallion. Photo by Angela Foster.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga will hold a historic ceremony to celebrate the formal investiture of Chancellor Lori Mann Bruce at 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21, in McKenzie Arena.
An investiture is one of the oldest traditions in higher education, a ceremonial event that formally confers authority upon a new university leader. Rooted in centuries of academic heritage, the ceremony represents both continuity and renewal—symbolizing UTC’s enduring mission and the promise of new leadership.
The ceremony will include remarks from Chancellor Bruce, University of Tennessee System President Randy Boyd and campus dignitaries. Program highlights will include performances by the UTC Chamber Singers and the traditional presentation of the University mace and chain of office—symbols of the authority and responsibility entrusted to the chancellor.
The event is open to the public, with doors opening at 1:30 p.m.
- Parking will be available in the Mocs Alumni Garage (Garage 31) and Lots 32 and 33 across the street from the arena.
- For more information about the event, visit the Chancellor’s Investiture webpage.
- For those unable to attend the investiture in person, the ceremony will be streamed live.
Dr. Bruce became the 19th chancellor in University history on June 30, 2025, bringing to UTC more than two decades of experience in higher education leadership, research and academic innovation.
Before coming to UTC, she served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Tennessee Technological University, where she oversaw all academic operations and led strategic planning efforts for more than 10,000 students across eight colleges. Under her leadership at Tennessee Tech, the institution achieved a perfect academic program quality score from the state—an accomplishment unmatched in over four decades. She led the development and launch of multiple new academic programs at the bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. levels, each aligning with statewide and regional workforce needs.
Bruce spearheaded efforts to increase annual research funding from $16 million to more than $46 million, with projections indicating even higher figures for fiscal year 2025. She oversaw $350 million in campus infrastructure improvements—from new science and engineering facilities to major building renovations. She also established the Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence, implemented a campus-wide compensation study that led to pay increases across faculty and staff ranks, and worked to foster a supportive culture around professional development.
Prior to her tenure at Tennessee Tech, Bruce served as associate vice president for academic affairs and dean of the Graduate School at Mississippi State University. During her time on that campus, she held appointments as Giles distinguished professor of electrical and computer engineering; associate dean for research and graduate studies in the Bagley College of Engineering; executive director of the High Performance Computing Collaboratory; and interim director of the Raspet Flight Research Laboratory.
As a faculty member, she led research projects funded with more than $20 million from federal and industry partners, resulting in over 150 peer-reviewed scholarly publications that have been cited more than 6,000 times.
A native of Lincoln County, Tennessee, Bruce grew up on a working farm about 90 minutes west of Chattanooga. Her early life experiences shaped her values of hard work, service and education. She earned a bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. She also completed graduate coursework in biomedical engineering through the Georgia Tech/Emory Medical School joint program.
