Christopher Stokes, top, and Dr. Erkan Kaplanogu are recipients of 2026 UT System President’s Awards. Individual photos by Angela Foster. Awards photo courtesy of UT System.
Two members of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga family, Dr. Erkan Kaplanoglu and Christopher Stokes, have been named recipients of 2026 UT System President’s Awards, the highest honor a faculty or staff member can receive from the UT System.
The announcement was made by UT System President Randy Boyd.
“These awards honor the exceptional talent, service and leadership of faculty and staff systemwide,” Boyd said in the UT System release. “Through their work, each honoree strengthens communities and creates lasting impact in Tennessee and beyond. They have earned this distinction and are helping define the greatest decade in UT history.”
Kaplanoglu, department head and professor of engineering management and technology, was recognized in the “Optimistic and Visionary” category.
Stokes, assistant director for fraternity and sorority life in the Center for Student Leadership, Engagement and Community, earned the President’s Award in the “Embrace Differences” category.
Other 2026 UTC nominees included faculty members Dr. Sarah Einstein, Dr. Saeid Golkar, Dr. Liz Hathaway, Dr. Hunter Holzhauer, Dr. Chandra Ward and Dr. Kristi Wick, and staff members Terrence Banks, Dr. Emily Blackman, Allison Evans, Meredith Perry, Chuck Wasserstrom and Sgt. John West.
Dr. Erkan Kaplanoglu, department head and professor of engineering management and technology.
Since joining the UTC faculty in 2019, Kaplanoglu—who serves as director of the Biomechatronic and Assistive Technology Lab and leads the UTC Research Institute’s recently launched Biomechatronics in Healthcare Initiative—has built a body of work centered on using engineering to improve people’s lives. His research and teaching focus on biomechatronics, rehabilitation robotics, wearable systems and artificial intelligence-enabled healthcare technologies.
Through the Biomechatronic and Assistive Technology Lab, he has led projects supported by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the State of Tennessee and industry partners.
His recent accomplishments include a 2025 U.S. design patent for a pneumatically actuated rehabilitation platform designed to improve balance control and assistive therapy outcomes and a 2026 U.S. patent for an upper-extremity tremor control device. In 2025, he received the University of Tennessee Research Foundation Innovation Award for pioneering rehabilitation technology and translational engineering research.
Kaplanoglu said the President’s Award recognition reflects both the work being done at UTC and the people behind it.
“It’s truly an honor to receive this award,” he said. “It means a great deal to me, both personally and professionally.
“Personally, it reinforces the belief that optimism, combined with hard work and collaboration, can make a real difference. It also challenges me to set even higher goals for myself. Professionally, this recognition reflects the support of my students and colleagues at UTC and what we’ve been able to accomplish together by developing engineering solutions that improve healthcare.”
Kaplanoglu said his optimism comes from seeing how engineering can make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.
“Even simple engineering solutions can help individuals regain their health, independence or quality of life,” he said. “I view every challenge as an opportunity to create a positive impact. My research motto is ‘Strive to eliminate barriers.’
“What keeps me optimistic is our students. Their curiosity, creativity and passion inspire me every day and remind me that the next generation has the potential to shape a better future.”
Kaplanoglu’s work has extended beyond the lab. He has launched a health technology internship program for high school students, signed research agreements with startup companies EVBots and Sensory Bridges LLC, and has been invited to deliver keynote presentations in Albania, Greece and Azerbaijan on artificial intelligence applications in prosthetics and rehabilitation.
His research has also been closely tied to community impact. He initiated a collaboration with the Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality in Türkiye to help expand access to advanced prosthetic care for individuals affected by the Syrian war and recent earthquakes. In Chattanooga, he designed and developed a supported stepping and mobility device for a 1-year-old child with cerebral palsy, which is now being used by the family. He also designed a rehabilitation exoskeleton system for stroke recovery and is collaborating with physical therapists at Siskin Hospital for Physical Rehabilitation to evaluate and advance its clinical applications.
“Dr. Erkan Kaplanoglu exemplifies what it means to be optimistic and visionary through his commitment to innovation, his passion for empowering students and his dedication to improving lives through technology,” UTC Chancellor Lori Bruce said. “His leadership and groundbreaking research continue to elevate UTC while providing a meaningful impact on our community and internationally, making him exceptionally deserving of this recognition.”
Christopher Stokes, assistant director for fraternity and sorority life in the Center for Student Leadership, Engagement and Community.
A 2003 UTC graduate with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology, Stokes began working for the University in 2004 as a resident director with University Residence Life.
For Stokes, the honor recognizes a career spent helping students feel seen, valued and connected.
“Embracing differences has been my life story,” he said. “From every facet of my life, I have had to navigate significant barriers and challenges. Through each of them, I learned to appreciate the struggle and how to overcome it in mostly healthy, creative and meaningful ways that not only added to my understanding of my identity but also helped me appreciate—through empathy—the stories of others, their journeys and our collective journeys.”
Over two decades at UTC, Stokes has served in Residence Life, TRIO programs, Multicultural Affairs and Fraternity and Sorority Life. Along the way, he has helped build programs, partnerships and spaces that strengthen belonging, leadership development and student success.
His work has included helping launch the Multicultural Ambassador Program and the Multicultural Presidents Council; supporting retention and mentorship initiatives such as GUIDE, BMOCS and TRIO; and partnering with faculty, staff, alumni and community organizations to create opportunities for dialogue, collaboration and student engagement. He helped advance the creation of the UTC Divine Nine Heritage Park, a project that aligned campus priorities with cultural recognition and alumni engagement.
Stokes has built and sustained partnerships with more than 20 multicultural student organizations, fraternities and sororities, and community partners. He has facilitated campus workshops, events and training on cultural responsiveness, risk management and leadership development, and has served on committees focused on hazing prevention, retention and campus climate.
“Christopher Stokes embodies what it means to embrace differences through leadership that builds community, creates belonging and empowers students to succeed,” Bruce said. “UTC is stronger because of his service.”
Stokes said the recognition is deeply personal.
“I envision humanity as a tapestry, with each thread, each hue, woven with intention. Even if one is removed, it impacts the overall masterpiece,” he said. “I draw some of my inspiration from the Maya Angelou poem ‘Human Family’ as it closes with its final two stanzas: ‘We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike. We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.’”
That outlook, he said, has shaped the way he works with students.
“I maintain an active archive of times I or others have felt unseen and when I have potentially overshadowed others,” Stokes said. “This awareness keeps me learning and astute, not jaded. It is a living frame of reference that helps me build or discover paths to help others navigate barriers so they do not have to walk alone. I keep my door open for transparent talks with students, faculty and staff about the unique journeys students have toward earning a degree. I recognize patterns of opportunity and growth and share those insights with students so they can provide space for others while building relationships along the way.
“My conversations change each year, but the core message remains the same. I want everyone to know they belong to something bigger, even when they may feel small. Two key beliefs guide my work and I actively share them: You are meant to be here, and you are not on this journey alone.”
Photo courtesy of UT System
The President’s Awards were established in 2016 to annually honor UT faculty and staff whose work advances the University’s Be One UT values: Bold and Impactful, Embrace Differences, Optimistic and Visionary, Nimble and Innovative, Excel in All We Do, United and Connected, and Transparent and Trusted.
Previous UTC recipients of President’s Awards include:
- 2025: Dr. Rick Dierenfeldt (Optimistic and Visionary category) and Erica Holmes Trujillo (Nimble and Innovative)
- 2024: Dr. Mina Sartipi (Nimble and Innovative) and Brett Fuchs (Excel In All We Do)
- 2023: Dr. David Rausch (Nimble and Innovative), Dr. Abeer Mustafa (Excel In All We Do) and Michelle Rigler (Embrace Diversity)
- 2022: Dr. Frank Butler (Bold and Impactful) and Carla Mason (Excel In All We Do)
- 2021: Val Sample (Support)
- 2019: Dr. Valerie Rutledge (Diversity)
- 2017: Dr. Chris Smith (Connect)
Honorees are chosen from a system-wide pool of candidates nominated by campus and institute leaders. Each winner receives a commemorative plaque and a $3,000 monetary award, and will be recognized by Boyd, university chancellors and vice presidents during a special luncheon in August.
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