State of the University 2026: 140 years of momentum

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In her first State of the University address, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chancellor Lori Mann Bruce spoke to faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members about UTC’s 140-year history, recent successes and the momentum that will drive the University forward. 

The address, held Tuesday, Sept. 15, in the University Center Auditorium, is a tradition that is part of Founder’s Week, an annual celebration of UTC’s anniversary. 

Zachary Lewis, UTC’s Student Government Association president, opened the ceremony. 

“For 140 years, UTC has been a place where people come to learn, grow, discover their purpose and prepare to make a difference,” Lewis said. “While our campus and our world have changed, one thing has remained constant—the people who make this University what it is. 

“Students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of UTC have each played a part in shaping our story and in building the foundation for what comes next.” 

Bruce continued that message in her address. 

“One hundred forty years is a remarkable milestone,” the chancellor said. “It gives us a chance to look back with gratitude, to be honest about where we are today and, most importantly, to think boldly about the future we are building together.” 

Bruce framed the state of UTC around two questions: Who are we, and where are we going? 

To answer them, she pointed to the University’s new strategic plan and its five pillars. Three focus on what UTC does: teaching and supporting student success; pursuing research, scholarship and innovation; and serving the community and the state. The other two focus on what makes that work possible—people and places. 

Much of the address focused on the people behind UTC’s progress. 

Bruce shared the story of recent chemical engineering graduate Jessica Hobbs, whose path to UTC included serving in the U.S. Army Reserve and deploying overseas before returning to college. At UTC, Hobbs joined the Innovations in Honors program and received a Gilman Scholarship to study in the Netherlands. 

“Jessica reminds us that there is no single path to success,” Bruce said. “Our responsibility is to meet our students where they are and help them discover what is possible, not only around them, but within them.” 

She also recognized recent business management graduate Graham Davis, who completed six internships while at UTC. 

“Our city is part of our classroom,” Bruce said, “and our faculty make that classroom extraordinary.” 

That led Bruce to the research happening across campus. She highlighted Dr. Mina Sartipi and her Center for Urban Informatics and Progress team, who are among four finalists selected from 448 teams in a national U.S. Department of Transportation competition focused on moving research toward commercial viability. 

“Now, that is UTC research competing on a national stage,” Bruce said. 

She discussed Dr. Erkan Kaplanoglu’s work with students to develop mobility technology and Dr. Kristi Wick’s work with the MobileMOC health clinic. Since launching just over a year ago, the MobileMOC has traveled more than 23,000 miles, recorded more than 4,300 healthcare touchpoints and provided more than 1,700 hours of hands-on learning for UTC students. 

“These are two great examples of how our people integrate teaching, research and service to make a real difference in people’s health and well-being,” Bruce said. 

Bruce pointed to Dr. Rick Mukherjee’s quantum research team and archaeologist AJ Van Slyke’s underwater archaeology research in Jamaica, which was featured this summer on the Discovery Channel’s “Expedition Unknown.” 

“What I loved most was learning about our students on the boats, analyzing sonar, diving on wreck sites and doing the work of professional archaeologists,” she said. 

The address also recognized Assistant Director of the Center for Student Leadership, Engagement and Community Christopher Stokes, who has spent more than two decades at UTC, and alum Hamid Andalib, an electrical engineering graduate who will soon return to campus as an adjunct professor in the Gary W. Rollins College of Business. 

Andalib, an entrepreneur who came to the United States as an immigrant, recently received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. 

“Hamid’s story is a powerful example of what happens when opportunity meets purpose,” Bruce said. 

That focus on service is carrying into UTC’s 140th anniversary. Faculty, staff and students are committed to holding 140 community engagement events during the anniversary year. Through the 1886 Challenge, named for the year UTC was founded, the campus community has set a goal of completing 18,860 hours of community service. 

“Our people are the heart of this University,” Bruce said. 

Those people are also seeing a campus in the middle of significant physical change. Nearly $500 million in capital projects are underway, including the Dorothy and Jim Kennedy Health Sciences Building, the expansion of the Gary W. Rollins College of Business, Oak Street Residence Hall and improvements to student life, dining and academic spaces. 

“It is about creating places that meet our needs today and inspire what we can become tomorrow,” Bruce said. 

Looking ahead, Bruce said UTC plans to grow to 15,000 students by 2030, with an emphasis on accessibility and affordability. 

“The goal is to serve more students better,” she said. 

Bruce shared her own connection to that goal, recalling watching her mother earn a university degree while balancing family, farm work and homework. Scholarships later made Bruce’s own college education possible. 

She pointed to senior nursing major Siya Patel, who said this spring that she never thought graduating from college debt-free would be possible. Today, 52.4% of UTC students graduate debt-free. 

“Those numbers are so much more than a statistic for a student like Siya,” Bruce said. “They mean something very real. They mean a UT Chattanooga graduate can begin a career, pursue additional education, build a family, seize their next opportunity without being anchored by student debt.” 

UTC now enrolls 571 professional and research doctoral students and is meeting, and in some areas exceeding, benchmarks required for a Carnegie R2 research classification. 

“This is not about a label,” Bruce said. “It is about our work. It is about UTC researchers competing nationally, developing new technologies that improve lives, students working alongside faculty and turning ideas into impact.” 

Bruce closed by returning to the purpose she said has guided UTC since its founding in 1886—creating opportunity through education. 

“Our University has been here for 140 years and will be here for the next 140 years,” she said. “When people look back on this moment, they will see the choices we are making. They will see we are daring to build, invest, innovate and serve.” 

The students, city, technology and challenges have changed over time, Bruce said, but UTC’s purpose has endured. 

“We are here as a light,” she said, “to help people see what is possible.” 

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Following Bruce’s address, students Rose Drinkworth, Lydia McFall, Max Parker and Noah Dorris led the audience in singing the UTC Alma Mater before guests made their way to Terrell Owens Way, where Bruce and UT System President Randy Boyd participated in a ceremonial cake cutting to celebrate UTC’s birthday. 

Lewis said celebrating the milestone gives students a chance to better understand the University they are now part of. 

“Some students may not understand the value of the history that UTC has,” Lewis said. “Founded in 1886, joined the UT System in 1969, and we’ve just been flourishing ever since.” 

Knowing the history, he said, gives students a reason to take pride in UTC. 

“I think that students should understand, and it makes students feel more proud to go to school here, more proud for them to be a student and be an active member of the campus,” he said. 

Lewis said that participating in the State of the University address gave him an opportunity to represent his fellow students.  

“I’m really proud of UTC, and I’m very proud to be a student here,” he said. “Going up there and representing the students, my fellow students, as well as the University … I was really honored to be here.” 

Taylor Williamson contributed to this story.

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Chancellor Lori Bruce’s 2026 State of the University Address: 140 Years of Purpose

1886: A Purpose That Endures

Good afternoon, and thank you for joining us today.

It is always an exciting time to be a UT Chattanooga Moc—but especially so this year, as we celebrate 140 years of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

One hundred forty years is a remarkable milestone. It gives us a chance to look back with gratitude, to be honest about where we are today and, most importantly, to think boldly about the future we are building together.

In 1886, the year this University was founded, the United States stood on the edge of extraordinary change. That year, the gasoline-powered automobile was invented. Coca-Cola was created in Atlanta. The Statue of Liberty was dedicated in New York Harbor.

And here in Chattanooga, a university was founded—with a simple but powerful purpose: to create opportunity through education.

For 140 years, UT Chattanooga has grown and evolved alongside this city.

We have prepared teachers, engineers, nurses, artists, entrepreneurs, researchers, public servants and leaders in virtually every field.

We have been called a “light upon a hill”—an image that I personally love because light helps us see what is possible. It allows us to look beyond where we are today and see where we can go tomorrow.

And that is exactly what we do.

We help students see futures they may never have imagined. We give faculty the opportunity to discover and create new knowledge. We give staff the opportunity to help students find their way. And we partner with our community to solve problems and create opportunities.

For 140 years, our purpose has endured—even as the world around us has changed.

Today, I want to focus on two questions:

• Who are we?
• Where are we going?

This year, we launched a university strategic plan that gives us a clear framework for answering these questions.

Five pillars define our strategy.

Three pillars describe what we do:

• We teach and support student success.
• We pursue research, scholarship and innovation.
• We serve our community and state.

And two pillars focus on the underpinnings that make all of this possible:

• Our people.
• Our places.

So, let’s look at the state of our University through the lens of our people.

Consider recent graduate Jessica Hobbs.

Her path to UTC was anything but traditional. She stepped away from college, joined the U.S. Army Reserve, deployed overseas and eventually returned to higher education determined to earn her degree.

At UTC, she found her path in chemical engineering. She joined our Innovations in Honors program and earned a nationally competitive Gilman Scholarship that took her to the Netherlands.

Jessica reminds us that there is no single path to success. Our responsibility is to meet our students where they are and help them discover what is possible—not only around them, but within them.

Consider Graham Davis.

Graham graduated this spring with a degree in business management after completing six internships while at UTC. Those experiences helped him build professional skills, relationships and confidence as he pursues his goal of building a business of his own.

That is one of the great advantages of UT Chattanooga.

Our city is part of our classroom. And our faculty make that classroom extraordinary.

Consider engineering professor and research leader Dr. Mina Sartipi and her team of faculty and students. They are competing in a national U.S. Department of Transportation competition focused on translating research into commercial viability.

Their AI-powered platform is designed to help autonomous vehicles, urban infrastructure and transportation operators share real-time information and make mobility safer and more efficient.

Of 448 teams competing nationally, UTC’s team has made it to the final four.

Now, that is UTC research competing on a national stage.

And sometimes our research makes an impact much closer to home.

Engineering Professor Dr. Erkan Kaplanoglu and his students are developing technologies designed to help people regain personal mobility and independence. He and mechatronics engineering undergraduate Austin McDade recently produced a 3D-printed mobility chair for a 2-year-old child with cerebral palsy—a project that had an immediate impact on a young child and her family.

Meanwhile, Associate Professor of Nursing Dr. Kristi Wick has been leading the deployment of our MobileMOC, a healthcare clinic on wheels staffed by faculty and students from nursing, nutrition and dietetics, occupational therapy and social work. Since its launch just over a year ago, the MobileMOC has traveled more than 23,000 miles, recorded more than 4,300 healthcare touchpoints and provided more than 1,700 hours of hands-on learning for UTC students.

These are two great examples of how our people integrate teaching, research and service to make a real difference in people’s health and well-being.

And our faculty and students conduct research that reaches into some of the most consequential scientific questions of our time. Dr. Rick Mukherjee, professor of physics, has built a quantum research team that is raising our University’s profile nationally and internationally. They have established partnerships with universities and corporations around the globe, launched Tennessee’s first undergraduate quantum certificate program and the state’s first undergraduate degree in quantum physics.

UT Chattanooga is a university building the future—not simply by studying what is next, but by preparing our students to lead the future.

And sometimes our research literally takes us beneath the surface. This summer, millions of viewers had the opportunity to see the work of UTC archaeologist A.J. Van Slyke when the Discovery Channel’s “Expedition Unknown” featured his underwater archaeology research in Jamaica.

What I loved most was knowing our students were on the boats, analyzing sonar, diving on wreck sites and doing the work of professional archaeologists.

That is the kind of hands-on education that truly changes a student’s sense of what is possible.

And consider Christopher Stokes, assistant director of our Center for Student Leadership, Engagement, and Community.

For more than two decades at UTC, Chris has helped students feel seen, valued and connected. This year, he received the UT System President’s Award for “Embracing Differences.”

His message to students is simple:

• You are meant to be here.
• You are not alone on this journey.

A message that likely resonates with UTC alum Hamid Andalib. Hamid earned a degree in electrical engineering from UTC and has now come back to campus to give back. He will soon be teaching as an adjunct professor in the Rollins College of Business.

Hamid’s journey is a powerful reminder that the impact of a university does not end at graduation. His own path—from an immigrant with only a few dollars in his pocket, to a young man pursuing opportunity through education, to an astonishingly successful entrepreneur—was shaped in important ways by the education, relationships and opportunities he found at UT Chattanooga. This University helped propel his career, and now he is paying that opportunity forward by teaching and mentoring the next generation of Mocs.

Recently, Hamid was awarded the extremely prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor, recognizing individuals whose accomplishments and service reflect the American story of opportunity and achievement. There is something especially meaningful about that recognition when we think about 1886—the year UTC was founded and the year the Statue of Liberty was dedicated.

Hamid’s story is a powerful example of what happens when opportunity meets purpose.

That is who we are.

This year, to celebrate our anniversary, we are leaning into the numbers 140 and 1886. Our faculty, staff and students are committed to holding 140 meaningful community engagement events. And we are actively engaged in our 1886 Challenge, in which our faculty, staff and students have challenged themselves to complete 18,860 community service hours.

So yes—our people are the heart of this University.

That is why, when you walk across campus today, you cannot help but notice the cranes and construction fences.

We have nearly half a billion dollars in capital projects underway—including the Dorothy and Jim Kennedy Health Sciences Building, the expansion of the Gary W. Rollins College of Business, Oak Street Residence Hall, and improvements to a variety of student life, dining and academic spaces.

But the transformation of our campus is about so much more than square footage.

It is about creating places that meet our needs today—and inspire what we can become tomorrow.

• We are creating spaces that inspire our students to dream boldly and imagine what is possible.
• Spaces that empower our faculty to pursue discovery, create beauty and turn innovation into impact.
• Spaces that enable our staff to do what they do best—create the conditions in which every student can thrive and succeed.

Our places should reflect our ambitions. And they should tell our students, every day they walk through our doors:

• You belong here.
• Your future matters.
• What you dream is possible.

We are so grateful to President Randy Boyd, the UT System, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, our elected officials and our Hamilton County legislative delegation for believing in UTC and investing in our future.

Where Are We Going?

So, where are we going?

We are going forward with purpose.

Our ambition is to grow to 15,000 students by 2030—but growth is not the goal by itself. The goal is to serve more students better.

That begins with accessibility and affordability.

I grew up in a rural farming community about 90 minutes west of here. My parents went directly into factory jobs after high school, but higher education changed the trajectory of our family.

As a teenager, I watched my mother balance family, farm work and homework while earning a university degree and becoming a high school mathematics teacher. When it was my turn to attend a university, scholarships were what made that dream possible.

Scholarships opened the door for me, as they do for so many of our students.

Consider Siya Patel, a senior nursing major.

Siya told us this spring that she never thought graduating from college debt-free would be a possibility for her. But scholarships changed that.

I am so proud that more than half of our students graduate completely debt-free. We inched that up another percentage point this year to 52.4%.

But those numbers are so much more than a statistic for a student like Siya. They mean something very real.

They mean a UT Chattanooga graduate can begin a career, pursue additional education, build a family and seize their next opportunity without being anchored by student debt.

And speaking of pursuing additional education:

We now have more than 500 professional and research doctoral students—571, to be exact—and we are currently meeting, and in some areas greatly exceeding, the benchmarks required for a Carnegie R2 research classification.

But again, this is not about a label.

It is about our work.

It is about UTC researchers competing nationally, developing new technologies that improve lives, and students working alongside faculty and turning ideas into impact.

Conclusion

Our University has been here for 140 years and will be here for the next 140 years. And when people look back on this moment, they will see the choices we are making. They will see that we were daring to build, invest, innovate and serve.

They will say UTC believed in itself and in its potential:

• A time when we understood that growth was about creating more opportunity—not simply counting students.
• A time when we made a UTC education more accessible, more affordable and more valuable.
• A time when we invested in research because we knew that expanding knowledge improves lives.
• A time when we built places that matched the ambition of our students, faculty and staff.
• A time when we strengthened partnerships because we knew no university and no community succeeds alone.
• And a time when we told our story boldly.

Because our story is powerful.

• It is the story of a student who once wondered whether college was possible and is graduating debt-free.
• It is the story of a student who took an unconventional path and found a future she never imagined.
• It is the story of faculty and students competing among the best innovators in the country, winning and using their knowledge to improve lives.
• It is the story of staff who remind students, every day, that they belong here.
• And it is the story of a campus transforming around us—a physical reminder that we are building something that will serve generations to come.

For 140 years, UTC has created opportunity through education:

• The students may have changed.
• The city has changed.
• Technology has definitely changed.
• And the challenges have changed.

But our purpose has endured.

We are here as a light—to help people see what is possible.

Thank you. And Go Mocs!

Photo gallery by Angela Foster