A message from Provost Jerold Hale:
As we begin the fall semester, we honor the outstanding accomplishments of our faculty. Many of our colleagues achieved tenure and/or promotion. Others were named to prestigious professorships, received development grants to support scholarship, research, and creative activity, or were awarded faculty development leaves offering periods of renewal and reflection away from regular duties, to benefit their ongoing professional journeys. Please join me in congratulating these outstanding faculty colleagues.
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Ruth S. Holmberg Grants for Faculty Excellence
From left: Rahul Bhosale, Venkateswara Kode, John Lee, Shahnewaz Karim Sakib, Zihao Wang
The Ruth S. Holmberg Grants support faculty members who have demonstrated the potential and ability to function at a higher level of scholarship, engage students in addressing problems of contemporary importance through research efforts, or work with tenured faculty or the administration in building innovative curriculum. Each Holmberg recipient will receive up to $5,000 in funding to support their proposal. The recipients of the Holmberg Grants for 2025-2026 are given below, along with their funded proposal’s title.
- Dr. Rahul Bhosale, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering; Proposal Title: Involving UTC Undergraduate Students in the Solar-to Hydrogen Energy Conversion Efficiency Analysis of the Metal Oxide Metal Sulphate Water Splitting Cycle
- Dr. Venkateswara Kode, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering; Proposal Title: Enhancing Algae-derived Biofuel Combustion Efficiency and Emission Reduction Using Boron Nitride Quantum Dots
- Dr. John Lee, Professor, Department of Chemistry; Proposal Title: The synthesis of organometallic cobalt complexes to combat antimicrobial resistance
- Dr. Shahnewaz Karim Sakib, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering; Proposal Title: Empowering the Next Generation of AI Security Leaders through Hands-on Research, Outreach, and Scalable Educational Models
- Dr. Zihao Wang, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering; Proposal Title: Develop a Cross-modal AI Agent for Medical Image Computing
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The Alexander and Charlotte Guerry Professorships
Guerry Professors (from left) Hope Klug, Mina Sartipi, Yu Liang
For over 60 years this University has awarded Guerry Professorships to tenured faculty who have distinguished themselves nationally through teaching, research, scholarship and other significant contributions to their respective fields. This year we welcome three new faculty members as Guerry Professors:
- Dr. Hope Klug, Professor, Department of Biology, Geology and Environmental Science
- Dr. Mina Sartipi, Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering
- Dr. Yu Liang, Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering
Each faculty member holds a Guerry Professorship for five years and receives a $10,000 stipend each academic year to support continuation and expansion of their work.
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UC Foundation Professorships
UC Foundation Professors (from left) Derron Bishop, Hyeyoon Jung, Jejal Bathi, Tian Li
The UC Foundation continues its support for faculty each academic year with a new class of faculty members honored with UC Foundation Professorships. These selective awards are made to exceptionally productive junior faculty on the tenure track. This year’s recipients are:
- Dr. Derron Bishop, Assistant Professor, Department of Management
- Dr. Hyeyoon Jung, Assistant Professor, Department of Marketing and Entrepreneurship
- Dr. Jejal Bathi, Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Chemical Engineering
- Dr. Tian Li, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry and Physics
Each faculty member above receives a $2,500 increase to their base salary, graciously supplied by the UC Foundation.
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Promotions
Promotion to Associate Professor
- Dr. Jessica Taylor, Associate Professor, Department of Applied Leadership and Learning
- Professor Rebecca Nasadowski, Associate Professor, Department of Art
- Dr. Jejal Bathi, Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Chemical Engineering
- Dr. Serkan Varol, Associate Professor, Department of Engineering Management and Technology
- Dr. Lynette Carlson, Associate Professor, Department of Health and Human Performance
- Dr. Marissa McElrone, Associate Professor, Department of Health and Human Performance
- Dr. Murat Barisik, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering
- Dr. Jaclyn Michael, Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy and Religion
- Dr. Derek Liuzzo, Associate Professor, Department of Physical Therapy
- Dr. Ruth Walker, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology
- Professor Sarah Kantor, Associate Professor, Department of Public and Research Services
- Dr. Shera Basham, Associate Professor, Department of Criminal Justice
- Dr. Zachary Simoni, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Geography
- Dr. Stephanie Philipp, Associate Professor, School of Education
- Dr. Kristina Wick, Associate Professor, School of Nursing
Promotion to Professor
- Professor Kathryn Hargrave, Professor, Department of Art
- Dr. Weidong Wu, Professor, Department of Civil and Chemical Engineering
- Professor Carolyn Runyon, Professor, Department of Collection Services
- Dr. Donald Reising, Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering
- Dr. Jennifer Hogg, Professor, Department of Health and Human Performance
- Dr. Eric Hungenberg, Professor, Department of Health and Human Performance
- Dr. Prashant Srivastava, Professor, Department of Marketing and Entrepreneurship
- Dr. Phillip Roundy, Professor, Department of Marketing and Entrepreneurship
- Dr. Charles Margraves, Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering
- Dr. Karen Casebier, Professor, Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literature
- Dr. Monica Garoiu, Professor, Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literature
- Dr. Edwin Murillo, Professor, Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures
- Dr. Perry Ward, Professor, Department of Music
- Dr. Elizabeth Myers, Professor, Department of Physical Therapy
- Dr. Marcus Mauldin, Professor, Department of Political Science and Public Service
- Professor Chapel Cowden, Professor, Department of Public and Research Services
- Dr. Courtney Crittenden, Professor, Department of Criminal Justice
- Dr. Rick Dierenfieldt, Professor, Department of Criminal Justice
- Dr. Christina Policastro, Professor, Department of Criminal Justice
- Dr. Barry Kamrath, Professor, School of Education
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Professional Development Leave for 2025-2026
The following faculty have been granted leaves for the coming academic year, to permit them a period of respite from traditional university life, a time when they may focus on the pursuit of their research, scholarship or creative works.
On leave Summer 2025:
- Professor Katie Gohn, Department of Collection Services, UTC Library
- Professor Chapel Cowden, Department of Research and Public Services, UTC Library
On leave Fall 2025:
- Dr. William Evans, Department of Management
- Dr. Courtney Crittenden, Department of Criminal Justice
- Dr. Francesca Leasi, Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science
- Dr. Lakmali Weerasena, Department of Mathematics
- Dr. Nilesh Sah, Department of Finance and Economics
- Dr. Jeremy Strickler, Department of Political Science and Public Service
- Dr. Amy Doolittle, School of Professional Studies: Division of Social Work
On leave Spring 2026:
- Dr. John Swanson, Department of History
- Dr. Elizabeth Leahy, Department of Research and Public Services, UTC Library
- Dr. John Tucker, Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science
- Dr. A.K.M Azad Hossain, Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science
On leave during the 2025-2026 academic year:
- Dr. Earl Braggs, Department of English
- Dr. Morgan Smith, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Geography
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Promotions for Non-Tenure Track Faculty
Promotion to Associate Lecturer
- Professor Emily Alonge, Associate Lecturer, Department of Chemistry
- Dr. Thomas Huber, Associate Lecturer, Department of Psychology
- Dr. Joshua Hodge, Associate Lecturer, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Geography
- Dr. Matthew Kosuta, Associate Lecturer, Department of Philosophy and Religion
- Dr. Lori Waite, Associate Lecturer, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Geography
Promotion to Associate Professor of Practice
- Dr. Stephanie Eton, Associate Professor of Practice, Department of Physical Therapy
Promotion to Clinical Associate Professor
- Dr. Kristen Carroll, School of Nursing
- Dr. Julie Legg, School of Education
Promotion to Professor of Practice
- Dr. Damitha Bandara, Department of Data Analytics
Promotion to Senior Lecturer
- Dr. Oren Whightsel, Department of English
- Professor Sarah Farnsley, Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science
