Dr. Lori Mann Bruce is the 19th chancellor of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Photo by Angela Foster.
The procession entered McKenzie Arena to the sound of the UTC Brass Quintet, faculty banners rising above the crowd and the Chattanooga Pipe Band leading the way. At the center of it all was Dr. Lori Mann Bruce, taking part in her investiture as the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s chancellor.
On Friday, Nov. 21, Bruce was formally installed as the 19th leader in the University’s 139-year history. The event brought together students, faculty, staff, alumni, state and community leaders, and members of the UT System, each playing a part in a day that will be remembered at UTC for years to come.
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Click here to watch the full Chancellor’s Investiture ceremony.
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Vice Chancellor for Access and Engagement Stacy Lightfoot opened the ceremony, calling it “a historic day for the University.”
Lightfoot reminded the audience that “on June 30, she officially assumed her role as chancellor, becoming the first woman to lead this University,” before inviting guests to stand for the presentation of the colors and the National Anthem performed by the UTC Chamber Singers.
Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Jerold Hale reflected on what the moment represented.
“This is a historic occasion,” Hale said, noting that an investiture offers the opportunity “to recognize both where we’ve been and where we are going.”
Hale thanked student leaders, faculty, staff, delegates, elected officials and former chancellors for attending, describing how leadership is felt “not only in significant decisions but also in the day-to-day encouragement to strive for continuous improvement.”
Chancellor Lori Bruce and UT System President Randy Boyd
UT System President Randy Boyd followed, thanking the audience and recognizing the significance of the day.
Boyd reflected on the responsibility of selecting campus leaders and the impact those decisions have on the UT System.
“Every great university is shaped by great leadership and one of the most important responsibilities I have as the UT President is selecting strong campus leaders,” he said. “Today affirms that Chancellor Bruce is the right leader at the right time for the University of Tennessee Chattanooga.”
Faculty Senate President Elizabeth Crawford offered congratulations on behalf of UTC faculty members, calling the investiture a moment that “reminds us that leadership changes, but the academic mission endures.”
“As faculty, we are inspired by Dr. Bruce’s dedication to student success, her commitment to research and innovation, and her belief in the power of community partnerships to transform lives,” Crawford said. “From her first days on campus, Dr. Bruce has led with authenticity and collaboration—listening carefully, inviting different perspectives and empowering others to lead.”
Representing the student body, Student Government Association Vice President Bridgette Greene shared her perspective on finding a sense of belonging on campus.
“Coming to Chattanooga from a small town in Middle Tennessee—just like Dr. Bruce—I know what it feels like to find your place in a community that quickly begins to feel like home,” said Greene—a junior marketing and professional sales major from Portland, Tennessee. “That sense of belonging doesn’t happen by accident; it grows when leaders genuinely care about the student experience.”
She thanked Bruce for leadership grounded in connection.
“Through your openness and encouragement, you’ve shown how leadership built on connection can inspire confidence and possibility in every student,” Greene said.
UTC Alumni Board President Claire Smith welcomed guests “on behalf of our nearly 80,000 alumni across 50 states and 72 countries.”
“Alumni are the living history of our institution,” said Smith, who graduated in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in education. “We carry UTC into the community and beyond through classrooms and clinics, startups and studios, courthouses and community centers.”
Addressing Bruce directly, Smith added, “We look forward to walking beside you on this continued journey for our institution.”
Professor JW Bruce
When it came time for a more personal introduction, Bruce’s husband, UTC Professor of Electrical Engineering JW Bruce, stepped to the podium.
“I have had a front-row seat to watch Lori grow from a determined engineering student into the leader we are celebrating here today,” JW Bruce said. “It has been a remarkable journey.
“Through it all, she’s been the same person the entire time: bold, driven, fun and grounded.”
He shared stories from their undergraduate years, their marriage and moments that shaped their partnership.
“Her background is also the source of her unshakeable belief in the power of education,” he said. “Lori believes that education will change the trajectory of your life. That is why she fights to keep the doors of education open wide to everyone and keeps students at the center of every one of her decisions. When a student succeeds, she feels like she has succeeded.”
JW Bruce gave the final introduction: “It is my great honor to introduce not only an extraordinary leader, but a wonderful human being, my college sweetheart, the mother of our son, and the woman I’ve had the privilege of learning from, laughing with and loving for the past 35 years.”
Chancellor Lori Bruce
When Chancellor Bruce stepped to the podium, she opened with a simple acknowledgement of the moment.
“What a truly beautiful day to be a UTC Moc,” Bruce said. “Standing here with all of you—our students, faculty, staff, alumni, friends, community and state partners—is humbling and inspiring.
“Today is not just about one person stepping into a role. It’s about all of us, together, celebrating the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in our history, our mission, and our shared belief in the transformative power of education.”
Bruce reflected on the University’s origins, noting that UTC’s story stretches across nearly a century and a half of change. She traced its roots to 1886, when leaders from the Methodist Episcopal Church opened Chattanooga University, an institution that would evolve “through growth, through mergers and transformation” into what UTC is today.
She noted that UTC now serves more than 12,000 students from across Tennessee, the nation and the world.
Before outlining her vision for the future, Bruce took the opportunity to acknowledge the people who shaped her journey. She thanked her parents, Charles and Judy Mann, for teaching her to “work hard and to meet challenges with creativity and persistence.”
She also recognized her husband and their son, Walker, saying they “have made many personal sacrifices,” and JW has “always encouraged me to dream bigger than I believed possible.”
Bruce then shifted into a broader reflection on the institution itself.
“Today’s celebration is as much about you as it’s about me,” she said. “It is a celebration of our University’s legacy, a legacy of vision and impact.”
She highlighted alumni whose achievements reflect the University’s reach, including William “Mickey” Barker, B.B. Bell, Max Fuller, Tom Griscom, Davan Maharaj, Terrell Owens, Olivia Reeves, Gary Rollins, Irvine Grote, Diane Schmidt, David Wade, Dorothy Hackett Ward, Dennis Haskins, Hugh Beaumont and others. She also recognized alumni from City College and the University of Chattanooga who were pivotal to UTC’s formation, including Wilma Scruggs and Dr. Horace Traylor.
“UTC doesn’t exist alongside Chattanooga,” Bruce said. “We are woven into its fabric. Our successes are shared and our futures are intertwined.”
She then spoke about her personal journey.
“I was not born into privilege,” she said. “Like many of our students, I worked hard for every opportunity that came my way.”
She explained how mentors shaped her path and why that experience influenced her approach to leadership.
“When I first visited UTC, I felt that unique combination immediately,” she said. “I saw a University with incredible academic strength, a student body full of talent and promise, and a community deeply committed to its success.”
Looking ahead, Bruce outlined three priorities that will guide the institution.
“First, we will champion student success,” she said. She described a commitment to ensuring that every decision “begin and end with our students” and emphasized the importance of both academic and co-curricular experiences.
“Second, we will leverage our faculty expertise and student energy to tackle real-world challenges,” she said, referencing areas such as sustainability, mobility, health and education.
“Third, we will deepen our partnerships with our community and state,” she continued, noting UTC’s role in addressing shared needs alongside local and statewide collaborators.
Bruce acknowledged that higher education continues to change but said she views those shifts not as obstacles but as openings.
“I see these not as threats but as invitations to innovate,” she said. “The world needs what UTC offers: an education that is personal, practical and powerful.”
She closed her address with a call to action grounded in UTC’s motto.
“We shall achieve,” Bruce said. “It is a simple phrase, but it is also a promise.”
Achievement, she reminded the audience, is a collective effort.
“Together, we shall achieve,” she said. “Go Mocs!”
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Dignitaries in attendance included:
- UT Knoxville Chancellor Donde Plowman; UT Martin Chancellor and UTC alum Yancy Freeman; UT Health Science Center Chancellor Peter Buckley; UT Southern Chancellor Melinda Arnold; Tennessee Wesleyan President and UTC alum Tyler Forrest; Tennessee Tech University President Phil Oldham—a mentor to Chancellor Bruce and former provost at UTC; and several other presidents and delegates from other institutions both in Tennessee and around the country
- Tennessee Senators Bo Watson and Todd Gardenhire; State Representatives Greg Martin, Esther Helton-Haynes, Michelle Reneau and Yusuf Hakeem; Hamilton County Commissioners Chip Baker and Jeff Eversole; Chattanooga City Council members Ron Elliott, Cody Harvey, Jeff Davis and Jenny Hill; and representatives from the offices of the United States Senate, the Hamilton County Mayor’s Office and the City of Chattanooga Mayor’s Office
Investiture ceremony quotes compiled by Carter Graham:
Dr. Yancy Freeman, chancellor of the University of Tennessee at Martin and former UTC Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs
“It feels amazing to be back at UTC and to be back on campus. I am always going to cheer for this campus and want to see it excel, flourish and do well. I think that Lori Bruce is absolutely the leader to do that.”
Tennessee Senator Bo Watson
“I’m a (UTC) graduate of 1983. To celebrate a new chancellor coming on, new leadership, new energy, I’m super excited for the University and the students who have the opportunity to go to school here.”
Bridgette Greene, vice president of UTC’s Student Government Association, junior marketing and professional sales major
“Over this past semester, I have not only gotten to know her as a leader and boss, but almost as a friend. Getting up there today, I don’t feel like I was representing the student body by myself. It was like I was representing everyone and giving a friend love.”
Dr. Jerold Hale, provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs
“It was an incredibly powerful event. Kudos to the entire event planning staff who put it together. It did exactly what an investment should do, which is to both pay tribute to our past and former chancellors who were in attendance and to the development of the University. Then, chart Chancellor Bruce’s vision for us going forward. It couldn’t have gone better.
Dr. JW Bruce, husband and professor in the UTC Department of Electrical Engineering
“It was fabulous. So many friends, family and colleagues are here—so many smiles. There was a great energy in the room. We heard it over and over again today. It is a great position and time for the institution. I’m looking forward to the times ahead.”
Walker Bruce, son and sophomore industrial engineering major at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville
“It is very inspiring. I don’t think I could do what she’s done. It’s very impressive. I have very few words actually to describe how happy and impressed I am.”
Stacy Lightfoot, vice chancellor for access and engagement
“To look out and see the beautiful smiling faces celebrating this momentous occasion of the very first woman chancellor of UTC was nothing short of a blessing and outstanding. I was privileged and felt honored to MC the event for Chancellor Bruce. Just to feel the spirit, energy on the stage, but also the energy from faculty, staff and the audience was just a beautiful sight.”
Charles Mann, Chancellor Bruce’s father
“I’m just proud of her. She’s a fantastic person and much more than I can ever be. We’re proud of her.”
Zayda Dominick, a senior biochemistry major minoring in psychology, biology and mathematics
“I am so blessed to have this opportunity to be able to come and support the new Chancellor and to be able to hear her story and how she plans on helping the success of other students.”
UTC Chancellor Emeritus Fred Obear
“Very well done. I was very impressed with it and I’ve been to a few investitures too. This one was nicely done.”
Dr. Tyler Forrest, president of Tennessee Wesleyan University
“It was wonderful. Dr. Bruce did a terrific job. It was said well, she is the right person at the right time, and the future of UTC is really bright.”
Chancellor Emeritus Fred Obear and Chancellor Lori Bruce
Learn more
Opportunity in every challenge: Chancellor Lori Bruce brings vision and voice to UTC
The people of UTC: Get to know Chancellor Lori Bruce
Investiture photo gallery by Angela Foster
