Tennessee Society of Professional Engineers Chattanooga Section President Kelli S. Richardson, Dr. Gary McDonald and Dr. Trevor Elliott at the Feb. 25, 2026, award celebration honoring McDonald as the Outstanding Engineer of the Year. Photo credit: milesofsmilesphotos.com.
For four decades, UC Foundation Associate Professor Gary McDonald helped build mechanical engineering at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga from the inside out.
He taught the classes. He mentored the students. He guided new faculty. He offered perspective when something went sideways. He helped steer the program through the years when the College of Engineering and Computer Science was still becoming what it is now.
On Wednesday, Feb. 25, that full body of work was recognized beyond the department when McDonald, who retired last June 30 after 40 years at UTC, received the Outstanding Engineer of the Year Award from the Tennessee Society of Professional Engineers Chattanooga Section. The award was presented during the group’s Engineering Week Social Event at the Chattanooga Whiskey Event Hall.
UC Foundation Associate Professor Trevor Elliott nominated McDonald for the honor. For Elliott, the nomination carried a personal arc that mirrors how many faculty members describe McDonald’s influence: It lasts, and it carries forward.
“This is an outstanding achievement for Dr. McDonald,” said Elliott, who received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UTC. “The impact he has had on everyone in mechanical engineering has been immeasurable.”
Dr. Gary McDonald
Elliott first met McDonald as an undergraduate student. Later, Elliott worked with McDonald while he was part of the College’s technical staff. Years after that, McDonald—then head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering—hired Elliott as a tenure-track assistant professor.
In his nomination letter, Elliott wrote: “For outstanding dedication to the education and development of engineering students; for advancing public awareness of the engineering profession through outreach to non-students and prospective learners; for sustained excellence in teaching and mentoring; for leadership by example that instills professionalism, ethics and technical rigor; for steadfast support of student organizations and co-curricular activities; and for generous personal service to the community that strengthens the future of engineering.”
The nomination required support from an engineering professional society and letters of support from industry on company letterhead. Elliott said the Chattanooga Section of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers supported the nomination, and six companies provided letters: NASA Ames Research Center, McKee Foods, Miller Industries, Coulometrics, Shaw Industries and Integer’s Lake Region Medical Group.
Professor James C. Newman, the current head of the department, called McDonald’s impact on Elliott “full circle,” and he expected the protégé’s perspective “to resonate across the department.”
Newman said the award serves as a public marker for what the department has long known, describing McDonald as “a foundational figure in UTC engineering, someone who helped build the structure and culture of the program.”
“I would say he is quite literally the father of the mechanical engineering department here,” Newman said, “and I’d also say he’s one of the original forefathers of engineering at UTC because when he started, we had just started the BSE program.
“He helped shepherd that program to the point that we were large enough and had enough enrollment, enough classes and a faculty to get accredited (in both mechanical and electrical engineering). He was really behind a lot of who we are today.”
Newman said McDonald’s steadiness became one of his defining characteristics.
“If you wanted to just talk and laugh or you really were having issues or stress or problems with students or class, he was always there,” Newman said. “He had advice that guided not only the newest faculty members but also the people who were in academia 25 to 30 years.”
Dr. Kumar Yelamarthi, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science, said the McDonald’s influence helped shape the direction of the College.
“Although I have had the privilege of working with Dr. McDonald for only a short time, it quickly became clear why he is so deeply respected across our College and the broader engineering community,” Yelamarthi said. “In every conversation, he offered wisdom grounded in decades of experience and sage advice on navigating leadership while always keeping students at the center of every decision.
“His steady influence, his commitment to mentoring, and his unwavering dedication to our students have shaped not only the mechanical engineering program, but the culture of CECS itself. Dr. McDonald’s impact is enduring, and we are all better for the foundation he helped build.”
Newman said McDonald’s commitment to education did not begin with his faculty appointment. A first-generation college student and only child, he built his career around teaching and mentorship.
Education became a defining thread in his family as well. His wife returned to school to become a middle school STEM teacher. His daughter followed a similar path, teaching middle school math before joining UTC’s University High as a teacher.
A tradition started by McDonald many years ago, the mechanical engineering department continues to honor his lasting impact by wearing red shirts on Wednesdays.
When McDonald announced his retirement, Newman said the moment carried weight.
“When he told me that he was taking retirement, boy, I tell you what, I had a lump in my throat,” Newman recalled. “I was like, ‘Please don’t leave me.’”
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Continuing a tradition started years ago by Dr. Gary McDonald, the mechanical engineering department donned “Red Shirt Wednesday” shirts for the Wednesday, Feb. 25, award ceremony. Photo courtesy of Andrea James.
