On Monday, Nov. 11, Dr. John Harbison will be the keynote speaker at UTC’s annual Veterans Day Luncheon, a celebration of the veterans and military-affiliated students, faculty and staff at the University. At the beginning of the 2024-2025 academic year, approximately 1,160 veterans, military-affiliated students, spouses and dependents of veterans were enrolled at UTC.
First-generation student breaking barriers in civil engineering
Arly Perez-Morales is navigating uncharted waters—and redefining what’s possible along the way. Perez-Morales, a junior at UTC, is a first-generation college student pursuing civil engineering—a field historically underrepresented among women and Hispanic/Latinx professionals. With a desire to make a difference, her first-gen story reflects the purpose and the importance of family support.
Hamilton County and UTC receive $844,294 federal grant to support Recidivism Reduction Initiative
The three-year project, titled the Recidivism Reduction Initiative (RRI), is designed to improve public safety by reducing recidivism rates among justice-involved individuals in Hamilton County’s misdemeanor supervision programs. Hamilton County is the lead on the project, with UTC’s Department of Criminal Justice providing research and data analysis to assess program effectiveness and measure outcomes.
UTC/Erlanger collaboration brings acute care PT residency to life
The newly created Erlanger Acute Care Physical Therapy Residency involves licensed physical therapist residents serving as clinical instructors for UTC physical therapy students during clinical rotations and assisting with teaching didactic coursework in the University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program—with an emphasis on acute care. The residency curriculum, developed collaboratively by Erlanger clinicians and UTC faculty, includes both live patient care and didactic instruction.
UTC’s Megan McKnight honored by White House for leadership in opioid overdose prevention
On Tuesday, Oct. 8, UTC Center for Wellbeing Director Megan McKnight was invited to a Washington, D.C., summit hosted by the White House Domestic Policy Council (DPC) and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). The White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose event honored McKnight and nearly 250 other stakeholders for expanding access to lifesaving opioid overdose reversal medication and reducing preventable drug overdose deaths.
Champion for mental health: UTC’s Amy Kyriakidis recognized for suicide prevention efforts
Amy Kyriakidis, assistant director for suicide education and prevention in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Center for Wellbeing, has been recognized for her exceptional contributions to suicide prevention in Tennessee. She recently received the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network (TSPN) Southeast Regional Suicide Prevention Award, an honor created by TSPN co-founders Madge and Ken Tullis “to acknowledge innovation and excellence in the state’s suicide prevention awareness efforts.”
UTC sophomore Kynedi Jennings awarded $10,000 BlueCross Power of We Health Equity Scholarship
Kynedi Jennings, a sophomore nursing major at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, was one of six Tennessee college students selected as recipients of the 2024 BlueCross Power of We Health Equity Scholarship, funded by the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation.
Bridging cultures and disciplines: Hassan Afzal’s unique journey from Bangladesh to UTC
Dr. Hassan Afzal’s path to UTC is anything but typical, with an academic background as varied as it is impressive. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering from American International University-Bangladesh, two master’s degrees—in IT and business—from the University of Dhaka, an MBA from Idaho State University and a Ph.D. from Kent State University in Ohio.
Sociologist examines social class disparities in Alzheimer’s care
Dr. Zack Simoni’s recent research paper, “Social class and informal caregiving for family members with Alzheimer’s disease: the role of economic capital, cultural health capital, and social capital,” has been accepted for publication in Sociological Spectrum—the official journal of the Mid-South Sociological Association. The article delves into the disparities between wealthier and less affluent caregivers, highlighting the significant role that economic resources and social networks play in managing the burdens of caregiving.
UTC’s Derek Liuzzo named 2024 Emerging Educator by national organization
Dr. Derek Liuzzo, assistant professor and assistant program director of the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, has been named the 2024 recipient of the Emerging Educator Award by the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy (ACAPT).