Three recent UTC School of Education graduates are being recognized early in their careers for the influence they are already making in Tennessee classrooms. Lauren Cardenas, Reagan Lowrie and Madisson Mantooth have each been named Novice Teacher of the Year recipients in their respective school districts, an honor that recognizes full-time teachers in their first three years in the classroom who demonstrate excellence in instruction, professionalism and student engagement.
Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and former U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey to speak at UTC
Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and two-term U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey will deliver a free, public lecture titled “The Role of the Humanities in Our Personal and Civic Lives” at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 5, in the University Center Tennessee Room. The event is presented as part of the O’Dea Lecture in the Humanities series.
Writing the right way: UTC Composition Program receives national honor
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has received national recognition for doing something most universities do, but rarely do this well. The Department of English’s Composition Program has been awarded a 2025–26 Conference on College Composition and Communication Writing Program Certificate of Excellence—the highest honor given by the CCCC, a constituent organization within the National Council of Teachers of English.
Zine scene: UTC students share research and creativity through handmade pages
Students from five University of Tennessee at Chattanooga classes filled the UTC Library’s Roth Reading Room on a recent Thursday evening for a collaborative zine fest, an event showcasing projects from courses taught by UC Foundation Professor and Associate Department Head of English Sybil Baker, Assistant Professor of Sociology Natalie Blanton, Associate Professor of History Susan Eckelmann and Assistant Professor of Anthropology Emma McDonell.
UTC’s Betsy Myers and Brandalyn Shropshire named to All-Southern Conference Faculty and Staff team
Dr. Betsy Myers and Brandalyn Shropshire from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga have been named to the 2025-2026 All-Southern Conference Faculty and Staff Team. Both honorees will be formally recognized later this academic year, when Southern Conference Commissioner Michael Cross presents them with engraved plaques during the Mocs men’s basketball game on Jan. 21, 2026, vs. ETSU.
Scholarships, study abroad and community: Dean Linda Frost has left her mark on UTC Honors
Dr. Linda Frost, the founding dean of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Honors College, will transition to a faculty role after the 2025-26 academic year.
Meacham Writers’ Workshop returns to UTC Sept. 24-27
UTC will host the Meacham Writers’ Workshop from Sept. 24-27, a four-day series of free readings, discussions and literary events that connect nationally recognized authors, local voices, students and the community.
The best memories are never on the trip itinerary
UTC Brock Scholar and communication major Clara Paulson recently took part in a study abroad experience in Scandinavia sponsored by the Honors College. Her story, in words and pictures.
UTC Karate Club punches above its weight in martial arts competition
The UTC Karate Club, one of Campus Recreation’s club sports, is relatively new on campus. The organization began during the 2023-2024 academic year and practices just once per week. But when the club went up against seasoned competitors from traditional martial arts academies on March 8—including scholarship athletes from Bryan College’s Martial Arts Academy—the results told a different story.
Lights, camera, action: UTC introduces new film and TV minor
The Department of Theatre is introducing a new multi-disciplinary film and TV studies minor, allowing allow students to explore all aspects of film and television from in front of and behind the camera. Working with the communication, English, and Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures departments, the new minor—coming in the 2025-26 academic year—will give students a flexible path that suits their interests in film and TV.