UTC leaders, faculty and staff gathered Monday, Jan. 12, for the kickoff meeting of the Mocs Flight Plan, marking the start of a coordinated, campuswide effort to implement the University’s Strategic Enrollment Plan approved in fall 2025. The Mocs Flight Plan establishes UTC’s roadmap for reaching 15,000 students by 2030 while strengthening retention, student outcomes and the overall student experience.
Nguyen with the win: UTC student earns national championship in T.E.A.M. University Challenge
Vu Nguyen isn’t one to seek the spotlight. But when the final scores were tallied in a national financial planning competition, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga sophomore found his name at the very top. Nguyen’s investment portfolio finished first among more than 600 students from 14 universities in the 2025 T.E.A.M. University Challenge, hosted by The E-Valuator Asset Management.
UTC earns national recognition for community engagement
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has been nationally recognized for its long-standing commitment to community engagement, earning the 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification—awarded by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in collaboration with the American Council on Education.
Winter Welcome Week rings in the new semester
New and returning students at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga are heading back to campus for the spring semester with opportunities to connect during the 2026 Winter Welcome Week. The week of festivities will begin Monday, Jan. 12—when students start classes—and continue through Friday, Jan. 16.
Top 20 of ’25: A year’s worth of cheers
A lot of great things happened at UTC during the 2025 calendar year. We celebrated student and faculty research, welcomed new faces (including Chancellor Lori Bruce), broke ground on new buildings and commemorated big wins. With so much happening across campus, the UTC newsroom published 427 stories over the course of the year. Here are our top 20 personal favorites in chronological order of website publication.
Dr. Mina Sartipi named interim vice chancellor for research at UTC
Dr. Mina Sartipi has been appointed interim vice chancellor for research, effective January 2026. Sartipi currently serves as the executive director of the UTC Research Institute and as the founding director of the Center for Urban Informatics and Progress (CUIP). She is a Guerry Professor and UC Foundation Professor in UTC’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering and holds a joint faculty appointment with Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
John “Art” Phillips Sales Institute established at UTC with gift from Phillips family
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has announced that its sales institute in the Gary W. Rollins College of Business will be named the John “Art” Phillips Sales Institute, honoring the late entrepreneur, extraordinary salesman and business leader.
Inventanooga showcases student pitches from future innovators
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga hosted its fourth annual Inventanooga competition on Thursday, Dec. 11, where middle and high school students pitched ideas to innovation leaders from the Chattanooga area.
UTC Vice Chancellor for Research Reinhold Mann announces retirement
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Vice Chancellor for Research Reinhold Mann has announced his retirement, effective at the end of December. Since joining UTC in 2015, Mann has helped shape a new era for the University’s research enterprise, building faculty capacity, deepening community partnerships, and advancing major strategic initiatives that have elevated UTC’s role in regional innovation and discovery.
A decade, four sisters and one University at fall 2025 commencement
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s fall commencement ceremonies were a time for families to celebrate their students’ hard work and accomplishments. Natale Mertens graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the fall 2025 commencement, joining her three sisters as UTC alumni.