With more than 370 stories published in the UTC Newsroom during the 2024 calendar year, it’s easy to say that a lot of good things happened for UTC students, faculty and staff this year. Picking out the top highlights—not so easy. Here are some of our favorites.
A legacy of transformation: Highlights of Chancellor Angle’s leadership at UTC
As UTC Chancellor Steve Angle transitions from his leadership role to join the faculty on Jan. 1, 2025, his 11 ½ years at the helm marked a period of significant growth and innovation—elevating the University’s reputation and laying the foundation for its future success.
‘UTC is people’: Dr. Steve Angle reflects on 11.5 years as chancellor and looks ahead
As he transitioned from his leadership role to joining the faculty, Chancellor Angle thanked the people who are UTC. “This is not a goodbye. It’s a hello to my next chapter. And the best part is that I get to do it right here at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.”
Pitching solutions: UTC’s Inventanooga 2024 encourages innovation across all ages
On Dec. 12, UTC hosted its third annual Inventanooga competition—where K-12 students could pitch solutions to real-life problems like runoff water pollution and damage, efficient grocery packaging and rampant cheating at local pickleball courts.
CUIP research seeks to predict and avert distracted driving
The federal government estimates distracted driving contributes to more than 3,000 fatal vehicle crashes annually in the United States, prompting researchers at UTC to explore new ways of predicting and preventing inattentive driving behavior. By integrating advanced sensing technologies, machine learning algorithms and virtual simulation environments, UTC researchers are working to predict driver distraction—and then use that information to deliver timely, data-driven alerts.
Inaugural Econometrics Research Symposium shows a new way to ‘better make observations of your world’
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Gary W. Rollins College of Business hosted its inaugural Econometrics Research Symposium on Thursday, Dec. 5, where students examined data sets of real-world issues and trends.
Two UTC mechanical engineering professors honored by national organization
Two members of the Department of Mechanical Engineering in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga College of Engineering and Computer Science, UC Foundation Associate Professor Trevor Elliott and Associate Professor Reetesh Ranjan, have earned national recognition from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)—the world’s largest aerospace technical society.
Exploring the depths: How an underground UTC research experience shaped an academic journey
Michael Schoonover, who received a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2016, performed grant-funded research at Raccoon Mountain Caverns during the 2015-2016 academic year with UTC microbiologist David Giles. Schoonover, who received a Master of Physician Assistant Studies from Wingate University in North Carolina, is now a physician assistant based in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Deep discoveries: How UTC’s acquisition of Raccoon Mountain Caverns will shape (under)groundbreaking research
Approximately 15 minutes southwest of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga campus sits Raccoon Mountain Caverns, a complex cave system known for its extensive underground formations, diverse ecosystem and educational caving tours that showcase the geological wonders of the region. It is also UTC’s newest classroom and research laboratory.
Cave dwellers: UTC alums share their Raccoon Mountain Caverns tales
UTC’s recent gift acquisition of Raccoon Mountain Caverns marks a new chapter in research opportunities for both faculty and students, but it’s not a new story for UTC students and researchers who have already delved into the wonders of the cave. Over the years, numerous students have conducted research or taken up roles in managing and exploring the caverns.