Gillian Morton never imagined her passion for science could take her to a remote island in the Bahamas. Now a senior at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and an aspiring physician assistant, Morton has immersed herself in undergraduate research experiences.
Research on the road: A conversation with REU student Landon Schuster
Senior Landon Schuster is an environmental science major and environmental studies minor from Signal Mountain, Tennessee. He is also an Innovations in Honors student in the UTC Honors College. Schuster spent his summer at the University of Virginia’s Mountain Lake Biological Station, participating in field research on salamanders.
Research on the road: A conversation with REU student Roseline Gragg
Every summer, several undergraduate students at UTC leave their comfort zones and embark on learning experiences at other universities. Senior Roseline Gragg, an environmental science major at UTC with a minor in communication, spent her summer participating in a coral morphology research project at the University of Southern California.
Research on the road: A conversation with REU student Ben DeWitt
Ben DeWitt is spending his summer in Raleigh, North Carolina, participating in the Integrative Microbial and Plant Systems Research REU at North Carolina State University. This is what he had to say about his REU experience.
Three cities, three summers, one research mission
For the past three summers, groups of undergraduate researchers, led by a pair of University of Tennessee at Chattanooga faculty members, studied how greenways—the ribbons of nature that wind through urban spaces—shape cities and the lives of the people within them.
UTC’s top alumni honors announced for 2025
Hiren Desai (’91), Tennessee Sen. Bo Watson (’83) and Hallie DeHart (’18) have been recognized by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga as the 2025 Distinguished Alumni, Outstanding Service and GOLD Excellence Award recipients, respectively.
UTC celebrates historic year in fundraising and alumni engagement
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga achieved a remarkable fundraising milestone in fiscal year 2025, securing $31.9 million from 7,086 donors.
In the world of micro life, Francesca Leasi’s name looms large
The microscopic animals Dr. Francesca Leasi studies can’t be seen with the naked eye. Yet for all their size, they may hold vital clues to how life adapts to environmental change and what traits allow organisms to survive it.
Fish feast: UTC professor reels in national award
Dr. Rich Walker’s project, titled “The Cicadian Rhythm: Integrated Research And Education To Reveal The Cascading Effects Of A Rare But Massive Terrestrial Resource Pulse In Stream Ecosystem,” is now drawing national recognition. He is one of just 36 early-career faculty members nationwide to be named a 2025 recipient of the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award from Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), a consortium of over 160 colleges and universities that collaborates with federal agencies to advance health and scientific knowledge.
URaCE meet-and-greet sparks conversation and collaboration
For dozens of students spending time at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga this summer, a gathering hosted by the Office for Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavor (URaCE) offered a chance to meet their peers and get a feel for the academic journeys ahead.









