As a second-year graduate student in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s athletic training program, Erin Lunt not only helps keep student-athletes healthy but also serves her country as a first lieutenant in the Tennessee National Guard. For Lunt, service is a way of life—whether on the sidelines working with the Mocs soccer team or in her line of duty as an ordnance officer with her maintenance platoon.
UTC’s Dorothy and Jim Kennedy Health Sciences Building breaks ground
The future home of UTC’s School of Nursing, the Dorothy and Jim Kennedy Health Sciences Building, broke ground on Monday, Nov. 4. Located at the corner of Palmetto and East 3rd streets, this new building will be approximately 90,000 square feet with state-of-the-art classrooms and a cutting-edge simulation lab. The new facility will also allow for a 152% enrollment increase in the School of Nursing, which currently accepts approximately 50% of applicants and turns down eligible students due to space and class size limitations.
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.
Breaking barriers: UTC pre-health students earn free CMA certification and paid experience at Erlanger
For pre-health students at UTC, finding time for unpaid hospital shadowing or volunteer work while holding down a job can be a challenge. A new partnership between the UTC CPE and Erlanger Baroness Hospital is helping to eliminate that barrier.
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.”
HHP Sports Lab prepares students for careers through hands-on learning and community partnership
The Health and Human Performance Sports Lab is setting the stage for students to dive deep into careers in sports science, exercise physiology and public health. Through a collaboration with Fast Break Athletics, a local running specialty store, the lab offers hands-on learning opportunities that translate into real-world skills—all while strengthening Chattanooga’s fitness community.
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.
College Quest: UTC to host event for high school students interested in health care, STEM and computer science careers
The College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering and Computer Science are teaming up to offer high school juniors and seniors—and their families—an immersive campus experience tailored to students interested in pursuing professional careers in health care, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and computer science. College Quest, taking place from 12:45 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 18 (during Hamilton County Schools’ fall break), offers prospective students a unique opportunity to explore their specific academic and professional interests far beyond the traditional campus tour—including visits to lab spaces.
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.