Dr. Lisa Piazza came to UTC in 2018 with a goal to help more students see themselves as researchers. As a first-generation college student, Piazza learned much of higher education as she went, often with the help of mentors who took the time to guide her. That perspective carries over into her work at UTC, where she aims to make research feel approachable rather than intimidating.
Master’s student April (A.P.) Horn turns undergraduate research into a future in teaching
With the start of the spring semester, December 2025 UTC graduate April Horn is now enrolled in Graduate School thanks to the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship, a competitive National Science Foundation-funded fellowship that provides STEM graduates with a fully funded pathway to earn a master’s degree in secondary education from UTC in just 14 months.
Students share big ideas in graduate and undergraduate research pitch competitions
The Graduate Student Three Minute Thesis and Undergraduate Research Elevator Pitch competitions invited students to present their research in brief, accessible talks for a panel of judges from UTC and the Chattanooga community.
Digitizing United Hosiery Mills: UTC students help preserve Chattanooga industry
A new state grant is helping the UTC Library’s Special Collections make the story of United Hosiery Mills—a Chattanooga textile powerhouse for nearly a century—accessible to the public, with the assistance of student research.
Research on the road: A conversation with REU student Hailey Henderson
This summer, junior Hailey Henderson—a mechanical engineering major from Memphis—spent 10 weeks in Potsdam, New York, participating in an REU program at Clarkson University.
SEARCH Award winners discuss challenges, breakthroughs
A group of 21 undergraduate and graduate students from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga met on Friday, Sept. 26, for a welcome meeting to discuss their award-winning research projects. Recipients of the Scholarship, Engagement, the Arts, Research, Creativities and Humanities (SEARCH) Awards—which are given to students across all disciplines to begin research under UTC faculty supervision—discussed where they are in the research process.
Research on the road: A conversation with REU student Fabion Walden
Senior Fabion Walden is a computer science major with a concentration in cybersecurity in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. This summer, he participated in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Software Engineering Program at the Carnegie Mellon University CyLab.
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.
UTC undergraduates take their research to the Capitol
Ten undergraduate students from the UTC recently traveled to Nashville to present their work at Posters at the Capitol, a statewide undergraduate research showcase held at the Tennessee State Capitol on Wednesday, April 2.
The 2025 Spring Research and Arts Conference brings ideas and innovation to UTC
The energy was lively and the excitement contagious inside the Wolford Family Athletic Center on Wednesday, April 9, as students, faculty and guests packed the space for a day of research and discovery. The annual Spring Research and Arts Conference at UTC turned the spotlight on projects from across a handful of disciplines as UTC personnel and community members presented their work exploring nearly every imaginable topic.









