The 2025 Fly! Mocs Business Pitch Competition gave UTC students a chance to present startup ideas to industry judges, competing for $10,000 in prizes provided by the Spencer Patton Foundation. Rizwaan Abdulkadir’s classroom tech startup “Parleii” won first place and $5,000, with other top projects including a waterproof bag and a custom 3D duck generator.
From toy blocks to national labs: A UTC student’s LEGO-powered path
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga senior physics major Landon Boone has always wondered how things work. The Hendersonville, Tennessee, native, who will be graduating from UTC on May 3, is using LEGOs to do just that.
From behind the scenes to center stage: April Van Brunt finds her calling in the classroom
April Van Brunt, a mother of four and a nontraditional student in the UTC Master of Education: Elementary Education program, has spent the past year participating in the “Grow Your Own” initiative—which aims to help address the current teacher shortage and get more qualified teachers in classrooms. She now teaches kindergarten at Red Bank Elementary School and will graduate with honors during UTC’s Graduate School commencement on Friday, May 2.
Final reflection: A journey of growth, purpose and community
As a participant in ThinkAchieve, an experiential learning program at UTC, Destiny Pope was asked to write a personal reflection. For Pope, what started as a class requirement quickly became something more.
UTC faculty recognized for exemplary work in scholarship and service
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga celebrated the achievements of its faculty at a recognition ceremony held Tuesday, April 22, in the Wolford Family Athletic Center. The event honored faculty members for their excellence in scholarship and teaching, with awards presented by the Faculty Awards Committee of the Faculty Senate.
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.
‘Chattanooga’s Forgotten’: UTC students call on City Hall for safer streets
After spending a year studying walkability in Chattanooga’s Oak Grove neighborhood, students in Dr. Chandra Ward’s class brought their findings to City Hall—asking officials to make the area’s streets safer and invest more fairly in underserved communities.
UTC sophomore heading to Taiwan after landing prestigious Critical Language Scholarship
UTC sophomore Vinny Nguyen is taking his passion for language, diplomacy and international engagement across the world. Nguyen, a double major in political science international/comparative studies and economics international public policy with a minor in Asian studies, has been selected for the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) to study Mandarin in Taiwan this summer. He will spend two months at Tamkang University in New Taipei City—from June 17-Aug. 15—as part of the prestigious U.S. Department of State initiative.
Not retiring, just ‘repurposing’: Dr. Jamie Harvey ready to jump into her next exercise
Dr. Jamie Harvey, an associate professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance, is stepping down at the end of the semester after 35 years as a full-time faculty member—not to retire, but to “repurpose” her time and energy. “I still have more to give, just in a different way,” she said.
‘Now and forever’: UTC, Chattanooga celebrate Mocs basketball team’s NIT title
On Thursday, April 17, the Mocs men’s basketball team was celebrated in grand fashion with a downtown Chattanooga parade that culminated in a rally at Miller Park. The event brought together students, alums, faculty and community members to honor the team’s historic postseason run—which ended with UTC’s first-ever NIT title.