{"id":77865,"date":"2026-06-29T07:58:29","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T11:58:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.utc.edu\/news\/?p=77865"},"modified":"2026-07-21T08:15:27","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T12:15:27","slug":"one-year-in-chancellor-lori-bruce-reflects-on-utc-and-whats-ahead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.utc.edu\/news\/2026\/06\/one-year-in-chancellor-lori-bruce-reflects-on-utc-and-whats-ahead\/","title":{"rendered":"One year in: Chancellor Lori Bruce reflects on UTC and what\u2019s ahead"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Chancellor

Chancellor Lori Bruce (photo by Angela Foster)<\/p><\/div>\n

On June 30, 2025, Dr. Lori Bruce became the chancellor of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and the 19th leader in the University\u2019s history.<\/em><\/p>\n

As she gets ready to begin year two, Dr. Bruce sat down for a Q&A about what surprised her most in year one, what she has learned about UTC and herself, and what she sees ahead.<\/em><\/p>\n

As you wrap up your first year at UTC, what surprised you most, both about the job and the University?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cHow fun the job is.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew the job would be a heavy responsibility with hard days when the stars didn\u2019t align. But I think my biggest surprise is how much joy I have personally gotten from doing this job.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe joy of getting to see impact on students and being able to help, whether it\u2019s individual students or groups of students or faculty or a department. They come with an idea and I get to help them make it a reality. Going out and telling the story of UTC and the individuals that make up the University, I didn\u2019t realize how much positive energy that would bring into my life personally\u2014to be able to be that face and that voice for the campus.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe other thing that surprised me was UTC itself. I had this impression that UTC was not super integrated into the community, that UTC sat in Chattanooga and Chattanooga was a backdrop. In my mind, I made this assumption that it was a University that happened to be in this city.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat surprised me is that the University is very much integrated into the city. Whether that\u2019s student clubs doing service projects in the surrounding community, or faculty research being hand in hand with partners in the community, or the care that is taken to align academic programs with workforce needs.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo that true integration of campus life with the community, I did not think was there, but it is. I was really wrong about that. It isn\u2019t a University that simply resides in Chattanooga. It is Chattanooga.\u201d<\/p>\n

How did that change the way you lead and talk about UTC?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt definitely made me think much more about any decision we make. Does it enhance that relationship? Does it strain that relationship? Does it interconnect us more or less? It really makes me think through my decisions because I know the relationship is special, and I want to make sure I\u2019m preserving it and growing it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt also changed the way I talk about the University because I don\u2019t think I\u2019m the only person who had that assumption. There\u2019s maybe a little bit of an urban myth that we\u2019re the \u2018light upon the hill,\u2019 that we\u2019re this separate thing that happens to sit here in Chattanooga. I want people to understand how interconnected the University and the surrounding community are.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is humbling to be that voice, and I take that responsibility very seriously. I want to be a cheerleader for campus. I want to be telling our story boldly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Chancellor

Chancellor Bruce tosses a hat to an attendee at Riverfront Nights, a free weekly concert series at Ross’s Landing in Downtown Chattanooga.<\/p><\/div>\n

What have been your favorite things about campus life and Chattanooga?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe first things that come to mind are all food-related. I have enjoyed eating at Crossroads, seeing students, listening to them and meeting them. Sometimes I go and sit with them. Sometimes it freaks them out, but I really enjoy meeting them.<\/p>\n

\u201cI enjoy having time to walk around campus, which is rare, so I have to squeeze it in at lunch. I enjoy just seeing the students being students, and that helps me remember why we\u2019re here and what we\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe quality and variety of the food and the customer service of the people who are preparing and serving the food have been very enjoyable. Crossroads gives me an opportunity to be with students and faculty in a very unstructured way and listen to people.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs far as Chattanooga goes, I\u2019d say kind of the same thing. Chattanooga is a foodie town, and some of the best restaurants I\u2019ve ever eaten at in my life have been here in Chattanooga.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have really enjoyed spending time on the Riverwalk, riding my bicycle or walking my dogs. I run into students on the Riverwalk. I run into coworkers and alumni, so it\u2019s fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Chancellor <\/a>
Chancello Bruce and ‘Miss’ Cassandra Robinson at Crossroads Dining Hall. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Chancellor <\/a>
Chancellor Bruce on the Tennessee Riverwalk with her dogs Lucy and Brody. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

At the beginning of your first year, you were very intentional about being out and about and meeting people. Do you plan to keep doing that?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI want to continue that in year two. I have heard very positive feedback from people on and off campus, business leaders and alumni about the fact that there is a person representing the University who is at the table and present at community meetings and events.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have also spent a lot of time just meeting people on campus, and I will continue that by meeting people in small groups, whether that\u2019s the staff that runs a certain part of campus or the faculty from a particular academic unit.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes you have to meet with people two or three times before they really feel comfortable opening up and sharing, so that will be just as important in year two as making sure a leader for UTC is at the table when opportunities are unveiled and decisions are made. That\u2019s positive for the University and positive for the students in the long term.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Chancellor

At the beginning of the fall 2025 semester, students lined up to meet with Chancellor Bruce on Chamberlain Field.<\/p><\/div>\n

What do you want incoming students and new faculty and staff to know about UTC?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen people come to UTC, they\u2019re looking to be a part of a community and they\u2019re looking for opportunity. They\u2019re looking for an education that will put them on a purposeful and successful career trajectory. Maybe if it\u2019s a new faculty member who is moving here from across the country, they\u2019re looking for an opportunity to build their career here. But they\u2019re also looking for purpose and impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cUTC is a place that gives you opportunities for growth, but also real purpose and the ability to see the impact of what you\u2019re doing. There\u2019s an opportunity for good internships and to study with or conduct undergraduate research with a nationally known faculty member.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the same thing about the employees. UTC is a place where, if you commit yourself, you can have a positive impact on students\u2019 lives so that\u2014decades later\u2014they remember you went the extra mile for them and helped them overcome an obstacle. That\u2019s the thing I want people to really focus on: the opportunity, the purpose and the impact.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Chancellor

Chancellor Bruce helped students and their families move into residence halls as part of “Operation Move In.”<\/p><\/div>\n

After a year on campus, what has stood out to you about the research going on at UTC?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe quality of the research.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to research, we\u2019re not trying to be all things to all people. We\u2019re working to be nationally known and world-class in a few areas. When I reviewed the promotion and tenure dossiers this year, I was very impressed by the quality of our faculty\u2019s scholarly and creative work.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I talk about research in terms of going after big funding to support some R&D effort, I\u2019ve been very pleased that we\u2019re really well known in a handful of areas. In those areas, I would argue we\u2019re competitive against any R1.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only difference is that an R1 has more of those areas. They just have a larger volume. The thing I want people to understand about R2 and R1 is that they\u2019re based on numeric metrics, not on the quality of our work. How many doctoral students did you graduate? How much research and development funding did you bring in?<\/p>\n

\u201cIn our areas of strength, we\u2019re competitive with anybody. There\u2019s a hyperfixation on R2 and R1 status, and those labels don\u2019t speak to the quality of our work. They speak to volume, and volume will come with time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Chancellor

On July 28, 2025, Bruce joined city and University leaders at a news conference announcing a $500,000 state grant to support UTC-led research intended to improve pedestrian and driver safety at Chattanooga intersections.<\/p><\/div>\n

What have you learned about yourself over the last year?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve learned that I\u2019m a better listener than I thought I was because I\u2019m careful about what I say. I learned very early on to be careful about what I verbalize, because people will go do it. In my mind, I\u2019m just thinking out loud, but a week later I find out they went and did that thing because they thought I was telling them to do it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf people are around me and they feel me being cautious with my words, it\u2019s because I\u2019m trying to make sure I\u2019m not causing undue work for people or that they don\u2019t think I\u2019m telling them to go do something when I\u2019m really just brainstorming. I have learned that I can be a much more careful listener and, as a result, a more intentional leader.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve also learned that I have more patience than I thought I had. Listening and patience often come hand in hand, and I\u2019ve learned to accept help from other people more than I ever have in the past. I\u2019ve learned that I can delegate and let things go beyond my personal control better than I thought I could.\u201d<\/p>\n

As year two begins, what\u2019s at the top of your mind?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThere are two big things I will be focused on in year two. One is ensuring that we continue the momentum of our strategic plan. We have strong momentum in our enrollment and research, and we are making sure that continues. When you\u2019re the brand-new chancellor, there\u2019s excitement and people rally around you, and you get some momentum just from that.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany people put so much thought and effort into our strategic plan, so we must ensure that we\u2019re paying attention to it and doing the things that move it forward. We\u2019re keeping our eye on the ball. We\u2019re not letting our foot off the gas, but we\u2019re doing it in a way that doesn\u2019t leave people feeling worn out or stretched thin.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe second thing is our 140th celebration and honoring what our University has accomplished up to now. I tend to be someone who\u2019s always looking forward. I don\u2019t spend a lot of time looking in the rearview mirror; I look out of the windshield 99% of the time.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut we have to stop and celebrate successes. I have to remind myself to look back and celebrate where we\u2019ve been and what we\u2019ve accomplished.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, this year is about balancing our 140th celebration and taking time to honor what this University has done and where we are, while at the same time continuing to build momentum in teaching, research and service.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Chancellor<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Learn more<\/h4>\n

Visit UTC<\/a><\/p>\n

How to apply<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As she gets ready to begin her second year as chancellor of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Dr. Lori Bruce sat down for a Q&A about what surprised her most in year one, what she has learned about UTC and herself, and what she sees ahead.<\/p>\n

Continue Reading 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