When 13 University of Tennessee at Chattanooga students boarded flights to Europe in May, they weren’t just traveling for leisure. They were retracing the roots of modern psychology. The “History of Psychology” course, led by UTC Department of Psychology Assistant Professor Bret Eschman, took the group on a two-week study abroad experience to England, Germany and Austria.
UTC, Siskin Hospital expand partnership with new geriatric PT residency
UTC’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program and Siskin Hospital for Physical Rehabilitation are expanding their collaborative partnership with the creation of a Geriatric PT Residency Program—one of just two of its kind in Tennessee.
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.
UTC receives $2.4 million HRSA award to address behavioral health workforce needs in Southeast Tennessee
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is the recipient of a $2.4 million federal grant to bolster the pipeline of highly trained behavioral health professionals serving children, adolescents and young adults in underserved areas of Southeast Tennessee.
UTC’s Rick Dierenfeldt and Erica Holmes Trujillo honored with 2025 UT System President’s Awards
Two University of Tennessee at Chattanooga standouts, UC Foundation Associate Professor Rick Dierenfeldt and College of Arts and Sciences Student Success Center Director Erica Holmes Trujillo, have been named recipients of the 2025 UT System President’s Awards—the highest honor a faculty or staff member can receive from the UT System.
Opportunity in every challenge: Chancellor Lori Bruce brings vision and voice to UTC
As Dr. Lori Bruce takes the reins as chancellor of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, she won’t need a map to find her way across the region. After all, she grew up just 90 minutes west of Chattanooga on a working farm in Lincoln County—an upbringing she credits with shaping her resourcefulness and lifelong passion for education.
With ‘Adaptive Tai Chi,’ UTC’s Zibin Guo shares 20 years of wisdom in motion
Dr. Zibin Guo has spent more than two decades exploring how ancient traditions can help address the challenges of modern life. That research is now the subject of his second book, “Adaptive Tai Chi: An Accessible Practice for Empowering Body and Mind,” which will be available in July.
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.
Encore performance: For 42 years, Teresa McKinney helped UTC feel like home
When Teresa McKinney walks out of her office at the end of June, she will close the book on a 42-year chapter at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga that began when she was a student worker in the Department of Music.
Headstrong: One stubborn puppy, one determined student
For UTC mechanical engineering grad student Connor Mackey, what started as an engineering experiment quickly turned into a year-long test of creativity, grit and compassion. With no blueprint to follow, Mackey leaned into his problem-solving instincts—producing more than a dozen helmet prototypes for a tiny puppy.