Hamilton County is home to numerous parks, trails, playgrounds, ball fields, dog parks and greenways. Many residents enjoy these spaces but may not think twice about who maintains them. This summer, three students from UTC set out to change that, using their internships with Hamilton County Parks and Recreation to document the people behind the scenes who keep it all running.
Three cities, three summers, one research mission
For the past three summers, groups of undergraduate researchers, led by a pair of University of Tennessee at Chattanooga faculty members, studied how greenways—the ribbons of nature that wind through urban spaces—shape cities and the lives of the people within them.
UTC’s top alumni honors announced for 2025
Hiren Desai (’91), Tennessee Sen. Bo Watson (’83) and Hallie DeHart (’18) have been recognized by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga as the 2025 Distinguished Alumni, Outstanding Service and GOLD Excellence Award recipients, respectively.
UTC celebrates historic year in fundraising and alumni engagement
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga achieved a remarkable fundraising milestone in fiscal year 2025, securing $31.9 million from 7,086 donors.
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.
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.
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.
Chattanooga from space: UTC faculty research featured by NASA
Dr. Azad Hossain’s research on Chattanooga was recently featured as NASA’s Earth Observatory “Image of the Day.” The article, “Building Out Chattanooga,” compares satellite images of Chattanooga from 2001 and 2024 to show how much the city has grown.
UTC professor’s research on ancient sloths earns national recognition
When Dr. Tim Gaudin arrived at UTC 30 years ago, his sights were set on teaching. Behind the scenes, however, Gaudin found additional value in his research—and it paid off. This spring, that work earned him a huge milestone: co-authorship on a paper about sloths published in Science, one of the world’s most prestigious scientific journals.
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.