{"id":63967,"date":"2024-12-20T08:39:46","date_gmt":"2024-12-20T13:39:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/?p=63967"},"modified":"2025-01-07T08:54:01","modified_gmt":"2025-01-07T13:54:01","slug":"seasons-greetings-a-years-worth-of-utc-highlights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2024\/12\/seasons-greetings-a-years-worth-of-utc-highlights\/","title":{"rendered":"Season\u2019s greetings: A year\u2019s worth of UTC highlights"},"content":{"rendered":"

With more than 370 stories published in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga newsroom<\/strong><\/a> during the 2024 calendar year, it\u2019s easy to say that a lot of good things happened for UTC students, faculty and staff this year.<\/p>\n

Picking out the top highlights\u2014not so easy.<\/p>\n

Here are some of our favorites listed in chronological order of website publication.<\/p>\n

UTC unveils autonomous vehicle for smarter, safer urban mobility<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/h4>\n
\"The

The Center for Urban Informatics and Progress’s first autonomous vehicle.<\/p><\/div>\n

Researchers at UTC are driving faster\u2014and more safely\u2014into the future of mobility with the recent arrival of the University\u2019s first autonomous vehicle.<\/p>\n

The vehicle\u2014technically a research and development autonomous vehicle platform\u2014designed and manufactured by Hexagon | AutonomouStuff, was purchased by the UTC Center for Urban Informatics and Progress (CUIP) and deployed along the MLK Smart Corridor and throughout parts of downtown Chattanooga. As the vehicle travels a loop from East ML King Boulevard to the Edney Innovation Center and the UTC campus, it gathers real-time data about the interactions between other cars, cyclists, pedestrians and travelers.<\/p>\n

Heroes of UTC snow days: \u201cWhen the call went out for help, people responded\u201d<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/h4>\n
\"Graham

Graham Davis celebrates Snow Day 2024 on Chamberlain Field.<\/p><\/div>\n

On Jan. 15, a rare, thin blanket of snow fell on the UTC campus. While the University only received a light dusting, some areas in the Chattanooga region received up to six inches of snow, leaving campus closed until Jan. 18.<\/p>\n

The winter weather provided a few fun snow days for students, but many staff members worked behind the scenes to keep campus running and students safe.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople had to be doing physical things in 10-degree weather, five-degree weather, which is crazy,\u201d UTC Director of Environmental Health and Safety Bob Jackson said, \u201cbut when the call went out for help, people responded.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fletcher Hall renovation and expansion<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/h4>\n
\"Artist

Artist rendering courtesy of DH&W and Perkins&Will Architects<\/p><\/div>\n

On April 26, UT System President Randy Boyd shared highlights of the fiscal year 2024-2025 state budget passed by the Tennessee General Assembly, including the transformational funding for the renovation and expansion of Fletcher Hall\u2014home to the Gary W. Rollins College of Business.<\/p>\n

The monumental investment by the State of Tennessee and Gary and Kathleen Rollins will allow for Fletcher Hall\u2014built in 1940 and home to the Rollins College of Business\u2014to be renovated and connected with a new 81,000-square-foot building to help expand the services and capacity of the growing business program.<\/p>\n

Pomp and circumstance: Celebrating the sights and sounds of UTC commencement<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/h4>\n
\"Following

Following her remarks to UTC students of the Gary W. Rollins College of Business and the College of Health, Education and Professional Studies at the May 4 afternoon undergraduate commencement, Student Government Association President Chamyra Teasley took a selfie with the graduates.<\/p><\/div>\n

Processionals, gonfalons and the \u201cImperial March.\u201d The revelry of past UTC commencements was back.<\/p>\n

For the first time since 2019, commencement at UTC was held without the restrictions of COVID-19 and McKenzie Arena renovations. Three ceremonies took place May 3-4 with more than 1,300 undergraduates and nearly 300 graduate students presented for degrees.<\/p>\n

All three ceremonies began with the march of the gonfalons\u2014ceremonial banners originating from Western European culture and the Roman Empire\u2014representing the academic colleges that make up the University.<\/p>\n

White House report recognizes UTC\u2019s role in cyber workforce training<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/h4>\n
\"Dr.

Dr. Mengjun Xie is a UC Foundation professor of computer science and director of the InfoSec Center.<\/p><\/div>\n

In a report issued by the White House on June 25, UTC was recognized for its contributions to the U.S. National Cybersecurity Strategy launched in March 2023.<\/p>\n

The \u201cReport on the Initial Stages of the National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy Implementation\u201d was a status update on a federally-driven, nationwide approach to position \u201cthe United States and its allies and partners to build a digital ecosystem that is more defensible, more resilient, and better aligned with our values.\u201d<\/p>\n

The report cited UTC for achieving National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity designation with its \u201cCollaborative Research: CyberCorps Scholarship for Service: Strengthening the National Cybersecurity Workforce With Integrated Learning of AI\/ML and Cybersecurity.\u201d<\/p>\n

UTC has historic fundraising year of $60 million raised<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

UTC raised $60,056,026 from 6,762 donors during the fiscal year 2024, the single largest fundraising year in UTC\u2019s history. This fundraising total represented a 325% increase from the previous fiscal year in dollars raised to support students, faculty and staff.<\/p>\n

In addition to the generous support of Gary and Kathleen Rollins with a $30 million gift to support the expansion of Fletcher Hall and the home to the Gary W. Rollins College of Business, UTC\u2019s School of Nursing received its largest gift in history. Announced in October 2023, an $8 million gift from the Kennedy Foundation, Inc. is set to name the Dorothy and Jim Kennedy Health Sciences Building, which broke ground in fall 2024 and will be the new home for the School of Nursing.<\/p>\n

UTC\u2019s Olivia Reeves brings home the Olympic gold<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/h4>\n