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Alumni News

Legends and Leaders honors Weber and Stophel Five chosen to lead Alumni Board of Directors Athletes and Mocs' supporters recognized You are invited to these Alumni Events

Development News

New scholarship opportunities established Support builds for Cadek renovation Faculty and Staff "Invest in Your UTC"

Campus News

Personal experiences inspire Brown v. DOE panel discussion Campus Heart Celebrates Reopening Congratulations Lady Mocs!

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Legends and Leaders Honors Weber and Stophel

Dr. Randal S. Weber was honored as Chattanooga's Distinguished Alumnus at the Chattanooga Golf and Country Club during the Legends & Leaders banquet. A UTC chemistry major, Weber earned an undergraduate degree in arts and sciences in 1975.

Weber, head of the Department of Head and Neck Surgery at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, has been named among the nation's top physicians six times by various organizations.

The native Chattanoogan graduated from the UT Center for Health Sciences Medical School in Memphis, then did a surgical internship at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.

He completed surgical and otolaryngology residencies at Baylor College of Medicine, followed by a one-year fellowship at M.D. Anderson in 1985 before joining the Anderson faculty.

In 1996 he joined the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was vice chairman of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, and director of the Center for Head and Neck Cancer. As chief of head and neck cancer at that hospital, he taught residents and fellows management of head and neck tumors.

Weber was the recipient of the Louis Duhring Outstanding Clinical Specialist Award given by the University of Pennsylvania Health System. After seven years at the hospital he accepted the position at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Weber has written or co-written more than 125 scientific publications.

Civic leader John Stophel was also honored at the banquet when he was presented with The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Outstanding Service Award, presented by the Alumni Board. Stophel was recognized for his involvement on the UTC campus and in the community.

Stophel is a lawyer and founding member of Chambliss Bahner & Stophel. He is a former president of the Chattanooga Bar Association, of the Tennessee State Board of Accountancy and of Estate Planning Council of Chattanooga.

He also has served as president of the Rotary Club, Campus Development Foundation, Chattanooga Jaycees and Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce. He has served on the boards of Chattanooga Christian Community Foundation, Metropolitan YMCA and the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Bicentennial Commission.

He was 2002-2004 chairman of the University of Chattanooga Foundation. His commitment to education includes serving on the national advisory council of Bryan College, UT College of Law continuing legal education advisory committee, Covenant College board of associates, Tennessee Temple University's President's Forum and Bob Jones University's board of trustees.

He has been named the Bob Jones University Alumnus of the Year and the Chattanooga Legal Secretaries Association's Boss of the Year. He has won the Chattanooga Bar Association's President's Award, Kiwanis Distinguished Service Award and the Ralph Kelley Humanitarian Award.

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Alumni Board of Directors

Five Chosen to Lead Alumni Board of Directors

Congratulations to the newly elected officers of the Alumni Board of Directors.

"UTC alumni involvement is valued as an essential component of the continuing evolution of the campus. I congratulate the five new officers, whose alumni peers have selected them to play an active role," said Terry Denniston, UTC Alumni Director.

  • Ward Petty, Financial Advisor - A.G. Edwards, Chair
  • Milly Fariss, TVA Retiree, Community Volunteer, Vice Chair
  • Shane Neal, Financial Advisor - UBS Financial Services, Inc., Chair Elect
  • David Brock, Owner - Brock Properties, Treasurer
  • Sharmelle Thomas, Unum Provident, Secretary

The Alumni Board of Directors is comprised of 21 members, who serve staggered three-year terms.

Board members meet twice annually to advise Chancellor Bill Stacy on critical University issues. Council members also meet to plan programming that keeps alumni active and engaged.

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UTC Athletics Hall of Fame

Athletes and Mocs’ supporters recognized

The Chattanooga Golf and Country Club was the setting for the induction of four new members into the UTC Athletics Hall of Fame.

"It is always a wonderful experience to bring back former student-athletes, coaches and administrators to celebrate their accomplishments at our great institution," UTC Director of Athletics Steve Sloan said.

Regina Kirk (1984-88) is the all-time scoring leader in the school's women's basketball history after compiling 2,376 career points. She was voted the SoCon Player of the Year four times, named All-SoCon Tournament in 1985, 1986 and 1987 and earned Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors in 1986. She received AWSF Freshman All-America accolades in 1986 and was selected to the 1980s SoCon All-Decade Team.

Kirk holds the record for points in a single game, with 45 points against North Alabama her senior season..

Deanna Campbell-Goodwin (1986-90) was the second UTC student-athlete to win an individual event at the SoCon Track and Field Championships. As a sophomore, she won the 10,000-meter run and set a school record in the event which stood for over 10 years. Campbell received All-SoCon honors in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field during all four years of competition.

Campbell graduated with honors in 1990 and was the recipient of the Dayle May Award for the graduating student-athlete with the highest grade point average.

One former student-athlete described Mary Tinkler as teacher, professor, psychologist, coach, mother and priest. The many roles and responsibilities she was required to take on grew throughout her 30-year career (1968-98) as she was promoted to Assistant Athletics Director for Academics in 1984.

Tinkler remains active with campus and community events.

In his senior year, Jerry Ward (1952-55) earned Small College All-America recognition. He was also the recipient of the Edwards Memorial Award as the Most Valuable Player. That year, he led the team in rushing, receiving, scoring, kick returns, punting and interceptions.

Student athlete Ian Mayne received the A.C. Scrappy Moore Award.

The junior cross country and track runner was an All-SoCon performer at the 2003 SoCon Cross Country Championships leading the Mocs to a first-place finish, and he earned All-SoCon honors in the men's 3000-meter steeplechase at the SoCon Outdoor Championships. He is co-president of UTC's Student-Athlete Council.

Dag Gray received the Gordon L. Davenport Award for an individual who has shown outstanding commitment to UTC Athletics, and Ron Wade was given the Joe Morrison Award for a UTC constituent who has achieved notable life accomplishments.

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Upcoming Alumni Events

You are Invited to these Alumni Events...

Freshman Orientation Parent Tours

In conjunction with Student Affairs and the Orientation Board, the Alumni Office takes part in welcoming incoming freshman and parents to UTC during summer orientation sessions. We need YOU to volunteer about an hour out of your day to come back to campus and guide a tour for the parents of incoming freshman. Tours begin at 4:30 p.m. at the University Center. The dates we need YOU are July 15th, July 22nd, July 29th, August 9th, and August 17th. If you would like to volunteer, or need additional information, please call Jennifer Jordan at423/ 425-4785 or email Jennifer-Jordan@utc.edu.

Memphis Alumni - UTC is Coming to Town!

September 10-11, 2004. For more information please call the alumni office at 800/728-4882.

Homecoming Week October 11-16

  • Thursday, Oct 14th - Downtown Pep Rally at Miller Plaza;
  • Friday, Oct 15th - Golf tournament, Mocs Rock the Plaza Party at Miller Plaza, Southern Belle Riverboat Cruise
  • Saturday, October 16th - Tailgating and the HC football game vs Elon - For Additional information, please call the Alumni Office at 423/ 425-4785 or 800/728-4882.

University of Chattanooga Fifty Plus Reunion Weekend

This year our 50 plus Reunion weekend will be celebrated during homecoming. Please mark your calendars for October 15th – 16th! The class of 1954 will be inducted into the 50+ Club during the weekend. All former 50+ inductees are invited to attend. Activities include a class dinner on Friday night, Patten Chapel service on Saturday, Luncheon on Saturday, and Campus Tours. For Additional information, please call the Alumni Office at 423425-4785 or 800/728-4882.

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Scholarships Established

New Scholarship Opportunities Established

A memorial sculpture honoring UTC art major Matt Haase is now on permanent display at the corner of Vine and Palmetto streets near the Fine Arts Center. The untitled work is a re-creation of a piece the artist did in an art class as a freshman.

Scholarships Established
Dan Bethune, lecturer from
the UTC Department of Art,
who was responsible for the
fabrication and installation of
the sculpture

A dedication ceremony was held in March at the sculpture site with Haase's family, students, faculty and staff attending. The sculpture was fabricated by Dan Bethune, UTC Department of Art lecturer in sculpture, who was also responsible for installation of the work.

Haase was 20 years old, a rising sophomore and graphic design major who died while exercising at Maclellan Gymnasium on campus. He was a graduate of Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga and a native of Wisconsin.

The Matt Haase Memorial Art Scholarship was established in 2002 by members of the Haase family and will be awarded to rising sophomore students majoring in art.

***

Chattanoogans Lynn C. and Mike G. Temple are funding a scholarship for non-traditional students with first preference being given to students who attended Hamilton County schools or who have lived in the Chattanooga area for at least five years. Lynn C. Temple was a member of the Class of 1985 of the College of Business Administration and earned a master's in Business Administration in 1988. She is Vice President for National Accounts at Cigna HealthCare. Her husband, Mike, is Vice President of Underwriting at UnumProvident.

More recently, Barbara B. Young and David H. Young III, decided to include UTC in their estate plans by agreeing to fund a scholarship for undergraduate and graduate accounting majors. The Youngs, of Chattanooga, also have directed that preference be given to students who have been and will continue to be active contributors to civic and/or charitable causes in the community.

David Young (Chattanooga, 1979) received his bachelor's degree in Business Administration in accounting. He says he owes much of his career success to instruction he received in accounting from UTC professors. This scholarship, he says, recognizes their excellence through this bequest in his will and will provide needed scholarship assistance to student accounting majors.

If you are interested in establishing a scholarship, more information is available online through the Office of Development.

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Cadek Conservatory 10th Decade

Support Builds for Cadek Renovation

The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga has awarded UTC $20,000 for the renovation and restoration of Cadek Hall on campus. The grant is the maximum award made by the Community Foundation for capital projects.

The restoration and renovation project includes replacement of seats, flooring and light fixtures; replacement of the three-stage light board; new sound and recording system; repair of plasterwork and repainting of the Cadek Recital Hall. The local campaign goal is to raise $102,000 for this work and other building improvements.

"Our hope is to return Cadek Conservatory to its original intent, as a recital hall for Cadek and the Department of Music," said Paul Shurtz, director of Cadek Conservatory.

State of Tennessee allocations have been used to install an elevator and replace the roof of the 40-year old Cadek Conservatory Building.

In addition to the recital hall restoration, studios, offices and classrooms are scheduled for renovation. Individual donors may choose to restore a studio for a gift of $12,500 or more. A donation of $5,000 will aid in replacing worn lobby furnishings. In support areas, flooring replacement, restoration of painted surfaces and wood are scheduled as part of the project.

Gifts of all sizes are welcome. Look online for ways to give.

Joseph Ottokar Cadek founded the conservatory in 1904. Cadek was a violinist and orchestra conductor who had immigrated to the United States from Bohemia a few years earlier. From the conservatory's activities over the past 100 years, both the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra and the Chattanooga Opera Association have evolved. Thousands of students have received professional music instruction at the conservatory, with many progressing to professional careers in music.

Cadek has been associated with the University since 1953 when it became part of the University of Chattanooga. UTC formally assumed ownership of the conservatory in 1973.

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Invest in Your UTC

Faculty and Staff "Invest in Your UTC"

More than 375 employees of UTC have already responded to this year's call to help their University in providing student assistance and support of other campus initiatives.

"Invest in Your UTC" was the emphasis for this year's campaign. These gifts support the University's mission to employ resources that enrich the lives of those served by UTC.

The Faculty and Staff Campaign is one way for employees to give back to UTC, enhancing everything including important student services, scholarships, academic programs, staff development, and athletics.

Campaign Chair Dr. Ellen Neufeldt asked 28 campus Building Captains to deliver pledge cards to every employee, personally urging support for students, faculty, and staff. Dr. Neufeldt is Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Development and Dean of Student Life.

"The support of faculty and staff in this campaign is proof that many employees care about their university and look to a bright and positive future for UTC," said Neufeldt. "Those who participate are to be commended for their willingness to make an investment in Chattanooga's university."


Brown v. Board of Education

Personal Experiences Inspire Brown v. DOE Panel Discussion

The year Joyce Hardaway earned the highest grade point average of her graduating class, her school in Harriman, Tennessee, decided not to have a valedictorian. Instead, top students were recognized. A reporter for the local newspaper was not aware of the decision, and a headline touted Hardaway as the valedictorian, vindicating her success.

The year was 1968, and four years earlier the Civil Rights Act had gone into effect, moving Hardaway into an integrated school three blocks from her home.

"I remember watching my older brother get on the school bus. He was allowed to finish high school where he had started, ten miles away in Rockwood, at the all-black school. He rode to school with his friends, and I had to attend Cumberland Junior High."

Hardaway, Director of Recruitment for the Hamilton County Department of Education, participated in a UTC panel discussion addressing the consequences and changes brought about by the Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, which brought about the desegregation of public schools in the United States.

"When I arrived at Cumberland, I was immediately placed in the lower level classes, with the assumption that my education was inferior, despite the fact that I had a propensity for mathematics. I often corrected the teacher's answers," Hardaway smiled as she recalled the events. " After three weeks, I was moved to an algebra class, where the teacher was preparing students for a test. I had never had algebra , and what I picked up in the review got me a C on my first paper. That did not happen again, I learned quickly."

Other panel members recalled their personal experiences in the era of Brown v. D.O.E. Booker Scruggs director of Upward Bound.

Scruggs was a member of the 1960 senior class of Howard High School when he joined a group of his peers for a sit-in at Woolworth's.  Without direct teacher intervention, students got off the bus downtown and sat at the lunch counter over several days. The movement was considered successful when the "Whites Only" sign at the counter came down.

James Mapp, former Chattanooga Chapter NAACP President, discussed the phrase "with deliberate speed," a part of the decision in Brown v. DOE. "There was no time definition for the effectiveness of this law," Mapp said. "Many of the legal loopholes could have been avoided if the law had clearly stated it was to take effect 'now.'"

Events commemorating Brown vs. B.O.E. were sponsored by UTC, The Chattanooga Chapter of The Links, Inc., and The NAACP.

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We're Back!

Campus Heart Celebrates Reopening

It was a "beautiful day in the neighborhood" when the University community celebrated the grand re-opening of the University Center. UTC Vice Chancellor of Student Development Richard MacDougall was among a number of speakers at the special event.

"When the University Center was closed, we realized how important it was as a gathering place to keep the pulse of the campus," MacDougall said.

The University Center was closed in May 2002 for a $15 million facelift including construction and renovation. It opened in fall 2003 with a new food services area , 600 seat commons, meeting rooms, Adult Services, a new bookstore and computer lab. Recently, there have been more additions with offices for the student newspaper, The Echo, a 300-seat auditorium and more.

Student Government Association President James Armour agreed. "Students come to eat, hang out and study. Thanks to the students for waiting for this building. I also want to say, 'Take care of it,' " Armour said.

By referendum, students at UTC approved an increase in fees to support the project.

Chancellor Billy Stacy said the new UC is a part of improving the learning environment for students. "It is also the first place a new student will visit on campus. We say to the students and people of Tennessee 'thank you' for the quality of what we are able to open," Stacy said.

Quick history of the University Center:

  • 1972-1974 Construction of UC by Jack Tyler & Associates. Cost: $3,400,000 for 83,100 square feet
  • 1982-1984 Addition of 53,800 square feet. Joint venture, Socrates Sabater and William Martin, Architects, cost: $2,854,000 Atrium, Athletic Dining Room, Raccoon Mountain Room, additional meeting rooms, renovation of food services grill area
  • 1987-1989 Renovation project by TWH Architects, W. Vance Travis, cost: $1,350,000. Included relocation of game room to lower level, atrium remodel, patio, student activity area and remodel of Counseling and Placement centers
  • March, 1994 First meeting to brainstorm new addition
  • 1997-98 Students approve referendum to increase fees to finance addition
  • May, 2002-August, 2003 UC closed for $15 million construction and renovation by TWH Architects, W. Vance Travis
  • Fall, 2003 UC opens with new food services area, bookstore, meeting rooms
  • Grand reopening: March 19, 2004!

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Congratulations Lady Mocs!

Both the Lady Mocs basketball and softball teams ended a drought of NCAA Tournament frustration with invitations to the Big Dance.  

Lady Mocs Basketball continued the nation's longest winning streak when Chattanooga beat Rutgers 74-69 at McKenzie Arena. In the next matchup, a crowd of 7,541 fans at McKenzie Arena cheered for the Lady Mocs against Vanderbilt. The Mocs defeat at the hands of the 13th ranked team did not diminish an amazing season.

UTC set school and Southern Conference records this season for overall wins (29), winning percentage (90.6), league wins (20) and home wins. Chattanooga's home-court winning streak ended at 17, which was also a school record.

Members of the Southern Conference Sports Media Association honored the league's top players a day after the coaches made their picks. They named Katasha Brown the 2004 Southern Conference Player of the Year and Wes Moore the league's Coach of the Year. The writers also picked three Lady Mocs on the All-Conference Teams: Katie Galloway, Tiffani Roberson and Brown. Galloway and Brown were named to the All-SoCon First Team, while Roberson was on the Second Team.

The Lady Mocs Softball team finished its season 45-25. NCAA regional games against Washington and Texas A & M proved difficult, with two consecutive losses.

"It was an awesome year for our kids," said head coach Frank Reed. "I'm really proud of all they were able to do. There are seven teams in this region that will feel the way we feel because only one goes to the world series. It's still a good day for Lady Mocs softball."

The loss did not dampen the spirits of UTC's eighth Southern Conference regular season championship and eighth SoCon Tournament championship. This marked UTC's fifth straight NCAA appearance, even though it was picked second in the preseason SoCon poll.

"We proved a lot of people wrong," said senior second baseman Grace Pickett. "That was the highlight of the season."

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