Campus News
Satisfaction: Mocs’ hoop dreams come true
The UTC men’s basketball team did what hadn’t been done since 1925, defeat Tennessee.
The Mocs used a swarming defense and clutch shooting to edge the Volunteers 69-68 on December 5 in Knoxville.
Chris Brown’s three-pointer with 1:18 to play proved to be the game-winning shot.
The Mocs had a chance to ice the game with free throws in the final 52 seconds. They missed all three, however, including two by Ricky Hood with two seconds on the clock.
UT’s Brandon Crump collected the rebound from Hood’s final missed free throw, but he failed to get off a shot before the buzzer signified the end of the game.
“This gives me some credibility as a head coach,” UTC first-year Head Coach John Shulman said. “Maybe I do know what I am doing. This is our first Division I win, and it takes the monkey off our back.”
The win was the program’s first over a Southeastern Conference opponent since defeating Georgia in the first round of the 1997 NCAA Tournament. The Mocs narrowly missed beating Atlantic Coach Conference-member Virginia Tech on December 2, losing by four points after holding a four-point lead with four minutes to play.
UTC uncharacteristically struggled at the free throw line against Tennessee, making just 9-for-21 attempts. The Mocs were also out rebounded for the first time this season, 40-36.
Mindaugas Katelynas led the Mocs with 17 points, tying his season high. He also grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. Steve Cherry was the only other UTC player to register double figures with 10 points including two three-pointers.
A.J. Mastin came off the bench and nailed three three-pointers, all in the second half, for a career-best nine points. His second three-pointer with 4:09 to play extended the Mocs‚ lead to 61-57, and his third gave UTC a 66-62 cushion with 2:50 on the clock.
“I couldn’t be happier for our kids,” Shulman said. “They played with tremendous heart and effort. I think our defense really had them scratching their heads.
“We talked before the game about not being happy or accepting moral victories. I told them we would either win or we would lose. There is no in-between.
“We are appreciative to (UT Head Coach) Buzz Peterson for giving us this opportunity. It is a no-win situation for them. He certainly doesn’t have to do this.”
The game featured 13 ties, and the largest lead for either team was seven when a Jerice Crouch free throw with 9:29 remaining pushed UTC’s margin to 55-48. A 9-1 run, capped by an Andre Patterson dunk, gave UT a 57-56 lead with 5:47 to play.
Neither team led by more than four in the first half, and a Brown jumper 22 seconds before halftime enabled the Mocs to enjoy a 33-32 halftime advantage.
C.J. Watson led the Vols with 19 points and was 5-for-12 from three-point range. Scooter McFadgon added 14 points and 10 boards, and Crump netted 10 points.
UTC receives $1.8 million in federal support
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Interim Chancellor Frederick W. Obear has announced that $1.8 million in federal support has been awarded to the campus.
“These dollars provide significant funding to several critical partnership efforts between this campus and this region,” said Obear. “We are very thankful for the efforts of Congressman Zach Wamp, who has been a faithful and effective friend of this campus. Congressman Wamp shares a vision for this University to be not only an educational leader but also a primary force in technology development in the Tennessee Valley Corridor.”
The UT SimCenter at Chattanooga is slated to receive $1 million to support its team of research faculty and associates. The SimCenter has been called the leading computational engineering research center in the nation. A portion of the new funding will be used to study the dispersion of biological and chemical agents with possible applications in combating bioterrorism.
“The SimCenter has always been involved in research and education, and the support of Congressman Wamp has permitted the center to be of assistance in helping with the economic development of the region and state,” said Dr. Dave Whitfield, UTC professor of computational engineering and associate dean of the Graduate School of Computational Engineering.
An additional $400,000 has been secured to continue funding for the Riverbend Technology Institute. The institute assists local entrepreneurs through partnerships with UTC’s Colleges of Business Administration and Engineering and Computer Science . The information sharing and professional training initiative plays a significant role in furthering the Tennessee Valley Corridor effort.
“Continued support for the Riverbend Technology Institute will encourage entrepreneurial activities that spur economic growth and job creation,” said Dr. Ron Bailey, dean of the UTC College of Engineering and Computer Science. “I am pleased that our faculty and students will be able to participate in this program.”
The new funding will be used to implement a fast-track certification program for business executives and government leaders for the purpose of linking technologies to businesses, as well as networking with other corporate and government leaders, entrepreneurs, researchers, academicians, and venture capitalists.
“We have already seen a number of Riverbend Institute graduates developing their own businesses, and this funding will enable us to assist even more entrepreneurs, creating new businesses and new jobs for our region,” said Dr. John Schaerer, director of the Riverbend Technology Institute. “This region is fortunate to have a representative in Washington like Zach Wamp who is committed to supporting business development and higher education.”
The Chattanooga Health and Performance Institute (CHPI), a partnership between UTC and a variety of healthcare institutions, will receive $400,000. CHPI supports research and educational initiatives at UTC and the Chattanooga unit of the UT College of Medicine. The institute focuses on best practices in patient treatment and health enhancement.
“The Chattanooga Health and Performance Institute addresses healthcare through an unprecedented alliance of healthcare providers, insurers, and employees and employers, as well as family members. Proactive approaches must be taken and stakeholders must engage each other and work collaboratively,” said Joseph Decosimo, senior partner of Decosimo and Company CPAs and president of CHPI. “We are very thankful to Congressman Wamp for his support of this project that is so vitally important to our community.”
CHPI will use this new federal support to continue study in critical areas such as obesity and obesity-related disorders, sustainable weight control, and disease prevention.
Perspectives Series to cover stem cells, ethics, and health care issues
Perspectives 2005: The Raymond B. Witt Lecture Series at UTC annually examines weighty issues facing our country and the world. Next month, the series will take a timely look at Matters of Life and Death: Stem Cells, Ethics, and the Quality of Your Life. All sessions will be held in the UTC University Center from January 18 through January 21. The series is free and open to the public.
The Perspectives Lecture Series is supported through the Witt-Bagley Endowment Fund established by Raymond and Florence Witt.
The Perspectives Planning Committee hopes you can join us for the following sessions:
Tuesday, January 18, 7:30 p.m. — Dr. John Lachs, Centennial Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University, will discuss “When Should We Block the Road to Inquiry?” Lachs has received numerous awards for teaching excellence and the advancement of scholarship, including the Herbert Schneider Award for Lifetime Contributions to American Philosophy. Lachs draws students into discussion with a philosophical look at end of life issues.
Wednesday, January 19, 10 a.m. — Dr. David Smith, professor emeritus at Indiana University will discuss “The Mortal Coil: Morality, Mortality and Stem Cell Research.” In 1983, Smith became Director of the Poynter Center for the Study of Ethics and American Institutions. Center projects covered the teaching of ethics, care for the dying, research ethics, ethics and genetic testing, and corporate responsibility. An active Episcopal layman, Smith offers a Christian response to stem cell research, and speaks on the “need to care for people, and not just ethics.”
A panel discussion featuring UTC faculty and community representatives will discuss ethics issues in health care at 11 a.m. Panel members include Dr. Mack Worthington, head of the UT College of Medicine’s Family Practice, who serves as chair of the Erlanger Ethics Committee; Dr. Don Klinefelter, Professor Emeritus of the UTC Philosophy and Religion Department; Steve Meyer, civil engineer, Co-Director, Stem Cell Action Network; and Dr. Judith Wakim, Johnson Professor of Nursing at UTC. The discussion will be moderated by Dr. Dennis Plaisted of the UTC Department of Philosophy and Religion.
Smith’s lecture is made possible by the fund supporting the Keese Lecture Series to honor Dr. Donald Klinefelter. The panel discussion is also supported by the fund, established in 1962, endowed in 1964 by Will S. Keese Jr., in memory of his parents. The late Lucy Beall Keese and William S. Keese were longtime directors of the Bonny Oaks School.
Thursday, January 20, 10:50 a.m.-12:05 p.m. — Dr. Clifton Cleaveland, past president of the American College of Physicians will discuss “American Health Care: The Dreaded “R"(rationing) Word." Cleaveland is the author of Sacred Space: Stories from a Life in Medicine and Healers and Heroes: Ordinary People in Extraordinary Times. He has also chaired the Conference on Southern Literature, and he writes a weekly column for the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
Friday, January 21 — A student panel will cover health care issues at noon. Moderator will be Dr. Linda Collins, Routt Distinguished Teaching Associate Professor, Biological and Environmental Sciences Department, UTC.
Parking is available in the parking garage on East Fifth Street. Free parking is available at Engle Stadium. Transportation from Engle Stadium to the University Center will be provided with a free CARTA shuttle.
Enrollment in Ph.D. program surpasses early projections
In its first year recruiting students, The UT SimCenter at Chattanooga has enrolled 15 students in its innovative cross-disciplinary Ph.D. program in Computational Engineering.
The new Ph.D. program offers a unique educational environment because students participate as junior team members of the SimCenter’s large multidisciplinary research team working on complex and real-world computational engineering problems.
The SimCenter website has generated multiple student inquiries, and there have been a number of referrals from faculty and students at UTC and other universities.
“We have done almost no recruiting except through the website. We think the high demand reflects the innovative nature of the cross-disciplinary program, which is highly focused on real-world computational engineering problems, offers research interactions with a large research team, and is open to majors in all engineering disciplines, computer science, mathematics, and the physical sciences. Being located in Chattanooga also helps us to attract students,” said Dr. Roger Briley, Computational Engineering Program.
The Ph.D. students received their master’s degrees from UTC, Mississippi State, North Carolina State, UTSI, UT Knoxville, Louisiana Tech, and Kettering. Brian Lambert, who came from MSU, will defend his dissertation this semester to become the first Ph.D. graduate. Besides the Ph.D. students, there are six graduate students and four undergraduate research assistants.
Brian Lambert, expected to be the first graduate to receive his Ph.D. in Computational Engineering from UTC, defended his dissertation, “Development and Validation of a Time Accurate Algorithm for Low Mach Number Compressible Flow” recently. His work can be applied to rotor-craft operating at low speed.
The SimCenter has a number of active projects and others in the planning stage, according to Briley.
“One project uses simulation to help reduce the aerodynamic drag of heavy tractor-trailer trucks at highway speeds, in support of the national energy conservation program,” Briley said. “Another project is using computational simulations for compressors in turbomachinery to support efforts at improving helicopter evasive maneuvering capabilities, to evaluate advanced design concepts using bio-inspired propulsion, and to explore propulsion for unmanned communications platforms. Other projects address advanced design concepts for submarines, environmental wind flows and climate simulations, and polymer-induced drag reduction for Navy ships.
With the current number of SimCenter faculty, Briley says enrollment could grow. However, the availability of research opportunities and financial support for students will play a critical role.
“Over time, we believe our program will play a leadership role in educating students with the multidisciplinary and teamwork skills needed to solve complex practical engineering analysis and design problems using computational modeling, simulation and design software,” Briley said. “We also believe that this trend toward computational engineering will gradually transform the practice of engineering by supplementing experiment and testing to produce competitive advantages in high-technology products and systems. We think that UTC is an ideal environment in which to pursue these goals,” Briley said.