Chancellor Lori Mann Bruce, Ph.D.

Dr. Lori Mann Bruce became the 19th chancellor of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on June 30, 2025. A higher education leader with extensive experience in both academic and administrative roles, she is guiding UTC through a period of strong momentum in student success, research growth, community engagement and strategic progress.

During her first year as chancellor, UTC launched its 2030 strategic plan, surpassed 12,000 students for the first time with record fall enrollment, officially launched its College of Nursing as the University’s fifth academic college and earned national Carnegie recognition for community engagement. UTC also advanced major research and workforce initiatives, including the establishment of the Nanoengineering Center, the launch of the Center for Applied Geospatial Data Science, expanded translational research efforts and growing leadership in quantum research and workforce development through partnerships with EPB, the Chattanooga Quantum Collaborative and the Southeastern Quantum Collaborative.

Chancellor Bruce has emphasized UTC’s distinctive connection to Chattanooga, championing the University’s role as an engine for opportunity, innovation and regional impact. Under her leadership, UTC has continued to strengthen partnerships with industry, government and community organizations while investing in initiatives that support student access, academic excellence and the future needs of the workforce.

She has also focused on building a visible, student-centered culture on campus. In her first year, she introduced the Chancellor’s Challenge Coins, a new tradition designed to celebrate gratitude, mentorship and storytelling. Beginning with the freshman class, students receive one coin to honor a faculty or staff member who has made a meaningful difference in their UTC journey and a second coin to inspire someone else to consider UTC.

Before coming to Chattanooga, Bruce served for seven years as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Tennessee Technological University, where she oversaw academic operations, research and strategic planning across eight academic colleges. Prior to that, she served as associate vice president for academic affairs and dean of the Graduate School at Mississippi State University. During her time there, she also held appointments as Giles distinguished professor of electrical and computer engineering, associate dean for research and graduate studies in the Bagley College of Engineering, executive director of the High Performance Computing Collaboratory and interim director of the Raspet Flight Research Laboratory.

As a faculty member, she led research projects funded with more than $20 million from federal and industry partners, resulting in over 150 peer-reviewed scholarly publications that have been cited more than 6,000 times.

Dr. Bruce is no stranger to Tennessee. She grew up on a working farm in rural Lincoln County, about 90 minutes west of Chattanooga. Her early life experiences shaped her values of hard work, service and education, especially after her mother enrolled in college while raising children—a decision that left a lasting impression on the family.

She earned a bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. She also completed graduate coursework in biomedical engineering through the Georgia Tech/Emory Medical School joint program.

Her husband, Dr. JW Bruce, is a professor of electrical engineering at UTC. Their son, Walker, is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering at UT Knoxville.