Students in the UTC College of Arts and Sciences have been putting down roots in the community— literally.
Students planted the Teaching and Learning Garden in spring 2016, teaching students about raising food in an urban environment as well as topics such as sustainability, local food economies, health and food production. The garden has raised 2,100 pounds of produce donated to the Chattanooga Community Kitchen.
“The students are learning more than any of us could’ve imagined,” says Joe Wilferth, UC Foundation professor and the college’s associate dean. “In the future, we are considering ways to have something like a farmers market on campus where the proceeds might go to support student travel and undergraduate and graduate student research.”
UTC’s Newman Named AIAA Associate Fellow
James Newman III, UT Chattanooga mechanical engineering professor, computational science graduate coordinator and SimCenter assistant director, is now a 2017 Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
This honor recognizes individuals “who have accomplished or been in charge of important engineering or scientific work, or who have done original work of outstanding merit, or who have otherwise made outstanding contributions to the arts, sciences, or technology of aeronautics or astronautics.”
Tai Chi Chuan for Veterans
A video of Zibin Guo, professor of anthropology, leading wheelchair Tai Chi Chuan on YouTube, led to a more than $78,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs to lead courses at a veterans’ medical center. The VA used Tai Chi in their programs but was unaware it existed for individuals in wheelchairs.
“One thing I have discovered is that, to make change and create a society where everybody has an equal chance to enjoy life, we must empower those who were taught that in some way they are inferior,” Guo says. “I cannot change reality, but I can change people’s minds.”
Nursing Students in Costa Rica
Twelve UTC school of nursing students and their faculty advisors traveled to Costa Rica for a week, serving as medical volunteers in a clinic. Students checked vital signs, listened to the heart and lungs, took the medical histories and did the work-ups.
“Working directly with the local people, you learn more about the country and its people and what their needs are. It’s a wonderful immersion experience,” says Susan Davidson, professor and coordinator of Gateway RN-BSN Program.
