Lyn Miles, a longtime anthropology professor at UT Chattanooga , has been selected as part of the inaugural group of 10 inductees into the international Interspecies Communication Hall of Fame. At UTC, Miles worked for nine years with Chantek the orangutan (both featured in photo, above), eventually teaching him more than 150 words—the vocabulary of a 2- or 3-year-old child—in American Sign Language for the Deaf. It was the first time someone had tried—and succeeded—in teaching an orangutan to sign. Miles says UTC and its partners were key participants in the research that led to her induction into the hall of fame.
Researching Drug Hoped to Cure COVID-19
The prescription drug hydroxychloroquine has been in the news in recent months, thanks to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Since the drug has been beneficial in fighting off other viral illnesses, there was some thought that it could also combat the virus. But a researcher who spent his undergraduate years at UT Chattanooga says the drug isn’t the cure for the virus. Matthew Pullen, who received a degree in molecular biology from UTC in 2007, and his fellow researchers documented their findings, which were published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine.
Nursing Programs Receive High Marks
From bachelor’s to doctoral degrees, the UT Chattanooga School of Nursing programs just earned a 10-year accreditation by the national Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The commission said UTC Nursing met all four accreditation standards. Three involve program quality: assessing mission and governance; institutional commitment and resources; and curriculum and teaching-learning practices. The fourth standard, program effectiveness, involves assessment and achievement of program outcomes.
Computer Consortium Created
With the help of a National Science Foundation grant, three Tennessee universities are teaming up to advance collaborative computing research in Middle Tennessee. Researchers from UT Chattanooga, Middle Tennessee State University and Tennessee Technological University are joining forces to create the Middle Tennessee Cyberinfrastructure Alignment Consortium. Using each university’s unique expertise in computer and cyber systems, the consortium will combine those strengths in joint projects, said Anthony Skjellum, director of the SimCenter at UTC.
Psychology Professor Recognized
Alexandra Zelin, assistant professor of psychology at UT Chattanooga, was recently awarded the American Psychology Association Mary Roth Walsh Teaching the Psychology of Women award. Zelin was recognized specifically for her success teaching the Psychology of Women course at UTC. When she teaches, Zelin says she’s careful “to ensure that all women feel represented in the material.”
