The UTC Marching Mocs have been invited to participate in the 2024 London New Year’s Day Parade and Festival.
The 38th edition of the London New Year’s Day Parade is expected to have more than 8,000 performers and a street audience of more than 500,000. The parade will be streamed live worldwide and televised in the U.S. on PBS stations.
“It’s a huge honor for us to get this invitation,” says UTC Director of Bands Randall Coleman. Noting that the university’s first marching band was formed in 1923, Coleman says, “So receiving this invitation that ties into our 100th year is very cool.
“To have this chance to perform on an international stage and put the word out about UTC across the world is a great opportunity for us.”
UTC Launches Research Institute
The UTC Research Institute (UTCRI), a new entity fulfilling a strategic goal of building cross-disciplinary research teams and new partnerships, launched on May 1.
The Institute’s executive director is Mina Sartipi, founding director of UTC’s Center for Urban Informatics and Progress. Sartipi also is Guerry Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at UTC, and she holds a joint appointment at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
The institute’s two initial focus areas are transportation (intelligent transportation systems, electric vehicle and battery technologies, social factors, automation, multimodal systems, policy and planning, cyber security, privacy and infrastructure) and quantum technologies.
UTCRI will enhance student learning and community engagement opportunities while also positioning the university to develop multidisciplinary solutions to complex problems at the local, state and national levels.
Quantum Research Coming to UTC
Gig City Goes Quantum is an initiative led by Chattanooga power and telecommunications company EPB and in which UTC is a substantial collaborator. As EPB and quantum company Qubitekk partner to bring the nation’s first industry-led, commercially available quantum network to Chattanooga, UTC will be home to a node of the network.
A series of informational and educational events to help the community better understand the anticipated benefits and impacts of quantum science kicked off on World Quantum Day, April 14, and included three UTC-hosted presentations by quantum experts, concluding with Tian Li, UTC assistant professor of physics.
Li, who has spent 14 years as a quantum optics scientist, is among six faculty members affiliated with the university’s Quantum Initiative, which was launched earlier this year.
