UTC Poised to Name First Woman Chancellor in School History

By Mason Edwards, the Chattanooga Times Free Press

Staff photo by Mason Edwards / Emily Thompson, director of the library studio, asks a question during this week's campus sessions to meet the finalists for chancellor of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

For the first time in its 138-year history, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is poised to name a woman as chancellor.

Two finalists — Vice Chancellor-Student Affairs and Campus Life Alysson Satterlund of the University of California San Diego and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Lori Mann Bruce of Tennessee Technological University — visited campus this week to pitch their agendas for the future of Chattanooga's largest university.

The finalists were selected after a national search led by the UT System and the executive search firm WittKieffer. Both candidates participated in public forums, fielded questions from faculty and staff and shared how their decades of experience shape their higher education leadership styles.

Satterlund, a first-generation college graduate who manages a $140 million portfolio at one of the nation's top public research universities, emphasized cultural engagement, access and institutional storytelling. Bruce, currently provost at Tennessee Tech, proposed a strategy grounded in academic rigor, inclusive excellence and regional research expansion.

Student Government Association President Jordan Fall, the sole student on the search committee, said the selection process came down to more than just resumes.

"What really stood out regarding the finalists was that lightning-in-a-bottle charisma and passion for students and the university as a whole," he said via email.

LORI MANN BRUCE

Lori Mann Bruce, one of two finalists in UTC's search for its next chancellor, is provost and vice president for academic affairs at Tennessee Tech University. She spoke Wednesday at a public forum. Staff photo by Mason Edwards

When Lori Mann Bruce stepped to the podium Wednesday, she led with her story.

"I grew up on a working farm in Lincoln County, Tennessee, about an hour and a half west of Chattanooga," Bruce said. "When you grew up on a farm, you learn the importance of long-term planning. There's a season for everything. You also learn to be connected to something bigger than yourself."

Bruce credited her mother — who went back to college while raising five children — as the root of her passion for higher education access.

"She studied late at night and never missed a class," Bruce said. "That experience instilled in me a deep belief in the power of education to change lives."

At Tennessee Tech, Bruce has led transformative changes, including the launch of new academic programs, $350 million in infrastructure development and a tripling of annual research funding. But at UTC, she said, it's not just about replicating that success — it's about relevance.

"We want to be known for academic excellence, yes," she said, "but also for regional and national impact, for inclusive excellence — where every single individual feels valued, heard, appreciated and empowered."

Bruce acknowledged the broader challenges facing higher education: declining enrollment, budget constraints and public skepticism of a liberal arts degree. But she called those challenges opportunities for collective action.

"Enrollment is a team sport," she said. "And we have to tell our story far and wide."

She praised UTC's hands-on learning programs, its strong city partnerships and its reputation for producing "hardworking, capable graduates." She even turned to Reddit before her visit.

"They get really real, and they're very honest," she said, adding that the posts she read confirmed the school's good reputation.

Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly has pressed for UTC to strive to become a top-tier research university. On the most recognized scale, the school is on Tier 3. Bruce helped Tennessee Tech reach Tier 2 and believes that experience would be useful as UTC chancellor. She said that at Tech, one obstacle to moving up was that not everybody was behind the effort.

She emphasized the importance of building alignment without losing focus on teaching and student success. "It doesn't have to be an 'or'— it can be an 'and,'" she said.

Bruce led Tennessee Tech to become the first university in over four decades to receive a perfect academic program quality score from the state of Tennessee.

ALYSSON SATTERLUND

Alysson Satterlund, one of two finalists in UTC's search for its next chancellor, is the vice chancellor for student affairs and campus life at the University of California San Diego. She spoke Tuesday at public forum. Staff photo by Mason Edwards

Alysson Satterlund, one of two finalists in UTC's search for its next chancellor, is the vice chancellor for student affairs and campus life at the University of California San Diego. She spoke Tuesday at public forum. Staff photo by Mason EdwardsAlysson Satterlund, one of two finalists in UTC's search for its next chancellor, is the vice chancellor for student affairs and campus life at the University of California San Diego. She spoke Tuesday at public forum. Staff photo by Mason Edwards

During her Tuesday forum, Alysson Satterlund positioned UTC as a university with the potential to shine.

"You are not in the shadow of anybody," she said. "You are UT Chattanooga, and you can stand with pride on an incredible, absolutely transformative, impactful mission."

She spoke about care, storytelling and shared governance as anchors for institutional strength.

When asked, based on her visit, what her change priorities were, she described a moment during her tour when her group encountered a student in a wheelchair.

"The pathway that we were on wasn't quite big enough for the cart and the student in the wheelchair," she said. "There are some accessibility challenges ... that you could address most immediately in a short-term manner while you're also looking at broader infrastructure issues."

Charlene Simmons, a University of Chattanooga Foundation associate professor in the department of communication, asked how Satterlund would respond to threats to academic freedom and tenure. Satterlund said that while she has not held a tenured position, she supports protections for faculty voices.

She also described a campaign at UC San Diego focused on rebuilding public trust in higher education.

"We created videos. We have short form, we have long form," she said. "We got on social media, we had our faculty, our students, our scientists, our artists tell their stories. We didn't take for granted anymore — and they didn't either — that somebody, one of us, was telling each other's stories."

In another initiative, Satterlund helped establish a long-awaited Transfer Student Resource Hub. The program, she said, began in a library room and grew into a community.

"Transfer students come with their kids, and we have a transfer student in a place where their kid goes to study and hang out and snack," she said. "And we have community there."

Asked how she would navigate cultural differences between California and Tennessee, she said, "I anticipate there would be challenges in learning new vocabulary, learning new policies and processes, but I think that's also part of the fun and the chance to grow and learn."

STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

Fall believes both finalists signal a generational shift for UTC.

"The fact that they're both women is fantastic," he said. "It gives the university a breath of fresh air and shows we're moving into a new era."

Above all, Fall wants a leader who will boost institutional confidence.

"We absolutely need more pride in ourselves and our culture," he said. "We've made strides to stand on our own, and the next chancellor should push that forward so students, faculty, staff and alumni can all be even more proud to be Mocs."