This spring, UTC will celebrate its 267th commencement May 8-9 at McKenzie Arena with a new format that brings graduate and undergraduate students together in college-based ceremonies, an intentional shift designed to bring the full academic journey into a shared moment of recognition.
UTC Chancellor Lori Bruce said the change reflects how students experience the University every day, with undergraduate and graduate students learning and working alongside one another across their academic careers.
By combining ceremonies by college, students will see those connections reflected on commencement day, an experience that can broaden perspective and inspire what comes next.
“It becomes more of a college celebration,” Bruce said. “Sometimes you don’t realize who around you is pursuing a doctoral degree. To see that up close can help other students imagine that path for themselves.
“Students get to see the people they’ve learned from and worked alongside, and that can be very meaningful. At the same time, those graduate students want to see the students they have worked with crossing the stage, too.”
Bruce said the updated format highlights what commencement has always represented: recognition, reflection and possibility.
“Commencement is about celebrating our students and everything they’ve accomplished,” she said. “It’s also about helping them see what’s ahead.”
Approximately 1,400 undergraduates and about 350 graduate students are expected to earn degrees, making this one of the University’s largest spring graduating classes in recent years.
The ceremonies continue a tradition that dates to 1886, when the University was founded as Chattanooga University. The first commencement as the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga took place in 1969 at the Tivoli Theatre in downtown Chattanooga.
Commencement ceremonies are open to the public and tickets are not required. Additional information, including parking, arena access, ceremony agendas and livestream links, is available on the commencement ceremony information webpage.
The first commencement ceremony will take place at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, May 8, and will include graduates from the College of Health, Education and Professional Studies and the College of Nursing (click here for livestream link).
UTC alumnus Quonta Vance, executive vice president of Pro and Home Services at Lowe’s Companies Inc., will be the featured speaker.
Vance earned his bachelor’s degree in English in 1996 while making his mark as a Mocs student-athlete. A four-year letterwinner and three-year starter on the football team, he was named offensive lineman of the year during both his junior and senior seasons. He was recognized by UTC Athletics in 2024 with the Joe Morrison Award, honoring former student-athletes for their accomplishments and leadership beyond the field.
He currently leads strategy and execution for Lowe’s Pro and Home Services businesses and the Artisan Design Group, with a focus on driving growth and delivering service across more than 1,700 stores nationwide. He has more than 25 years of experience in the home improvement industry, including prior leadership roles overseeing supply chain, transportation, partnerships and final-mile delivery.
He has also served in senior leadership positions with The Home Depot and Target.
For Vance, returning to campus as a commencement speaker brings the moment full circle.
“Every graduate is a result of someone’s investment in them, no matter how large or small,” he said. “Honor those investments by pushing beyond your doubts, defining what’s possible for yourself and becoming a return on the belief others placed in you.”
Two ceremonies will take place on Saturday, May 9.
The 9 a.m. ceremony will recognize graduates from the College of Arts and Sciences (click here for livestream link), while the 2 p.m. ceremony will celebrate graduates from the College of Engineering and Computer Science and the Gary W. Rollins College of Business (click here for livestream link).
Both Saturday ceremonies will feature Janet Rehberg, president and CEO-elect of EPB, as the keynote speaker
Rehberg was named EPB president and CEO-elect in September 2025 and brings more than two decades of engineering, operational and strategic leadership in the electric industry. She previously served as president of EPB’s Strategic Initiatives business unit, where she led long-term strategies to advance Chattanooga’s leadership in next-generation energy and fiber optic technologies. Her work has included efforts to expand the community’s national reputation for innovation, including partnerships that brought commercially available quantum computing to Chattanooga while preparing the region for an evolving energy landscape.
Prior to EPB, she served as chief strategy officer and vice president of engineering at Tri-County Electric Cooperative in Texas and held leadership roles at American Electric Power in Ohio, where she contributed to grid modernization initiatives.
Rehberg said she looks forward to celebrating a graduating class prepared to shape what comes next.
“Innovation is driven by people who are willing to ask new questions and imagine better solutions,” she said. “I’m honored to celebrate UTC’s graduates and look forward to seeing how they use what they’ve learned here to innovate, lead and create meaningful impact.”