Message from Dean Pamela Riggs Gelasco

Alumni and friends,

I am happy to present to you our latest issue of Method, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga College of Arts and Sciences magazine. It has been a while since our last issue as we have been preoccupied with adapting to the pandemic and have also undergone a leadership change.

I became the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in July of 2020, and it has been a whirlwind of activity since then. It is indeed a privilege to lead this talented faculty, even in this challenging era in higher education.

We have been through a contentious election, civil unrest, tragic natural disasters and a global pandemic since our last update. I have witnessed our faculty responding to all of this by adapting lessons and adding courses that address the pressing issues of our time.

We feel strongly that the liberal arts foundation we provide in the College of Arts and Sciences helps our students to think critically and to embrace the complexity of many issues, even as we are bearing witness to them.

As you will see in the stories that follow, the faculty in the college have persevered and continue to develop scholarship, teaching and community connections despite the many challenges of the past two years.

Our students, too, have worked hard to overcome obstacles as we all adapted to a new “normal” on campus.

Enjoy these updates and we thank you for your continued advocacy of the many programs in the College of Arts and Sciences.