Lori Bruce
Dr. Lori Bruce officially assumed her role as chancellor of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga today, becoming the 19th leader in the University’s history.
Dr. Bruce, whose appointment was approved by the UT board of trustees on May 16, comes to UTC after serving as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Tennessee Technological University since 2018. In that role, she oversaw all academic operations and led research and strategic planning efforts for more than 10,000 students across eight academic colleges.
“Today marks my first official day as chancellor of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and I couldn’t be more honored to join this extraordinary community,” Dr.
Bruce wrote in a note to staff, faculty and students. “UTC has a long and proud tradition of being a ‘light upon a hill’—a place of opportunity, academic excellence and impact. From our deep ties to the city of Chattanooga to our national reputation for innovation and hands-on learning, UTC stands out as a university where students thrive, faculty inspire and partnerships create real impact.”
Officials said, "Under her leadership at Tennessee Tech, the institution achieved a perfect academic program quality score from the state—an accomplishment unmatched in over four decades. She led the development and launch of multiple new academic programs at the bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. levels, each aligning with statewide and regional workforce needs.
"Dr. Bruce spearheaded efforts to increase annual research funding from $16 million to more than $46 million, with projections indicating even higher figures for fiscal year 2025. She oversaw $350 million in campus infrastructure improvements—from new science and engineering facilities to major building renovations.
"She also established the Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence, implemented a campus-wide compensation study that led to pay increases across faculty and staff ranks and worked to foster a supportive culture around professional development."
Prior to her tenure at Tennessee Tech, Dr. Bruce served as associate vice president for academic affairs and dean of the Graduate School at Mississippi State University. During her time on that campus, she held appointments as Giles distinguished professor of electrical and computer engineering; associate dean for research and graduate studies in the Bagley College of Engineering, executive director of the High Performance Computing Collaboratory and interim director of the Raspet Flight Research Laboratory.
As a faculty member, she led research projects funded with more than $20 million from federal and industry partners, resulting in over 150 peer-reviewed scholarly publications that have been cited more than 6,000 times.
She earned a bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. She also completed graduate coursework in biomedical engineering through the Georgia Tech/Emory Medical School joint program.