A UTC nursing professor has received national recognition for her work improving health care access and education. Kristi Wick, a UC Foundation associate professor and the Vicky B. Gregg Chair of Gerontology, was named the 2026 recipient of the Outstanding Faculty Practice Award from the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties.
The award honors faculty who successfully integrate clinical practice into teaching while advancing innovative care models. Wick will be recognized at the organization’s annual conference in Dallas in April.
UTC College of Nursing Dean Chris Smith says Wick’s work has had a statewide impact, particularly in rural communities. He credited her with improving outreach to aging populations who often lack access to routine care.
Central to that effort is MobileMOC, a mobile health unit Wick helps lead. The program delivers primary care, chronic disease management and preventive screenings to underserved areas while also serving as a training ground for students across multiple disciplines.
Faculty colleagues say the program provides a rare hands-on learning experience. Students in nursing, occupational therapy, social work and nutrition collaborate directly with patients under faculty supervision, gaining real-world experience in community health care delivery.
Balancing teaching, clinical care and community engagement can be challenging, but colleagues say Wick has successfully aligned all three. Her work also has helped secure major grants supporting rural health initiatives and interprofessional care models.
“This is a really big honor,” says Priscilla Simms-Roberson, who nominated Wick. “It shows that we’re doing amazing things here at UTC that deserve to be recognized.”
UTC professor joins Fulbright specialist roster
A UTC civil engineering professor has been selected for a prestigious international program that connects U.S. experts with institutions around the world. Ignatius Fomunung has been named to the Fulbright Specialist Roster, part of the U.S. Department of State’s flagship exchange initiative.
Placement on the roster recognizes professionals with significant expertise who may be matched with short-term collaborative projects in more than 150 countries. Assignments can include curriculum development, research partnerships and infrastructure consulting.
Fomunung, who directs UTC’s Center for Energy, Transportation and the Environment, says the program evaluates the full scope of a candidate’s experience.
“They look at the totality of your skill sets,” he says, including academic, professional and life experience.
His research focuses on transportation systems, infrastructure planning and environmental sustainability, with an emphasis on balancing economic, environmental and social considerations.
If selected for a project, Fomunung could work with institutions in regions such as Asia, South America or Africa, helping develop academic programs or advising on infrastructure initiatives.
University leaders say the recognition highlights both his accomplishments and UTC’s growing global presence.
“His expertise positions him to make meaningful contributions to institutions and communities around the world,” says College of Engineering and Computer Science Dean Kumar Yelamarthi.
Fomunung, who has been on the UTC faculty since 2005, says the opportunity also reflects the importance of cultural understanding in international collaboration. A native of Cameroon, he speaks multiple languages and has worked across diverse cultural contexts.
UTC anthropologist wins national praxis award
A UTC professor has received national recognition for translating cultural knowledge into practical health solutions. Dr. Zibin Guo, a UC Foundation Professor of Medical Anthropology, earned the 2025 Praxis Award from the Washington Association of Professional Anthropologists.
The biennial award honors projects that apply anthropological insight to real-world challenges. Guo was recognized for developing and expanding an adaptive tai chi program for people with ambulatory challenges across the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs health system.
His wheelchair tai chi program has been implemented in nearly 1,500 health care settings across 80 VA medical centers in 46 states and Puerto Rico. The initiative was supported by multiple federal grants and has also expanded internationally.
Guo says the program grew from listening to participants and understanding their perspectives. Many described feeling empowered, capable and even “beautiful” through the practice – an insight that reinforced the broader impact of the work.
“It’s not really about fighting,” Guo says of tai chi. “It’s about discipline, continuity and the cultivation of the mind.”
Colleagues say his background – combining early martial arts training in China with academic work in the United States – positions him uniquely to bridge traditional practices and modern health needs.
Guo views the program as both a practical tool and a broader metaphor. He emphasizes that vulnerability is universal and can be transformed into strength, a concept that has resonated with participants and health care providers alike.
Receiving the award, he says, affirms the value of applying anthropology beyond academia.
“This work is both my personal and professional interest,” Guo says. “I’m very happy that this work is being recognized.”
UTC program earns regional award
A University of Tennessee at Chattanooga program designed for working adults has received regional recognition for its innovative approach to higher education. UTC’s Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Leadership program earned the 2026 Distinguished Credit Program Award from the Association for Continuing Higher Education South during its annual conference in Savannah, Georgia.
The award recognizes programs tailored to students balancing careers, families and other responsibilities while pursuing degrees. Judges evaluate innovation, adaptability and overall impact – areas in which UTC faculty say the program stands out.
“We’re the only program that does it the way we do it,” says Dr. Beth Crawford, a UC Foundation Professor and department head in UTC’s College of Health, Education and Professional Studies. She called the recognition from peer institutions “a big honor.”
The fully online program offers flexible enrollment options and seven-week courses, allowing students to move at their own pace. It also provides credit for prior learning, including workplace training and military service, making it particularly attractive to adult learners returning to college.
Faculty emphasize individualized support, a key feature for students managing multiple responsibilities.
The conference also highlighted UTC doctoral student Marci Reiter, who received the Joseph P. Goddard Scholarship Award for research on adult learners. Her study examined how specialized first-year seminars can improve retention among students participating in Tennessee Reconnect, a statewide initiative for adult education.
Reiter says her work was shaped by her own experience returning to college later in life, noting that adult learners face different motivations and challenges than traditional students.