James R. Moreland, who graduated from Howard High School in 1962 and worked for E.I. DuPont for approximately 30 years, never graduated from college, but he’s helping students graduate from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
In the 2021-2022 academic year, the James Moreland Minority Engineering Scholarship assisted more than 20 students enrolled in the UTC College of Engineering and Computer Science.
The scholarship–a last-dollar scholarship to ensure coverage of tuition and fees–is available to prospective students as well as returning recipients.
Increasing the number of minority students is one of the goals in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, said Sara Jackson, chief of staff for the college.
A longtime friend of Moreland’s, Tennessee Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, helped secure funds for the scholarship named after Moreland, who didn’t enroll in college because he didn’t have the money.
For decades, Moreland has been a key presence in East Chattanooga. A member of Olivet Baptist Church and former president of the Avondale Neighborhood Association, he has been an advocate for community improvements and, among other successes, helped obtain city funds to build a new recreation center in the neighborhood.
2021-2022 James Moreland Scholarship recipients: Akanni Adimu, Sullen Batts, Christian Ballard, Adam Belton, Seth Cumby, Fatima Ejaz, Ibrahim Elnasri, Cameron Grogan, Sierra Guffey, Demarcus Ivy, Gabriel Jones, Bryan Lopez, Terek McReynolds, Oday Mohamed, Allen Nesmith, Parth Patel, Christopher Riddle, Ashanti Roshelle, Gabrielle Rozek, Larry Schofield and Jordan Williams.
To apply for the James Moreland Minority Engineering Scholarship, a student must be: considered a racial minority, have a 3.0 or greater high school GPA, majoring in engineering or computer science and a Tennessee resident.
For further information, call the UTC Financial Aid and Scholarships office at 423-425-4677.