May 2011

College News

WILSON ADDRESSES GRADUATES. RECEIVES AWARD

The College of Communication and Information (CCI) awarded 237 undergraduate, 78 masters and 9 doctoral degrees at its spring 2011 Commencement Ceremony on Thursday, May 12 at Thompson-Boling Arena. Alan Wilson (B.S./JEM ’80), chairman, president and CEO of McCormick & Company gave the commencement address after receiving the college’s highest alumni honor, the Donald G. Hileman Distinguished Alumni Award. + read more

‘VOICE’ OF THE TITANS RECEIVES UTK ACCOMPLISHED ALUMNI AWARD

Mike Keith (B.A./PLSC ’91), was presented with a University of Tennessee Accomplished Alumni Award on April 14 in recognition of his outstanding career as a sports broadcaster. As “The Voice of the Tennessee Titans” since 1999, Keith has received several industry awards including: the Edward R. Murrow Award for nationwide excellence in sports reporting, nine Tennessee Sportscaster of the Year Awards and 20 Associated Press state awards. + read more

FACULTY AND RESEARCH

THE VOLUNTEER SPIRIT REACHES OUT TO TUSCALOOSA

Due to the deadly tornados that hit Tuscaloosa on April 27, graduates from the University of Alabama were unable to enjoy their commencement program as scheduled. As a result, Graduates of the UT School of Information Sciences (SIS) decided to honor their counterparts at the University of Alabama’s School of Library Studies (UA SLIS) during SIS’s Spring 2011 Hooding Ceremony by carrying their traditional yellow roses tied with crimson instead of yellow ribbon. + read more

Alumni & Friends

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: KAY DEMPSEY

The year was 1971. The number one rated TV show was All in the Family with Archie Bunker as its main character. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was sky-rocketing to the top of the charts with “Mr. Bojangles.” No network newscasters were women. And Kay Dempsey graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in communications and became a pioneer in the male-dominated financial services industry. + read more

CCI AUDITORIUM SEAT TO HONOR MEMORY OF JANET RICKS McCONNELL

Janet Ricks McConnell (B.S./JEM ’90) died suddenly on Friday April 29, 2011 at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville after suffering a cerebral aneurysm while driving to her hometown of Oak Ridge, TN. McConnell was a wife, mother and professional. She was director of brand strategy and new media at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee (BCBST) where she had worked for 13 years. + read more

WUTK RAISING FUNDS TO SEND STUDENTS TO CMJ CONVENTION

WUTK has been on the air for almost 30 years! During that time thousands of students have graced the station with their talents and creativity. Without each and every one of you, WUTK would not be what it is today. In honor of WUTK alumni, 90.3 The Rock has created newly designed Alumni T-Shirts! + read more

BOARD OF VISITORS SPOTLIGHT: PAM O’CONNOR

Pamela (Pam) O’Connor (B.S. /JEM ’72) is president and CEO of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® and a member of CCI’s Board of Visitors. O’Connor heads the largest global real estate network in the world with over 550 premier independent real estate firms. She has managed real estate and relocation organizations for the past 28 years and is the first woman to head a major real estate network. Previously, she held marketing positions for WSB-TV in Atlanta and a major national real estate development firm. She also co-owned Bryson-O’Connor Public Relations in Atlanta. + read more

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT SOCIAL BOOKMARKS

by Jennifer Koella, Lecturer, UTK School of Journalism and Electronic Media, and communications consultant
We have all used bookmarks on our browsers to link to our favorite web pages, so we can visit them with the click of a button. Social bookmarking takes this to the next level by allowing us to share our favorite links, collaborate with friends to create a collection, or search collections created by others.+ read more