CCI Diversity and Inclusion Week is targeted at all members of the CCI community with specific focus on our 1,240 undergraduate majors. The 4-day event offers participants an opportunity to gain diversity skills and knowledge along with a chance to dialogue about diversity and inclusion issues and to share best practices by bringing together leaders and experts from inside and outside the college and university.
Our 2019 theme is “Diversity and Inclusion – Reflect, Retool, Reclaim.” Two keynote speeches, an open forum, eight panels, and a diversity festival will provide our students, faculty, staff and the UT Knoxville community with an inspirational and informative week designed to advance their understanding of and appreciation for diversity and inclusion.
CCI Diversity and Inclusion Week Planning Committee: Alice Bowling Wirth (Chair), Annie Ankamah, Suzie Allard, Beth Cole, Adolfo Felix, Shannon Evans, Mark Geller, Howard Grower, Diane Kelly, Lorna Keathley, Catherine Luther, Sally McMillan, John McNair, Beth Meko, Amanda Pruitt, Karli Sanders, Hillary Tune, Michelle Violanti, Mike Wirth
CCI Diversity Festival Committee: Alice Bowling Wirth (Chair), Annie Ankamah, Max Davenport, Adolfo Felix, Loren Gilbert, Dakota Makres, Joshua Melendez, Jasmine Rogers
The schedule for CCI Diversity and Inclusion Week 2019 is as follows. All sessions were free and open to the public.
2019 CCI Diversity & Inclusion Week
Monday, September 23 – Money
Morning Session
Topic: “Student Finances”
Organizers: Alice Wirth, Beth Cole, Lauren Ziegler, Howard Grower
Moderator: Lauren Ziegler (Ph.D. Student, Anthropology & Admin. Coordinator I, ADPR)
Panelists:
Leslie Godfrey, Financial Advisor, Pinnacle Financial Partners
Tim Woods, UT Associate Director of Financial Aid
Mark Geller, Director of Development, CCI
Shiela Hawkins, CCI PhD student
Location: Scripps Convergence Lab (Com 402)
Time: 9:00-10:00 a.m.
Afternoon Session
Topic: “Structural Inequality”
Organizers: Shannon Evans, Mark Geller, Sally McMillan
Moderators: Shannon Evans (Communication Studies student), Mark Geller (CCI Director of Development), Sally McMillan (Professor & Interim Director, ADPR)
Panelists:
Talisha Adams, UT Assistant Director for Student Success
Frank Cuevas, UT Director of Student Housing
Chuck Jones, Executive Director, Commonwealth Charlotte Inc. and CCI BOV member
Karen Sullivan-Vance, UT Associate Vice Provost for Student Success
Location: Scripps Convergence Lab (Com 402)
Time: 12:15-1:15 p.m
CCI Diversity and Inclusion Week Film Screening & Keynote Panel 1
Reception: 5:30-6:00 p.m.
Moderator: Diane Kelly (Professor and Director, SIS)
Film Screening: Change the Subject: 6:00-7:00 p.m.
7:00-7:45 p.m. Keynote Panel Discussion with Dartmouth University filmmakers: Melissa Padilla, Oscar
Ruben Cornejo Casares, and Jill Baron
Location: Strong Hall 101
Tuesday, September 24 – Otherisms
Morning Session
Topic: “Othering: Tribalism in a Hashtag”
Organizers: Carolyn Hank, Hillary Tune
Moderators: Carolyn Hank (Assistant Professor, SIS), Hillary Tune (Communication Specialist, SIS)
Panelists:
Brandon Boatwright, CCI PhD Student
Saul Young, Knoxville News Sentinel
Location: Scripps Convergence Lab (Com 402)
Time: 11:10 a.m. – 12:25 p.m.
Afternoon Session
Topic: “eVOLving and Belonging”
Organizers: Suzie Allard, Annie Ankamah, Beth Cole, Beth Meko
Moderators: Suzie Allard (Professor and Associate Dean of Research, CCI) and Annie Ankamah (Communication Studies student)
Panelists:
Edward Garnes, UT Doctoral Student
Hunter Black, UT Undergraduate Student
Jonathan Chaffen, Communication Studies Student
Tenea Lowery, Assistant Director, Sorority & Fraternity Life
Location: Scripps Convergence Lab (Com 402)
Time: 2:10-3:25 p.m.
Evening Session
Topic: Open Forum on “Immigration and the American Dream”
Organizers: CCI Diversity Student Leaders Society
Moderators: Annie Ankamah, Natheleen Wanjiru
Panelists:
Soriya Cooper, UTK Student
Brenda Guerrero, UTK Student
Abdalla Husain, UTK Student
Midben Nyawello, UTK Student
Zhang Xu, UTK Doctoral Student
Location: Scripps Convergence Lab (Com 402)
Time: 5:05-6:20 p.m.
Wednesday, September 25 – Access and Consequences
Morning Session
Topic: “Roadblocks to Reproductive Care”
Organizers: John McNair (CCI Director of Technology), Hillary Tune (Communication Specialist, SIS)
Moderator: Emily Paskewitz (Assistant Professor, Communication Studies)
Panelists:
Erica Lyon, Board President, A Step Ahead East Tennessee
Anita Blatnik, Nurse Practitioner, UTK Women’s Clinic
Gwendolyn Frymier (UT student, co-chair of SEAT)
Location: Scripps Convergence Lab (Com 402)
Time: 10:05-11:05 a.m.
Afternoon Session
Topic: “Public Safety”
Organizers: Karli Sanders, Alice Wirth
Moderators: Karli Sanders (Marketing & Communication Specialist, CCI), Alice Wirth (CCI Lecturer & Director, DSLS)
Panelist:
Michael Williams, UTK Police Officer
Location: Scripps Convergence Lab (Com 402)
Time: 1:20-2:20 p.m.
CCI Diversity and Inclusion Week Keynote Panel 2
Moderator: Courtney Childers (Associate Professor, ADPR)
Speakers: Amrita Bhatia, Vice President and Strategy Director, Leo Burnett
Melissa Healy, Senior Vice President and Group Creative Director, Leo Burnett
Topic: “How Diversity and Inclusion Are Changing the Workplace”
Sponsored by: The ANA Educational Foundation
Location: Strong Hall 101
Reception: 5:15-5:45 p.m.
Keynote Panel: 5:45-6:45 p.m.
Thursday, September 26 – How Far Forward?/How Far Back?
Morning Session
Topic: “Inclusive and Divisive Messaging” (Session 1)
Organizers: Alice Wirth, Catherine Luther, Lorna Keathley, Michelle Violanti
Moderator: Julian Wright (UT Undergraduate Admissions Counselor)
Synthesizer: Michelle Violanti (Associate Professor, Communication Studies)
UT Student Actors:
Jonathan Chaffen, Destiny Derry, Anthony Gourgy, Ashleigh Stevens, Gracie Strange
This will be a highly interactive session featuring dramatizations focused on topics/scenarios related to inclusive and divisive messaging followed by open discussions about the topics/scenarios presented.
Location: Scripps Convergence Lab (Com 402)
Time: 9:40-10:55 a.m.
Afternoon Session
Topic: “Inclusive and Divisive Messaging” (Session 2)
Organizers: Alice Wirth, Catherine Luther, Lorna Keathley, Michelle Violanti
Moderator: Julian Wright (UT Undergraduate Admissions Counselor)
Synthesizer: Jenny Crowley (Assistant Professor, Communication Studies)
UT Student Actors:
Raven Bailey, Hunter Black, Anthony Gourgy, Ashleigh Stevens, Gracie Strange
This will be a highly interactive session featuring dramatizations focused on topics/scenarios related to inclusive and divisive messaging followed by open discussions about the topics/scenarios presented.
Location: Scripps Convergence Lab (Com 402)
Time: 12:40-1:55 p.m.
Evening CCI Diversity Festival
An all-campus barbecue with diverse music, dance, games for all ages, a photo booth and cultural performances; all CCI student organizations will be participating including: Ad Club, Communication Studies Club, Diversity Student Leaders Society, National Association of Black Journalists, Public Relations Student Society of America, and Society of Professional Journalists.
Organizer: Alice Wirth
Location: Communications Building Lobby and Patio
Time: 5:00-7:00 p.m.