Carla White never predicted she would go to college, let alone earn her doctorate degree, as she did this spring.
The first-generation student from North Bay, Canada, is also preparing for her first professional academic job as an assistant professor at the University of Georgia this fall.
“Academia was never a path that I anticipated getting involved in,” White said. “For me, learning about research was an empowering experience because I never considered myself to be somebody who was knowledgeable or had the capacity to do work like that. I feel lucky to be able to do it and have the guidance to learn how to do good research.”
White said she is excited but still processing everything as she reflected on her educational path to this point. She started her college career at a small private university in Missouri, where she studied communication and sport management. After earning her bachelor’s degree, she returned home to work but could not stop thinking about how much she enjoyed studying communication.
So, she pursued a master’s degree at Clemson University where her passion for communication research and theory grew with support from one of her mentors and alumnus of the CCI doctoral program, Brandon Boatwright. He recommended she continue her academic journey at Rocky Top.
“I started to really like learning about research in my graduate studies, and it just seemed like a natural progression at that point,” White said. “I couldn’t really imagine going back into a regular 9-to-5 job.”
White feels blessed to have chosen the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, as her academic home these past four years. The program not only helped her develop the tools to do research but provided plenty of opportunities to conduct research projects and grow her professional network.
White said she will miss the people the most, adding their support made her time at UT truly special. She said many faculty members, peers, and staff at the College of Communication and Information (CCI) helped her develop as a researcher, instructor, and student, but she is especially appreciative of Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations Professor and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Beth Foster, who served as her faculty advisor.
White said Foster’s unwavering encouragement and belief in her potential—even when she could not see it herself— helped establish her sense of belonging in academia. She said Foster’s mentorship shaped her scholarly development and built her confidence to pursue a long-term career in higher education.
“While I am grateful for the numerous opportunities the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, have provided me with, working with Dr. Foster has truly been the highlight of my doctoral studies. Her mentorship has both uncovered and sparked a true passion in me for research, teaching, and service,” White said. “As I prepare to start my tenure-track faculty career at her alma mater this fall (University of Georgia), it means a great deal to me to continue her legacy of mentorship. I hope to make her proud by paying it forward and supporting my own students with the same warmth and dedication she has always shown me.”
Creating Impact Through Research, Teaching
Throughout her professional career, White worked several different jobs. She said her diverse background of professional experiences is what motivated her to learn more about communication in the workplace.
Drawing on professional experience across the education, healthcare, and sports and entertainment industries, White’s passion for research is rooted in understanding workplace communication and employee experiences. With the goal of helping organizations foster more empowering and fulfilling work environments, her current research focuses on internal relations and employee management.
Her research has earned her accolades such as the CCI Graduate Student Research Award, the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Betsy Ann Plank Top Graduate Student Paper, and the Communication Outstanding Graduate Researcher Award from Clemson University.
She has also published five articles in top journals, three of which she is the lead author; co-authored two book chapters; and presented conference papers at national and international conferences.
“When I reflect on my overall experience, I feel fortunate I’ve been able to be involved in really interesting projects,” White said. “It is a special experience for me to sort of tie my academic work to my professional work, because that’s the core of my research mission. I want to make sure that the research we do reaches the places it needs to go in the industry.”
Inspiring Future Generations
A part of what made her time at UT special was interacting with the students. White taught several different public relations courses which allowed her to connect with students.
Outside the classroom, she also supported hands-on opportunities available to CCI students such as chaperoning them on networking trips and conferences.
One thing White hopes people take away from her story is that anyone can pursue a college education, especially first-generation students. She thinks anyone can honestly take advantage of such educational opportunities as long as they are motivated and can create a support network for yourself, adding it’s easy to do that at UT.
“Hopefully, in my future, I can work on empowering others the same way that I have felt empowered by so many at UT,” White said.