Featured Story
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Graduating Master’s Student Laura Ward Hopes to Use Degree to Pay It Forward
After a successful career in the United States Marine Corps and the enterprise software industry, Laura Ward feels blessed and wants to pay it forward. This desire motivated her to enroll in the College of Communication and Information master’s program, with a focus on public relations. “I want to use my education to help local…
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Graduating Communication Studies Senior Sydney Eyerly Turned Student Opportunities Into a Purpose-Driven Path
As the outgoing president of the Communications Club—a role she’s held for the past three years— one would never know that graduating senior Sydney Eyerly once contemplated switching her communication studies major during her first year at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. As an out-of-state student coming to Rocky Top from Atlanta, Eyerly hadn’t really met any other students in the major, and her initial communication studies classes were theory heavy and didn’tresonate. Before…
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Walking Together: CCI Advisor, PhD Candidate Will Share Commencement Milestone with Student Advisee
PhD candidate Byron Keys was in good company when he registered for commencement this spring. As he prepared to graduate with a doctoral degree from the same college where he works as an academic advisor, the College of Communication and Information (CCI), Keys completed the registration form alongside one of his long-time advisees, Matthew Silitsky,…
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From Classroom to Career: Jonah Freedman Builds a Brand on and off the Track
As graduation approaches, Jonah Freedman reflects on a college experience defined by momentum both in the classroom and on the track. A public relations major in the Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations, Freedman spent the past four years not only earning his degree but also building a personal brand as a professional racer,…
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From Memphis to the Smithsonian: Paul Springer Jr. Bridges Public History and Information Sciences
For Paul Springer Jr., the path to a career in libraries and public history has been anything but linear, but every step has reinforced his commitment to preserving and expanding access to knowledge. Springer, who is graduating with his Master of Science in Information Sciences at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is also serving as…
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Inspiring Generations Through Sports Storytelling: Allie Campbell’s Journey from Neyland Stadium to the Sidelines
When Neyland Stadium roared to life during the electric 2022 football season at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Allie Campbell discovered more than just the thrill of Vol nation—she found her calling. “I wasn’t a huge sports fan before coming to Tennessee,” Campbell said. “But being in that environment and seeing the community come together…
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The Orange Room: Building the Future of Agency Experience at Tennessee
The Orange Room is more than a student organization—it is a living, working agency built by students, for students, with real clients and real impact at the Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations. The agency is giving students real-world experience and helping them prepare for life after graduation, a strategic goal of the College of Communication and…
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Thura Mack Celebrates 45 Years of Impact at UT
For Professor Thura Mack (’86), the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is more than a workplace; it is the foundation of a 45-year journey defined by growth, service, and a deep commitment to students. An alumna of the School of Information Sciences, Mack’s path to UT began with a simple recommendation that would shape the course…
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Graduating CCI PhD Candidate Receives UT Extraordinary Graduate Student Teaching Award
Sarah Devereux was a teaching assistant at Marquette University when she taught her first college class. “I was so incredibly nervous to teach a class because I remember taking public speaking as an undergraduate student and hating it,” said the graduating College of Communication and Information PhD candidate. “But my first introduction to teaching at Marquette was also where I fell…
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From Milan to March Madness: How Alex Carpenter’s Paralympic Reporting Crossed Continents to His Grandfather’s Hands
Alex Carpenter’s phone buzzed the morning after he returned from Italy. A text from his grandfather in South Florida lit up the screen: a photo of a USA TODAY sports page beside a March Madness bracket. Under the headline, his grandfather had circled one detail—Alex’s byline. Carpenter hadn’t known how far his stories would travel…