Impact Stories
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Beyond Basketball: Student-Led Documentary Reveals the Untold Story Behind UT Basketball Legend Rick Barnes
In adjunct lecturer Isaac Fowler’s sports documentary course at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, students stepped into a process that felt less like a traditional class and more like a working production team. Fowler and his students produced It’s Not About Me: A Rick Barnes Story, a documentary that explores UT men’s basketball coach Rick…
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Tombras School Hosts Inaugural Showcase Highlighting Student Work, Faculty Research, and Industry Connections
The Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations welcomed more than 100 students, alumni, faculty, and community partners to its first-ever Tombras School Showcase, an event designed to bring classroom learning to life and strengthen connections between the school and the industries it serves. The showcase featured student presentations, faculty research highlights, and an alumni…
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Vols Voices: The History and Impact of the Charles J. McClung Speech Contest
Caption: Overall winner of the spring 2026 Charles J. McClung Speech Contest, Ariel Soudry, delivers his speech, The Great Emu War. Public speaking can be a daunting act for many students, but those who conquer their trepidation and participate in the School of Communication Studies’ Charles J. McClung Speech Contest find the reward for their…
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Curiosity Leads the Way: Samantha Ho Reflects on Her Journey in Information Sciences
For Samantha Ho, the path to graduation wasn’t always clear, but curiosity helped guide her to where she was meant to be. A Knoxville native, Ho chose to attend the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, for a simple reason: it felt like home. “I was born and raised in Knoxville and honestly chose UT because it’s…
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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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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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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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CCI Celebrates Three Gifts Established to Make a Lasting Impact on Students
This spring, students, faculty, and staff at the College of Communication and Information (CCI) are celebrating three major gifts that will strengthen hands-on learning, support innovation and research, and make a lasting impact on students preparing to enter the world as leaders in their field. The named gifts, and those who made them, are: “These gifts create opportunities…