Impact Stories
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CCI Alumnus to host guest lecture presentation for SIS
College of Communication and Information alumnus Kevin Mallary is ensuring everyone is included in the conversation through his research on disabilities and accessibility. Mallary is an assistant professor of library and information studies at Old Dominion University. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communication at Wake Forest University and earned his PhD in…
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Scholarship Established to Honor former Orange & White Editor, Alumna Linda Higgins’ Legacy
Update: Linda Higgins passed away Jan. 20, 2024. The family asks that those who want to honor Linda’s legacy contribute to the endowed scholarship created in her name. Linda (Jennings) Higgins (’64) has more than one “first” in a long list of lifetime achievements—such as being the first woman elected to a citywide position in Jackson,…
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Author Chris Grabenstein Receives Donald G. Hileman Distinguished Alumni Award
Chris Grabenstein (‘77) has been an actor, an improv comedian, a bank officer, an advertising executive, and most recently, a best-selling author. To honor his storied career and service as a Volunteer, the College of Communication and Information has named him as the 2023 recipient of the Donald G. Hileman Distinguished Alumni Award. Grabenstein can…
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Alumni Eric and Tyra Haag Embrace the Volunteer Spirit in Their Work and Beyond
There are Vols For Life and then there are spouses Eric (’03, ’04) and Tyra Tucker (’04) Haag, who, along with their three children, sleep, eat, and breathe Tennessee orange. While Tyra is an inductee into the Big Orange fandom, Eric was the one who pulled her into the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, fold. Both…
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ADPR Students Take School Trip to PRSA Conference in Nashville
When the Public Relations Society of America announced its 2023 International Conference (ICON) would be in Nashville, several students at the Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations had the chance to attend. PRSA makes it a point to ensure students are welcome at ICON so they can have the opportunity to learn from and…
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Nashville Broadcast Meteorologist, CCI Alum Lelan Statom Recognized with Alumni Professional Achievement Award
Lelan Statom (‘86) has always been a weather nerd. When he was in middle school, he never missed a forecast, and he had his own weather station in the backyard. Fast forward a few decades, and Statom was honored by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Alumni Board of Directors with an Alumni Professional Achievement Award…
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Alum Creates Endowment for the Daily Beacon Staff
Jeff Copeskey’s (‘82) first journalism class at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, changed the trajectory of his future. Copeskey had been studying business at UT before switching majors in 1979 and entering the College of Communication and Information. His basic reporting class was sent to cover the aftermath of a fire on The Strip on…
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JEM Alum Ravyn Towns Gives Back to Grow Students’ Worlds
Ravyn Towns (‘14) wanted to give back to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, from the moment she graduated with her bachelor’s degree in journalism and electronic media. Her experiences on campus and at the College of Communication and Information (CCI) provided Towns with a foundation that has held strong through numerous challenges in her life.…
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Alum Jamil Price Creates Endowment to Honor His Father
Jamil Price, right, with his parents William and Rochell Price. Jamil Price (‘10) was facing a problem many children can relate to: he was having a hard time finding a birthday gift for his father. William A. Price doesn’t ask for much. He has everything he needs, and whatever he doesn’t have, he usually buys…
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Comm Studies Alum Works To Increase Tennessee’s Higher Ed Attendance
Graham Thomas (’08) may not have his name on any yard signs during election season, but his travel itinerary is similar to most aspiring politicians. Thomas is the chief community and government relations officer for tnAchieves, a nonprofit that exists to increase higher education opportunities for Tennessee high school students by providing financial scholarships alongside…