News
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Building Community from Day One: Inside CCI’s Nexus LLC
The first year of college can be nerve-racking for many students, particularly first-generation college students and those coming from out of state without an established community at their new university. The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s University Housing is working to make that transition a little smoother by partnering with colleges across campus to create Living and Learning Communities…
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Matt Shafer Powell Named Director of WUOT 91.9 FM
Matt Shafer Powell, a public media leader with over 25 years of experience and a deep history with WUOT 91.9 FM, has been named the station’s new director, effective Oct. 26, 2026. Powell brings extensive public media leadership experience and a proven record of strengthening audiences, content operations and organizational growth. He previously served as…
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CCI Institute Fellows Research Transparency of Paid Political Messages Delivered by Influencers
As more Americans turn to social media for news and political information, campaigns are increasingly turning to influencers to reach highly engaged audiences. But when a social media influencer shares a political opinion online, how can audiences know if their message reflects genuine support or if it’s a paid ad? That question is at the center of…
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ABC News Correspondent John Quiñones to Deliver Inaugural CCI Distinguished Lecture
Award-winning journalist and longtime ABC News correspondent John Quiñones will deliver the inaugural College of Communication and Information (CCI) Distinguished Lecture at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, in the Natalie L. Haslam Music Center Auditorium on the University of Tennessee, Knoxville campus. The event is free and open to the public. Quiñones has spent more…
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Former Communication Studies Director John Haas Retires After 37 Years at UT
Anyone who has worked with John Haas quickly learns that emails or texts from the recently retired School of Communication Studies associate professor and long-time school director almost always say the same thing: “Do you have time to talk?” His penchant for a face-to-face conversation is motivated by more than an affinity for his field…
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Land Grant Films to Host Free Public Screening of ‘The Library That Dolly Built’
In honor of the life and legacy of Dolly Parton, Land Grant Films will host a free public screening of its 2020 documentary, The Library That Dolly Built, at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1, at Kerns Bakery and Food Hall in Knoxville. The screening offers the community an opportunity to experience the story behind Dolly…
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Shani Daily Brings Human-Centered Approach to Technology and STEM Education to UT
At the center of Professor Shani Daily’s research is a question extending beyond technology itself: How can institutions and technologies be designed to help more people thrive? Seeking answers to that question through scholarship resulted in Daily becoming one of the first of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s faculty preeminent hires—a university-wide initiative to continue building UT’s top-tier research through groundbreaking innovation and discovery. She…
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CCI Welcomes New Faculty and Promotions in Fall 2026
The College of Communication and Information kicked off the fall 2026 semester by welcoming eight new faculty members and celebrating four faculty promotions throughout its four schools: the School of Communication Studies, the School of Information Sciences, the School of Journalism and Media, and the Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations. Read on to…
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Third Cohort of LEO Fellows Program Announced
LEO Events and the College of Communication and Information (CCI) is proud to announce the 2026–27 cohort of the LEO Fellows Program, a year-long apprenticeship that gives students in CCI and College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (CEHHS) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, hands-on experience, mentorship, and professional development in the corporate events…
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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…