School of Communication Studies
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Online BSCI student fulfills ‘dream’ of becoming a Vol, gets hands-on with CCI
Becoming a Volunteer has always been a goal for Halei Lamb. “The University of Tennessee has always been the dream,” Lamb, 33, said. “I just never thought it would be possible at this stage of life.” When she enrolled in the new online Bachelor of Science in Communication and Information (BSCI) program at the College…
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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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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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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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CCI Announces 2026 Graduate Student Awards Winners
The College of Communication and Information (CCI) is celebrating the three 2026 recipients of its annual CCI Graduate Student Awards, which recognize students for their excellence in research and teaching. This year’s CCI Graduate Student Awards recipients are: Wangi Zhang Wangi Zhang is earning her Master of Science in Information Sciences (MSIS) and is also one of the researchers in the School of Information Sciences (SIS) iLab studying human-robot interaction. She…
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Wilson Academy Cohort Takes Volunteer Spirit to Japan During Inaugural Global Trip
One of Alex Carpenter’s favorite memories from visiting Japan this winter was searching for one last bite of Kobe beef on the final day of the trip. Just when the journalism and media major and his friends were at their wits’ end, they found an affordable, all-you-can-eat buffet where they indulged in the Japanese delicacy…
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CCI Faculty, Graduate Students Shine at Annual NCA Convention
While exploring booths at the 2025 National Communication Association (NCA) Convention last month, College of Communication and Information (CCI) master’s student Md Ibnun Sarwar Rafi made an interesting discovery. His first published article, “Barriers to discussing comprehensive sexuality education: a qualitative study of home tutor-student interpersonal communication in Bangladesh,” which investigated barriers home tutors faced when discussing comprehensive sexuality education with their students,…
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Navy Veteran, Communication Studies Major Graduating After Finding His Home Sweet Home on Rocky Top
Graduating senior Mason Vucinic was standing in the VolShop at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in a sea of orange and white merchandise when he made the decision to attend Tennessee’s flagship institution. It wasn’t the choice he’d originally anticipated making when he began his higher education search, but it was an easy one to…
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CCI Faculty Recognized for Their Commitment to Improve Online Education
College of Communication and Information faculty were recognized for their innovative approaches in online learning during the Digital Learning Faculty Recognition Lunch in October. Hosted by Digital Learning at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, the event honored faculty and staff members “who demonstrated exceptional creativity and dedication in developing online coursework over the past year.” …
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CCI PhD Student Wins TCA Outstanding Graduate Student Paper Award
College of Communication and Information doctoral candidate Traci Lively recently won the Tennessee Communication Association (TCA) Outstanding Graduate Student Paper Award. The award recognizes outstanding graduate student research in communication. TCA is a professional organization comprised of leading communication scholars, faculty, and students within the state. “I was a little shocked,” Lively said. “This is…