CCI
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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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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…
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From Rocky Top to Knox News 40 Under 40: How J&M Alumnus Julian Wright Built a Career Beyond the Newsroom
When Julian Wright (’16) was named to the 2025 Knoxville 40 Under 40 list by Knox News earlier this year, the recognition honored more than his success as a DJ and entrepreneur—it highlighted how earning a major from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville from the School of Journalism and Media (J&M) prepares graduates to lead,…
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A Student-Led Project with Real Impact: The Future of Human-Robot Interaction
As social robots and AI systems become more integrated into educational, professional, and daily environments, understanding those nuances will only grow more critical. In the School of Information Sciences, robotics research is not just about machines—it is about people. Three School of Information Sciences students have been working with Assistant Professor Jiangen He, examining how…
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Carrying the Torch: Morgan Vance and the Next Chapter of the Pat Summitt Foundation
Knoxville native Morgan Vance (’12) grew up believing her dreams were always within reach, thanks to the strong women role models lighting the way across the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and beyond. Today, Vance is doing her part to ensure others remember the legacies of those women while inspiring the next generation to create their…
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SIS Makes Its Debut on a Longstanding CCI Networking Trip
For more than 30 years, students across the College of Communication and Information (CCI) have traveled to New York City to meet industry professionals, visit major organizations, and explore career paths beyond the classroom. This year marked a milestone for the School of Information Sciences (SIS), as its students participated in the college-wide networking trip…
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For Second Time, UT Journalism and Media Students to Cover Paralympic Games for USA TODAY Network
For a second time, students from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s College of Communication and Information (CCI) will have the opportunity to cover the Winter Paralympic Games, reporting from Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, in March 2026. Building on the success of their reporting experience at the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games in Paris, students will…
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From Classroom Curiosity to Published Research: SIS Faculty and Alumni Explore How Museums Manage Their Collections in the Age of AI
From left to right: Sidney Gavel, Professor Wade Bishop, and Emily Chapin When Professor Wade Bishop from the School of Information Sciences began studying how museums organize and digitize their physical collections, he did not anticipate that a class assignment would evolve into a multi-year research project. This unexpected journey would involve three SIS master’s…
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Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations Announces 2025 Alumni of the Year
2025 Alumni of the Year: Patrick Tice (’15), Public Relations Alumni of the Year, and Lynne Jansons (’05), Advertising Alumni of the Year. The Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations is proud to recognize its 2025 Alumni of the Year: Lynne Jansons (’05), Advertising Alumni of the Year, and Patrick Tice (’15), Public Relations…