Category Archives: Alumni News
Scripps Lab Theater Named for Ed Ingle
The College of Communication and Information named the theater in the Scripps Convergence Lab for longtime Board of Visitors member and former chair Ed Ingle (BS/Communications ’83) during the virtual BOV spring meeting on April 16.
Ingle was honored as a Torchbearer when he graduated from UT with a degree in journalism in 1983. He was a Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Cabinet Secretary in The White House from 2001-03. He then served 16 years with Microsoft as the General Manager of Government Affairs in Washington, D.C.
He is currently President of New Lantern Partners, a firm that … Read more “Scripps Lab Theater Named for Ed Ingle”
JEM Students Earn Accolades from 2021 Southeast Journalism Conference
Students from the UT School of Journalism and Electronic Media walked away with multiple awards in Southeast Journalism Conference competition. Winners were announced March 26.
Best of the South awards are given for a body of journalistic work completed in the past academic year in competition with 30 SEJC member colleges and universities.
Alumnus Noah Taylor placed fifth in the Best Sports Writer category. Taylor is sports editor for the LaFollette Press in Campbell County, Tennessee.
Alumna Gabriela Szymanowska won three awards: sixth place in Best News Writer, fifth place in Best Press Photographer, and fourth place in Special Events … Read more “JEM Students Earn Accolades from 2021 Southeast Journalism Conference”
2021 UT Social Media Week
The College of Communication and Information will host the 10th annual UT Social Media Week virtually Feb. 23-25. This year’s event features eight sessions exploring communication topics in social media from women in sports journalism to the use of the platforms by both social justice and extremism movements.
Adam Brown (AD, ’94), executive strategist at Salesforce, will serve as the keynote speaker Feb. 25 at 6 p.m. with the presentation “NOT WORKING: Why 2010s Marcom Skills Won’t Be Successful in 2021 and How the Shift from ‘Right-Brain’ to ‘Left-Brain’ Marketing Reinforces the Responsibility of Ensuring Marketing Equality.”
See the UT … Read more “2021 UT Social Media Week”
Four CCI Alumni Honored in Knox.Biz 40 Under 40
CCI alumni Ellie Amador (BS/PR ’04, MS/C&I ’10), Kathryn Hemphill (BS/PR ’09), Drew Rutherford (BS/PR ’10), and Ashley Saunders (BA/CS ’10) were named to the annual Knox.Biz 40 Under 40 Awards.
The Knoxville News Sentinel released interviews with all 40 award winners to start 2021. Read more about our alumni at the links below.
Ellie Amador is the Director of Marketing for the University of Tennessee System and has been working in university system communications since 2007. She is a breast cancer survivor, and her experiences have motivated her to be involved in the Susan G. Komen Foundation of East … Read more “Four CCI Alumni Honored in Knox.Biz 40 Under 40”
UT Alumni Launch ‘Men of the Hour’ Podcast
After developing one episode of the celebrity podcast Men of the Hour, Justin Crawford (JEM ’18) realized he needed a team to help him build a sustainable, successful show with an active community.
He turned to his University of Tennessee roots to recruit fellow alumni Marcella Tocco (JEM ’20) and Tess Waibel (Marketing ’18) to do so.
“What does a season look like? Who are the guests? What are the topics we wanted to cover?” Crawford said. “You have to have a team of people to support all the legs of the organization. I thought it was a good … Read more “UT Alumni Launch ‘Men of the Hour’ Podcast”
2020 CCI School/Program Alumni of the Year
The College of Communication and Information’s 2020 school/program alumni of the year were honored during the fall CCI Board of Visitor’s meeting on Nov. 6.
This year’s award winners include: Advertising Alumnus of the Year Brad Jacobus (BS/AD ’06), Communication Studies Alumnus of the Year Curt Maggitt (BA/CS ’14), Information Sciences Alumnus of the Year David Johnson (MSIS ’93), Journalism and Electronic Media Alumna of the Year Teresa Walker (BS/JEM ’87), and Public Relations Alumnus of the Year Jamie Lonie (BS/PR ’10).
They accepted awards alongside Donald G. Hileman Distinguished Alumni Award recipient Lelan Statom.
CCI has been honoring alumni … Read more “2020 CCI School/Program Alumni of the Year”
Statom Named 2020 CCI Hileman Award Winner
Award-winning meteorologist Lelan Statom (JEM ’86) is the recipient of the UT College of Communication and Information’s 2020 Donald G. Hileman Distinguished Alumni Award, the highest alumni honor given by the college.
Statom was honored along with five school and program alumni of the year award winners during the virtual CCI Board of Visitors meeting on Nov. 6
In addition to his many newsroom accomplishments, Statom has made significant contributions to the University of Tennessee through his service as a charter member of the UTK Alumni Board of Directors and as a member of the CCI Board of Visitors. In … Read more “Statom Named 2020 CCI Hileman Award Winner”
Q&A With Alissa Sommerfeldt
The College of Communications and Information offers a master’s program in Communication and Information with four different concentrations: advertising, public relations, communication studies, and journalism and electronic media. The program equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to pursue a career in both professional and management positions. Students gain knowledge in each concentration, regardless of which they choose to pursue, to ensure a well-rounded education. The program also provides students with opportunities to study abroad, receive scholarships, and to participate in research projects.
Alissa Sommerfeldt is working toward her master’s degree with a concentration in public relations, balancing the … Read more “Q&A With Alissa Sommerfeldt”
CCI Alumni Start VOLs Remote Internship Program for Students
As many students around the country had their summer internship plans put on hold because of COVID-19 and economic uncertainty, the University of Tennessee’s New York City Alumni Chapter quickly organized a virtual internship program for future communicators.
The VOLs Remote Internship pilot program paired five interns from CCI with social media and digital communication roles at nonprofit organizations dedicated to education.
CCI Board of Visitors member Jamie Lonie (PR ’10), who also serves as president of UT’s New York City Alumni Chapter, said the idea for a digital internship program was born at the October 2019 CCI Board of … Read more “CCI Alumni Start VOLs Remote Internship Program for Students”
Q&A with Gabriela Szymanowska
While she was a student in the School of Journalism and Electronic Media, Gabriela Szymanowska (JEM ’20) developed a passion for telling people’s stories that can raise awareness or inspire change on important social issues.
She gained more experience telling those critical stories through writing and photography during her eight-month John and Patty Williams Fellowship with the Carnegie-Knight News21 program, the prestigious multimedia project that brings together the country’s top journalism students and graduates. Because of COVID-19, this year’s 31 News21 fellows from 16 universities collaborated virtually on “Kids Imprisoned,” an investigation into juvenile justice in America.
Szymanowska served as … Read more “Q&A with Gabriela Szymanowska”