News
Comm Studies Alum Gives Back to the College That Felt Like Home
As a freshman, School of Communication Studies alumnus Drew Griggs (’12) was ready to follow through with his plan to eventually become a pastor. He figured the combination of communication studies classes plus religious studies would be the right precursor to a master’s in divinity, but the divine guided him in a different direction—and he couldn’t feel more grateful or blessed to have followed that direction.
“I loved UT, but really didn’t love school. Then I got into a couple of comm studies classes and fell in love, honestly, with a person: John Haas,” Griggs explained. “Just his teaching style, … Read more “Comm Studies Alum Gives Back to the College That Felt Like Home”
Daria Podzolkova Moved from Ukraine to Tennessee to Become a Vol
It took more than 24 hours for Daria Podzolkova to travel from her hometown of Dnipro, Ukraine, to a Polish town at the border of the two countries. She had to use trains and other transport since the airspace over Ukraine has been closed to civilian travel ever since Russia launched a full-scale invasion into the country in February 2022. At one point, her train stopped for four hours as the passenger train preceding hers was bombed.
While it was a long and harrowing trip across the country to get the visa that would allow the College of Communication and … Read more “Daria Podzolkova Moved from Ukraine to Tennessee to Become a Vol”
ADPR Students Go Behind the Scenes at Moon River Music Festival
Beth Foster (fourth from left in back row), was joined by students, alumni, and other professionals who produced the Moon River U event. Photo credit: Ryan Carey
Sometimes the only way to truly understand what goes into launching a successful project is to get behind the scenes and see how it’s done. That’s why the Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations provides immersive learning experiences for students, such as the recent trip several students took to meet various producers and public relations professionals at the Moon River Music Festival in Chattanooga.
Dubbed “Moon River U,” the event was a … Read more “ADPR Students Go Behind the Scenes at Moon River Music Festival”
Student Media joins the College of Communication and Information
The College of Communication and Information is pleased to announce that Student Media, which includes The Daily Beacon, has transitioned from the Division of Student Life to CCI.
Learn more about the transition by viewing the video below and reading the article here: tiny.utk.edu/S1Fwp.
Meet the Sanders, a Family of CCI Alumni
Siblings Ford (’20) and Cara Sanders (’16), aren’t just fourth generation Volunteers, but they’re second generation College of Communication and Information alumni who followed in the footsteps of their mother, Cindy Sanders (‘86). Drawn by a love of storytelling, Cindy earned her degree in public relations with a minor in journalism, and her children have also found their niche in the field, as well.
Cindy Sanders & Storytelling
Cindy started out at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, as an architecture major. As much as she loved the idea of being an architect, she quickly realized her skillset wasn’t suited to … Read more “Meet the Sanders, a Family of CCI Alumni ”
Comm Studies’ John Haas Creates Public Speaking App
The first university-developed public speaking app, created by University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Associate Professor John Haas, aims to boost students’ confidence in their oratory skills outside of the classroom.
Each semester, around 1,700 students take a public speaking course at UT, learning oratory skills and techniques that prepare them for presentations, speeches, or confidence in casual and business conversations. However, no course seems to calm the fear of speaking in front of an audience.
UT TOPS—short for Tennessee Online Public Speaking—engages users through its searchable topics feature, offering bit-sized insights into situations such as dressing for success, public speaking for … Read more “Comm Studies’ John Haas Creates Public Speaking App”
CCI Welcomes 12 New Faculty Members in Fall 2022
The College of Communication and Information is welcoming 12 new faculty members to its ranks this fall to support its growing student body. These faculty members bring a wealth of expertise and experience to CCI’s four schools and will help CCI to continue achieving its mission and fulfill the goals in its five-year strategic plan. Here’s a little bit more about each of CCI’s new faculty members:
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Assistant Professor Minjie Li
Li brings a passion for social justice issues in advertising to his work, and his research is in the areas of multicultural … Read more “CCI Welcomes 12 New Faculty Members in Fall 2022”
Two SIS Grads Lead the Newly Relocated World Data System
Two alumni of the School of Information Sciences master’s program have taken the lead at World Data System (WDS) International Program Office (IPO), which relocated headquarters to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville this year after a successful bid to have the international institution move from Japan to East Tennessee.
Meredith Goins, who not only graduated with her master’s degree from SIS but is also a doctoral student at the College of Communication and Information, is executive director of WDS. Sarah Gonzalez, a UT employee of 20 years, earned her SIS graduate degree in 2020 and is program manager for WDS. … Read more “Two SIS Grads Lead the Newly Relocated World Data System”
JEM Launches New Major Concentrations, New Minors
The School of Journalism and Electronic Media has added four new concentrations to its major and two new minors starting in fall 2022. The new concentrations are: creative media, news, science communication, and sports communication. The new minors are: digital media and broadcast meteorology—the latter of which is offered in collaboration with the Department of Geography.
“The new concentrations are designed to provide students with an opportunity to develop important areas of expertise in our fields,” JEM School Director and Professor Catherine Luther said. “While the concentrations are predominately made up of existing courses, they provide focused pathways for … Read more “JEM Launches New Major Concentrations, New Minors”