School of Journalism and Electronic Media
Oral History Project Will Bring Hispanic Journalists’ Voices to the Table
Diversity, equity, and inclusion should be woven throughout every aspect of academia, whether that is the people themselves, curriculum, or research. This is the purpose of Goal 3 in the College of Communication and Information’s Strategic Plan, which seeks to “Progress and sustain a nurturing college culture where diversity, equity, inclusion, and community are enduring sources of strength and core tenets in developing the next generation of Vols.”
Developing DEI expertise in everything CCI faculty, staff, and students do is critical to the college’s future, said Professor Vandana Singh, who is CCI’s director of diversity, equity, and inclusion. That’s … Read more “Oral History Project Will Bring Hispanic Journalists’ Voices to the Table”
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 ”
CCI JEM Alumna Launches Women-Centric Radio Show & Podcast
Sami Kincaid, left, interviews Guz Malzhan, head coach for University of Central Florida football.
Sami Kincaid (’13) came very close to pursuing marine biology as an undergrad, but all it took was one appearance in front of a camera for her future as a sports journalist to be cemented. The School of Journalism and Electronic media alumna was a senior in high school when she was interviewed by a news station about her opposition to the basketball goals being removed from her neighborhood, and Kincaid’s poise during the interview made an impact.
“Everyone said, ‘Wow, you spoke really well in … Read more “CCI JEM Alumna Launches Women-Centric Radio Show & Podcast”
CCI Summer Global Programs Trips Give Students New Perspectives
Twenty-two years ago, Professor Sam Swan established the very first study abroad program at the College of Communication and Information. That program grew and evolved into what is now Global Programs, which now consists of several trips every year that take students out of their comfort zones and into exciting new places.
Goal 1 of the CCI Strategic Plan is all about finding those unique opportunities to enhance student experiences and learning, and Global Programs is part of that. CCI faculty and staff will continue to build on the existing foundation that was first set more than two decades ago … Read more “CCI Summer Global Programs Trips Give Students New Perspectives”
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”
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”
JEM Faculty’s ‘On the Sidelines’ Recognized as Outstanding Book by NCA
When Journalism & Electronic Media Assistant Professor Guy Harrison was in his undergrad years, he wanted to be a sportscaster. As his knowledge and interests grew, he switched to studying the social aspects of sportscasting, specifically gender and race. Now, years of research that went into his book, “On the Sidelines” has been honored with the Outstanding Book Award from the National Communication Association’s Communication and Sports Division.
“The book is a feminist examination of women who work in electronic sports media–tv, radio, and podcasting. It explains how, even though there are more women working in the industry now … Read more “JEM Faculty’s ‘On the Sidelines’ Recognized as Outstanding Book by NCA”
JEM Duo Awarded AEJMC Collaborative Scholars Grant
College of Communication and Information PhD student Teodora Trifonova and Journalism and Electronic Media Assistant Professor Joy Jenkins were awarded the highly competitive Collaborative Scholars Grant by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. They will be studying the experiences of Eastern European foreign correspondents reporting on the war in Ukraine.
Trifonova, who is from Bulgaria and works as a reporter for the country’s leading TV network, said she wants to explore how journalists from seven countries are covering the Ukraine war because it aligns with her interest in research around foreign correspondents as well as freedom of … Read more “JEM Duo Awarded AEJMC Collaborative Scholars Grant”
SCRIPS Grant Funding Supports Innovative Research at CCI
The Research and Innovation Center (RIC) supports College of Communication and Information (CCI) scholarship by offering services to aid researchers throughout the research process, with a particular focus on helping compete for and win grants. This year, the center introduced the Summer CCI Research and Innovation Projects Support (SCRIPS) program. This competitive program provides CCI funding to awardees.
SCRIPS grants promote broad participation from the CCI research community. Tenured, tenure-track, and non-tenure track faculty can submit a proposal and CCI staff can also team up with faculty for project proposals, said Suzie Allard, director of RIC and Chancellor’s Professor in … Read more “SCRIPS Grant Funding Supports Innovative Research at CCI”
Alum Deborah Woolley Creates Endowed Scholarship for Land Grant Films
When Deborah Woolley (’70) first saw the Land Grant Films work started by Nick Geidner, School of Journalism & Electronic Media associate professor, she knew it was something special.
“He really taught me a lot about what it takes to do a documentary. I was so impressed not just by what he was doing, but how he was doing it,” Woolley said.
As a UT alumna who graduated with a degree in journalism and worked in newspapers for 20 years, Woolley understands what it takes to report a good story—but she didn’t fully know how stories are told through the … Read more “Alum Deborah Woolley Creates Endowed Scholarship for Land Grant Films”