News

CCI Faculty Brittany Tarwater 2025 Volunteer 40 Under 40

From the moment Brittany Tarwater (‘09, ‘13) stepped into the College of Communication and Information to where she is today in her career, there’s been a network of supportive faculty pushing her to succeed. She didn’t realize when she arrived at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, campus on her 18th birthday that CCI and UT would…
CCI Makes Impact at NCA Convention; Iannacone Earns Top Paper Honor

Assistant Professor Jeannette Iannacone, right, receives her Top Faculty Paper award from Laura Lemon (’17), an associate professor at the University of Alabama who graduated from CCI’s doctoral program. Twenty-nine faculty and graduate students from the College of Communication and Information participated in the 2024 annual convention of the National Communication Association in New Orleans…
CCI Professor Awarded Office Of Naval Research Grants To Study Russian Disinformation Campaigns

The Department of Defense Office of Naval Research has awarded nearly $1.7 million across two grants to School of Journalism and Media Professor and Director of the Information Integrity Institute Catherine Luther to research Russian disinformation campaigns and their influence on Russian diasporas. Luther is the principal investigator for both grants with several College of…
CCI Alumna Cierra Burdick Wins Olympic Bronze for USA 3×3 Basketball

Olympic bronze medalist and former Lady Vols star Cierra Burdick (’15) rarely slows down, on and off the basketball court. Between traveling to play internationally, visiting with family, and making appearances, the personable power forward made time to give an interview with her alma mater just weeks after winning a bronze medal at the 2024…
CCI Welcomes 12 New Faculty in Fall 2024

Twelve faculty joined the College of Communication and Information this year, ready to add their expertise, scholarship, and instruction to their respective schools, the college, and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Here’s a little bit more about them: School of Communication Studies Assistant Professor Elizabeth Carlson Carlson made the move to the University of Tennessee,…
CCI Alum Gives $4.5 Million to Establish the Alan and Wendy Wilson Communication and Leadership Academy

Alan Wilson (’80) used communication skills he learned at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, every day of his storied business career, which culminated as Chairman and CEO of McCormick and Company. “The most important part of my job as CEO was communicating. I spent most of my time doing that, but leadership really is about…
Alumna Cecelia Prewett Sees Her Study Abroad Scholarship Impact by Joining Ireland Trip

When Cecelia Prewett (’93) was studying journalism at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, she had one of the most impactful experiences of her life when she participated in a study abroad trip to the Netherlands. “It changed my life. So, when I was asked to join the Board of Visitors and they said, ‘You can…
PhD Grad James Cartee Hopes to Help College Students Attain Mental Health Services

James Cartee has been in the business of communication for a while now and has even been teaching in the field at higher education institutions for several years. But, four years ago, he decided it was time to take the next step and follow in the footsteps of his grandfather and father and become a…
PhD Grad Tori Bertram Pursues Passion in Teaching Organizational Communication

“I showed up the first day to class knowing nothing about organizational communication and I got goosebumps. I was totally hooked,” said Tori Bertram as she recounted how she got where she is today, a graduate of the College of Communication and Information PhD program. Though Bertram minored in mass communication, her major was in…
CCI Recognizes 2024 Retirees, Students, and Award Winners

Every spring, the College of Communication and Information recognizes and honors those who have made significant achievements in their work, whether it be excellence in teaching, research, or volunteering, or the time that they have contributed before retiring. In 2023, CCI has had much to celebrate from its graduate students, faculty, and staff. The following…