Jalen Blue

[email protected]

Raised in Houston, TX, and Brentwood, TN, Jalen is a Tennessee Fellow pursuing a PhD in Communication and Information, focusing on organizational communication. As the grandchild of educators and civil rights leaders, he is committed to advancing access to higher education for all. 

He has been awarded several fellowships, including the ReederSiler Graduate Fellowship in Communication, a Coca-Cola Scholarship, and the John Haas Experiential Learning Scholarship, among others. He has published research in Communication Research and Southern Communication Journal. A former graduate teaching associate in the School of Communication Studies, Jalen has taught courses including Organizational Communication and Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods. 

During his doctoral studies, he also served as a research assistant in the Howard Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs, supporting a task force comprised of deans, university leaders, and community members that helped launch the new school. Jalen currently works in the Office of Assessment, Culture, and Education at UT, where he acts as a consultant, supporting university leaders on assessment, evaluation, and strategic planning initiatives. Prior to this role, he worked in Leadership Communications at Vanderbilt University, where he developed and implemented communications plans to support the university’s strategic goals and mission. 

He holds a Master of Public Policy from Vanderbilt University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee’s Haslam College of Business, majoring in public administration with a minor in leadership studies. As an undergraduate, Jalen was a Leadership Knoxville Scholar, a Vic Davis and Earl Zwingle Scholar, and received the Torchbearer Award and the Theotis Robinson Jr. Trailblazer Award, among others. 

Jalen’s professional experience includes roles with the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee office, the Tennessee Department of Education, the Vanderbilt Dean of Students Office, and the City of Knoxville Disability Services Office through the UT Institute for Public Service. He has also previously served as a special assistant in the UT System Office of the President. 

Actively involved in university affairs, Jalen has served on the University of Tennessee System Board of Trustees, where he received an honorary resolution, the UT Young Alumni Council, the UT System Alumni Legislative Council, the UT Nashville Region Alumni Board, and the Haslam Young Alumni Board. He is a member of the National Communication Association, the Southern States Communication Association, and is a previous member of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education Association. 

As a graduate student, Jalen has served in the roles of vice president and president of the Graduate Student Association, participated in several search committees, served on a university funding review panel committee and contributed to advisory committees in the UT Dean of Students Office. Additionally, Jalen has earned certificates from the UT Community Engagement Academy, the CIRTL Associate Level Certificate Program, and has completed the LeaderShape® Institute.

PhD Advisor

Associate Professor John Haas