To strengthen our collaborations, Research Affinities are broad themes that allow us to see our colleagues across the college who are working in research areas that are proximate to our own. This also allows others to see how we overlap with research in areas beyond our own domains.
Select an affinity below to see which of our researchers have work centered in that area.
For help with proposals and research funding opportunities, Tap the Torch!
Committed to excellence in research
CCI Research Affinities complement the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s commitment to transdisciplinary research, including the UT Innovation Gateways, which are these focus areas that broadly organize UT research:
Advanced Materials and Manufacturing
Artificial Intelligence
Energy and Environment
Future Mobility
Human Health and Wellness
Select an affinity below to see which of our researchers have work centered in that area.
Use the search box, the column filter by boxes, or the column heading sort arrows to find a researcher.
First Name
Last Name
School or Unit in CCI
Research Affinities
First Name
Last Name
School or Unit in CCI
Research Affinities
Access and Engagement
Research about ensuring and promoting participation of people and groups from all social, professional, political, and economic perspectives.
Researcher
School or Unit in CCI
Quinten Bernhold
School of Communication Studies
Bradford Case
School of Communication Studies
Jenny Crowley
School of Communication Studies
John Haas
School of Communication Studies
Jon Hess
School of Communication Studies
Emily Paskewitz
School of Communication Studies
Michelle Violanti
School of Communication Studies
Courtney Wright
School of Communication Studies
Hope Chidziwisano
School of Information Sciences
Brian Dobreski
School of Information Sciences
Devendra Potnis
School of Information Sciences
Abebe Rorissa
School of Information Sciences
Scott Sikes
School of Information Sciences
Scot Smith
School of Information Sciences
Guy Harrison
School of Journalism and Media
Byron Keys
School of Journalism and Media
Catherine Luther
School of Journalism and Media
Mike Martinez
School of Journalism and Media
Martin Riedl
School of Journalism and Media
Amber Roessner
School of Journalism and Media
Erin Whiteside
School of Journalism and Media
Moonhee Cho
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Jeannette Iannacone
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Katie Kim
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Minjie Li
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Christina Najera
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Researcher
School or Unit in CCI
AI & Data Visualization
Research involving artificial intelligence (AI). This includes building AI and using AI tools. It extends to governance, risk management, and ethics of AI as well as developing visual representations for understanding the data.
Researcher
School or Unit in CCI
Matthew Craig
Other
Jessica Frampton
School of Communication Studies
Marieke Keller
School of Communication Studies
Suzie Allard
School of Information Sciences
Dania Bilal
School of Information Sciences
Hope Chidziwisano
School of Information Sciences
Jiangen He
School of Information Sciences
Ben Horne
School of Information Sciences
Kai Li
School of Information Sciences
Abebe Rorissa
School of Information Sciences
Nick Geidner
School of Journalism and Media
Mustafa Oz
School of Journalism and Media
Martin Riedl
School of Journalism and Media
Moonhee Cho
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Matthew Pittman
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Joe Stabb
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Researcher
School or Unit in CCI
Data Creation, Use, & Management
Research focused on how data is created, managed, and used by researchers and others, such as policy makers and the public, who seek to learn from the data.
Researcher
School or Unit in CCI
Michelle Violanti
School of Communication Studies
Wade Bishop
School of Information Sciences
Dan Greene
School of Information Sciences
Kai Li
School of Information Sciences
Peiling Wang
School of Information Sciences
Awa Zhu
School of Information Sciences
Stuart Brotman
School of Journalism and Media
Martin Riedl
School of Journalism and Media
Moonhee Cho
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Researcher
School or Unit in CCI
Disaster Response, Risk & Crisis Communication
Research around communicating and distributing information during and after an emergency or disaster situation.
Researcher
School or Unit in CCI
Elizabeth Carlson
School of Communication Studies
Cathy Cuevas
School of Communication Studies
Roth Smith
School of Communication Studies
Julie Andsager
School of Journalism and Media
Stuart Brotman
School of Journalism and Media
Oluseyi Adegbola
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Bugil Chang
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Beth Foster
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Jeannette Iannacone
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Katie Kim
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Minjie Li
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Michael Palenchar
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Sifan Xu
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Researcher
School or Unit in CCI
Documentary Production, Photojournalism
Documentary filmmaking focuses on actual and real issues, events, institutions, and people. Photojournalism is the communication of news through images rather than words to tell a news story.
Researcher
School or Unit in CCI
Bradford Case
School of Communication Studies
Nick Geidner
School of Journalism and Media
Mark Harmon
School of Journalism and Media
Ahmad Hayat
School of Journalism and Media
Rob Heller
School of Journalism and Media
Mike Martinez
School of Journalism and Media
Researcher
School or Unit in CCI
Health Communication
Research centered on using communication and information expertise to advance health, access, and well-being of people and the communities they live in.
Researcher
School or Unit in CCI
Matthew Craig
Other
Quinten Bernhold
School of Communication Studies
Jenny Crowley
School of Communication Studies
Jessica Frampton
School of Communication Studies
John Haas
School of Communication Studies
Michael Kotowski
School of Communication Studies
Laura Miller
School of Communication Studies
Rochelle Nelson
School of Communication Studies
Emily Paskewitz
School of Communication Studies
Joan Rentsch
School of Communication Studies
Devendra Potnis
School of Information Sciences
Julie Andsager
School of Journalism and Media
Nick Geidner
School of Journalism and Media
Bugil Chang
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Beth Foster
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Eric Haley
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Minjie Li
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Christina Najera
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Researcher
School or Unit in CCI
International & Political Issues
Research studying how communication, media, and information affect and are affected by political attitudes, behaviors, and policies.
Researcher
School or Unit in CCI
Abigail Barnes
School of Communication Studies
Bradford Case
School of Communication Studies
Marieke Keller
School of Communication Studies
Ben Horne
School of Information Sciences
Devendra Potnis
School of Information Sciences
Scott Sikes
School of Information Sciences
Awa Zhu
School of Information Sciences
Stuart Brotman
School of Journalism and Media
Mark Harmon
School of Journalism and Media
Ahmad Hayat
School of Journalism and Media
Barbara Kaye
School of Journalism and Media
Catherine Luther
School of Journalism and Media
Mike Martinez
School of Journalism and Media
Mustafa Oz
School of Journalism and Media
Martin Riedl
School of Journalism and Media
Amber Roessner
School of Journalism and Media
Oluseyi Adegbola
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Moonhee Cho
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Eric Haley
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Minjie Li
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Researcher
School or Unit in CCI
Knowledge Creation
Research into the generation, construction, dissemination, and disruption of new knowledge and concepts.
Researcher
School or Unit in CCI
Matthew Craig
Other
Abigail Barnes
School of Communication Studies
Ryan Carlson
School of Communication Studies
Bradford Case
School of Communication Studies
Suzie Allard
School of Information Sciences
Brian Dobreski
School of Information Sciences
Ben Horne
School of Information Sciences
Devendra Potnis
School of Information Sciences
Abebe Rorissa
School of Information Sciences
Catherine Luther
School of Journalism and Media
Mustafa Oz
School of Journalism and Media
Martin Riedl
School of Journalism and Media
Erin Whiteside
School of Journalism and Media
Moonhee Cho
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Minjie Li
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Dustin Thomas
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Researcher
School or Unit in CCI
Organization & Individuals
Research centered on communication and information flows within and between organizations and individual people.
Researcher
School or Unit in CCI
Elizabeth Carlson
School of Communication Studies
Ryan Carlson
School of Communication Studies
Jessica Frampton
School of Communication Studies
John Haas
School of Communication Studies
Jon Hess
School of Communication Studies
Marieke Keller
School of Communication Studies
Michael Kotowski
School of Communication Studies
Joe Lybarger
School of Communication Studies
Emily Paskewitz
School of Communication Studies
Roth Smith
School of Communication Studies
Michelle Violanti
School of Communication Studies
Courtney Wright
School of Communication Studies
Joy Marie Doan
School of Information Sciences
Devendra Potnis
School of Information Sciences
Scot Smith
School of Information Sciences
Guy Harrison
School of Journalism and Media
Byron Keys
School of Journalism and Media
Moonhee Cho
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Eric Haley
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Jeannette Iannacone
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Katie Kim
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Minjie Li
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Christina Najera
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Dustin Thomas
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Julie Longmire
Undergraduate Programs and Advising
Researcher
School or Unit in CCI
Science / Environmental Communication
Research concerning how the gap between science and society is bridged, including the sharing of information between the two.
Researcher
School or Unit in CCI
John Haas
School of Communication Studies
Laura Miller
School of Communication Studies
Emily Paskewitz
School of Communication Studies
Jiangen He
School of Information Sciences
Kai Li
School of Information Sciences
Julie Andsager
School of Journalism and Media
Bugil Chang
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Moonhee Cho
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Minjie Li
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Sifan Xu
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Researcher
School or Unit in CCI
Social Media
Research studying how websites and applications facilitate the creation and sharing of content, and relationships through social networks and virtual communities.
Researcher
School or Unit in CCI
Matthew Craig
Other
Abigail Barnes
School of Communication Studies
Bradford Case
School of Communication Studies
Jenny Crowley
School of Communication Studies
Jessica Frampton
School of Communication Studies
Roth Smith
School of Communication Studies
Ben Horne
School of Information Sciences
Devendra Potnis
School of Information Sciences
Scott Sikes
School of Information Sciences
Awa Zhu
School of Information Sciences
Nick Geidner
School of Journalism and Media
Barbara Kaye
School of Journalism and Media
Byron Keys
School of Journalism and Media
Catherine Luther
School of Journalism and Media
Mustafa Oz
School of Journalism and Media
Martin Riedl
School of Journalism and Media
Oluseyi Adegbola
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Courtney Childers
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Moonhee Cho
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Katie Kim
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Minjie Li
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Christina Najera
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Matthew Pittman
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Joe Stabb
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Sifan Xu
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Researcher
School or Unit in CCI
Sports Communication
Research examining how communication, information, and analytics about sports is exchanged, utilized, and understood within the wider context of sports and their role in society.
Research relating to workforce changes, employment trends, and industry needs to better support the scientific process.
Researcher
School or Unit in CCI
Emily Paskewitz
School of Communication Studies
Courtney Wright
School of Communication Studies
Suzie Allard
School of Information Sciences
Wade Bishop
School of Information Sciences
Researcher
School or Unit in CCI
User Experience
Research into all aspects of user’s interaction with a product, system, or service, including the users overall experience and how the product fits into completing the users’ tasks.
Researcher
School or Unit in CCI
Matthew Craig
Other
Bradford Case
School of Communication Studies
Jessica Frampton
School of Communication Studies
Hope Chidziwisano
School of Information Sciences
Rachel Fleming-May
School of Information Sciences
Dan Greene
School of Information Sciences
Jiangen He
School of Information Sciences
Awa Zhu
School of Information Sciences
Barbara Kaye
School of Journalism and Media
Martin Riedl
School of Journalism and Media
Dustin Thomas
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
