School of Communication Studies

Communication Studies Senior Donté Mullins Aims for Great Heights in the Sports Industry

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“When it comes to the sports industry, so many people want to work in it. I just want to make sure that when my resume comes across the table, it’ll be something you haven’t seen before,” said Donté Mullins, a senior and communication studies major at the College of Communication and Information.

Mullins has an unflappable ambition to achieve his goals, even if that means sending out cold emails to 50 different sports agencies at the end of his sophomore year asking for a job or internship. That initiative and drive resulted in the communication studies major landing an interview … Read more... “Communication Studies Senior Donté Mullins Aims for Great Heights in the Sports Industry”

Alumna Cecelia Prewett Sees Her Study Abroad Scholarship Impact by Joining Ireland Trip

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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 do direct giving or give to the general fund.’ I said immediately I want to help change somebody’s life like mine was,” she said.

With that knowledge, Prewett established a scholarship specifically earmarked to support students at the College of Communication and Information who want … Read more... “Alumna Cecelia Prewett Sees Her Study Abroad Scholarship Impact by Joining Ireland Trip”

Tennessee Speech and Debate Society Wraps up First Year at CCI with Several Wins

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The Tennessee Speech and Debate Society (TSDS) had a successful year competing under the direction of their first-ever faculty coach and with the support of their new home, the School of Communication Studies. The varsity squad had qualifiers advance to the final round at every competition below the national tournament level.

“I was more than pleased. I’ve always had the utmost respect for the Tennessee Speech and Debate Society, because just the amount of intrinsic motivation they have to be good leaders and good teammates to each other,” said Lecturer of Practice Abbey Barnes, the group’s coach and director. 

She … Read more... “Tennessee Speech and Debate Society Wraps up First Year at CCI with Several Wins”

PhD Grad James Cartee Hopes to Help College Students Attain Mental Health Services

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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 Volunteer.

So, he applied and was accepted to the College of Communication and Information’s PhD program, which he graduated from this spring. In March he successfully defended his dissertation, Help-Seeking Tendencies and Motivations Among College Students in The Utilization of Professional Psychological Services. 

The … Read more... “PhD Grad James Cartee Hopes to Help College Students Attain Mental Health Services”

Graduating Senior Skylar Brown Reflects on Leadership, the Volunteer Spirit, and the Future

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All it took was stepping on to the campus of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, for graduating senior Skylar Brown to make it her top pick. Previously deadset on attending her mother’s alma mater, Auburn University, Brown quickly changed her mind after getting the Rocky Top tour her senior year of high school.

“I feel it’s a universal feeling, how most people will talk about how they just come here and there’s something about it that just feels like home. I know it sounds cheesy, ‘home sweet home’ like the song,” she said. “I was walking around and seeing the

… Read more... “Graduating Senior Skylar Brown Reflects on Leadership, the Volunteer Spirit, and the Future”

PhD Grad Tori Bertram Pursues Passion in Teaching Organizational Communication

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“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 creative writing, and she didn’t know what she wanted to do. Someone suggested she pursue a master’s in organizational communication, and that’s when she got hooked and decided to take her education all the way to a doctoral degree. 

“I couldn’t get enough. I didn’t … Read more... “PhD Grad Tori Bertram Pursues Passion in Teaching Organizational Communication”

CCI Recognizes 2024 Retirees, Students, and Award Winners

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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 are those who were recognized this spring.

Celebrating CCI Graduate Students

The CCI Graduate Student Research Award recognizes outstanding research and creative activity by a current graduate student in the college. This year’s recipient is Kibum Youn with the Tombras School of Advertising and Public … Read more... “CCI Recognizes 2024 Retirees, Students, and Award Winners”

Master’s Student Traci Lively’s Delayed Return to UT Turns into Pursuit of a PhD

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Traci Lively entered the master’s program at the College of Communication and Information in 2004 but put it on hold when she was also accepted into the film studies program at the University of California, Los Angeles. Fast forward several years and Lively is back in the CCI program, with a concentration in communication studies, and she’s flourishing.

“Life happened and I decided I hated my job and I just wanted to go back and finish what I started,” she said.

As any master’s student heading into a PhD program does, Lively has thrown herself into conducting research. She recently

… Read more... “Master’s Student Traci Lively’s Delayed Return to UT Turns into Pursuit of a PhD”

Two CCI Schools Introduce Students First-Hand to Career Opportunities in DC

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Whether it was seeing U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders in the tunnels beneath the United States Capitol, touring the White House, or meeting with numerous College of Communication and Information alumni, students described a recent trip they took to Washington as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Aimed at introducing students to the careers they could pursue after graduating, the annual trip has been a mainstay for the School of Communication Studies and School of Journalism and Media for several years now. While the two schools had differing itineraries to fit the interests of their respective students—with the journalism and media cohort exploring various … Read more... “Two CCI Schools Introduce Students First-Hand to Career Opportunities in DC”

Honors Communication Studies Undergrad Student Takes First Place at Research Symposium

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When senior Isabella Mangano was settling on a major at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, she was immediately drawn to communication studies as the public speaking component suited her career aspirations to be a preacher or motivational speaker. As the semesters passed, she began to see the many career paths one could take with a major from the School of Communication Studies, and it made it all the more appealing to her.

“Once I started taking classes I learned what the discipline actually was and I just fell in love with it. I really enjoy communication studies as a discipline, … Read more... “Honors Communication Studies Undergrad Student Takes First Place at Research Symposium”