Carlson made the move to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, to be in a more research-intensive environment. Her area of expertise studies how people learn to work together, and public safety communication, including disaster-preparedness, mobile warning messages, and more. Carlson hopes to broaden her research and use that to keep her teaching fresh. 

She’s also excited to learn more about the area. 

“I have lived most of my life in the U.S. Midwest, so I am excited to experience everything that makes the East Tennessee region so special. I’m in awe of the natural beauty, and I’m impressed by the Big Orange energy on and around campus,” she said.

Carlson brings his skills and fifteen years of experience in public speaking and coaching as a lecturer in the School of Communication Studies. He said that the rigor and intentionality of the curriculum at the school speaks to his strengths as an instructor and he looks forward to serving students.

He said he brings high energy to his work, and that he also has a professional background working in private-sector business along with his years of K-12 and higher education experience in teaching communication. 

“I’ve also studied abroad and have traveled a great deal, and I love to help translate these experiences into moments that students can use as jumping off points for their own journeys. There’s nothing like helping someone see their future come alive because you took the time to help them see that it is indeed possible,” he said.

Greene has worked at UT since 2006 in various information technology roles, including at Hodges Library, the School of Information Sciences, and the College of Communication and Information. He’s been a part-time lecturer for SIS since August 2018 and is excited to finally fulfill a long-time goal of teaching full-time. 

He is a 2003 graduate of the SIS master’s program and had started CCI’s doctoral program when a car accident interrupted his studies, and he was unable to complete the program. He began working at UT and eventually found his way back to teaching and said this new role feels like he’s come full circle back to his teaching aspirations that started 20 years ago.

Sikes is a graduate of the CCI PhD program and said that academic journey was a formative experience and he’s honored to return to CCI as faculty. 

His area of research focuses on the social and cultural impact of information technologies, systems, and organizations, particularly as they shape social change and community development in rural areas. His dissertation explored the use of social media in the 2018 West Virginia teachers’ strike, and he’s currently working on a study of the suppression of organized labor in the textile industry in the early 20th Century by using a previously inaccessible oral history collection for which he created a digital archive.

“I am a teacher at heart, and I really enjoy being in the classroom. I think the work we do in CCI is especially interdisciplinary, so I look forward to exploring a range of questions and issues with our students,” he said. 

Smith has a wealth of experience as both an instructor and a school librarian, which made him a great fit to become a full-time member of the SIS faculty and take the lead on the school media licensure program. He worked in school libraries for more than twenty-five years and has been lecturing for SIS for more than twenty. 

His areas of expertise include literature and programs for children, tweens, and teens, storytelling; comics and graphic novels in libraries; youth services in public libraries; and school librarianship.

Before entering librarianship, Smith taught English as a foreign language as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ukraine. He enjoys reading comics, walking in the woods, and attending book and storytelling festivals. Kingsport, Tenn., is his hometown, and he currently lives in Oak Ridge with his wife, who is also a librarian, his daughter, and “two cats of dubious moral compass.”

Coffey, a former broadcast journalist who found her calling in higher education, came on as director of the School of Journalism and Media this summer. She was previously program manager for the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications’ online audience analytics master’s program, and graduate coordinator for one of the college’s residential master’s degree programs in mass communication. 

Coffey brings with her not only professional experience from the field, but a robust and expansive research program centering on media management and a secondary interest in new media spaces, such as the 3D virtual environment Second Life. Her media business expertise extends to analytics, audience economics and valuation, audience language and culture, media markets and ownership, market segmentation, and other strategic competition issues.

Tarwater is a six-time Emmy award winner for her work at Knoxville’s WVLT News, including writing, breaking news, documentary, promotion and instructional reporting, as well as the recipient of several regional Edward R. Murrow and Tennessee Associated Press awards. She had lectured for the School of Journalism and Media before but started as an assistant professor in spring 2024, bringing her excellence in journalism and industry experience to the classroom.

A proud graduate of UT, swimming brought Tarwater from her hometown of Tampa, Florida, to Knoxville in 2005. Brittany was a member of the Lady Volunteer swim team, where she was crowned SEC Champion, seven-time NCAA All-American, and named to the Academic All-American team. 

Wojciechowski brings with him more than twenty-five years of experience working as a sports journalist for ESPN, and forty-three years total in the field. He worked as a sports reporter at assorted newspapers before transitioning to ESPN, where he worked in magazines, digital and eventually television. Many may recognize him from his time on College Gameday or SportsCenter, and he also worked for ESPN’s features unit and covered golf for the network.

He said it was a “happy accident” that, just as he left ESPN, he was asked to join the faculty at CCI—as a 1979 graduate of the college, playing on his allegiance to UT made it an easy choice for him to accept. 

“It was an opportunity and life experience that Cheryl and I felt we couldn’t ignore,” Wojciechowski said, referencing his wife, Cheryl.

Chang said he was drawn to UT because its esteemed recognition as both a land-grant and flagship institution, which he said aligns perfectly with his academic journey and professional aspirations.

“The opportunity to contribute to the growing College of Communication & Information, where I see great potential for impact, is incredibly exciting. Additionally, the supportive and vibrant culture within the college, combined with the chance to collaborate with renowned faculty members, makes this an ideal environment for both personal and professional growth,” he said.

His research centers on organizational crisis communication, with a particular emphasis on how various types of organizations not only manage crises strategically but also anticipate and understand potential crises. He explores how organizations can identify emerging risks and the factors that contribute to their escalation, both within and across organizational boundaries. 

Kim said she had already heard many great things about the Tombras School before even landing the position there, and she is thrilled to make the school and Knoxville her new home. 

“The supportive culture and collaborative environment there really make me feel like I would find a strong sense of belonging. With this still-growing group of advertising and public relations faculty, I am genuinely excited to be part of this amazing team and the opportunity to contribute to its growth,” she said.

Her research dives into understanding corporate social responsibility and irresponsibility from an internal communication perspective. She worked as a public relations manager at the headquarters of Hyundai and Kia Motors Group, where she was involved in communications with internal and external stakeholders.

Li’s research investigates how consumers respond to the digital transformation of advertising on technology-enabled emerging platforms. His first research stream is social media multisensory brand communication and immersive experiences. His second expertise centers around the impact of streaming services and product placement on the consumer attention economy. 

He hopes to continue exploring that research and to elevate UT and CCI’s thought leadership in artificial intelligence and the knowledge economy, seeking to extend his studies to the voice emotionality of virtual influencers. He is particularly interested in leveraging the interdisciplinary nature of research at CCI and UT.

Thomas has been lecturing at the Tombras School for more than a year and a half and said the Tombras name is part of what beckoned him to the school. He enjoyed his part-time lecturing and the culture of the school and its faculty, students, and staff so much that it made him want to become a full-time lecturer. Now that he’s made the switch, he said there’s only two words to describe everything going on in and around him: the excitement.

“Everyone is just excited to be here. And I am, too. It’s contagious,” he said.

Thomas has more than twenty years of award-winning experience in creative work, including for notable clients such as Apple, Nike, Ford, Coca-Cola, and the U.S. Navy. He’s previously taught at the Savannah College of Art and Design, developing and leading their creative technology track.