School of Journalism & Media

Graduating Master’s Student, Dental Hygiene Educator Teresa O’Daniel Says Communication Courses Made Her a Better Teacher

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When Teresa O’Daniel first became a dental hygienist, she never thought she would be working in public health much less as an educator in the field. But public health eventually became more than just a career option for O’Daniel, who is a dental hygiene instructor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. She’s also graduating this semester with her master’s from the College of Communication and Information with a concentration in strategic and digital communication (SDC). 

“When I was in school, I thought, ‘I’m never going into public health.’ But working in public health, I saw what … Read more “Graduating Master’s Student, Dental Hygiene Educator Teresa O’Daniel Says Communication Courses Made Her a Better Teacher”

CCI Makes Impact at NCA Convention; Iannacone Earns Top Paper Honor

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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 at the end of November, and they were actively engaged as presenters, respondents, panelists, chairs, co-chairs, and more. 

One of the stand-out moments for CCI is Assistant Professor Jeannette Iannacone winning the Top Faculty Paper award in the Public Relations Division at the convention for … Read more “CCI Makes Impact at NCA Convention; Iannacone Earns Top Paper Honor”

Three CCI PhD Students Receive Graduate Research Awards

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Three College of Communication and Information doctoral students received fall 2024 Graduate Student Research Awards from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s, Graduate School. These awards are intended to not only support the students’ work but also gives them experience in writing grants and enhances their relationships with faculty.

The three PhD students are:

  • Scott Greeves: awarded $2,000 for Integrating cultural theory into ecosystem service research: A case study of the Tennessee River
  • Shreenandan Rajarathnam: awarded $1,500 for Developing a NIST CSF-based usable security community profile
  • Qinran Li: awarded $1,440 for Eating disorder literacy and warning level on mitigating the negative
… Read more “Three CCI PhD Students Receive Graduate Research Awards”

Professor Catherine Luther Awarded $400K DoD Grant

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A unique two-year Department of Defense (DoD) grant that pairs civilian researchers with military experts was recently awarded to Professor Catherine Luther, director of the Information Integrity Institute housed at the College of Communication and Information. 

Luther teamed up with U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Jahara Matisek of the U.S. Naval War College to create a proposal for a Defense Education and Civilian University Research (DECUR) Partnership grant under the DoD’s Minerva Research Initiative. Matisek, a command pilot and military professor, has a PhD in political science and specializes in national security.

Professor Catherine Luther

“I was intrigued by this … Read more “Professor Catherine Luther Awarded $400K DoD Grant”

WUOT, JEM Faculty Win Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards

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Jacqui Sieber remembers watching the synchronous fireflies in her backyard as a kid.

But, the All Things Considered host and WUOT 91.9 FM reporter had never heard about a lottery to watch them, such as the one the Great Smoky Mountain National Park Service holds annually. She thought there was a story there and pitched that idea to her WUOT editors. 

It turned out to be an award-winning idea, as her work was honored with a 2024 regional Edward R. Murrow Award in the “excellence in sound” category for radio.

“I thought it was somewhat surreal,” Sieber said. “I was … Read more “WUOT, JEM Faculty Win Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards”

Students Expand Horizons As Part of CCI Study Abroad Program in Valencia

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Students traveled to Valencia, Spain for the Spring 2024 semester as part of the CCI Global Communication Scholars Semester program.

Since freshman year, Tonyea Pruitt has been researching various study abroad programs offered at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Studying abroad has always been a goal for the senior School of Journalism and Media major. When she learned about the CCI Global Communication Scholars Semester in Valencia, Spain, she knew it was the one.

“It was a great opportunity to not only study abroad but to also complete an internship in my field,” Pruitt said. “An additional plus was that … Read more “Students Expand Horizons As Part of CCI Study Abroad Program in Valencia”

Land Grant Films, East Tennessee PBS JobPop! Series Wins Four National Telly Awards

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Alumnus Seth Reynolds filming Tennessee Valley Authority’s robot dog Spot fora JobPop! video on becoming a programmer.

Land Grant Films and East Tennessee PBS won four national Telly Awards for JobPop!, an innovative video series targeted at third through sixth graders and aimed at workforce development. 

Land Grant Films is a documentary production program in the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s College of Communication and Information, which provides students real-world experience in documentary storytelling while supporting local nonprofit organizations.

“The Tellys are professional awards, so we were competing with organizations like The Disney Channel and Hearst Media,” Professor and … Read more “Land Grant Films, East Tennessee PBS JobPop! Series Wins Four National Telly Awards”

Students Traveling to Paris to Cover the 2024 Paralympics for the USA TODAY Network

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The school has partnered with the USA TODAY Network to cover the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games. Traveling to do so are: Professor Nick Geidner, Caleb Jarreau, Lukas Vysniauskas, Ryan Beatty, Griffin Hadley, Professor Erin Whiteside, Avery Bane, Catherine Ligon, Gabriel Jackson, Kylia Berry, Lillian Van Alsburg (not pictured) and Aman Misra (not pictured).

Catherine Ligon, a junior in the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is excited about the opportunity to cover the 2024 Paralympic Games.

“Through this trip I hope to learn what covering an international sporting event would be like,” Ligon said. “This … Read more “Students Traveling to Paris to Cover the 2024 Paralympics for the USA TODAY Network”