School of Journalism & Media

Alumna Goes Viral for Coverage of LA Wildfires

by

When Ashley Sharp (‘18) learned about the 2016 Great Smoky Mountain wildfires, she wanted to help.

She knew WBIR Channel 10 News would need assistance covering this tragedy, so she requested to be excused from Professor Sam Swan’s class to join their team. The journalism and media student at the time worked part-time for the television station as an editor and photographer and wanted to contribute her efforts to report on what many locals remember now as the Gatlinburg wildfires.

“He looked at me and said, ‘This is more important than being in class.’,” Sharp said. “It’s funny to kind … Read more “Alumna Goes Viral for Coverage of LA Wildfires”

Attorney Princess Rogers Named Volunteer 40 Under 40 Recipient

by

Princess Rogers (‘09) can still remember the first time she learned what lawyers do.

She was in the third grade when her school invited various speakers to come speak for career day. Among the speakers was a lawyer who shared how his favorite thing about the profession is helping people.

That interaction inspired Rogers to pursue law as a profession as she, too, wanted to help people. Her innate compassion became a driving force that led to a successful career in law.

Her success and servant leadership has earned her a spot as part of this year’s Volunteer 40 Under … Read more “Attorney Princess Rogers Named Volunteer 40 Under 40 Recipient”

Princess Rogers named Volunteer 40 Under 40 recipient

by

School of Journalism and Media alumna and 2025 Volunteer 40 Under 40 recipient Princess Rogers poses with her book From the Crushing to the Crown, which details how she coped with the murder of her father, relationship heartache, and career struggles.

Princess Rogers (‘09) can still remember the first time she learned what lawyers do.

She was in the third grade when her school invited various speakers to come speak for career day. Among the speakers was a lawyer who shared how his favorite thing about the profession is helping people.

That interaction inspired Rogers to pursue law as … Read more “Princess Rogers named Volunteer 40 Under 40 recipient”

2025 Volunteer 40 Under 40 Recipient Taylor Hathorn discovered passion on Rocky Top

by

Alumna Taylor Hathorn’s (’14, ’19) post-graduation path received a jump-start when she signed up to be a part of Land Grant Films’ Medal of Honor Project.

“I cannot begin to explain how formative that project was in my career,” the 2025 Volunteer 40 Under 40 recipient from the School of Journalism and Media said.

The Medal of Honor Project is an award-winning, student-led video production project produced by Land Grant Films, a documentary production program as part of The Media Center at the College of Communication and Information. The project is a continuation of students’ coverage of the 2014 Medal … Read more “2025 Volunteer 40 Under 40 Recipient Taylor Hathorn discovered passion on Rocky Top”

CCI Faculty Brittany Tarwater 2025 Volunteer 40 Under 40

by

From the moment Brittany Tarwater (‘09, ‘13) stepped into the College of Communication and Information to where she is today in her career, there’s been a network of supportive faculty pushing her to succeed. She didn’t realize when she arrived at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, campus on her 18th birthday that CCI and UT would become intertwined with her life and career for years to come. Now, she joins seven other CCI alumni as one of the class of 2025 Volunteer 40 Under 40.

Tarwater is a full-time assistant professor of practice at the School of Journalism and … Read more “CCI Faculty Brittany Tarwater 2025 Volunteer 40 Under 40”

Alum Pays it Forward after Decades-Long Career in the Industry

by

School of Journalism and Media alumnus Wesley Loy in Cordova, Alaska (Photo courtesy of Bob Hallinen).

School of Journalism and Media alumnus Wesley Loy (’84) can still recall his father’s misgivings when he decided to pursue a career in journalism.

“But once he saw my name for the first time on the cover of The Knoxville Journal he was blown away by that,” Loy said. “He thought it was the greatest thing ever to tell all his friends ‘Look, my boy is in the newspaper.’.”

Loy has worked nearly 40 years in the journalism industry covering everything from breaking news … Read more “Alum Pays it Forward after Decades-Long Career in the Industry”

From SIS Alumnus to Cichlid Enthusiast

by

Scott Wells (’89, ’96, ’13) is a proud alumnus of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he serves as the chief of staff for the Min H. Kao Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. He has earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD from UT. Wells graduated with his master’s degree in information sciences in 1996, which allowed him to merge his two passions: writing and science. In his free time, he enjoys working on his blog, The Cichlid Stage.

Education and Career

Wells earned his bachelor’s degree in English, focusing on business and professional writing, in 1989. After … Read more “From SIS Alumnus to Cichlid Enthusiast”

From Chile to UT, PR Masters Grad Valentina Gomez is Ready to Help Families Like Hers

by

Valentina Gomez (‘23, ‘24) is set to receive her master’s degree in public relations in just three semesters, following her undergraduate studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where she majored in journalism.

She will graduate from the College of Communication and Information with a job already secured. During her time at UT, both for her undergraduate and master’s degrees, Gomez took full advantage of the opportunities available to her. She became involved in several student organizations, worked on campus, and completed multiple internships.

Pursuing her Undergraduate in Journalism

Gomez moved from Chile to Knoxville with her family due to … Read more “From Chile to UT, PR Masters Grad Valentina Gomez is Ready to Help Families Like Hers”

Journalism Alum Jim Sexton Looks Back on a Colorful Career in Content Creation

by

There’s a lot Jim Sexton (’81) has recognized in hindsight about his many formative experiences at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville—but once he recognizes the impact, he turns around and acts on it. 

When it occurred to him that working as a photographer for the yearbook and The Daily Beacon helped shape his career as a content creator, he gave to the Sellers Daily Beacon Endowment to support the student-led campus newspaper. 

When he reflected on how John Ward—the long-running “Voice of the Vols” broadcaster—mentored him and shaped the trajectory of his life and career, he wrote a piece memorializing … Read more “Journalism Alum Jim Sexton Looks Back on a Colorful Career in Content Creation”

J. Phenise Poole 2024 Recipient of the Donald G. Hileman Distinguished Alumni Award

by

When J. Phenise Poole (’95) joined College of Communication and Information students during their global programs trip to Dublin, Ireland, this past summer, she was very excited when CCI Dean Joe Mazer said that the next Donald G. Hileman Distinguished Alumni Award winner was in the room. Phone in hand with the camera ready to capture the lucky alumni winner’s face, Poole awaited the reveal. 

Luckily, School of Communication Studies Professor and Director Jon Hess had the same idea as Poole and quickly snapped a series of photos recording her reaction when Mazer said her name.

“He says my name

… Read more “J. Phenise Poole 2024 Recipient of the Donald G. Hileman Distinguished Alumni Award”