UT College of Communication & Information

Join Tombras School of Advertising & Public Relations junior Eberle Mayes on our Instagram story tomorrow as she studies abroad in Siena, Italy, on a day trip to a nearby historic Tuscan town! 🇮🇹

Follow along for a behind-the-scenes look at student life abroad and exploring new cultures: https://www.instagram.com/utkcci/

Plans after graduation? 🎓 We’d love to hear them! Learning our students’ outcomes post-graduation helps us stay connected, tell your stories, and elevate the college. Let us know here: tiny.utk.edu/G5oa7

Join us in congratulating CCI doctoral students Richard Mensah Adonu and Sung Wan Jee on being named Spring 2026 Graduate Student Research award winners!

The UT Graduate School provides students with funding through these awards to advance their research and creative work. Recipients are selected from departments across the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, campus.

Richard is researching how journalism associations in Ghana are orienting their members towards AI adoption, and Sung is investigating how specific greenwashing strategies and subsequent crisis responses to accusations influence public perceptions of corporate accountability.

So proud of both of you and what you are doing to advance research and scholarship at CCI!

One of our first study abroad trips of the summer wrapped up last week in the United Kingdom! 🇬🇧

Over the past few weeks, our students immersed themselves in British sports culture, touring iconic venues, connecting with local clubs, and exploring the UK. Through this global experience, they sharpened their skills in sports journalism, storytelling, and digital media production, while gaining a deeper understanding of the global media landscape and experiences that will last a lifetime.

UT School of Journalism and Media

Already counting down the days until our students are back hanging around campus 🧡

As the semester came to a close, CCI had the honor of celebrating our graduating PhD students, recognizing outstanding faculty, staff, and graduate student award winners, and honoring the remarkable career and retirement of UTK Communication Studies Associate Professor John Haas.

We are so grateful for the dedication, excellence, and impact of our faculty, staff, and graduate students who continue to shape our community and support student success at CCI!

See the full list of our award-winners: tiny.utk.edu/foSsF

Earning her degree from University of Tennessee, Knoxville has always been the dream for Halei Lamb.

The 33-year-old Georgia native never thought it would be possible at this stage in her life, but through the new online BSCI program at CCI, she is fulfilling her dream.

She is especially grateful for CCI making her feel at home at UT as if she was physically on campus. This past spring, with the college’s support, she was able to join her peers and professors on a CCI networking trip to Atlanta, allowing her to make connections she wouldn't have before and gaining hands-on experience. She met her classmates and faculty members, and she brought back knowledge she could apply to her day job.

Her advice to anyone like her considering UT: “To students like me, I know life is full. I know it gets overwhelming. There will be moments where you question why you signed up for one more thing. But keep going. It will be worth it. And to anyone considering the BSCI program: chase the dream, especially if it leads you to Rocky Top.”

Read more about her experience: tiny.utk.edu/zIPMu

Vols Online

For decades, the Charles J. McClung Speech Contest has given students in CCI's public speaking courses the opportunity to step outside their comfort zones, build confidence, and discover their voices through public speaking.

Open to students from across campus, the competition creates a supportive space to try something new, develop critical communication skills, and share ideas that matter.

Read more about the history and impact of the largest public speaking competition in the Southeast: tiny.utk.edu/jILrH