UT School of Journalism & Media

Join us in congratulating our talented students! They won several first-place and finalist awards at the annual Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Region 12 Conference last month. Award-winning work included stories covering Hurricane Helene and the 2024 presidential election campaign. SPJ Region 12 Mark of Excellence award winners are forwarded to the SPJ Mark of Excellence national competition https://lnkd.in/esDCFDWY

We are excited to announce our 2024 Alumni of the Year recipients: Vol Network 's Bob Kesling (‘77) and WUOT's Todd Steed (‘84)! We are so proud of these two legends. Both have have left an indelible mark on the broadcasting industry in Tennessee and inspired scores of future Vols! Stay tuned for more as we celebrate their amazing careers.

Today, we proudly dedicated the Alan and Wendy Wilson Communication and Leadership Academy! With a generous $4.5 million gift from Alan and Wendy Wilson, the Wilson Academy, created through a collaboration between The College of Communication and Information and the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee, will shape the next generation of leaders at the intersection of communication and business. This fall, the inaugural class of 20 students will embark on this transformative journey. We can’t wait to see their impact! Join us in celebrating this exciting milestone for CCI, Haslam College of Business, and the entire University of Tennessee, Knoxville community!

Another big shoutout to some of our student leaders here in UT School of Journalism & Media, specifically the co-presidents of our new Associated Press Sports Editors chapter Caleb Jarreau & Gabriel Jackson! Caleb and Gabe independently brought together a half dozen of the biggest sports media companies in the greater Knoxville area for a phenomenal student networking reception this afternoon. They created name tags, did all of the set up and organized the entire event. It was such a success! Thanks to all of the students who attended too, including Trevor McGee, Philip Stalzer, Alex Carpenter, Alexie Cowan, Jack Church, Alex Sarkis, Jeremiah Shields, Ericksen Gomez-Villeda and more. So grateful to this group for their enthusiasm, professionalism and commitment to the field!

Graduating senior Helene Burch knew accepting UT School of Journalism & Media Assistant Professor Guy Harrison, Ph.D.’s invitation to help with his research last year was a good opportunity. But she never predicted the impact it would have on her academic career. Last month, she presented her own research at the International Association for Communication and Sport (IACS) annual summit in Chicago. This was the second time Burch attended IACS but the first time she presented her own research and on her own. Last year at IACS, Burch shared part of the School of Journalism and Media research team’s preliminary findings from their research analyzing the potential use of racial stereotypes in written evaluations of NFL draft prospects. “This experience was incredible,” Burch said. “I feel like presenting on my own has given me so much confidence in myself, I know that I can pursue my dreams because I just did. It's a dream to be able to travel and discuss with people what I am interested in and what I am researching. It has definitely deepened my curiosity for research.” https://lnkd.in/eF5XWuzf

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville has always played a significant role in Amber Lynn Carroll’s life so to be selected as a Volunteer 40 Under 40 recipient was incredibly humbling and surreal. The Volunteer 40 Under 40 program celebrates alumni who are 40 or younger and have excelled personally and professionally since completing their degree. Carroll is an award-winning journalist, nonprofit founder, and mental health advocate. She is currently the host of Living East Tennessee for WATE-TV and uses her platform to help make the East Tennessee community a better place. “It's my personal belief that being a light to others is our responsibility as humans,” Carroll said. “We have been given this gift of life, and we all have purpose. To share your purpose and to open your heart, we can help make our community a better place. I love my job for this reason because I have the privilege of working directly with the community and being an advocate.” UT College of Communication & Information https://tiny.utk.edu/Kw3r1

Join us in congratulating graduating senior Griffin Hadley on being named a 2025 University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Torchbearer. “I take pride in what it means to be a Volunteer,” Hadley said. “Now, I can take pride in what it means to be a Torchbearer. I’m going to continue to try and bear the torch and be a leader after I graduate. I’m a Vol for Life.” The Torchbearer award is the highest undergraduate student honor at UT. Ten students were named UT Torchbearers this year. Hadley is also the first male swimmer on the Tennessee Swimming and Diving team r to receive the Torchbearer award. Hadley decided to enroll at UT after visiting the campus his junior year of high school. He was excited by the prospect of not only competing in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) for the UT men’s swimming and diving team but also covering the conference as a sports journalist. “It’s a big reason why I came here and to this journalism school,” Hadley said. “What I soon realized is that the hands-on-from-day-one attitude is real and I leaned into that.” Hadley has also completed service opportunities both locally and abroad as a student, working with community organizations like Tennessee Tailored and traveling to the Philippines with the VOLeaders Academy. “His enthusiasm for everything he does is infectious and he makes everyone around him better,” Professor Erin Whiteside said. “He is off to do big things in the next phase of his life and I am so excited to see what he accomplishes next.” Read more of his story here: https://tiny.utk.edu/DCpFs

A new Land Grant Films documentary tells the story of Greenville, Tennessee native and woodworker George Wurtzel. What makes Wurtzel unique among other woodworkers? He is legally blind. Wurtzel is an accomplished full-time cabinetmaker, countertop builder, and fine furniture maker at GM Wurtzel Custom Furniture & Designs. The film focuses on Wurtzel’s unique creative process and explores how his teaching style highlights that his blindness is not a limitation but instead details how art can be more than a visual medium. UT School of Journalism & Media faculty and students collaborated together to produce this documentary, which has already won an Award of Excellence in the Mixed Pedagogical category in this year's Broadcast Education Association's Festival of Media Arts. Students and faculty that worked on the project include Nick Geidner, Dr. Ahmad Hayat, Carter Moore, Eliza Noell and AlexaLin Moses https://lnkd.in/esvDjPbQ UT College of Communication & Information University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Really enjoyed hearing all the different research UT College of Communication & Information faculty and students are working on during the 47th CCI Research Symposium today. Great work being conducted. And special shoutout to all the UT School of Journalism & Media PhD students and faculty who presented. Well done everyone! You can learn more about the symposium presentations here: https://lnkd.in/eSvM-DCe

It is always great hearing our students share their experiences covering the 2024 Paralympic Games for USA TODAY. Thank you, UT College of Communication & Information, for inviting them to share more about the lessons they learned from covering adaptive sports during Intercultural Week 2025! There are still more events planned this week. You can find the full schedule at https://lnkd.in/eUZzhHfW And learn more about our students' awesome experience covering the Paralympic Games here: https://lnkd.in/eYJSytde