School of Information Sciences

Clinical Professor Cindy Welch Retires After 15 Years at SIS

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Clinical Professor Cindy Welch stands left of Dean Joe Mazer, both smiling broadly as she holds an award signifying her 15 years of working at the School of Information Sciences

Once upon a time, there was a woman who was many things. She was a mentor, a teacher, a librarian, a storyteller, and much more, to many people. Wherever she went, she spread her knowledge, humor, wisdom, and kindness, and she will be remembered by the hundreds of students who have experienced her tutelage over the past fifteen years at the School of Information Sciences. This woman of many talents and graces is Clinical Professor Cindy Welch, and she is retiring this December from her position at SIS. 

Welch has many accomplishments under her belt while  she has been at … Read more “Clinical Professor Cindy Welch Retires After 15 Years at SIS”

Clinical Professor Cindy Welch Retires After 15 Years at SIS written by Hillary Tune and originally published on the College of Communication & Information site.

Hope Chidziwisano Uses Cultural Perspective in Researching Technology Usage

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The School of Information Sciences’ newest faculty member, Assistant Professor Hope Chidziwisano, was born and raised in Malawi. His research is inspired by his first-hand experiences of the adverse effects of the challenges facing resource-constrained settings in developing countries, such as unreliable electricity and inadequate social services to support socio-economic development at the household level. His research sets out to gather data from real-world experiences to better understand how context, culture, and many other factors affect how users interact with technology, and it often has surprising results.

Hope Chidziwisano

Chidziwisano brings with him a background in computer science and human-computer interaction, but … Read more “Hope Chidziwisano Uses Cultural Perspective in Researching Technology Usage”

Hope Chidziwisano Uses Cultural Perspective in Researching Technology Usage written by Hillary Tune and originally published on the College of Communication & Information site.

Alumni Assist with CCI’s Annual Career Fair

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Pam Schmidt and another MP&F employee stand behind a table full of swag at the 2022 Communication and Information Career Fair

It was an internship that led to Pam Schmidt’s current job at MP&F, where she’s worked for a total of 25 years since she graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. It’s no wonder that, as director of human resources and talent development, she’s an avid proponent of students getting internship experience before they graduate.

“There’s only so much you can learn in school. The best way to learn what this industry is really like is by getting out there and getting hands-on experience in real-world settings, which is why I feel so strongly about internships and about our intern … Read more “Alumni Assist with CCI’s Annual Career Fair”

Alumni Assist with CCI’s Annual Career Fair written by Hillary Tune and originally published on the College of Communication & Information site.

Four Fellows Named for CCI’s Information Integrity Institute

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Four inaugural Information Integrity Institute fellows have been selected from among the faculty at the College of Communication and Information, one from each school and all of whom are already conducting research that falls under the institute’s scope:

  • Professor Mariea Hoy, Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
  • Associate Professor Mike Kotowski, School of Communication Studies
  • Assistant Professor Ben Horne, School of Information Sciences
  • Assistant Professor Martin Riedl, School of Journalism and Media

“I wanted to have representation from the schools and also a mixture of rank from full professor, associate professor, and assistant professor. They’re all involved in research … Read more “Four Fellows Named for CCI’s Information Integrity Institute”

Four Fellows Named for CCI’s Information Integrity Institute written by Hillary Tune and originally published on the College of Communication & Information site.

CCI Welcomes 11 New Faculty this Fall

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A booklet from CCI Convocation that says

Eleven new faculty have joined the College of Communication and Information this year, ready to add their expertise, scholarship, and instruction to their respective schools, the college, and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Here’s a little bit more about them:

The School of Communication Studies 

Lecturer of Practice Abigail Barnes

Barnes comes to the school in two capacities: as a lecturer of practice teaching speech courses, and as the new coach for the Tennessee Speech and Debate Society. Her area of expertise is in rhetorical criticism, critical discourse analysis, and argumentation, and she is currently studying the art of Youtube/online

… Read more “CCI Welcomes 11 New Faculty this Fall”

CCI Welcomes 11 New Faculty this Fall written by Hillary Tune and originally published on the College of Communication & Information site.

CCI Celebrates Faculty Promotions at Convocation

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Dean Joe Mazer speaks to CCI faculty and staff at the 2023 Convocation

The College of Communication and Information honored seven of its faculty who earned promotions this year at the 2023 CCI Convocation. The work these faculty do, in their research, classrooms, and service work, will continue to make an impact on their fields and on future generations to come. Here’s a little bit about them:

School of Communication Studies 

Associate Professor Jenny Crowley

As she moves into her tenured-role as an associate professor and her sixth year at CCI, Crowley said she is continuing work on her grant-funded research exploring how the role of interpersonal communication between romantic partners plays in

… Read more “CCI Celebrates Faculty Promotions at Convocation”

CCI Celebrates Faculty Promotions at Convocation written by Hillary Tune and originally published on the College of Communication & Information site.

MSIS Student Navigates Alaska, Homeschooling, and Online School

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Becky Wright and her three sons and husband

After she has spent the morning homeschooling her three sons in Alaska, Becky Wright settles into her chair to begin her own classes.

Wright is pursuing her Research and Data Management Certificate as part of the Master of Science in Information Sciences (MSIS) program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. 

Given the time difference, her classes take place early in the afternoon while her boys are doing independent activities at their home. Occasionally, her oldest son will sit alongside Wright because he is interested in what she is learning.

Being able to balance being a mom with being a student

… Read more “MSIS Student Navigates Alaska, Homeschooling, and Online School”

MSIS Student Navigates Alaska, Homeschooling, and Online School written by CCI and originally published on the College of Communication & Information site.

Alumni Highlight: MSIS Alum Roger Justus Offered Dream Job on Graduation Day

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Featured alumni: Roger Justus

Current position and location: Data Services Librarian at Miami University

Location: Oxford, Ohio

In May of 2022, Roger Justus was playing the job search waiting game. He’d left behind his 25-year career in IT to find a vocation that would “feed his soul,” and friends and family had encouraged him to explore librarianship. Ultimately, he chose to return, to some extent, to his roots: His first passion and his undergraduate degree were in geography, which led him to the pathway in geographic information sciences through the MSIS program. Fortunately, the same day Roger walked across the … Read more “Alumni Highlight: MSIS Alum Roger Justus Offered Dream Job on Graduation Day”

Hannah Gunderman Given 2022 SIS Innovator’s Alumni Award

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Videogames and information sciences may not sound like a natural fit, but Hannah Gunderman (’21) has found her niche at the crossroads of the two. She came into the MSIS program with a PhD in geography and a desire to be a librarian. Before she graduated with her master’s degree, she was hired on at Carnegie Mellon University’s Library in Pittsburgh as a research data management librarian.

After some time, Gunderman realized many of the students taking the workshops she taught on research data management weren’t engaging with the material—while it highly interests her, she recognized that not everyone is … Read more “Hannah Gunderman Given 2022 SIS Innovator’s Alumni Award”

2022 SIS Distinguished Alumni Susan Jennings

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Susan Jennings (’07) didn’t start out with the dream to be a librarian, but in hindsight, she believes it was pre-ordained. After all, she and her family were voracious readers, she was a library page in junior high school, and she drove her mother to the public library every Saturday where they’d spend an hour or two picking out books. It wasn’t until she ended up working in Appalachian State University’s (ASU) library after moving back home to Boone, North Carolina, that it all coalesced.

“Eleven years later I was still there and loved libraries and loved that I was … Read more “2022 SIS Distinguished Alumni Susan Jennings”