ALUMNI MaGAZINE OF THE COLLEGE OF COMMUNIcaTION AND INFORMATION circle VOL. 10, NO. 2 FALL 2008 Full Circle Alumni Magazine of the College of Communication and Information VOL. 10, NO. 2 FALL 2008 A message from the dean One of the most enjoyable things about being dean of the College Contents of Communication and Information is the opportunity to meet and learn about our wonderful alumni and friends! After 2½ years NEW & NOTEWORTHY on the job, I am continually amazed at the outstanding things you Emmy award–winning alumna delivers all are doing. A major part of a college’s greatness is determined by commencement address 3 the success of its alumni; thanks to all of you, our reputation con- New scholarship benefits CCI graduate students 4 tinues to grow. Pioneer in Internet science journalism provides As newcomers to Tennessee, my wife, Alice, and I greatly appre- Hill Lecture 4 ciate the warm welcome you have given us, and we look forward Annual symposium features alumni, promotes to the opportunity to meet many more of you in the months and research 5 years ahead. I am committed to doing everything I can to allow New faculty, staff members join CCI 6 you to connect or reconnect with the college. Continuing to pub- Information Sciences assistant director retires 6 lish Full Circle to share the college’s story is part of that commitment, as is keeping our website up to date. Lecture series brings Scripps execs to UT 7 I also hope you will stop by my office to say hello when you visit Knoxville, attend CCI alumni gather- JEM, Tennessee Journalist host “A Public ings as we hold them, stay in touch with your favorite professors, and help the college in whatever way Conversation on Web Journalism” 8 you can. Organization offers place for all students 8 The memories and friends you made and the knowledge you gained, both inside and outside the class- room, while attending UT will be with you your entire life. Those of us who are currently entrusted with BRAGGING RIGHTS managing the college and with teaching CCI’s future alumni greatly appreciate your help and support Tenopir earns Chancellor’s Professor designation 9 as we continue to improve the quality of the educational experience we provide. Some recent successes PR students encourage middle-schoolers to buckle up 10 indicate the progress the college has made: Foundation grant supports ethics class 11 • A $55,000 grant from the Ethics and Excellence in Jour- Those of us who are High marks for Advertising and Public Relations 11 nalism Foundation to provide two ethicists-in-residence Dow Jones selects JEM student for editing for the School of Journalism and Electronic Media (JEM) currently entrusted internship 12 • The hiring of five outstanding new faculty members with managing the (one in the School of Advertising and Public Relations college and with IN DEVELOPMENT (ADVPR), one in the School of Communication Studies Building on a tradition of excellence 13 (CS), one in JEM, and two in the School of Information teaching CCI’s future alumni greatly ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Sciences (SIS) Alumni, graduate students discuss diversity of • The naming of an SIS faculty member as a UT Knoxville appreciate your help career choices 18 Chancellor’s Professor and support as we Powell is SIS distinguished alumnus 18 • Six new doctoral GTA positions—three each in ADVPR continue to improve Alumni host CS students in D.C. 19 and SIS Renowned science writer receives college • The User Experience Lab, made possible in part by fund- the quality of the alumni award 19 ing from Oak Ridge National Lab’s Computational Sci- educational experience IN EVERY ISSUE ence and Engineering Division, for use in conducting we provide. A message from the dean 2 high-level research focused on the usability of informa- Class notes 20 tion sources and software, web-design testing, and human-computer interaction Research notes 21 • Reinvention and relocation to the Communications Building of SIS’s Center for Children’s and Where are you now? 24 Young Adult Literature • Continuing to move forward on building the Scripps Convergence Lab on the fourth floor of the Communications Building, made possible by a $500,000 grant from the Scripps Howard Foundation • Identification of the internal funding required to reduce the teaching load of CCI’s doctoral GTAs to one course per semester • Founding of the undergraduate Diversity Student Leaders Program • Establishment of a relationship between CCI and Clark Atlanta University’s Division of Commu- nication Arts and with the Washington Post’s Young Journalist Development Program Continued on page 12 2 UT COLLEGE OF COMMunIcatION anD InfORMatION FULL CIRCLE FALL 2008 Full Circle VOL. 10, NO. 2 FALL 2008 Emmy award–winning alumna A publication of the College of Communication and delivers commencement address Information of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville 302 Communications Building Anne Holt Blackburn (JEM ’73), a veteran journal- Knoxville, Tennessee, 37996-0332 ist and member of the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees, addressed more than 2,000 people on Dean: Michael O. Wirth, Ph.D. Friday, May 9, at the College of Communication and Editor: April Moore ’01 Information spring/summer 2008 commencement ceremony. Art director: Angie Dobbs, UT Knoxville Creative Communications The event was held at the Knoxville Convention Center, with a reception for graduates and their Production editor: Mary Marshburn, guests immediately following the ceremony. UT Knoxville Creative Communications “Having Anne Holt Blackburn deliver this year’s Contributors: Amy Blakely, Donna Bletner, commencement address was truly exciting. Her April Moore, Joel Southern outstanding professional accomplishments, coupled Besides giving CCI’s commencement address, Anne Holt Blackburn (right) and her husband, Kenny Blackburn (left), celebrated the with her dedication to community service and strong Director of development: Karen Rohr graduation of their son Kyle (JEM ’08) from the college. personal integrity, made her the ideal individual to Suggestions? Comments? provide our graduates with an inspirational send off,” said Mike Wirth, dean of the College of Commu- E-mail: [email protected] nication and Information. Blackburn, a news anchor with WKRN–TV News 2 in Nashville, earned a bachelor’s degree in com- munications from UT Knoxville in 1973. She is a four-time Emmy Award winner and a recipient of the The College of Communication and George Foster Peabody Award for the investigative documentary Under the Influence. Information offers both graduate and Blackburn began her journalism career at Knoxville’s WATE–TV during her senior year at UT Knox- undergraduate degrees in areas designed ville. In 1976, she moved to Nashville to take a reporter/weekend anchor job at WKRN–TV News 2. Just 4 to meet the needs of tomorrow’s years later, she became the station’s primary anchor. communication and information In 2007 the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences honored Blackburn with the Gover- professionals: nor’s Award for Lifetime Achievement. Her other honors include the Donald G. Hileman Distinguished Alumni Award from the College of Communication and Information, the Jerry Thompson Communica- Bachelor of Science in tor’s “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Nashville Association for Community and Justice, and the Communication and Information Majors: Advertising, Journalism and Distinguished Service Award from the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters. Electronic Media, Public Relations Blackburn also serves as spokesperson for WKRN–TV News 2’s “Food to Families” campaign. A sorting room at the Second Harvest Food Bank in Nashville is named in her honor, reflecting her years of dedica- Bachelor of Arts in tion to helping feed hungry families in Middle Tennessee. Communication and Information “Communication is an ever-changing world driven by technology. You must continue to learn in order Major: Communication Studies to keep working. So this graduation isn’t the end of your education. In a sense, it’s just the beginning,” Blackburn said in her commencement address. Master of Science in Communication and Information Continued on page 12 Concentrations: Advertising, Communication Studies, Journalism and COLLEGE OF COMMUNIcaTION AND INFORMATION BOARD OF VISITORS 2007–08 Electronic Media, Public Relations Paul Abraham (MBA ’96) Nancy Gray (’84) Carol Poston (‘81) Master of Science in Cathy G. Ackermann (’71) Ronald E. Harr (’76) Dean P. Rice (’94) Information Sciences Thomas L. Adkinson (’72) Richard L. Hollow Esq. (Law ’64) Howard Robertson Jr. J. David Bohan (Bus. Admin. ’70) R. Edward Ingle (’83) Jim Sexton (’81) PhD in Communication and Patrick H. Butler (honorary alumnus ’69) Don King Lelan Statom (‘86) Information Anne Caputo Andy Knott (‘79) Peggy Sullivan Concentrations: Advertising, Bonnie C. Carroll Stephen Land (’76) Martha S. Wallen (’74) Paula F. Casey (’75) Cindy McConkey (’80) Charles E. West (’96) Communication Studies, Information Daniel E. Conaway (’71) Mark A. McNeely (’69) Mary Beth West (’94) Sciences, Journalism and Electronic Media, Gill C. Duff (’83) Mabel Menefee (‘77) Mary M. Wood (’92) Public Relations Dr. Karen Brown Dunlap (’82) Dr. W. Lawrence Patrick (’73) Dhyana Ziegler Trey Fabacher Biddanda “Shuresh” Ponnappa (’84) The University of Tennessee is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA institution in the provision of its education and employment programs and services. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, or covered veteran status. PAN E01-2901-001-09. A project of the College of Communication and Information, with design and editorial assistance from UT Cre- ative Communications, 865-974-0765 Rev: 8900 3 new & noteworthy New scholarship benefits CCI graduate students Graduate students in the College of Communication and Information will have a new scholarship, thanks to the generosity of Dr.