Alumni

Lydia Criss Mays (’01, ’02) empowers people to “see beautiful” in themselves and “create more beautiful” in the world.

In the aftermath of a mass shooting in the Capital Gazette newsroom, editor Rick Hutzell (’83) and his coworkers knew one thing for certain: they would be putting out a paper the next day no matter what.

Young alumna Ashlee Latimer (’16) paid her dues in the Knoxville theatre world as an actress and director and ended up winning a Tony Award for her work offstage as a producer.

Sometimes we all need a little help from friends to succeed in life. For Rusty Mowery, the opportunity that helped him break into the world of theater came from a professional actor who was in a show with him at the Clarence Brown Theatre.

Baker Donahue (’18) is adapting his popular vintage UT clothing company to new opportunities.

Whether they are in front of the camera or behind it, on stage or in the wings, UT alumni have been entertaining the world for decades as actors, writers, choreographers, producers, directors, and documentarians. Read all about our Vols who honed their skills in the classroom and on our theatre stages and find out where you can see their work in action.

General Robert Neyland’s game maxims helped former football player Austin “Shifty” Shofner (’37) and several others escape a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp.

In an ever-changing landscape of news and technology, Amanda Wills (’08) has found her calling.

In 1992, X-Men: The Animated Series took the world by storm, and three UT alumni were the creative forces behind its success.

Two simple words tweeted by alumnus Patrick Wells on behalf of MoonPie vaulted the classic brand into internet superstardom.