Twenty-one students from the College of Communication and Information who are studying abroad and interning in Australia recently attended a reception honoring UT alumnus and US Ambassador Arthur “A.B.” Culvahouse Jr. at the Consul General’s residence in Sydney.
“When Consul General Sharon Hudson-Dean learned there was a class of UT students studying in Sydney, she worked with her staff to invite the students to the reception knowing both they and Ambassador Culvahouse would be pleased to make the connection,” said Noah Rost, director of the Programs Abroad Office and associate director of the Center for International Education.
Each spring, the CCI Global Scholars program sends advertising, communication studies, journalism, and public relations students to Australia for a 13-credit-hour study abroad program. They take a UT course on intercultural communication, a course taught at the University of Sydney on the history and culture of Australia, and then complete an internship in Sydney. The program is led by Laura Miller, associate professor in the School of Communication Studies, and supervised by Sam Swan, director of internationalization and outreach in the college.
Students who attended the reception were: Kerri Adkins of Chesterfield, Virginia; Colton “J.P.” Banville of Hendersonville, Tennessee; Kristina Bone, APO AE (armed forces, Europe); Jacob Boughter of Memphis; Julia Dergunov of Ooltewah, Tennessee; Molly Domkowski of Knoxville; Holly Fahy of Fairview, Tennessee; Reagan Homan of Brentwood, Tennessee; Alyssa Johnston of Greeneville, Tennessee; Hannah Keil of Knoxville; Ainsley Kelso of Medina, Tennessee; Hannah Knoch of Nashville; Missy Krest of Basking Ridge, New Jersey; Kate Luffman of Cory, Pennsylvania; Kaila Marcum-French of Murfreesboro, Tennessee; Abby McGee of Glen Ellyn, Illinois; Kristen Peters of Oakton, Virginia; Ashton Smith of Franklin, Tennessee; Hannah Stanley of Brownsville, Tennessee; Marcella Tocco of Glen Head, New York; and Becca Wells of Waxhaw, North Carolina.
Culvahouse, who earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from UT before going on to law school at New York University, was the chair of O’Melveny & Meyers, an international law firm, and also served as counsel to President Ronald Reagan. He also helped John McCain and President Donald Trump vet vice presidential candidates. Trump nominated him to be ambassador in November 2018, and after being confirmed by the Senate and approved by Australian officials, he took office in March.