Courtney Carpenter Childers

Courtney Carpenter Childers serves as Professor and Interim Director of the Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Tennessee's College of Communication and Information. She also holds the position of Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Student Success, overseeing undergraduate and graduate student recruitment, retention, and support programs. Dr. Childers has been a faculty member at UT since 2006 and is the founding Executive Director of the Adam Brown Social Media Command Center.

Dr. Childers' educational background includes:

• PhD in Communication & Information Sciences from the University of Alabama
• MA in Advertising & Public Relations from the University of Alabama
• BA in Mass Communications (Advertising) from Middle Tennessee State University
• BA in Psychology from Middle Tennessee State University

As an expert in emerging media's impact on advertising and public relations, Dr. Childers focuses her research on influencer marketing, social media dynamics, advertising agency workflow, and advertising pedagogy. Her work examines societal issues within advertising, with particular attention to advertising to children, food and beverage marketing, and parental responses to advertising. She has made significant contributions to understanding how digital natives perceive and respond to social media influencer marketing.

Dr. Childers' scholarly output demonstrates consistent focus on the evolving digital media landscape and its implications for advertising education and practice. Her recent publications show increasing attention to social media education, digital influence recognition across generations, and the adaptation of advertising curriculum for online learning environments, particularly in response to the pandemic. Her work bridges academic research with practical applications in the advertising industry.

Among her notable recognitions:

• Donald G. Hileman Memorial Educator of the Year (2022)
• Best Paper Award for 'Do digital natives recognize digital influence?' (2021)
• Most Influential Paper award (2019)
• Faculty Service/Outreach Award (2018)
• Advertising Educational Foundation's Visiting Professor Program participant (2019)

Dr. Childers has been actively involved in student mentorship, supervising numerous Master's theses and Doctoral dissertations. She has served on multiple search committees and leadership initiatives within the College of Communication and Information, including chairing the CCI Media Center Integration Committee and supporting the school's ACEJMC reaccreditation process. Her grant activities include the funded CITE Grant for incorporating Open Educational Resources in social media courses and the Salesforce Tech Grant for the Adam Brown Social Media Command Center.

As the founding Executive Director of the Adam Brown Social Media Command Center (2012-2023), Dr. Childers established one of the first social listening command centers at an academic institution in the United States, creating valuable opportunities for student experiential learning and industry partnerships.