James Hanten is entering his second season with the University of Arkansas at Monticello Athletics Department in August 2025, serving as the Graduate Assistant for Athletic Communications since August 2024. In this role, he supports publicity and creative efforts for UAM’s 10 varsity sports.
During his first year, he created press releases, event recaps, feature stories, and managed media day photography, headshots, and live event coverage. He kept official statistics for five sports and served as the public-address announcer at select home events. James also traveled to away events with multiple teams, providing live updates on the road.
Digitally, he maintained content on uamports.com and coordinated live streams for all home contests. On top of these responsibilities, he assisted with special events including the UAM Sports Hall of Fame, Athletics Auction, and Golf Tournament.
The St. Louis, Missouri, native earned both his Bachelor’s (2018) and Master’s (2024) degrees from the University of Central Missouri in Public Relations and Sport Management, respectively. During his final year at UCM, he served as the Student Director of Student Engagement and Student Section Leader for UCM Athletics, where he helped increase student attendance and organize promotional events for athletics (including the first ever tuition giveaway contest), while incorporating the use of student athletes into the marketing efforts.
He now resides in Monticello with his cat, Nova, and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Mass Communication with a concentration in Strategic Public Relations for Crisis Management from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
