Philip Merrill College of Journalism | University of Maryland

Letter from the Director

New Website, Humphrey Family News

September 2007

We are launching an updated website that now features stories about what our Fellows did on their year at the University of Maryland – and how they carried what they learned back to their own countries.

Film marketer Darija Buzakovic of Bosnia, for instance, made a close study of film festivals in the United States, attending the Sundance Festival, and arranging professional affiliations at AFI Silver Spring and the Maryland Film Office. So what could be more natural than to stage a festival of short films for Bosnia? She imported professionals from other countries, packed the screenings with eager fans and even included a rafting trip as a side diversion. Jack Gerbes Director of the Maryland Film Office flew over to attend, as did Lori Sousa of AFI. (See full story)

Rema Nagarajan learned so much about computer-assisted reporting techniques from Professor Ira Chinoy that when she went to India she got a new job and started breaking story after story. India’s new freedom-of-information law helped by providing databases – full of inaccuracies, showed Rema. Both these stories and others were written by Andy Zieminski, a Masters student at the College who overhauled the website for us.

We will continue to post stories about Fellows’ accomplishments – so please, tell us what you’re doing. As you may also notice, we’re also updating Alumni sections with the latest news from our Fellows. With this Fall’s new class, the fifteenth hosted by the University of Maryland, we now count a total of 180 Fellows, from more than 80 countries.

We have enough history now that we are beginning to see how Fellowships build on each other. For the last two years, for instance, Leticia Linn of Uruguay has been a Fulbright scholar at the College of Journalism, attracted to Maryland because her father, Busqueda columnist Tomas Linn was here as a Humphrey Fellow, Class of 1995-1996. When the University hosted a gala luncheon to honor the Humphrey and Fulbright exchange programs in 2006, IIE helped us bring Tomas back. Both he and his daughter were featured speakers. Tomas returned this spring to watch his daughter receive her Masters Degree.

This year we welcome A.N.M. Golam Kibria of Pro Anthan newspaper in Bangladesh, thanks to the urging of his colleague at the Bengali daily, M. Zahid Hossain of last year’s class. The two want to establish an organization that would aid in protecting journalists – unfortunately something badly needed in Bangladesh, where many journalists are jailed or are victims of violence.

Nearly every week I hear from Humphrey alumni from distant points across the globe. They write to report a job promotion, a marriage, birth, and all too often of threats to freedom of the press in their home countries.

And sometimes we hear that a new regime or law change has tilted a country more toward democracy, allowing more openings for journalists to function without fear.

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In other Humphrey family news, we want to report that former assistant coordinator Meg McCully Neill and her husband, Rob, are proud parents of a bouncing baby boy, Samuel Robert, born May 23, 2007. Deputy Director Kalyani Chadha left the program last year, to become Director of the American Association of Sunday and Feature Editors. She continues to teach in the College and direct College Park Scholars. Her son, Amir, is now eight years old and in the third grade. Kalyani’s husband, Samir Khuller of the University Computer Science Department, was named a Distinguished Scholar Teacher for 2007.

This is the second year for Deputy Director Serap Rada who has become a great mainstay for the program and infused us all with new energy and ideas.

Lucinda Fleeson