I am a special scholar among the 18 SUSI 2024 fellowship recipients, one who does not have a graduate degree in journalism and media. Nearly all of the scholars are journalism lecturers, journalists, researchers, and professors from eighteen different countries gathering…
Defying news deserts from within the Sonoran desert
Innovation is key; journalism is not dead. The crisis of America’s “news deserts” (counties that have 0 local newspapers or digital sites) resonated with me strongly when I first heard the concept. Out of curiosity I jumped onto Northwestern University…
2024 SUSI scholars: We met, we learn, we share!
A home away from home On June 2, 18 scholars who were invited to participate in the 2024 SUSI Scholars Program entered the airspace of the United States from all over the world. After transferring from San Francisco, Houston, Detroit,…
The End of SUSI 2023: Celebrating Freedom, Diversity and Friendship
Eighteen scholars of journalism, communication and the media, researchers and journalists from eighteen different countries entered the Cronkite School of Journalism, at Arizona State University in Phoenix on June 4, 2023. It was a hot day in Phoenix and the…
You Know What’s Beautiful? A Real Conversation
One of the greatest experiences I will treasure from the 2023 SUSI program are deep meaningful conversations. The ability to sit back and talk about life, love, goals and dreams. The ability to articulate our deepest fears, desires and at…
Visiting the National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington
The National Museum of African American History and Culture is one of the most exquisite, explicit and accurate museums about Black history & culture. Standing in line to visit this huge brown building evoked all kinds of expectations. “This will be…
L.A.: The SUSI Bridge Between Phoenix and Washington
July 8, 2023, the 18 SUSI musketeers are having their last morning in downtown Los Angeles (L.A.). Everyone is finishing packing and getting ready to depart for Washington, D.C., which will take all day. After four weeks in Phoenix, Arizona and with…
Teaching Communication in the 21st Century
Teaching communication in the 21st century requires changing our minds, our budgets and of course our universities. Students aspire to be successful in the labor market for the next 40 years with new knowledge and skills. A step in that…
And Then the Magic Happened…
Nothing can be usual when you are in the city of dreams. For us, it was surely an unusual day in Los Angeles when we started to explore America’s westward expansion. It was a day of stories unfolding — stories…
Diversity and contrast in LA
On our first full day in Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the country, on the 5th of July, we had a free day to explore its famous landmarks and diverse areas. Most of the scholars decided to…