Nov. 11, 2004 -- Osabuohien P. Amienyi, professor of radio-television at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to lecture and do research in Africa during the 2004-05 academic year, according to the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Dr. Amienyi will conduct research and lecture on journalism education, and more specifically on the functions of journalism and mass media in Africa, at Malawi Polytechnic at Blantyre, Malawi.

“I hope to build a cultural and professional bridge between our university and our country as a whole and Malawi Polytechnic and the people of Blantyre, Malawi. I believe this experience will result in a recruitment opportunity for the university," he commented. "I hope to establish professional ties with the faculty at Malawi Polytechnic that can enrich the world view of our students and lay a foundation for research collaboration between our faculties and students.”

Dr. Amienyi has been a member of the ASU faculty since April 1993, having served as a professor of radio television. He is the former president and chair of the Faculty Association and assistant to the dean of recruitment for the College of Communications. He has published some 16 articles in various scholarly publications and newspapers along with five book reviews. He has made hundreds of scholarly and professional presentations.

The Fulbright Program, America’s flagship international educational exchange activity, is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Over its 58 years of existence, thousands of U.S. faculty and professionals have studied, taught or done research abroad, and thousands of their counterparts from other countries have engaged in similar activities in the United States. They are among more than 250,000 American and foreign university students, K-12 teachers, and university faculty and professionals who have participated in one of several Fulbright exchange programs.

Amienyi added, “I also believe the experience will result in innumerable benefits for my students. The results of my studies will enhance my lectures as I can use practical examples from them. This experience will further enhance my ability to deal with students from a variety of backgrounds and serve to encourage my students to participate in international student exchanges. This is crucial since an aspect of our university’s mission is to prepare students 'in diverse ways to become more productive global citizens.' ”

He is one of approximately 800 U.S. faculty and professionals who will travel abroad to some 140 countries for the 2004-05 academic year through the Fulbright Scholar Program. Established in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the program’s purpose is to build mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries.

Recipients of Fulbright Scholar awards are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement and because they have demonstrated extraordinary leadership potential in their fields. Among thousands of prominent U.S. Fulbright Scholar alumni are Milton Friedman, Nobel Laureate in Economics; James Watson, co-discoverer of the structure of DNA and Nobel Laureate in Medicine; Rita Dove, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet; and Craig Barrett, CEO of Intel Corporation.