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Shushanik Navasardian |
Muskie Fellow from Armenia Begins Classes In Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication
After gaining direct experience in television production in her native Armenia, Shushanik Navasardian is using her Muskie Fellowship to learn more about theory, methods and processes of mass communication.
Ms. Navasardian is enrolled in the Henry W. Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communication, where she is working on a master's degree in telecommunications. She has an office in the James M. Cox Jr. Center for International Mass Communication Training and Research, a unit of the Grady College. The Muskie Fellows visit was arranged by the Cox Center.
While in the United States for the next two years, Ms. Navasardian will observe television live broadcast and film and tape production to understand how new technology can improve communication between provider and audience. Upon completing requirements and receiving her master's degree, Ms. Navasardian said she looks forward to playing a stronger role in broadcasting upon her return to Armenia.
Ms. Navasardian observed operations at a network affiliate television station in Denver before arriving in Athens in August.
In her first semester in the Grady College, Ms. Navasardian is taking classes with other graduate students on mass communication theory and research methods in mass communication.
"Everything is different," Ms. Navasardian said of her experiences in the university so far. "At the University in Amenia, I was taught linguistics. Here I'm learning about media management, about the history of communication, and about how to do research."
Ms. Navasardian spends some time daily in the Cox Center, where she can observe and participate in the various research and service projects being conducted by the faculty, graduate and undergraduate students.
She said she is adapting to the higher humidity of the climate and enjoying the atmosphere of Athens as she explores the University of Georgia campus and the town. Her interest in animals has led her to volunteer work with a local animal clinic when she is not busy with academic pursuits.
The Edmund S. Muskie/Freedom Support Act Fellowship Program, administered by American Councils for International Education and funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State is designed to encourage economic and democratic reform in the states of the former Soviet Union. Muskie Fellows are selected from the newly independent states of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
Ms. Navasardian is the first Muskie Fellow hosted by the Cox Center or the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.
