CAM Fellows Program Types

The CAM Fellows program is generally designed to offer one year of research and training – two regular semesters – for each fellow, though the duration of research/training can be longer depending on the needs of the fellow. Upon joining the program, each fellow will consult with the programming director or research coordinator to formulate a research curriculum tailored to their needs. There are mainly two program types: Global Communication Leadership (GCL) and Executive Program.

An annual program fee of US $15,000 (Global Communication Leadership Program: GCL) or US $10,000 (Executive Program) is required to participate in the respective programs. We can also selectively offer a Basic Program option at a reduced fee for a limited program experience.

CAM Fellows Program Tracks

In addition to the varying depth and breadth of each program, starting in Fall 2023 each CAM Fellow will be placed in one of four available research tracks:

• Media Technology and Innovation
• Business and Corporate Communications
• Public Affairs Communications
• Media and Society

The fast-changing media landscape influences our life of communication and how information and message flow in our society. We must adapt to this ever-changing environment.

Industry practitioners and academics alike are required to understand emerging trends, technologies, and innovations in communication and media. Media innovation shifts how people find, engage with, and process content in the digital world. This in turn transforms how messages, people, and machines interact. Such multifaceted changes require public affairs and corporate communication experts to anticipate and adjust to trends to succeed in their persuasive and informative communication efforts. At the micro and macro levels, it will also be essential to understand ethical, strategic, and global aspects of communication and media and their roles in our society.

While focusing on a primary track, fellows will have the opportunity to expand their research to a variety of empirical disciplines. Journalism practice, social media opinion analysis, and brand communication (e.g., nation, product, service, organization, and human brands) offer avenues for research. Additionally, fellows may study political, health, crisis, risk, sports, environmental, science, technology, and organizational communications.

Media Technology and Innovation Track

(Track Head: Dr. Sun Joo (Grace) Ahn, Director of the Games and Virtual Environments Lab (GAVEL))

With the constant influx of new media driven by technological advances, the Media Technology and Innovation track provides fellows with opportunities to study emerging technologies for the media industry and learn how these might impact their field. Such knowledge can help develop frameworks for future media changes, which will call for innovative approaches for creating and disseminating content and information through media. This track also offers opportunities to learn and experiment with emerging media and data technologies – such as virtual reality, the metaverse, artificial intelligence, and blockchains – that are expected to impact the media and communication industry.

Business and Corporate Communications Track

(Track Head: Dr. Yan Jin, C. Richard Yarbrough Professor in Crisis Communication Leadership)

The Corporate Communication track provides fellows with opportunities to explore the impact of strategic communications, such as advertising, public relations, and other forms of marketing communications. Fellows will be exposed to various topics impacting businesses worldwide to holistically understand the issues and solutions for effective corporate communication. Those issues include ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance), DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), cybersecurity, and smart environment/technology. Learning about all-encompassing challenges such as uncertainty, complexity, globalization, and strategic thinking will also strengthen their existing corporate communications knowledge.

Public Affairs Communications Track

(Track Head: Joe Watson, Carolyn Caudell Tieger Professor of Public Affairs Communications)

In the Public Affairs Communication track, fellows from governments, as well as public and political sectors, will learn how effective communication can benefit politics, policymaking, and issue advocacy. In partnership with Grady College’s PAC (Public Affairs Communications) program, fellows will research the roles of communications in educating, shaping, or changing public opinion on public policies, legislations, political candidates, or issues related to various topics such as health, environment, and social activism.

Media and Society Track

(Track Head: Dr. Kyser Lough, Assistant Professor, Solutions Journalism Expert, Journalism)

The Media and Society track provides a research curriculum that introduces fellows to various media, communication, and journalism practices impacting society nowadays. Fellows will be exposed to theories and methodologies for critically analyzing and interpreting media phenomena. Topics include media literacy, policy, technology, and the politics and institutions of media for our demographic society. Additionally, fellows will have the opportunity to explore solutions journalism, investigative journalism, data journalism, freedom of speech, and the integrity and transparency of information flow in our society, focusing on misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation through news and strategic communications.

Offerings and Benefits

Auditing Graduate Courses

In addition to the specific program features, CAM Fellows can choose and audit the graduate courses offered in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at UGA. During the program, the faculty members in the college – internationally and nationally renowned in their respective areas – cover a wide array of communication fields and provide integrated ways to enhance their students’ knowledge.

Research Support

More than 25 faculty members affiliated with CAM Fellows Program can advise fellows on their research. Fellows can shadow (Executive or GCL) or actively participate (academic) in the labs and research groups within Grady College. Opportunities include: AdBiS (Advertising & Branding Insights Studio), BBAM (Brain, Body, and Media), Digital Media Attention and Cognition (DMAC) Lab, GAVEL (Games and Virtual Environments Lab), HEART (Health & Environmental Advertising Research Team), Crisis Research Group, and Computational Research Methods Club. If interdisciplinary research is required, the program can also connect fellows with external units within or beyond the University of Georgia.

Experiential Benefits

Other benefits – though they vary depending on program type – include industry immersion trips (past destinations include CNN, WSB-TV, Coca-Cola, Porter Novelli, Atlanta Journal-Constitution), English training through IEP (www.iep.uga.edu), cultural experiences (e.g., football spectating at Sanford Stadium). While Executive Fellows enjoy the full program benefits, GCL Fellows have more premium opportunities to network and learn from global leaders in communication and media. For more details on the offerings and benefits, contact the CAM Fellows Program office.

CAM’s Continuing Missions

The CAM Fellows Program at Cox International Center in the UGA Grady College thrives on empowering leaders in communication and media worldwide. Across various sectors, the program seeks to assist those contributing to the roles of mass communication in society.

Through the program, Cox CAM fellows are fostered to continue the advancement of their profession as well as our society through truthful, accurate, and fair communications. It is our mission to help fellows holistically facilitate respect and mutual understanding among stakeholders in our always-new media environment.