School of Journalism and Communication Instructor Sung Park has been selected for the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program.

Park, one of approximately 1,100 U.S. faculty and professionals who received the award, will spend the 2013-2014 academic year at the University of Ghana. Park will teach multimedia journalism to graduate students for the university’s journalism program.

Although the curriculum will be similar to the school’s Gateway series, Park said the lack of resources and experience in multimedia will require a new approach.

“It will force me to be very creative in the way I teach,” Park said. “We will strip down to the essence of what good storytelling really is.”

As a part of his grant, Park will also develop a website as a resource for Ghanaian journalists. The website will lay the foundation for students to teach students by sharing their knowledge on multimedia.

Park has traveled to Ghana twice before with the School’s Media in Ghana program, but he is confident this trip will change how he approaches his work.

“I will have to let go of control,” Park said. “I think I will come back a lot wiser.”

Although Park will be gone from the journalism school for a year, Edwin L. Artzt Dean Tim Gleason sees significant benefit in the Fulbright experience for the school and its students.

“This allows Sung to continue to build and strengthen our relationship with Ghana,” Gleason said. “And I look forward to what he brings back to the classroom in the journalism school. It will no doubt be remarkable.”

More than 130 UO faculty and staff have been named Fulbright Scholars.

- from Taimarie Locke, the UO School of Journalism and Communication