CCI is excited to welcome international Fulbright Scholar Amoolya Rajappa to our Tallahassee campus. 

Amoolya comes from Bengaluru, India, and will be studying in Tallahassee for nine months under the mentorship of Interim Dean Dr. Stephen McDowell. She is a current PhD student at Christ University in Bengaluru, pursuing a degree in Media Studies. During her time at FSU, she will be focused on writing her doctoral dissertation, and collaborating with other scholars in order to conduct international research. Amoolya is also working with CCI faculty to organize the upcoming South Asian Media and Cultural Studies Conference this year. The theme of this year’s conference will be “Imagining Futures,” and will be held on February 10th and 11th. Additionally, she is preparing to present her paper, “Usage and Consumption of mobile media applications by Internal Migrant Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic in India,” during the upcoming SAMCS conference. 

The Fulbright Scholarship program provides opportunities for students like Amoolya to broaden their academic experiences by studying in other countries. Established in 1946, the program now grants over 8,000 scholarships annually. It is intended to increase cultural understanding and foster international relationships between students all around the globe. In order to be considered, applicants must submit a personal application, followed by an interview with a panel of experts in the field. 

“The international exposure I gain from Fulbright will help me bridge the crucial research gap between Media Studies and Migration Studies, by stressing on the need for interdisciplinary research connecting these two disciplines, in a manner that is relevant to the Indian context,” Amoolya told CCI. “Moreover, I hope to build on the expertise I gain in the field of media anthropology to further develop pedagogical skills to effectively teach qualitative research methods to students of communication in India.” 

After receiving her doctoral degree, Amoolya plans to become a media practitioner and researcher. She looks forward to the opportunity to teach, specifically classes about labor perspectives and migration studies. Amoolya shared with CCI, “I recognize the urgent need to address internal labor woes in India’s informal economy, and all my efforts, whether in the capacity of journalist or an academician, will be concerted towards the same in the coming years.” 

To read more about the Fulbright program, visit https://us.fulbrightonline.org/.