Moore named Fulbright recipient

You may not find Robert Moore’s picture or name next to the dictionary definition of "excellence," but if you were to look upon his accomplishments within the Department of Communications, you certainly would understand how excellence is achieved.

For the second time in 10 years, Moore has been selected to receive the Fulbright Scholarship, which he will use to conduct international work during the spring semester. "This is the second time I’ve received this, but it is still quite unusual for any individual to receive it twice," said Moore.

The Fulbright Scholarship Program originated in 1945 as the brainchild of Senator J. William Fullbright who felt there was a need to promote "mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries of the world." The program became federally established in 1946 after approval from Congress and President Harry Truman. Each year about 800 scholars are sent abroad to more than 140 countries to lecture, conduct research and promote higher learning. In all, more than 250,000 people have participated in the program since its inception.

Moore received his first award in 1991 and utilized it to do work in Zambia. "The primary focus of my international work is in South Africa," stated Moore. Moore will be on sabbatical leave this spring as he travels to Namibia to undertake a civic/community journalism project. "It is meant to be an application of the research Dr. Gillis and myself conducted in that area," he said.

Moore greatly treasures the time he has spent working in the region. "Once the African bug bites you, you can’t get rid of it," said Moore. "Life is enjoyable there ... the people are warm and open, the students are starved for education, and the professionals are open to more and better training," he added.

In addition to his scholarship reception, Moore is also ecstatic about the 25th anniversary of the Department of Communications. "I’ve been here for 20 of the 25 years," said Moore. "I was the first department head until 2001 and it [the anniversary] not only reinforces the strength of the program, but is an acknowledgement of the hard work and effort of the faculty and students and honors their many successes over the years," added Moore.

Planning for an occasion such as this has been a long process for the department. "We had been looking at ways to celebrate it for the past two to two and a half years," stated Moore. "Those plans included creation of a new logo, website and a speaker series consisting of alumni — we also wanted to make this a student celebration," said Moore.

Moore feels that the one aspect of the anniversary that excites him the most is the return of the alumni. "Who we are today clearly rests on what we did in the past," said Moore. "We’ve all developed such close relationships and it will be great to see them back." The Department of Communications 25th Anniversary festivities kicked off during Homecoming Weekend and wrap up in April at the annual Communications Banquet.