IC Alumnae and Professor Honored With Fulbright Awards

By Desiree Holz '23, October 30, 2020
A trio of Ithaca College alumnae and Associate Professor Anthony Adornato have been named Fulbright award winners.
Headshots of Anthony Adornato and Megan McElroy

Anthony Adornato and Meaghan McElroy '20 were both Fulbright award winners.

(Photos submitted)

Anthony Adornato and Meaghan McElroy '20 were both Fulbright award winners.

(Photos submitted)

Ithaca College alumnae Meaghan McElroy ’20, Phoebe Holland ’20 and Hannah Gignoux ’18 have been awarded Fulbright scholarships. In addition, associate professor of journalism Anthony Adornato received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Award.

Adornato will eventually travel to Italy to conduct research and teach at the graduate level at three different universities. Adornato, whose scholarship is focused on the impact of mobile and social media on journalism, will be researching how those mediums are changing the field in Italy, and he will advise graduate journalism programs on how to update curriculum.

“This is the culmination of all my interest, teaching, and scholarship related to the impact of mobile and social media on news consumers and the journalism industry, and also my connection with Italian culture.”

Anthony Adornato, associate professor of Journalism

Adornato is slated to head to Italy for the spring 2021 semester, though the coronavirus pandemic could alter plans.

“This is the culmination of all my interest, teaching, and scholarship related to the impact of mobile and social media on news consumers and the journalism industry, and also my connection with Italian culture,” he said. “I’m really excited to get in the classroom and interact with students, professors, and journalists in Italy. Part of what I’ll be looking at is the impact that social media has had related to the intersection of politics and journalism. The same kind of attacks we see on journalists in the U.S., fueled by the public and politicians on social media, are happening in Italy.”

McElroy will be studying the intersection of journalism and climate change in Samoa. A dual journalism and environmental studies major at IC, McElroy became interested in research and community work while studying abroad in Jaipur, India, during her junior year.

“It’s really flattering to think that the work that I did at Ithaca as an undergrad has paid off in this way. The point of Fulbright is for it to be a cultural exchange, and I am so excited for that.”

Meaghan McElroy ’20

“I was also interested in journalism and climate change and how people talk about climate change and process that information,” she said. “In Samoa, they have a very interesting history with journalism and storytelling.”

While in Samoa, McElroy is planning to work with the organization Samoan Alliance of Media Practitioners for Development and will be studying the impact of Samoan climate journalism on community resilience to climate change.

McElroy credited several professors and staff members for helping her secure her scholarship, including Allison Frisch, assistant professor of journalism; Fae Dremock, assistant professor of environmental studies and science; and Michael Smith, professor of history.

Though McElroy’s scholarship has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she is excited to take the next step in her career path.

“It’s really flattering to think that the work that I did at Ithaca as an undergrad has paid off in this way,” she said. “The point of Fulbright is for it to be a cultural exchange, and I am so excited for that.”

Holland accepted an English teaching assistant award in La Rioja, Spain. Gignoux was offered, but did not accept, a Fulbright/Aberystwyth University Award to pursue a master’s degree in the Department of International Politics at Aberystwyth University in Wales.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides college seniors and recent graduates — chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential — with the opportunity to study, teach or conduct research internationally, exchanging ideas and contributing to finding solutions to shared concerns. The Core Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program offers to college faculty the opportunity to teach and/or conduct research in over 125 countries.

Ithaca College has consistently produced Fulbright winners. Since 1995, more than 40 students have won awards, while at least 27 faculty members have received awards since 1998. Earlier this year, the Chronicle of Higher Education recognized the college as a top producer of Fulbright winners.