ASU honors student to study film through Fulbright UK Summer Institute

Preston Baer, a first-year student in Barrett, The Honors College, is one of only 30 students nationwide selected for the UK Summer Institutes, a prestigious and highly competitive international scholarship program sponsored by the U.S.-U.K. Fulbright Commission. 

The UK Summer Institutes are three- to four-week academic and cultural programs hosted at select universities across the United Kingdom. Designed for students with limited international travel experience, the institutes offer participants the opportunity to explore the UK’s culture, heritage and history. Students are selected through a rigorous application and interview process, with an acceptance rate of less than 3%. 

Ann artificial intelligence in business major in the W. P. Carey School of Business, Baer will study film and cinematography at Lancaster University. 

His interest in visual storytelling began several years ago through recreational video editing and expanded into an interest in social media analytics and feed algorithms. He recently accepted a position as a multimedia assistant for ASU Admission Services, where he creates, edits and films content for prospective ASU students. 

“I have a dual interest in how technology merges with art and the creative process,” Baer said. “I have always been business-oriented and am particularly excited about how this technology will shape our future and how we can guide it responsibly and safely.” 

Baer first learned about the UK Summer Institutes through the Lorraine W. Frank Office of National Scholarships Advisement, which publicizes nationally competitive scholarship opportunities and advises ASU students applying for major awards. Throughout the selection process, the office also provided guidance and practice interviews. 

“This award represents the cumulative effect of my academic endeavors and dedication to my craft,” Baer said. “When I found out I was one of only five students selected [for Lancaster], I felt reassured in my path in college and in the direction my education has taken me.” 

In the future, Baer hopes to create and produce independent films that incorporate global perspectives. He said he looks forward to writing, directing and editing his own films.  

“This journey will be my first time abroad, and I do not plan for it to be my last,” Baer said. “The exploration and exchange of culture will help broaden my understanding of my own home and shape my global perspective.”