Cronkite student wins Fulbright Award in journalism

May 11, 2011

A student of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University is the recipient of this year’s Alistair Cooke Award in Journalism to the United Kingdom.<separator></separator>Lauren Gambino, 22, from Syracuse, N.Y., received the Fulbright award, which is named after the trans-Atlantic broadcast journalist Alistair Cooke and bestowed each year on one U.S. scholar seeking a master's in journalism or in a related specialized subject leading to a career in journalism.<separator></separator>“This is an extraordinary and richly deserved recognition for a truly remarkable student,” said Cronkite Dean Christopher Callahan, “We are tremendously proud of all that Lauren has already accomplished, and we are confident she will make a real difference in the world through her journalism.”<separator></separator>Gambino is the third journalism major in four years to win a Fulbright. Ian Lee won a Fulbright to Egypt for 2007-2008; that same year, Emily Falkner won a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to the Slovak Republic. <separator></separator>Last fall, Steve Doig, the school’s Knight Chair in Journalism, served as a Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Portugal.<separator></separator>Gambino is among about 20 students at ASU to receive a Fulbright designation this year.<separator></separator>Gambino is a graduating student of the Cronkite School’s BA/MMC dual-degree program, in which students in both Cronkite and Barrett, The Honors College, can obtain both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in four years.<separator></separator>She said she is now looking forward to studying in London, where the fellowship also entails a possible internship with the BBC.<separator></separator>“I am very excited to attend school in London, an international news hub where I have always envisioned myself working as a reporter,” Gambino said. “The Fulbright enables me to pursue this ambition while also gaining experience living abroad and becoming accustomed to a new way of life and a different culture. Although my school is in London, I am anticipating traveling throughout the UK. I am very interested in learning about the social, political and cultural dynamics of the country as a whole.”<separator></separator>Gambino aspires to ultimately become an investigative multimedia reporter for a news organization in London, a task she prepared for by immersing herself in the Cronkite School’s professional programs, including the Carnegie-Knight News21 initiative, the professional reporting bureau Cronkite News Service and student media operations including The State Press and State Press Magazine.<separator></separator>She has won numerous awards during her time at the Cronkite School including a Hearst Award for in-depth reporting, an AEJMC Best of the Web Award for her participation in the News21 project reporting on Latino America and Cronkite Outstanding Student of the Year.<separator></separator>Professor Rick Rodriguez, who mentored Gambino in depth reporting, said she was a “thorough and persistent” reporter.<separator></separator>“In News21, she did the background reporting that enabled her to ask tough, informed questions,” Rodriguez said. “When she didn't understand an issue, she went back and asked more questions.<separator></separator>“I was impressed by her analytical abilities and in the end, she produced a first-rate in-depth story that placed second nationally in the Hearst competition. Lauren brought that same kind of dedication not only to News21 but in two other classes I taught and to her honors thesis, which I helped direct,” professor Rodriguez said.<separator></separator>“I've seen tremendous effort and growth from Lauren and I am certain she'll continue to grow and flourish in London. I'm also certain that the Fulbright fellowship and ASU's Cronkite School will be proud of what she'll accomplish.”<separator></separator>Gambino will begin her Fulbright experience in September.

Journalism Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication