Fulbright Scholar to join Fredonia faculty for spring semester
Dr. Miroslawa Wielopolska-Szymura
Communication department to welcome accomplished Polish journalism and media professor
Dr. Miroslawa Wielopolska-Szymura will travel from her home in Poland to join the Department of Communication as a Fulbright Scholar in Residence at SUNY Fredonia for the Spring 2024 semester.
Dr. Wielopolska-Szymura, an associate professor at the Institute of Journalism and Media Communication at the University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland, has served as the deputy director of the Journalism and Social Communication degree program since 2020.
During her stay at SUNY Fredonia, she will teach two classes, “The Image of Journalism in Film” [COMM 359.02] and “Propaganda and Manipulation as a Security Threat” [COMM 359.03], which Communication, Public Relations, and Journalism majors are advised to consider when planning for their Spring ’24 schedules. The classes are also open to all upper level students on campus.
Wielopolska-Szymura has served as the deputy director of the Journalism and Social Communication degree program at the University of Silesia since 2020. Much of her scholarship and teaching is dedicated to combating disinformation and fake news: a hot topic in today’s cultural climate. She has worked with the U.S. Embassy and the U.S. State Department, and is a member of the European Academy of Robert Schuman Foundation. She has also published widely on the topics of communication, media, and politics, including the politicization of press culture, the role of radio as a medium, media in service of the armed forces, and more.
The SUNY Fredonia administration is excited for the campus enrichment Wielopolska-Szymura’s residency will bring, and looks forward to assisting her in the continuation of her own research and studies. They note that she will be a wonderful addition to the department of Communication, and the entire campus community is encouraged to welcome her and to help her make SUNY Fredonia feel like home.
Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Andy Karafa added, "We are pleased to welcome Dr. Miroslawa Wielopolska-Szymura to Fredonia. Her areas of expertise are certainly timely, especially the politicization of press culture and fake news. I believe that individuals will find her international perspectives on these topics illuminating."
Communication department Chair Roslin Smith noted, “We are very privileged for Dr. Wielopolska-Szymura to visit our village. She will be engaging in civic presentations such as at the Darwin R Barker Historical Museum, and I am hoping this cultural and academic exchange will strengthen our international relationship.”
