2021-2022
Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program
Humphrey Fellows class of
2021-2022 Tasneem ALzamara, West Bank Tasneem ALzamara is a correspondent and media consultant with experience as a reporter, filmmaker and radio narrator. She earned a bachelor’s degree in media and TV production and is working on a master’s in European Studies from Heinrich Heine University. ALzamara has covered events affecting the West Bank, including the 2006 Palestinian presidential election and legislative elections. She has extensive experience in filmmaking locally and internationally, and has worked with trainers from the BBC, DW Akademie, Al Jazeera Training Centre, RFI, France 24, and others. During her time as a Humphrey Fellow, ALzamara hopes to develop her multimedia expertise to produce regional stories when she returns to her country. MENTOR Pauline Arrillaga
Angela J. Aurora, El Salvador Angela Aurora works as a professor of journalism at the University of El Salvador. She has 25 years of experience in social research and higher education as both a director of the graduate school and a general director of the university. Aurora is interested in studying social media and the impact of news on people’s behavior. She has also done research on how media information has impacted people’s lives. During her time as a Humphrey Fellow, Aurora wants to produce a virtual magazine focused on journalist research, scientific journalism and education. MENTOR Andrés Martinez
Mohamed Asmieu Bah, Sierra Leone Mohamed Asmieu Bah is a broadcast journalist with 15 years of experience in the field. He started as a reporter at the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service after he finished high school where he trained to become a radio and television presenter and producer of news and current affairs. Bah works for Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation and has presented one of the most popular television programs, “Lunch Time Break”, since 2010. He holds a Master of Science in diplomacy and international relations from Fourah Bay College and is pursuing a Master of Philosophy in political science. In 2013, he was a Reham Alfarra Fellow. Bah was elected as the National Secretary General of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists in 2019. As a Humphrey Fellow, Bah hopes to deepen his knowledge of journalism, leadership, and governance. He would also like to sharpen his skills in research, leadership, academic writing, media ownership, experience with American media and American governance systems and policies. MENTOR Gregg Leslie
Elira Çanga, Albania Elira Çanga has worked as a journalist in Albania for the past 11 years. She works as a media project manager at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and her goal is to modernize the public service media in her country and enrich journalism curriculum. She has previously worked as journalist and producer for the BBC and as a Media Team Leader at USAID. Çanga is experienced in media development and international affairs, with a master’s degree in EU Studies from Centre International de Formation Européenne. She has spent 10 years working on media development to encourage investigative reporting and fact-checking, as well as training and mentoring young journalists on media and information literacy and countering disinformation online. During her time as a Humphrey Fellow, she hopes to improve as a journalist and media developer to make stories more impactful and to help guide future generations of reporters. MENTOR Heather Dunn
Atok Dan, South Sudan Atok Dan has a degree in public relations and a Master of Arts degree in monitoring and evaluation. He currently works as a station manager for a humanitarian radio program serving refugees from Sudan. Dan has been in the media industry for more than 10 years, serving in different capacities. Growing up as a child soldier during the civil war in Sudan, Dan has experienced disinformation and misinformation as a policy strategy deployed by the Sudan’s People Liberation Movement and Army SPLM/A. He is looking forward to the opportunity to interact with a wide range of knowledgeable experts to further develop his communication skills. He chose the Humphrey Program to interact with others to acquire a different perspective on issues. MENTOR Jason Manning
Bálint Fabok, Hungary Bálint Fabok is an award-winning journalist with 10 years of journalism experience, currently working at G7.hu, a business-focused online magazine. He covers corruption, climate change and the social dimensions of the Hungarian economic transformation. Fabok holds a master’s degree in international relations from the Central European University. As a Humphrey Fellow, he seeks to improve his skills in data and investigative journalism. He also aims to experience a broader view of the American media. MENTOR Sarah Cohen
Anum Hanif, Pakistan Anum Hanif is a journalist in Pakistan with more than eight years of experience in media. She has been working as a senior associate producer at Express News in Pakistan, covering political and social issues. She has previously worked at Neo News and Daily Jang. Hanif holds a master’s in philosophy degree in mass communication from Institute of Communication Studies University of the Punjab. As a Humphrey Fellow, Hanif hopes to learn about leadership, innovation in digital journalism and documentary production. She also hopes to expand her understanding of media practices in other countries through interaction with the other Fellows. MENTOR Luis Bonilla
Dilshad Elita Karim, Bangladesh Elita Karim is a journalist and professional singer in Bangladesh. She started as a trainee journalist at The Daily Star in 2003 and has a Master of Arts degree in English from North South University. She has written and edited articles on women’s empowerment, labor rights, transgender issues, trafficking, education, culture, entertainment and more. Her careers have given her opportunities to travel, learn, and share with people outside of Bangladesh, which she hopes to continue in her year as a Humphrey Fellow. Karim also hopes to learn how other cultures, countries and policymakers handle fake news and what laws can prevent or solve it. Additionally, Karim also hopes to learn more about digital storytelling and arts in education, especially for underprivileged young people in Bangladesh. MENTOR Retha HIll
Gahyeok Lee, South Korea Gahyeok Lee is a staff reporter for JTBC, the most trusted South Korean nationwide TV network and Hey.News, an Instagram centered news service. Lee started his journalism career in 2011 and he has covered both local and international issues throughout his career. He wrote about his experiences at historical news scenes such as the Korean candlelight movement in 2016 and published a book “Memory of the Day” in 2017. It was also translated into Chinese and published in Taiwan in 2019. In 2019 and 2020, Lee hosted a four-minute daily prime time segment called “Gahyeok Lee’s Factcheck” that gained recognition as a signatory member of the International Fact-Checking Network in January 2020. During his time at Cronkite, Lee hopes to improve his English communication skills to expand his global perspective. MENTOR Jeffrey Timmermans
Hyuntaek Lee, South Korea Hyuntaek Lee is a journalist at the World News Desk of the Chosunilbo, South Korea’s largest newspaper. He is sub-chairman of a special committee for web portal strategy for the Journalists Association of Korea, dealing with strategic support for local journalists. He has received an Online Journalism Award of Korea and Journalist of the Month Award. Lee was also selected as a Google Newsroom Leadership Program Fellow (through the Columbia Journalism School) in the Asia-Pacific region where he worked on monetization strategy. During his time as a Humphrey Fellow, Lee hopes to learn about digital innovation in the U.S., especially at local newspapers. MENTOR Julia Wallace
Johnson Mayamba, Uganda Johnson Mayamba has more than 10 years of experience as both a reporter and editor. He works for the Daily Monitor, Uganda’s most influential media house. Since the start of his journalism career, Mayamba has focused on championing human rights in Uganda and has won several awards for his reporting. He also works as a media trainer with Journalists for Human Rights. He was the national vice chairman of Human Rights Network for Journalists - Uganda in 2014-2017. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in mass communication from Uganda Christian University and a Master of Philosophy in human rights and democratization from the University of Pretoria, South Africa. He hopes to continue training journalists to appreciate human rights reporting and bring light to neglected issues. While at Cronkite, Mayamba hopes to perfect his skills to become a well-rounded journalist and media trainer as well as share ideas and learn from students and his fellow cohorts. MENTOR Dawn Gilpin
Milana Mazaeva, Russia Milana Mazaeva has worked for the BBC News Russian in Moscow since 2017. Previously, she worked as a freelance journalist. Mazaeva began her journalism career in 2009 working at a local TV station in Chechnya, where she covered local news and the North Caucasus. During her time at Cronkite, she hopes to broaden and expand her knowledge in producing stories with a global perspective and is interested in documentary production. MENTOR Steven Beschloss
Andrea Polanco, Belize Andrea Polanco is a broadcast journalist with more than 10 years of experience in TV, radio, PR and communication in Belize, Central America. She works as a general assignment TV journalist reporting extensively on climate change, conservation, health, development issues and road safety with the goal of making these issues easy to understand to empower marginalized communities. She has a master’s degree in TV journalism from Goldsmiths, University of London. Polanco was a 2015-2016 Chevening Scholar. She is also a Climate Change Media Partnership Fellow and a Fellow of the International Center for Journalists. Polanco has won multiple awards from the Caribbean Broadcasting Union Awards and was OCEANA’s first Environmental Journalist of the Year in Belize in 2019. She hopes to improve her investigative skills and learn to use social media and other digital tools to tell stories. Furthermore, she wants to gain hands-on experience in climate change communication and documentarymaking during her time as a Humphrey Fellow. MENTOR Sadie Babits
Siqi Yao, China Siqi Yao is a journalist for Phoenix Weekly in Beijing covering international affairs. Yao focuses on the Asia Pacific region, shifts in manufacturing, U.S.-China relations and its effects on average citizens. Yao has a master’s degree in art from Hong Kong Baptist University. She has seven years of journalism experience and is dedicated to providing Chinese readers with impartial stories on foreign countries. During her Humphrey year, she hopes to grow both personally and professionally. She plans to refine her English language skills and study communication theory with a focus on biased news on the internet. She also plans to learn about video journalism, American culture and leadership. MENTOR Juan Mundel
“Step across that stream. The rocks may be slippery, but they’re not there to trip you. They’re there to help you to the other side.” — Hubert H. Humphrey
What is the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program? The Humphrey Fellowship Program, named in honor of the late vice president, began in 1978 to provide professional enrichment and non-degree studies at selected American universities for experienced professionals from around the world. Candidates for this Fulbright exchange activity are selected for their leadership potential and commitment to public service. The Humphrey Fellowship Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, is a U.S. government international exchange program supported by the people of the United States.
The Humphrey Fellowship at Arizona State University Humphrey Fellows have studied at the Cronkite School since 2010. The program, operated in partnership with the U.S. Department of State and the Institute of International Education, brings accomplished mid-career professionals from designated countries to the U.S. for an intensive 10-month academic study and professional experience.
A U.S. senator from Minnesota for 27 years and vice president of the United States from 1965-69, Hubert H. Humphrey was a lifelong advocate of programs fostering human rights and international understanding. These fellowships were established to honor his memory and to continue his ideals.
Humphrey Fellows at ASU live in downtown Phoenix, participate in academic study, develop professional affiliations and friendships, receive mentoring from Cronkite faculty and experience a rich cultural immersion into American life.The Cronkite School is currently the only journalism and mass communication school in the U.S. to host a Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship.
With primary support from the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Administered by the Institute of International Education
Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program 555 N. Central Ave., Suite 430 Phoenix, AZ 85004-1248 phone 602-496-5173 • email cronkiteglobal@asu.edu www.cronkite.asu.edu/global-initiatives/humphrey-fellows/
1400 K St., NW, Suite 700 Washington, DC 20005 Phone: 202-686-8664 hhh@iie.org • www.humphreyfellowship.org
photos by Owen White