News About WPI People

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Olivér Kiss (Romania, WPI ’03) was elected columnist and member of the editorial board of Szabadság, a Hungarian-language regional newspaper published in Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania. He was assigned to oversee the daily’s editorial agenda and come up with stories for the newspaper. He also was elected to the executive board of the company. The reporters and editors, who are the only shareholders at Szabadság, elect the editor in chief, the deputy editor in chief and the heads of the metro, cultural, political and economic departments. Since his WPI fellowship in 2003, Kiss also has worked extensively with various Western media organizations including Schnuffie Productions, an independent video and post-production company located in Burbank, Ca.

Tilcia Delgado (Panama, WPI '04) has been promoted to managing editor at La Prensa in Panama City, the most influential newspaper in Panama. In her new position Delgado's responsibilities include setting, developing and overseeing the editorial agenda of the daily; organizing coverage of special events; and developing story ideas. Delgado says her experience as a World Press Institute fellow was a decisive factor when she was picked to manage the change of direction at La Prensa.

Hu Shuli (China, WPI ’81), the editor of a successful Chinese business magazine who has acquired a reputation as "the most dangerous woman in China" for the publication’s aggressive investigative work, is the centerpiece of a front page article in the business section of the April 18, 2005, New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/18/business/worldbusiness/18shanghai.html

Alexenia Dimitrova (Bulgaria, WPI ’96), has completed a book, “The Iron Fist: Inside the Bulgarian and American Secret Archives,” published in English by Artnik Publishing in London. The book is about the Cold War era and attempts to explain why many people sought to escape communism. Dimitrova is special correspondent and senior investigative reporter with the daily newspaper 24 Hours in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Shelton A. Gunaratne (Sri Lanka, WPI ’67) has completed a book, “The Dao of the Press: A Humanocentric Theory.” The book combines the Eastern cosmological notion of yin-yang with the new-systems thinking implicit in the theory of living systems. It is the author’s attempt to motivate more communication scholars from non-Europe to use Eastern theories to analyze various aspects of mass media systems and free expression. Gunaratne is a professor in the Mass Communications Department at Minnesota State University in Moorhead, Minnesota.

Claire Miller (Australia, WPI ’96) has completed a book, “Snowy River Story.” It is an account of how residents of the southeast Australia towns of Dalgety, New South Wales, and Orbost, Victoria, fought to save the Snowy River after if was dammed in the 1960s by the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme. Their grassroots battle culminated in a government fighting for its life in 1999 and an historic interstate deal to restore a national icon. Miller is a reporter with The Age in Melbourne, Australia.

2000s Fellows

Weihua Chen (China, WPI '98) has been awarded a Knight Fellowship to Stanford University for the 2005 academic year.

Nevin Sungur (Turkey, WPI '03) was honored as the Most Courageous Woman Journalist of 2003 for her work covering Iraq.

Jinmei Lu (China, WPI ’04) was promoted from news anchor/senior reporter to news producer at Dragon TV in Shanghai.

Rozane Montero (Brazil, WPI ’02), a freelance journalist and former local news editor at Jornal O Dia in Rio de Janeiro, is teaching English as a foreign language in Prague, Czech Republic.

Silvia Ruano (Mexico, WPI ’01), profiles and stories reporter with Reforma Group/El Norte in Monterrey, won a grant from the Gabriel García Márquez Foundation to investigate and produce a report on violence against women.

Lars von Törne (Germany, WPI ’04) was honored by a German foundation for reporting on FOCUS:Hope, a nonprofit civil and human rights organization in Detroit, Michigan von Törne visited while a WPI fellow. The “USable Award” from the Körber-Stiftung recognizes stories about ideas in the United States that might be useful for resolving social problems in Germany. Von Törne’s story described how FOCUS:Hope uses practical education, emphasizing the value of discipline and hard work, to fight racism, poverty and injustice. It featured one young man employed at FOCUS:Hope and described how some young people fail in the attempt to escape a life of drugs and crime and others succeed.

1990s Fellows

Roberto Baldini (Italy, WPI ’99), chief international reporter at La Nazione in Florence, was selected to participate in the 2004 International Visitor Program of the U.S. State Department. He studied defense and immigration issues and observed the “Super Tuesday” presidential primary elections and caucuses.

Claire Miller (Australia, WPI ’95), was granted a six-month sabbatical from The Age in Melbourne, to work on a book about the grassroots political campaign to save Australia's Snowy River. The environmental reporter also received an award in the Water Network Journalists' competition, sponsored by the World Bank. The award was presented in Japan in March as part of the 3rd World Water Forum in Kyoto.

Denis Mzembe (Malawi, WPI ’97), senior investigative reporter with The Nation and a Reuters correspondent in Blantyre, was elected president of the Media Institute of Southern Africa, Malawi Chapter, the largest media organization in Malawi.

Elisabetta Piqué (Argentina, WPI ’94), Rome correspondent for La Nación in Buenos Aires, published a book about her experiences as a war correspondent, “Diario de Guerra: Apuntes de una corresponsal en el frente, Afganistan 2001 — Irak 2003.” The book includes articles published in her newspaper.

Katrina Strickland (Australia, WPI ’98) was promoted to national arts writer at The Australian and moved from Sydney to Melbourne, her hometown. In early 2004 she traveled through Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and China where she met WPI classmate Chen Weihua, deputy editor in chief of the Shanghai Star.

1980s Fellows

Hu Shuli (China, WPI ’87), founder and managing editor of Caijing in Beijing, was named World Press Review’s 2003 International Editor of the Year. WPR presents the award annually to one or more editors outside the United States in recognition of enterprise, courage and leadership in advancing the freedom and responsibility of the press, enhancing human rights and fostering excellence in journalism. The October 2003 issue of the magazine features an interview with Hu.

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1970s Fellows

Isaac Fritz Andoh (Ghana, WPI ’71), was named managing editor of the Catholic Standard in Accra and representative of Private Newspapers Publishers Association of Ghana to the National Media Commission. He was included in the 2000 edition of “International Who’s Who” and was 1 of 8 contributors to the book “Journalism Ethics in Africa.”

Ciro Gamarra (Peru, WPI ’74) is working in Chile as an international consultant on media and development issues and a freelance journalist covering Latin America. Before returning to South America he worked for CNN in Atlanta after retiring as senior public affairs specialist with the World Bank in Washington, D.C.

Andres Oppenheimer (Argentina, WPI ’77), foreign correspondent of The Miami Herald in Miami, Florida, was honored by the Overseas Press Club with a 2002 citation for best newspaper or wire service interpretation of international affairs for “Latin American Change,” published in the Herald.

Neagu Udroiu (Romania, WPI ’74) was named Romania’s ambassador to Finland in Helsinki. Previously, he was media director at Intitutul de Studii Sociale in Bucharest.

1960s Fellows

Max Hastings' (United Kingdom, WPI ’67) new book, Armageddon, was recently highlighted in History Book Club Review. It has been praised by the Times Literary Supplement ("As a military historian, Max Hastings has few equals.) and the Financial times ("Max Hastings now stands in the first rank of writers on modern war.").

Dieter Buhl (Germany, WPI ’64) is working as a freelance writer in Hamburg. He retired in 2001 from Die Zeit as senior political editor, counselor to the editor in chief and editor of the op-ed pages.

Samar Kumar Pal (India WPI ’62) is editing manuscripts and writing articles freelance. He retired after 35 years as a staff writer for the Hindustan Times in New Delhi.

Anthony Paul (Australia, WPI ’62) is Asian affairs columnist for The Straits Times of Singapore. He lives and works in Brisbane and Singapore.

Arun Kuman Bhattacharjee (India, WPI ’64) is working in New Delhi as a freelance journalist and columnist. Until 2003, he was a communication adviser with the Asian Institute for Development Communication in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He has authored two books on the Indian press.

Ian McDonald (United Kingdom, WPI ’64) retired as editor-in-chief at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C. He lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland.