HIGH POINT, N.C., April 9, 2012 – HPU senior Andrew Faust has been selected by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting to receive a stipend that will allow him to travel to the Middle East and report on a critical international issue.
Faust, a double major in biology and communication, plans to use the grant to travel to the United Arab Emirates after he graduates in May to investigate the growth of the fast food industry in the UAE, a country situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf.
“Affordability, convenience and quick service has served as the fast food industry’s recipe for success across the globe,” says Faust. “However, this success is not always as beneficial for the industry’s consumers. Studies show there has been a recent increase in obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes in the Middle East. However, unlike in America, there have been few public health initiatives to respond to this. By reporting on this in the UAE, which has seen the most growth in the fast food industry, I want to explore the similarities in health concerns and what preventive measures are being taken to avoid future risks.”
HPU is one of three Triad schools, along with Wake Forest University and Guilford College, which joined the Pulitzer Center’s Campus Consortium with the intent of providing a global perspective to journalism education.
“We were absolutely delighted with the quality of applicants for HPU’s first Pulitzer reporting fellowship,” said Linda Gretton, Assistant Professor of Strategic Communication in The Nido R. Qubein School of Communication. “We are confident that through this fellowship program, HPU students will make significant contributions to the world of journalism by reporting on important stories that Americans need to know.”
During his time at HPU, Faust also has served as the online editor of the Campus Chronicle, the university’s student newspaper, and served as an online editorial intern at Scripps Networks Interactive in Tennessee. In the fall, he will be studying health communication in the Department of Communication Studies at The University of Georgia.
The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, an innovative, award-winning nonprofit journalism organization based in Washington, D.C., is dedicated to supporting independent international journalism. Its Campus Consortium is a growing network of more than a dozen universities and colleges aimed at raising awareness of systemic international concerns often underreported in U.S. media. For more information on the Pulitzer Center, visit http://pulitzercenter.org/.
At High Point University, every student receives an extraordinary education in an inspiring environment with caring people.℠ HPU, located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, is a liberal arts institution with over 4,200 undergraduate and graduate students at campuses in High Point and Winston-Salem. It is ranked by US News and World Report at No. 3 among Regional Colleges in the South. Parade Magazine lists HPU in the top 25 private schools in the nation. HPU was selected in the 2010-2011 list of “Colleges of Distinction,” as well as one of the top green schools in the country by the Sierra Club. The university offers 44 undergraduate majors, 40 undergraduate minors and 10 graduate degree programs. It is a member of the NCAA, Division I and the Big South Conference. Visit High Point University on the Web at highpoint.edu.
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Pam Haynes
Communication Specialist
336-841-9055
[email protected]