Melissa Tully

Melissa Tully, a PhD candidate in Mass Communication, studies media in Africa, with a focus on Internet and mobile technology and human rights reporting. Melissa completed a master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication at the UW in 2005 and wrote her thesis on newspaper coverage of the Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya. This research sparked a greater interest in Kenya, the country Melissa has continued to study. This summer, she will use her SKJ award in Kenya to meet with NGO workers who use media in their work. Melissa is interested in how local NGOs use media technologies to track, record, and report violations and to promote human rights. Melissa’s studies have been supported by a FLAS Fellowship, and Melissa has received a Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Grant for 2009–2010. She plans to return to Kenya in late 2009 to complete her dissertation field research.

Read Melissa’s post-fellowship report here.