'An Afternoon in Rhythm' taken by John Kaplan in Bolivia.

The 2002 Teacher of the Year in the College has strong international connections. He is Professor John Kaplan, associate professor of journalism.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer joined the UF faculty in 1999 and teaches photojournalism.

John Kaplan

His picture, "An Afternoon in Rhythm," was taken last summer while he was on a College-funded Research/Creative Summer appointment in Bolivia. It shows peasants journeying at sunset through the smoke of the autumn harvest on Isla del Sol, believed by the Incans to be the birthplace of the sun and known for its legendary mysticism. The photo placed second in the Photo Image Education Association (PIEA) international contest.

His photos depicting "The Face of Cuba" were featured in January on the new PBS program, NOW, hosted by Bill Moyers.

His exhibition, "Four Nations," showing views of freedom in China, Russia, Cuba and the United States, opened at the Palm Beach Photographic Centre Museum last October.

His photos also appeared in "The Moments of Intimacy, Laughter and Kinship," an exhibition last October at the Museum of Science in London. The exhibit featured 200 winning photos from more than 40,000 submitted in the competition. He had two photos in the exhibition, including one of four that have been made into 30-foot wall posters at Grand Central Station in New York City.

John Kaplan’s photo from China displayed at Grand Central Station in New York City

G. Stuart Smith (left) with two Sheets

Juan Carlos Molleda (second from right) at Brazil conference with fellow presenters Kathy Fitzpatrick (left) and Linda Hon

G. Stuart Smith spent more than seven years developing A Bridge to Cuba, a documentary which aired for the first time in September. Smith is director of news and public affairs for WUFT-TV, the PBS station in the College.

The documentary begins with a sailboat race to Cuba in 1994. With his friends, Bill and Carolyne Sheets at the helm, Smith (then a reporter for WBBH-TV in Fort Myers) joined the crew on a 36-foot sailing vessel, Four Sheets to the Wind, with his camera in tow. He produced a five-part series on the Americans’ experience in Cuba for his NBC affiliate.

The Bridge documentary tells the story of how, over the years, the Sheets’ rescued a boatload of refugees, developed friendships and helped reunite a Cuban family in the United States.

Smith sailed again with the Sheets in 1998 (his third trip) and later documented the reunion of the Jesus Diego family in Miami in November 2000.

Dr. Juan Carlos Molleda, assistant professor of public relations and a native of Venezuela, will accompany his “International Public Relations” students to Cuba, Sept. 24-27, for the Fifth Congress of Public Relations.

This past fall he joined three students in attending the Fourth International Forum of Public Relations in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where they joined professionals from 10 countries.

Dr. Robert Kendall, emeritus professor of public relations, is a Fulbright Scholar in Estonia this spring. He teaches public relations campaign planning at the University of Tartu. His students are promoting tourism in the capital of the Baltic state, Tallinn.

“Students here are bright, eager and fully Internet savvy, as well as fluent in English,” Kendall said. He hopes to interest UF students in working with his 50 Estonian public relations students.

He said Tartu (which is near Helsinki, Finland) has “the aura of a mediaeval town—from the narrow crooked streets to the bronze statuary everywhere you turn.”

Kendall said he found the people have been very gracious. “One faculty member took me grocery shopping—the stores are like Home Depots with food—and she interpreted the labels, which are a curious mix of Russian, Estonian, Swedish, Danish and I’m not sure what else.” he said.

Dr. Frank Pierce, emeritus professor of advertising, has a longtime fascination with Japan. In 1946, while serving in the U.S. Navy, Pierce visited Nagasaki where an atomic bomb was dropped about a year earlier. In On Station, a newsletter he helps edit, Pierce recently published some of the 12 photos he took of the massive destruction.

One-half of the 48 international graduate students in the College are from South Korea. Other countries represented include Bulgaria, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Germany, India, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan and Venezuela.

Korean graduate students pictured (l-r) Chongmoo Woo, Samsup Jo, and Hongsik J. Cheon.

Faculty members in the Documentary Institute at the College are developing Good Morning, Revolution, the story of 22 young African American students, writers, artists and professionals who traveled to the Soviet Union in 1932 to star in Black and White, a film about racism in the United States. The latter film was never made. Dr. Sandra Dickson and Dr. Churchill Roberts, co-directors of the Institute, said Black and White was buried in a Russian archive for almost 70 years. Only recently was it discovered and translated. Their documentary includes scenes from the old film and describes in a dramatic narrative “the political and social forces that propelled American Blacks toward Communism.” But they also explain why Communism never enjoyed widespread appeal to Blacks. Their story also includes personal stories and dramatizations of poor working conditions for Blacks in the South and the violence of Jim Crow. Cara Pilson and Cindy Hill, associate directors of the Institute, also participated.
	On set (l-r) Yelena Khanga, TV journalist; Churchill Roberts, Marina Braginskaya, student president of UF Russian Club; and Sandra Dickson (far right)
	In Moscow’s Red Square (l-r) Cara Pilson, Sandra Dickson and Cindy Hill

Back row (l-r) Jen Sens, Eric Zamora, Carlton Ward and Crystal Browskowski; middle row -- Yvonne Malch, Danielle Rappaport, Amy Zerba, Lee Ferinden, Jen Bowman, Angela Brooks and Courtney Harris; front row -- Laura Ciociola, Jessica Ferguson, Cortney Blits, Paula Ouder and John Kaplan.

Graduate student Amy Zerba shows digital video camera to children in the hurricane-damaged area of South Belize.

“Florida FlyIns” is the nickname for a University of Florida course in special projects journalism. The class is open to advanced undergraduate and graduate photographers and writers and is entitled “Advanced Journalism Practicum: Latin America in Words and Pictures.”

The five-year program, supported by a grant from the St. Petersburg Times, began with a visit to Santa Cruz, Costa Rica in fall 2000. Each year students visit a new country in Latin America for hands-on experience documenting culture and community.

During the first half of the semester, students learn advanced story research techniques and choose possible story ideas.

Associate professor John Kaplan taught the course this past fall. In October, 14 photographers and writers spent eight days in Cayo District, Belize.

Each student produced a story in either words or pictures for publication on the web and in print. Writers and photographers were encouraged to work together.

Their work is available to see in an online magazine format at www.internationaljournalism.com.

Gators at the Sydney Olympics

Students show Gator spirit, even in Sydney

The 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, provided a media learning experience for students and faculty in the College. Twelve graduate and undergraduate students (and an alumnus) worked in media relations for the Florida World Pavilion during the games.

The students maintained the Pavilion’s Web site and produced newsletters about activities and accomplishments of Florida athletes during the games.

Some students also wrote for state-side publications, including The Gainesville Sun, Florida TODAY, The San Diego Union Tribune and The Independent Florida Alligator, transmitting their stories from the Sydney Media Centre. One student wrote for online media sources—Cox Interactive: GoPBI.com and SoFla. One worked for Reuters news service, editing and transmitting digital photos.

The students were in Sydney for six weeks, including the Olympics, the Paralympics and time beforehand to help in setting up the media operations for the Pavilion, which was sponsored by the Florida Secretary of State’s office. Students earned internship or independent study credit while there.

Professor Jean C. Chance and Dr. Julie E. Dodd, faculty in the Department of Journalism, helped plan the trip with Cindy O’Connell, whose Tallahassee public relations firm coordinated the Pavilion’s efforts. O’Connell now serves on the UF Board of Trustees.

Professor Mindy McAdams, Knight Chair for Journalism Technologies and the Democratic Process, spent two weeks in Sydney, working with students on the Web site and on production of the printed newsletter.

Students were responsible for funding their trip, but each received a supplement from the College.