About Students 2024 – Media in Ghana

Name: Faria Ali Shaikh
Hometown: Karachi, Pakistan
Major: PhD student, Communication and Media Studies
About: I am a PhD student in the School of Journalism and Communication, focusing on advertising, public relations, and media psychology. I am particularly interested in how public health advertisements influence marginalized populations, like women in developing countries. I hold a BS and an MBA in Marketing from SZABIST in Pakistan. At the SOJC, I study the impact of social marketing on behavior change among marginalized groups. I am excited about my upcoming internship with Innova DDB and look forward to participating in the Media in Ghana program to further explore global media dynamics.

Name: Nishat Parvez
Hometown: Noakhali, Bangladesh
Major: PhD student, Communication and Media Studies
About: I am a doctoral student at the School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon. My research centers on informal political spaces, examining the interplay of news media and gender within these contexts. My primary focus is on Bangladesh, though I also consider the broader Global South. I teach Journalism and Media Studies at a public university in Bangladesh and am currently on leave to pursue my Ph.D. I am thrilled to be undertaking my internship with The Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana).

Name: Porter Funk Levinson
Hometown: Portland, OR
Major: Senior, Journalism
About: I’m entering my fourth year as a student in the SOJC. I’m interested in photojournalism and freelance reporting. I have traveled internationally before, but never to Ghana. I’m excited to experience this new culture and people. This trip will allow me to develop my photography skills and my multimedia skills. I’m interested to see the differences between working here in the United States and Ghana. I am very excited to work for Radio Universe at the University of Ghana.

Name: Malcolm Durfee
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Major: Senior, Journalism & Advertising
About: Hey, I am Malcolm Durfee, entering my fourth year in the SOJC. I love playing rugby. I am so excited to dive into a culture I have never experienced. I am going to be working at the Daily Guide newspaper and am excited to learn how the industry functions.

Name: Tai Le
Hometown: Portland, OR
Major: Master’s student, Strategic Communications and Immersive Media Communications
About: I am a graduating dual master’s student with a focus on Strategic Communications & Immersive Media Communication. I work in Global Communications and Strategy and enjoy bridging the gaps and distances between cultures. I have had the opportunity to live in many parts of the world, which allowed me to better understand the beautiful intricacies of culture, language, and community. I am so excited to live in Accra, Ghana, and expand my knowledge of understanding culture and communication in Western Africa. This summer, I look forward to interning at Innova DDB, an advertising agency where I will be able to learn strategies and tactics from a different global lens.

Name: Emma McFarland
Hometown: Mcminnville, OR
Major: Junior, Public Relations
About: I am a Public Relations major entering my third-year in the SOJC with minors in legal studies and nonprofit administration. This summer, I will embark on my first professional internship and travel abroad journey (wish me luck in the airport, haha). I am ecstatic to forge international connections and learn about the expansive realm of broadcast alongside Joy Multimedia.

Name: Jorney Baldwin
Hometown: Springfield, OR
Major: Masters Student, Strategic Communications
About: Dai sla (Hello, friends), My name is Jorney Baldwin, and I am an enrolled tribal member in the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw tribe. I earned my BA in public relations and family human services from the University of Oregon in 2023. Currently, I am pursuing my second year in the Strategic Communications Masters Program at the SOJC. As part of the Media in Ghana program, I will be contributing to the communications efforts at a psychiatric hospital and the Mental Health Authority in Ghana. I am deeply grateful for this opportunity and look forward to furthering my work in mental health and my passion for communication.