Fulbright scholarships for two staff

Monday, August 31, 2009
Fulbright scholarships for two staff

Two Massey staff have been awarded Fulbright Senior Scholar Awards to study separate history projects in the United States.

Military historian Professor Glyn Harper will conduct a reappraisal of the 1944 Battle of Monte Cassino, while senior journalism lecturer Dr Grant Hannis, from the Department of Communication, Journalism and Marketing, will research the depiction of Chinese gold miners as recorded in 19th century newspapers, at a yet-to-be-confirmed institution in the United States.

Dr Hannis’ research will build on work he has already published on how Chinese have been represented in New Zealand print journalism.

“Newspapers reflect and lead public opinion on matters such as race relations,” Dr Hannis, of Wellington, says. “I am very interested in seeing how the press has performed those roles, both today and in the past.”

Professor Harper, who heads the Centre for Defence Studies at the Manawatu campus, and is the author of several military histories, will conduct new research into New Zealand’s role at Cassino in the Italian campaign of World War II. He will be studying at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia and the Army War College at Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

His doctoral thesis was about General Sir Howard Kippenberger, who before being wounded at Cassino, commanded the New Zealand Division.

Professor Harper joined the Australian Army in 1988, transferring to the New Zealand Army where he held the rank of lieutenant-colonel, until leaving in 2001.

Both Professor Harper and Dr Hannis plan to take up their scholarships next year.

ENDS

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