Roy H. Park Fellowships

The Park Fellowships, established by the Park family in 1997 to support graduate students, are among the most generous among media and journalism programs nationwide.

The Roy H. Park Fellowship Program allows UNC Hussman to recruit exceptionally bright, dedicated doctoral students to provide the financial support necessary for them to focus full-time on their academic and professional development.

Over the past 20 years, about 500 graduate students have benefited from the fellowships, going on to serve as media leaders, researchers and educators who continue the values of critical thinking, diversity, free speech and ethical practice in the service of American democracy and industry. The Park Fellowships have elevated the school to the top ranks of media and journalism graduate programs, keeping our students and our school prestigious players in modern communications. The Triad Foundation supports the program to honor the legacy of Roy H. Park Sr., the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Park Communications Inc.

Program Values

Four key values encapsulate what it means to be a Park fellow:

Excellence: Our fellows enter with a record of achievement, and we prepare them to strive for and achieve greater success at Carolina and after graduation.
Public impact: Our fellows are committed to making a public impact in their respective fields, as effective leaders, lifelong learners, competitive professionals and educators training the next generation of communication scholars and practitioners.
Leadership: Our fellows demonstrate ambition and potential to lead in an array of academic and professional settings, and we foster leadership through the program culture and curriculum.
Inclusion: Our program is committed to an inclusive community of scholars and practitioners that reflect diversity in all its forms.

“The Park Fellowship is something I still consider to be one of the greatest gifts ever offered to me. It afforded me opportunities beyond my imagination including the ability to study and work in the discipline of my choice, the flexibility to travel to conferences to build my vita, and the resources to support my research."

Rachel Davis Mersey '07 (Ph.D.) - Associate Professor at Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications; Northwestern University

“Extraordinarily generous funding, particularly from the Triad Foundation and Park family, allows faculty and students alike to focus on what matters most: conducting first-rate research into the trends that are reshaping the way the world encounters, understands and acts on news and information.”

Greg Efthimiou '08 (M.A.)

“I considered a handful of Ph.D. programs. I came to UNC because it set a very high bar for excellence but also had a very supportive, collaborative culture. And the Roy H. Park Fellowship provided the support I needed to make my studies my top priority.”

Brendan Watson '12 (Ph.D.) - Assistant Professor at the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, Michigan State University

"I have grown as a student and as a person through my time so far in this program, and I'm so grateful that the Park Fellowship has made that possible."

Ashley Hedrick '18 (M.A.) - Doctoral Park Fellow at the School of Media and Journalism, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

“Park Fellowships cannot be beat—they allow you the opportunity to learn, research and work without distraction.”

Scott Parrott '13 (Ph.D.) - Assistant Professor at College of Communication and Information Sciences, University of Alabama

Fellowship Benefits

The Park Fellowships to the UNC Hussman Ph.D. in Media and Communication program cover:

Tuition and fees for three years
Health insurance for three years
$20,500 nine-month annual stipend for three years
Support for research support and travel to conferences

About the Program

The Triad Foundation — led by Roy Jr. and Tetlow Park, Elizabeth Park Fowler and Troy Fowler, and Trip and Laura Park — supports programs that honor the legacy of Roy H. Park Sr. A self-made man, Roy Park was a public relations entrepreneur who created the Duncan Hines brand and, after its sale to Procter & Gamble, went on to build a media empire of newspapers and radio and television stations. He believed strongly in the free enterprise system.

The Roy H. Park Fellowship program began with a $5.3 million gift to our school. Ongoing generous support over the last two decades has extended and enhanced the support provided by the fellowships.

In addition to the fellowship packages, the school also receives support for a number of graduate program enhancements that distinguish our graduate programs from others:

Annual support for the Roy H. Park Library, a vital asset for graduate student research
Engagement in critical issues with leading scholars through the Park Symposia series
Recruitment support to interview top Park Fellowship applicants
Marketing support for the graduate programs

Roy H. Park 1997 Park fellows 2019 Ph.D. Park fellows

Pictured, above (left to right): Roy H. Park, 1997 Park fellows, 2019 doctoral Park fellows; top of page: 2019 master's Park fellows

How to Apply

U.S. citizens applying to UNC Hussman's doctoral program are eligible to apply for the Park Fellowship. In addition to the required components of the doctoral program application, you must submit an additional essay detailing how you have demonstrated the values of the Roy H. Park Fellowship Program in your life and professional experiences and how you will continue to incorporate those values in your future career.

Your essay should be 800 to 1,000 words and uploaded as a supplemental document in the Program Supplement portion of your online application. You should do the following when writing about Park Fellowship values:

Be clear about your record of achievement of excellence in previous work, and lay out a plan for producing excellent work in your graduate studies and subsequent career.
Articulate the public impact of your previous, present or proposed professional or scholarly work and your desire for further impact in the future. Specify the nature and scope of public impact, including industries or populations served.
Show your record of, or potential for, leadership in academic or professional settings. This could include prior academic work, extracurricular activities and/or jobs and internships.
Tell us about your views of diversity and inclusion and how you see your work affected by these views.