FSU Professor in the Department of Communication Awarded $125,000 ARC Grant

Jun 5, 2024 8:00 AM

Frostburg State University’s professor of Emerging Media, Dr. John Lombardi, was recently awarded a $125,000 grant by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to create a regional community media center.

The center, located on Frostburg’s main campus, will be a creative space for community members to come to learn digital content creation techniques, rent equipment, utilize facilities for audio and video production and for meeting space among local and regional partners.

“I am very grateful to all those who supported this application, and I’m looking forward to getting to work on this exciting opportunity. This center will serve as a creative hub for the entire Western Maryland region,” said Lombardi.

It will provide regional community members, businesses, non-profits, and governmental agencies with the skills and equipment necessary to create content that will help them grow and support their businesses, garner community support and network with current and future stakeholders.

In addition, this center and its offerings will provide next-level experiential learning opportunities to current and future emerging media students that will further help them develop highly sought after and marketable skills. Sessions will be taught by FSU faculty, staff and students on topics to include message development, content creation (including audio recording and editing and video capturing and editing), social media analytics, and distribution methods to better target desired audiences.

“Having students involved with the training of community members will help them reinforce and develop their own skills while interacting with and learning from community members,” said Lombardi.

This expanded community and regional partnership through the creation of a regional community media center is a two-year project that will begin this summer. ARC grant funds will be used to purchase equipment, including a new media server for increased storage, video cameras and necessary peripherals and to cover other expenses associated with training.