Anosh Gill, interim division director for Florida A&M University’s (FAMU) School of Journalism and Graphic Communications (SJGC), recently learned he has been named a 2022-2023 Fulbright U.S. Scholar. This is the first time Gill has been selected for the program.
Fulbright Scholar awards are competitive fellowships that provide unique opportunities for scholars to teach and conduct research abroad. The scholars have a critical role in U.S. public diplomacy and help establish and maintain long-term international relationships.
Gill, an accomplished graphic designer with a specialty in developing logos, plans to conduct his fellowship in Pakistan to help faculty and designers create and understand conceptual logos using a specific font.
He said better understanding logos and their meanings has international relevance and he plans to use his using research to educate designers to use elements, such as shape and colors, with more intention when creating cross-cultural materials. “When we develop designs we have to be very careful…because different people perceive differently…especially in different cultures,” he said.
Before joining FAMU, Gill worked as an art director, creative director and senior designer for several highly regarded public relations and marketing agencies. He has previously created and continues to create collateral for international and domestic clients from a variety of industries including hospitality, health care, food service and entertainment, as well as municipalities throughout the world. Locally, his work can be seen in the form of logos for the City of Tallahassee and the City of Tallahassee Utilities.
However, his desire to help students perfect their skills prompted him to leave the private sector and join FAMU.
“The students were very good, but they lacked confidence,” Gill said. “I am making them not only learn things, but I push them to believe in themselves.”
Gill said now his students not only trust their abilities, but they show him new concepts and consistently win awards for their work.
“The more you use the programs, the more you know it, and now, a lot of my students know more about these programs than me. I’m telling you I learn from them,” he said.
Established in 1946 under legislation by J. William Fulbright, the Fulbright Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
According to its website, 1,600 U.S. students, 4,000 foreign students, 1,200 U.S. scholars, and 900 visiting scholars receive awards each year.
Fulbright alumni include 61 Nobel Laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize winners, and 76 MacArthur Fellows. To date, more than 400,000 people have participated in the program.
