Three members of the ComArtSci community were honored in the 2021 Global Focus Photography Contest. This international photography contest, hosted by the MSU International Studies and Programs department, is open to all MSU students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
Every fall, hundreds of entries are received and evaluated by a panel of jurors made up of MSU faculty, staff, students, alumni and professional photographers. Global Focus recognizes amateur Spartan photographers who have captured outstanding photos from around the world.
The first ComArtSci awardee is media and information professor Jennifer Olson. Olson came in first place in the Global Spartans at Work category. Submissions in this category aim to capture the many ways and places that Global Spartans work — from the field, to the classroom, to the community. Her photo, "Her idea for a new tool," was captured in Kakamega County, Kenya, in 2017.
In addition to Olson, two ComArtSci alumni received awards in the Global Spartan Pride category. Submissions in this category illustrate the many ways Global Spartans demonstrate their Spartan pride or reflect the concept of Spartan pride around the world. Coming in first place in the Global Spartan Pride category is ComArtSci alumna Yun Zhang for her photo, "City view from a hike," taken in 2021 in Shenzhen, China. Coming in second in the Global Spartan Pride category is ComArtSci alumnus Derek Wallbank for his photo, "Singapore finish line," taken in Marina Bay, Singapore, in 2021.