FAU President Frank Brogan accepted a $3,500 scholarship on behalf of the School of Communication last week, during the reopening ceremony of the first building struck by anthrax after 9/11. The scholarship was given in honor of a photo journalist who died from the attack.
Five and a half years ago, the American Media International building, located at 5401 Broken Sound Blvd. off of Yamato Road in Boca, was closed after recieving an envalope filled with anthrax. Robert Stevens, the nameske of the scholarship and the former photo editor for AMI, was one of the first to die from inhaling the substance.
The building’s new owner, David Rustine, is putting up the money for this yearly scholarship given in honor of Stevens. It will go specifically for an FAU student majoring in photojournalism.
President Brogan, who accepted the award, sees this opportunity for students as bittersweet. “With every bad thing must come something good,” he says. “If nothing good comes from a tragedy, all you have left is a tragedy.”
Susan Reilly, chair of the School of Communication, is also content with the award. She could not offer any details about how the award would be distributed or eligability requirements. She says the scholarship won’t be available until the 2008-09 academic year.
“[We have a] yearly award ceremony announcing new scholarships that are available,” Reilly says. But currently the date has past for the new scholarship to be available for students for the 2007-08 academic year.
