JnU Professor Serves as Judge for AJHA Joseph McKerns Research Grant

Md. Abusaleh Sekender, an assistant professor at Jagannath University, has officially served as a judge for the evaluation of research proposals submitted for the Joseph McKerns Research Grant 2026. In addition to his faculty position at Jagannath University, he is also recognized as a research fellow at The Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy.

The American Journalism Historians Association administers the Joseph McKerns Research Grant, which highlights scholarly contributions in the field of journalism history. The evaluation process overseen by judges involves carefully assessing various research proposals submitted for the 2026 grant cycle.

Following the rigorous evaluation of the submitted proposals, the 2026 grant has been successfully awarded to a select group of academic professionals based in the United States. These recipients represent several notable universities and institutions across the country.

Among the distinguished scholars who have earned the grant this year is Assistant Professor Robin Sundaramurthy from Lehigh University. Joining him as a recipient is Professor Erika Pribanic-Smith from The University of Texas at Arlington.

Additional awardees include Assistant Professor Elizabeth Fondren from St. John's University and Assistant Professor Richard Shumate from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Their respective academic achievements and proposals stood out during the competitive 2026 grant evaluation process.