Scripps College dominates NPPF scholarships for photojournalism

The Scripps College of Communication garnered the most scholarships from the National Press Photographers Foundation (NPPF) for the 2024-25 academic year. Of the 14 awards distributed by NPPF, three students from the college were each awarded a $2,000 scholarship, making Scripps College the institution with the highest number of awardees.

The recipients are Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Communication Media Arts program graduate students Loriene Perera and Venkat Sai Akash Pamarthy, and photojournalism undergraduate senior Zoë Cranfill.

Perera, a second-year student, received the Ohio News Photographers Association (ONPA) Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year Award in 2023, which is high praise for up-and-coming photojournalists. Originating from Singapore, she is a self-taught photographer, who worked as a photo editor for Reuters for ten years. In the program, she has taken non-camera classes, including video production, anthropology, and Asian languages, to enhance her cultural sensitivity for documentary film projects.

“The MFA program is really flexible. It wouldn’t be possible [to win the NPPF scholarship] if I were in a more rigid program,” Perera said. “The multidisciplinary structure of the MFA program brought me closer to becoming a 360 visual producer.”

Pamarthy is a documentary photographer, born and raised in Hyderabad, India. After earning a master’s degree in new media photojournalism from George Washington University, he is currently pursuing a second master’s degree at Ohio University. In 2022, he received the ONPA Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year Award. He’s thrilled to have received the NPPF award.

“I’ve been trying to get the scholarship for the past two years. It’s good to have an award," said Pamarthy, a third-year student. “Everyone in the MFA program is highly skilled. It’s so diverse that every person who comes in brings something new to the table every time.”

Cranfill is a senior in photojournalism and works as the photo editor for The Post. As part of the Ohio-in-LA program, she is currently working as a visual intern at the Los Angeles Times.

“The scholarship has been a great help for my summer internship. My professor really guided me in making the best application for the scholarship.”

The NPPF, a non-profit organization, provides annual scholarships to encourage college and university students who have demonstrated ability or promise in the field of visual journalism. Winners were selected by panels of top professionals based on portfolios, essays, recommendations, and grades. All three Scripps students were awarded in the category of still photography.

“It’s phenomenal,” said Eric Williams, the director of the MFA program in Communication Media Arts. “The recognition that the scholarships will bring them will help them professionally once they graduate because these are only awarded to a select few people around the world.”

Learn more about the MFA in Communication Media Arts.