2026 Presidential Fund for Curricular Innovation (PFCI) Recipients
The Presidential Fund for Curricular Innovation (PFCI) supports Emerson’s global engagement goals by helping faculty integrate cross-cultural and international perspectives into the curriculum through new and redesigned courses and faculty-led Global Pathways programs. It promotes interdisciplinary, experiential, and collaborative teaching to strengthen global learning and expand the College’s international impact in arts and communication education. Each faculty recipient will receive a stipend of $1,200 for creating new curricula. Selected faculty will have the opportunity to apply for further funding for project-related expenses.
This year’s recipients of the PFCI are two faculty in the School of Film, Television and Media Arts, Associate Professor Harlan Bosmajian and Associate Professor Michael Ryan.
Professor Bosmajian will develop a new Global Pathways Program, “Worlds Within Worlds: Micro-Fiction Filmmaking in Hong Kong.” This project adapts 300–1000 word micro-fiction stories into short “micro-movies,” allowing students to explore how different filmmakers interpret the same narrative. Building on a successful Emerson capstone model, it is set in Hong Kong, where the growing “micro-drama” industry and platforms like AR Asia Production reflect strong demand for short-form, mobile-driven storytelling. Students will engage with local literary and media culture while moving quickly from adaptation to production, gaining hands-on filmmaking experience and collaborating across directing and cinematography in a real-world creative industry context.
Through a collaboration with Hong Kong Baptist University, Emerson students will gain hands-on experience working with international crews, rotating production roles, and completing films from ideation through post-production. Hong Kong’s established production infrastructure and active screening culture support a full creative pipeline, culminating in public exhibition of student work. In addition, prior to travel, students will engage in a cultural and historical immersion of Hong Kong and China while also reading and processing the micro-fiction stories they will adapt. This preparation, combined with on-site collaboration, ensures that students are prepared to engage with Hong Kong’s culture, making the experience both professionally and culturally immersive.
Professor Ryan will develop a new Global Pathways Program, “Producing the Immersive Media Project in Galway Ireland,” planned for summer 2027. The program will focus on emerging immersive and interactive media, including augmented reality, 360° technology, and location-based storytelling, with an emphasis on how artists and creators can expand these tools into meaningful forms of communication and audience engagement. Students will learn both creative production and technical skills through hands-on, team-based projects, including site-specific immersive work and collaborative media creation.
Galway, Ireland was chosen as the site for this project because it offers students a unique environment in which to explore location-based immersive storytelling. By engaging directly with Galway’s geography, history, and community, Boston students are challenged to create immersive works that express shared humanity between American and Irish identities. The setting also connects the project to major cultural events such as the Galway Film Festival and Galway Arts Festival, deepening student engagement with real-world creative industries. Supported by faculty and local experts at the University of Galway, the program combines practical production training with historical exploration of immersive media.
Applications for the PFCI were reviewed by the PFCI Selection Committee, which is chaired by the Vice Provost for Global Engagement and Programs and Dr. Tuesda Roberts Evans, Director of Faculty Development and Diversity. The PFCI is sponsored by The Office of the President.
Many thanks to this year’s PFCI Selection Committee: Shaun Clarke, Paul Mihailidis, Lindsay Beamish, Jan Roberts-Breslin, Nydia Bou, Anthony Pinder, Tuesda Roberts Evans, and Eric Asetta.