Elon senior Mary Rouse

Mary Rouse, a political science major from Charlotte, North Carolina, will study strategic narratives in the New Political Communication Unit at Royal Holloway, University of London, as she works toward our MSc graduate degree in media, power and public affairs.

Mary moves to the United Kingdom in September 2015 for our graduate program, funded through a Fulbright U.S. Student Award.

The prestigious international fellowship will help continue her ongoing work on “strategic narratives,” which, broadly defined, are the stories leaders tell about the international system, state identity and policies.

Mary has conducted research under the mentorship of Professor Laura Roselle, a leading international scholar on strategic narratives. Professor Roselle is the co-author of the book Strategic Narratives with Ben O'Loughlin and Alister Miskimmon. Mary hopes to eventually join the foreign service through the U.S. Department of State.

“As an aspiring diplomat, this master’s program will allow me to build on my undergraduate research pertaining to political communication while gaining a broader understanding of the media landscape that shapes our increasingly interconnected world,” Mary told Elon. “I am incredibly excited for the opportunity to study at Royal Holloway, University of London, among scholars pioneering the idea of strategic narratives in the international context necessary for successful public diplomacy.”