Professor Sanjukta Ghosh, second from left, traveled to Los Angeles to find internships for students. (Photo courtesy of Ghosh)

Castleton University Professor Sanjukta Ghosh was one of 20 professors from universities across the country to be invited to Los Angeles, California the second week of November.

            While getting to visit places like Warner Bros. Studio and see a screening of Dancing with the Stars and Jimmy Kimmel Live, her main objective was to network for Castleton students.

            Every morning, panel discussions were held for the invited professors to attend, including Ghosh.

            “It was so good. It kind of set the tone for the rest of the sessions,” said Ghosh about one panel hosted by Shonda Rhimes, creator of “Grey's Anatomy,” who spoke about her ascent in Hollywood as an African American woman.

            After these panel discussions Ghosh had the opportunity to meet and discuss the panels with the other professors. This created not only connections for students in Los Angeles, but at universities nationwide.

            “The second panel was about live television, how it is packaged as well as shown,” Ghosh said. “One of the members of the panel was the director of the Emmys himself.”

            Being a race and gender professor, while also focusing on media, Ghosh found herself learning about new techniques she plans to bring back to Castleton and use in her classes.

            “I don't know whether someone else would have gotten more out of it than me,” She said. “I didn't know anything, so I learned a lot.”

            Ghosh is revising her syllabi for classes and adding in new subjects she learned on the trip to broaden her teaching styles, and the minds of her students.

            She already has students knocking on her office door looking for connections out west.

            “Professor Ghosh is helping me by proofreading and guiding me on how to write the application for the internship,” said senior Jimmy Britt who is looking to intern in the film industry. “Only 20 people in the country are picked.”

            Britt said Ghosh feels if she could be chosen as one of only 20 professors for the conference, why can’t one of her students get the prestigious internship.

            Ghosh is also taking two deserving students to an international essay symposium in San Diego so show their work and do some networking.

            “I mentioned in passing to Sanjukta that I had noticed a shift in tone in superhero movies since 9/11 and she suggested I write a paper about it,” said Patrick Cote-Abel, one of Ghosh's students, “A few weeks later she sent me an email saying that this conference was accepting applications and I should apply.”

            Cote-Abel has attended essay conferences with Ghosh in the past and said that it is a “great opportunity to meet experts in his field,” and that presenting in front of a full room about something you're passionate about gives him confidence.

            “Again and again I have heard that it's the luck of the draw,” Ghosh said, “and knowing people there.”

            “How do you get to know people?” she asked. “Internships.”