When Daniela Dimitrova (’97) first walked through the doors of AUBG, she experienced a completely different world from the one she had known until then. Back in 1992, Bulgaria was transitioning between two regimes, and the new, forward-thinking mindset that AUBG brought sparked a new sense of hope and opportunity for Daniela.
Before stepping foot in AUBG, Daniela was a student at Sofia University. She traveled to Blagoevgrad to see the university firsthand and decide if it’s a good fit for her, meeting some of the students and faculty on campus. On the train back to Sofia, Daniela was certain she would transfer to AUBG. More than thirty years later, that same decision would lead her from a young journalism student in Blagoevgrad to one of the highest academic ranks at Iowa State University.
More than three decades after graduating in 1997, Daniela returned to campus as a participant in the 18th Annual Global Communication Association Conference, which she also helped bring to Bulgaria.
A new kind of education, in 1993
Daniela fondly remembers the sense of newness and possibility that her education at AUBG brought.
“It was such an exciting time,” she says. “The students were ambitious and energetic, but the faculty were equally excited. The educational model was completely different from what we were used to. It was interactive, supportive of new ideas, and encouraged us to think across disciplines.”
She double majored in Journalism and Mass Communication, and Political Science and International Relations. To this day, Daniela finds that the two fields complement each other, informing her work in global communications. She still remembers with gratitude some of her professors, one of whom still teaches at AUBG – Professor of Political Science Bobby Phillips. Her visit to AUBG was an opportunity to reconnect with him years later.
Campus in the early ‘90s looked very different. Daniela lived in the Bistritsa Residence Hall, nestled in nature in Bachinovo park.
“I remember being incredibly busy,” she says. “I would take the bus from the dorms to the AURA radio station, where I was a newscaster, do the morning news, attend classes, and complete assignments. It was challenging, but it was also incredibly rewarding.”
After graduating in December, she stayed for a year and worked at AUBG’s Office of Communication and Marketing, contributing primarily to print materials at the time.
Discovering her love for teaching and research
Like many AUBG alumni, Daniela found more than a degree on campus. “AUBG is special because I met my partner here,” she says.
After graduating, they went to pursue graduate studies in the U.S. Initially, Daniela thought she would do her MA in the United States and come back to Bulgaria to work as a journalist. However, as she attended several PhD classes, she “fell in love with the idea of conducting my own studies, developing frameworks, and discovering new findings,” she says.
After completing her PhD, both she and her husband began their academic careers. They both joined Iowa State University, where Daniela has spent more than two decades as a faculty member and is now a University Professor, the highest academic rank at the institution.
Throughout her career, Daniela has published extensively on global journalism, political communication, and media systems. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, the flagship journal of AEJMC. Dimitrova has published an edited volume titled Global Journalism: Understanding World Media Systems. “It’s a book I wrote for students,” she explains. “I wanted it to be accessible, engaging, and relevant to what is happening in media today.”
Daniela is also the recipient of multiple grants and awards, including serving as a Fulbright-University of Vienna Professor of Social Sciences.
Innovative teaching in the age of AI
As both a researcher and educator, Daniela continues to stay ahead of the rapidly evolving media landscape while exploring new approaches to teaching.
One of her newest projects is a podcast designed to accompany her textbook “Global Journalism: Understanding World Media Systems”. Her idea is to help students engage with course material in new ways that are closer to them.
“Students consume information differently today,” she says. “They are much more likely to listen to a 20-minute podcast while walking or exercising than sit down and read an entire chapter.”
For Daniela, this is an exciting project, as she is dedicated to continuously learning and staying curious alongside her students.
“AI has made teaching and research more exciting and more challenging at the same time,” she says. “There is never a boring moment.”
A visit to remember
Coming back to Blagoevgrad for the 18th Annual Global Communication Association Conference was the first time Daniela has visited AUBG since graduating in 1997.
Walking from the America for Bulgaria Student Center to the Main Building, visiting the restaurant where she and her husband first met, and catching a glimpse of the former Bistritsa Residence Hall where she once lived, Daniela experienced a moment of nostalgia and pride.
“When I was a student, we had the main building and that was essentially it,” she says. “Now you have residence halls, modern facilities, faculty offices, beautiful learning spaces, and this incredible campus environment. It’s wonderful to see the university growing and thriving.”
She was also impressed by the university’s leadership, academic initiatives, and continued commitment to student success. Daniela hopes to strengthen ties between AUBG and Iowa State University through potential student exchanges and collaborative initiatives. “At this stage of my career, I would love to give back and become more involved,” she says. “I’m very open to new opportunities and ideas.”
More than three decades later, Daniela found her way back to the place where it all began with a train ride to Blagoevgrad, and her heart is full of gratitude.
