Dr. Anthony Fauci to receive San Jose State University mass communication award

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KION) Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, will be presented with the William Randolph Hearst Foundation Award for excellence in mass communication during a virtual ceremony.

San Jose State University said Fauci was chosen after surveys of public opinion showed that he is reported as the medical expert most Americans trust and go to for timely and accurate information during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Dr. Anthony Fauci was the unanimous choice of our faculty because it was obvious by late spring 2020 that most Americans prioritized knowing what his thoughts were to help them understand the gravity of COVID-19 and determine how to save lives,” says Bob Rucker, professor in the SJSU School of Journalism and Mass Communications and coordinator of the William Randolph Hearst Foundation’s annual award.

According to NIAID, Fauci was first appointed to his role in 1984, and since then, he has overseen research on how to prevent, diagnose and treat infections diseases, including HIV/AIDS, respiratory infections, tuberculosis, malaria and emerging diseases such as Ebola and Zika.

"Before his work during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Fauci was best known for his groundbreaking work in HIV-AIDS research, helping to develop effective drugs to scale back its mortality rate," the university wrote in a statement.

Fauci will receive the award from the faculty of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication during a virtual ceremony on Nov. 17.