Introducing our first cohort of Statehouse Faculty Champions. The awards go to 19 academics in 18 states who are leading student reporting programs that focus on state governance, legislation, and politics. The honor, which comes with a $1,000 award, is a priority program in our efforts to help build a sustainable future for local news around the country.
Paola Banchero
University of Alaska Anchorage - Anchorage, AK
Proposed collaboration between University of Alaska Anchorage and University of Alaska Fairbanks to send one student to Juneau to cover the statehouse, providing up to six credits of upper-division coursework and mentorship opportunities.
Dodie Cantrell-Bickley
University of Georgia - Athens, GA
Proposed project to start a statehouse reporting program at the University of Georgia that will engage students in statehouse reporting and provide statehouse news stories to local media platforms at no cost.
Janice Marie Collins
Ohio University - Athens, OH
Exploring ways of getting students involved in statehouse news coverage both by supporting them in the existing program, where they work with established media in Columbus, and potentially creating additional ways for them to cover the statehouse as part of a bureau we create or as part of classes at Ohio.
Michael Cripps
University of New England - Biddeford, ME
Launching a statehouse reporting program that engages students in political and government coverage while providing the content for free to Maine media outlets.
Laura Cullen Glasscock
Kentucky State University - Frankfort, KY
Propsed study abroad-type program to bring students from anywhere to KSU for a semester of statehouse reporting, fulfilling an 18-credit minor in public affairs reporting.
Gwyneth Doland
University of New Mexico - Albuquerque, NM
Planned experiential learning class will engage students in the 30-day legislative session beginning in January 2024.
Jennifer Duck Brown
Belmont University - Nashville, TN
Proposed course at Belmont University that will engage students in statehouse reporting and provide statehouse news stories to local media platforms at no cost.
Deborah Howlett
Rutgers University - New Brunswick, NJ
Establish a student news service at Rutgers University to provide coverage of the New Jersey statehouse to partners.
Patrick R. Johnson
Marquette University - Milwaukee, WI
A proposed spring semester political reporting class will involve students in political reporting and lay the groundwork for a series of future coursework and statewide partnerships for statehouse reporting in Madison.
Nancy Karibjanian
University of Delaware - Newark, DE
The proposed University of Delaware Statehouse News Fellowship will staff a Statehouse News Bureau, which will offer an experiential academic experience for students while providing legislative news summaries and stories to news outlets covering the state
Matthew LaPlante
Utah State University - Logan, UT
A partnership under the umbrella of Engage Utah would involve students from at least three Utah public universities in statehouse reporting.
Pate McMichael
University of Arizona - Tucson, AZ
Expanding the existing student statehouse reporting fellowship, a partnership with the Arizona Mirror, to also work with the Arizona Agenda newsletter.
Laura Moorhead
San Francisco State University - San Francisco, CA
A proposed course will offer students the opportunity to publish in local outlets and a partnership with other public universities in California will provide statehouse reporting training.
Marisa Porto
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, NC
Identifying potential for a UNC-led statehouse reporting project that would involve faculty.
Beth Potter
University of Colorado, Boulder - Boulder, CO
This cross-university partnership would recruit students across Colorado to report on how elected officials handle climate change issues.
Marie K. Shanahan
University of Connecticut - Hartford, CT
A capitol-based multimedia student newsroom at the UConn Campus in Downtown Hartford would report on the state legislature and impacts on the community, focusing on the topics of health and environment.
Brandon Shulleeta
University of South Carolina - Columbia, SC
A statehouse reporting program starting as early as sprin 2024 will expand opportunities for student work to be recognized while also improving the community by using student journalists to produce valuable news coverage.
Marquita Smith
University of Mississippi - Oxford, MS
Building a program that provides statehouse, government and democracy reporting and data, potentially in partnership with other universities and colleges in Mississippi.
Julia Thompson
Arizona State University - Tempe, AZ
Expanding statehouse coverage to include student beat reporters providing video, audio and digital stories for Arizona PBS and media organizations.