New Post-Grad Reporting Fellows Tackle Pressing Issues Around the World

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The Pulitzer Center has selected 11 Post-Graduate Reporting Fellows who will report on issues that address topics ranging from deported veterans, to draft-dodging in Israel, to the geopolitical implications of Greenland's fishing policy.

“As usual, our Post-Grad Fellows always select some of the most pressing and timely reporting projects,” said Reporting Fellow Program Manager Libby Moeller. “Many of this year's Post-Grad Fellows are highlighting environmental issues that are incredibly time sensitive and pressing as well as stories of migration and belonging, which are huge topics right now in this country.”

The program was established in 2020. Recent graduates of Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism and Northwestern University's Medill School are eligible to apply for the Fellowship to report in-depth investigations on underreported issues globally.

“I think a fantastic thing about the Post-Graduate Reporting Fellowship program is the chance to offer emerging journalists a guaranteed opportunity to pursue an international reporting project, and again, have a guaranteed outlet to get it out to the world,” Moeller said.

Post-Graduate Reporting Fellows are matched with mentors from the pool of Pulitzer Center grantees based on reporting interests and expertise. The Fellows can also access the resources and advice of Pulitzer Center staff.

Read about the 2025 Fellowship projects below. 

Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism Fellows

Funding for the Columbia Post-Grad Fellowships comes from the university, and the Li Global Fellows are sponsored by the Simon and June Li Center for Global Journalism.

Filmmakers Luisa Barone and Iona Horton will travel to Ilhéus, Brazil, to produce a short documentary on the potential downstream impacts of the United Nations banning the international movement of pernambuco, the wood used to make violin bows. They will speak with farmers in Brazil, academics, and travelling musicians who will have to give up their bows when traveling internationally.

Claudia Barrios Rosel is a Spanish photographer and documentary filmmaker focused on the intersections of migration, climate change, and culture. Based in Mexico, Barrios Rosel will document the environmental cost of rapid growth of the mezcal industry in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Maritime filmmaker Jonathan Rampley-Sturgeon will investigate how control over Greenland’s fishing zones is shaping Arctic geopolitics. During his time at Columbia, Rampley-Sturgeon served as an on-the-ground producer for CJS during the 2024 U.S. presidential election. 

Li Global Fellows

Investigative and multimedia journalist Michele Calamaio will report from Peru, where the conservation group Pumayaku has recently secured its first land concession near the boiling river. But this fledgling victory includes overlapping zones designated for oil extraction and logging, putting its future at risk.

Christian Caurla is an investigative journalist based in New York City covering immigration and conflict. Caurla will report on Israelis who have publicly refused mandatory military service, examining evidence that there are thousands of Israelis quietly avoiding their military service.

Multimedia journalist Mariana Hernández will report from rural El Salvador about pollutants that are causing children to develop kidney disease, which is common among adult male agriculture workers. Hernández will document the lives of impacted families while following the sugarcane planting cycle. Hernández’s work centers immigration, social justice, and stories from Latin America.

Anna Oakes is a freelance journalist and audio producer who covers immigration, New York City politics, housing, protests, and elections. For the Pulitzer Center, she will report on the lives of a community of deported U.S. veterans living together in Tijuana, Mexico. She will also cover a grassroots movement in Tucson, Arizona, to support detained veterans.

Investigative journalist Deep Vakil will report from Canada on how international arbitration disputes enable wealthy corporations to extract hefty fees from less wealthy countries, which reinforces power imbalances globally. Vakil previously covered U.S. and U.K. energy policy for Reuters.

Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism Fellows 

Reporting from Mumbai, Janani Janarthanan asks whether public land truly belongs to the public in an investigation into whether the state or the people will determine the future of the Mumbai Coastal Forest project. Janarthanan is an investigative multimedia journalist from India interested in government policy, business, and politics.

Sarah Mattalian is a Chicago-based journalist who covers environment and public health with a specific interest in the impact of policy on those issues. Mattalian will report from Puerto Rico about water access issues in rural areas and a new surface water system that promises to save the community time and money while making drinking water more accessible.