Skip to main content

Contextualizing Research for Top News

How does the research from EPIC’s scholars tie to the news you read every day? EPIC’s Visiting Fellows in Journalism help to draw that connection, providing context to focused research questions to help policymakers and the public fully understand the results. Journalism fellows moderate events throughout the academic year that are deeply tied to University research. As current members of the news media, they also share their expertise and understanding of the ever-evolving media landscape to help scholars and students better translate their work for a public audience. They also lead workshops and private meetings during their time as fellows.

In meeting with faculty, journalism fellows can gain deep insight into the complex issues they write about every day. Their decision to write about research, however, is at their discretion and that of their editors. To avoid actual or perceived conflicts of interest, fellows receive no payment for being part of the program.

“EPIC’s dedication to rigorous, data-driven research and analysis is both unique and vital in this age of hyper-polarization around climate, energy and environmental issues. I look forward to learning from and working with the experts at the University of Chicago and to sharing this robust research in ways that are relevant for decision makers and the public.”

Amy Harder, Energy Reporter, Axios; 2018-2019 Journalism Fellow

  • Justin Worland
    Senior Correspondent, TIME; EPIC Journalism Fellow

    Justin Worland has been covering climate change and the intersection of policy, politics, and society for TIME since 2015. He is based in Washington D.C. and previously, covered health and breaking news for TIME in New York. Worland has also worked to improve the climate conversation beyond reporting, speaking frequently to a range of audiences and serving as a founding steering committee member at the Uproot Project, a non-profit organization that works to diversify environmental journalism. The recipient of a number of journalism honors, Worland was named the inaugural Climate Journalist of the Year in 2022 by Covering Climate Now, a non-profit dedicated to improving climate journalism. He also won a 2019 and 2021 SEAL Award in Environmental Journalism in recognition of his effort to bring environmental news and analysis into the public discourse and to elevate our understanding of the connections between complex current events. Worland is a Los Angeles native and a graduate of Harvard College, where he studied history.

    “EPIC’s leading scholars and rigorous research on the economics of climate change have played a critical role informing decision makers and the broader public about the realities of climate change. They have also shaped my own reporting over the years, so I look forward to continuing to learn from them and to working together to help advance the  climate conversation.” – Justin Worland

  • Amy Harder
    Executive Editor, Cipher; EPIC Journalism Fellow (2018-2019)

    Amy Harder, serves as the Executive Editor of Cipher by Breakthrough Energy covering the opportunities and challenges of the energy transition and was EPIC’s inaugural Journalism Fellow, covering the 2018-19 academic year. Previously with Axios, she continues her column called Harder Line as an outside contributor.  In her column and elsewhere, she reports on trends and exclusive scoops and analyzes the news driving the debate about energy and climate. Her coverage includes congressional legislation, regulations, lobbying and international policy actions affecting the United States. Previously, she covered similar issues for The Wall Street Journal, based out of its Washington, D.C., bureau.

    “EPIC’s dedication to rigorous data-driven research and analysis is both unique and vital in this age of hyper-polarization around climate, energy and environmental issues. I look forward to learning from and working with the experts at the University of Chicago and to share this robust research in ways that are relevant for decision makers and the public.”

    Robinson Meyer
    Reporter, The Atlantic; EPIC Journalism Fellow (2019-2021)

    Robinson Meyer has been a staff writer at The Atlantic for six years, the past four of which he has covered climate change and environmental politics. His reporting has brought him from Capitol Hill, to the Greenland Ice Sheet, to the Viking ruins on the Faroe Islands. Meyer has appeared on NPR, MSNBC, the BBC, and other major broadcast outlets to discuss his work. He was an inaugural winner of the SEAL Award in Environmental Journalism in 2017. He has a B.A. in music from Northwestern University.

    “Since I first met the team at EPIC, I’ve admired the rigor, breadth of knowledge, and good humor that they bring to their work,” says Meyer. “The researchers at EPIC are doing some of the most meticulous, data-driven study of climate policy and energy issues right now—often finding information where it wasn’t thought to exist—and they understand both the absolute urgency of reducing carbon pollution and the ennobling importance of energy in people’s lives. I’m thrilled—and feel very lucky—to join them this year, because it means I’ll get to keep learning from them. I’m also really excited to get to know students at the University of Chicago who are interested in energy and environmental journalism. And, as a former Cook County resident and Red Line straphanger, I’m delighted to have a new excuse to visit the great city of Chicago.”

    Lisa Friedman
    Reporter, New York Times; EPIC Journalism Fellow (2021-2022)

    Lisa Friedman is a reporter on The New York Times climate desk, focusing on climate and environmental policy in Washington. She has covered ten international climate talks and chased climate-related stories from the bottom of a Chinese coal mine to the top of snow-capped Himalaya Mountains. She previously worked for Climatewire where she led a team of twelve reporters focused on the business and politics of the changing climate. Before Climatewire, Friedman was the Washington bureau chief for The Oakland Tribune and later The Los Angeles Daily News.

    “I’m honored to be named a visiting fellow with EPIC,” says Friedman. “I’m also thrilled to be able to work with EPIC’s top-notch researchers, whose rigorous and thoughtful expertise over the years has been vital to my understanding of climate and energy policies as well as the challenges that countries face as they transition away from fossil fuels. I look forward to continuing to learn from them in the year ahead.”

    Get Email Updates

    UChicago Community (If applicable)…

    Interested In…