The Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) is proud to welcome climate policy reporter Justin Worland as its next Visiting Fellow in Journalism. Worland, a reporter for TIME, will moderate a series of events and share his expertise with students and the broader campus community through workshops, public discussions and other activities.
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.
“Justin doesn’t just cover the climate policy news of the day, he exposes the many different layers of the big-picture issues that will ultimately govern our climate future,” says EPIC Director Michael Greenstone, the Milton Friedman Distinguished Service Professor in Economics. “We have long admired Justin’s work and considered him an all-star. We are thrilled to welcome him to our community.”
The recipient of a number of journalism honors, last year Worland was named the inaugural Climate Journalist of the Year 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.
“I’m honored to be named an EPIC fellow,” says Worland. “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.”
Worland is EPIC’s fourth journalism fellow. Amy Harder, formerly with Axios and now executive editor of Cipher—a news publication she founded that is supported by Breakthrough Energy—served as the inaugural fellow. Harder was followed by Robinson Meyer, most recently with The Atlantic, and The New York Times climate policy reporter Lisa Friedman. Each fellow shaped the program in profound ways and provided unique perspectives and skillsets to the University of Chicago community.