Wake Forest University student Una Wilson has been awarded a prestigious Pulitzer Center fellowship to embark on a compelling reporting project in India. Her work will shine a light on innovative community garden initiatives and their profound impact on both human and environmental health. These grassroots projects, often overlooked by mainstream media, represent a potential solution to pressing global crises. Wilson’s mission is to capture the stories of the individuals behind these gardens, the residents whose lives they touch, and the transformative community changes they inspire. Her insightful narratives aim to encourage governments and citizens worldwide to recognize community gardens as vital components of future urban planning.
The Pulitzer Center, renowned for its commitment to global issues, provides fellowships to students from its Campus Consortium partners, supporting in-depth reporting on topics ranging from climate change to migration. Fellows receive crucial funding and expert mentorship, enabling them to report from locations across the U.S. and internationally.
Wake Forest University’s Journalism Program has proudly partnered with the Pulitzer Center’s Campus Consortium since 2012, fostering opportunities for students to engage in impactful global reporting. Previous fellows have undertaken projects in diverse locations such as Algeria, Brazil, Italy, France, Denmark, and Thailand. Una Wilson marks Wake Forest’s first fellow to report from India, expanding the program’s global reach.
Justin Catanoso, professor of journalism at Wake Forest and the program’s liaison to the Pulitzer Center, emphasized the competitive nature of this year’s fellowship applications. He stated, “Una’s application stood out among one of the most competitive application processes for the Pulitzer fellowship in years. Her exceptional reporting and writing skills, combined with her deep-seated passions for environmental sustainability and social justice, make her uniquely positioned to undertake this ambitious reporting project in India.”
Upon completion, Wilson’s multimedia stories will be featured on the Pulitzer Center website, joining a collection of impactful reports by previous Pulitzer Fellows from Wake Forest and other universities. The Wake Forest University journalism program further supports this fellowship, underscoring its commitment to fostering impactful journalism. Wilson is the University’s twelfth student to receive this distinguished fellowship, continuing a strong tradition of student excellence in global reporting.
