Recently, the Department of Communication, Journalism and Media (CJM) received a 2026 Scripps Howard Foundation Award. As part of the award, on Sept. 30 – Oct. 2, 2026, globally recognized journalist and filmmaker Nadia Sussman will be visiting Shippensburg University as a journalist-in-residence.
During her time at Ship, she will be offering students and the greater campus community an inside look at the field of visual and print journalism, investigative storytelling and the ethical responsibilities of reporting.
Sussman is a video journalist at ProPublica, where she creates short- and long-form visual and investigative stories. Her work focuses on thoroughly reported, visually compelling journalism that examines public-interest issues and provides a deep dive into the lives of specific individuals and communities.
Sussman was named the 2026 winner of the prestigious Scripps Howard Journalism Awards for Excellence in Visual Human-Interest Storytelling. Her work has also been recognized by Pictures of the Year International, the Northern Short Course and the Sidney Hillman Foundation.
Sussman’s professional experience spans the United States and Latin America. From 2013 to 2017, she was based in Brazil, where she shot and edited content for organizations including the New York Times, BBC and The Wall Street Journal. Her reporting has included police killings in Rio de Janeiro’s favelas and Brazil’s Zika crisis. Before beginning her journalism career, Sussman was an investigator on death row habeas corpus appeals in California.
During her three-day visit to campus, Sussman will screen and discuss examples of her work, meet with students and faculty and lead hands-on sessions focused on video journalism, visual storytelling, story development, interviewing, ethics and ensuring content provides context.
Dr. Dhiman Chattopadhyay, associate professor in the Communication, Journalism and Media (CJM) Department, said that Sussman’s visit will benefit more than just CJM majors. Her work connects across departments such as political science and social inquiry, criminal justice, history and philosophy, social work, psychology, global languages & culture and many more, making Sussman’s residency relevant to all Ship students.
Read below to learn more about Sussman’s visit and scheduled events:
