Three Questions for Alec Luhn (BA’10)

Name: Alec Luhn

Title and Organization: Reporting fellow, the Pulitzer Center and Scientific American

Graduation Year and Degree: 2010 BA in Journalism

SJMC alum Alec Luhn (BA’10) was recently awarded the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Award for Excellence in Science Communications from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine as well as the 2024 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Kavli Science Journalism Award, the oldest science journalism award in the U.S. Luhn has worked as a climate journalist for The Atlantic, the Guardian, National Geographic, New Scientist, Scientific American, and more and has covered wildfires, droughts, oil spills, earthquakes, a polar bear “invasion,” and COP 27-29. We discussed what these awards meant to Luhn and his fondest memories from his time at the SJMC.

When it comes to this award, what are you most proud of?

They say don’t change horses midstream. Well, I’m proud to say I did, and it seems to be working out! For a decade I was a foreign correspondent in Russia for the Guardian, Telegraph and VICE News. When I had to leave following the invasion of Ukraine, I switched full-time to climate and science journalism, a longtime interest of mine. Since then, I’ve reported from a glacier in Alaska, oilfields in Texas, the drought in Somalia, a research ship on the North Sea and COP27-29. I’m extremely honored to receive this recognition of my work.

What’s the best advice you have for a student who wants to do what you do?

Do it for love not money, because while this award came with a nice honorarium, journalism usually isn’t very lucrative. My experience has been that you have to network, pitch stories, get grants, report in different media and cut expenses to make it work. You have to love it, because you have to hustle.

What is your favorite SJMC memory?

Too many to choose. Covering Halloween for J202. Reporting from a dairy farm. Early mornings with Steve Walters. Late nights at the Badger Herald. Passing Katy Culver’s AP style quiz, and making some lifelong friends.