UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism

The Asian American Journalists Association, which has honored excellence in journalism for nearly 40 years, celebrates the power of journalism that informs, investigates, uplifts communities, and tells the stories that matter most. This year’s winners include several UC Berkeley Journalism alums — including 2026 graduate Ava Hu — who will be honored during a gala at the AAJA’s annual convention June 24-28, 2026, in Minneapolis.

Hu won the Student Excellence in Written Reporting category for “Deported over a speeding ticket? Dozens of US students’ visas abruptly revoked,” for The Guardian.

Kori Suzuki (’23) won the Excellence in Written Reporting, Features category for “The murder, the museum and the monument,” for High Country News.

Yutao Chen (’19) won the Excellence in Online/Digital Journalism, Immersive Storytelling category for “Russia bombs Ukraine almost every night. This is what it sounds like”, for the Washington Post.

Cecilia Lei (’19) won the Excellence in Written Reporting, News category for “Bay Area Japanese Americans Draw on WWII Trauma to Resist Deportation Threats,” for KQED News.

https://journalism.berkeley.edu/aajas-2026-journalism-excellence-awards-honor-berkeley-alums/

Please join us for a talk at Berkeley's Hillside Club on Monday, June 1: "The State of Journalism in 2026," featuring San Francisco Chronicle editor-in-chief Emilio Garcia-Ruiz, UC Berkeley Journalism Dean Michael Bolden and Trust Project CEO Sally Lehrman. RSVP at the eventbrite link below. The event is free and open to the public.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fireside-meeting-june-2026-registration-1988042195724?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true&fbclid=IwY2xjawRwk-9leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFtNnQ4V0ZodkpWVHR3Y2lIc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHpiIrWxcxMB17p_YuLJGQtX4uKSLEVdx3aEJ56ke6aoPj6Gm-GOyLs_niFq2_aem_Bjw8RKIpiqyklUZvDfg5EQ

Fireside Meeting - June 2026 A Discussion on the State of Journalism in 2026

Lots of alums in the Investigative Reporters & Editors Awards: Bravo Susie Neilson (’19), Brian Howey (‘22), Garance Burke (’04), Sean Greene (’14), Serginho Roosblad (’18), Maggie Beidelman (’13), Singeli Agnew (’07) and Steven Rascón (‘22)!

https://journalism.berkeley.edu/alumni-recognized-for-outstanding-watchdog-journalism-in-ire-awards/

We celebrated UC Berkeley Journalism's Class of 2026 with Showcase and Commencement, May 14 - 17. Read about the celebrations here: https://journalism.berkeley.edu/uc-berkeley-journalisms-class-of-2026-commencement/

Special thanks to our extraordinary photographers Marlena Telvick, Xavier Zamora, Dan Chamberlain, Richard H. Grant and Charlie Wang.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5u2FO7xCors

Slideshow of Commencement and Showcase 2026 A slideshow of photos from UC Berkeley Journalism's Commencement an...

4 UC alums honored with 2026 Pulitzer Prizes Alumni reporting on last year's most urgent stories in California, the nation and the world earned one of journalism’s highest honors.

🎓 What wonderful, inspiring work from the Class of 2026, presented during our first two days of Showcase at Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive and North Gate Hall. We could not be prouder.

Photo 1: The doc cohort by Xavier Zamora ('27)
Photo 2: The multimedia cohort by Richard H. Grant ('26)

https://journalism.berkeley.edu/event/class-of-2026-commencement/

🎥 Such a great first-year Doc Showcase last night!

Congratulations Dune Strickland, Michael Han, Joshua Olawuyi, Yumo Lu, Shreya Mishra, Dan Chamberlain, Laurata Pechuqui and Charlie Wang. Your work was incredible.

Special thanks to their instructors | mentors Cassandra Herrman, Amy Ferraris and Chris O'Dea, pictured at left.

UC Berkeley