WASHINGTON – The Center for Journalism & Democracy at Howard University announces the hiring of award-winning journalist Kimbriell Kelly as its inaugural visiting professor. The visiting professorship, a signature Center initiative that aims to strengthen faculty expertise at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), gives students access to critical investigative coursework and establishes new points of entry for working journalists to engage in HBCU educational and campus life. In the spring semester, Kelly will teach a course called "Investigative Reporting: Uncovering Inequality in America Using Public Records and Data." 

This professorship, the first of its kind at an HBCU, launches the Center residency program that promises to bring prominent investigative and data journalists to the university, reinforcing Howard as the top HBCU for undergraduate journalism. With the addition of Kelly, the Cathy Hughes School of Communications now boasts two Pulitzer Prize winners on its faculty. The Hilltop student newspaper also has a multiple Pulitzer prize winner as its advisor.

“Many of us pursue careers in journalism because we want to make a difference. I’ve seen how investigative reports can expose injustices and force change upon broken systems. I’m thrilled to prepare journalism students at Howard through developing their skills and strategies for this important work,” said Kelly. 

In August, the Center launched an historic hybrid investigative journalism course, taught simultaneously in person at Howard and virtually across seven HBCUs. Nikole Hannah-Jones, Center for Journalism & Democracy founder and Howard’s Knight Chair in Race and Journalism, led the course. Hannah-Jones says Kelly’s appointment continues the Center’s innovation in journalism education at a critical time in our democracy.

“Our students will be learning investigative journalism from some of the most brilliant journalists in our nation at a time when democracy is under an enormous threat,” Hannah-Jones said. “The tools they will learn from Kimbriell and our future visiting professors will give them the necessary tools and grounding to report on the impact the president-elect’s policies will have on our communities.”

Kelly brings more than 20 years of experience to the role. She joined the Los Angeles Times in 2019 as the deputy editor for Enterprise and Investigations and in 2020 was promoted to Washington Bureau Chief.  

Prior to joining the Times, Kelly worked as an investigative reporter at The Washington Post for eight years, and was one of the lead reporters on the Post’s team that won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for the “Fatal Force” project which created the first nationwide data on police killings. In response to the report, the Justice Department subsequently launched a pilot program to more accurately track use of force statistics. In 2019, Kelly was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for Explanatory Reporting for “Murder with Impunity,” a year-long examination of unsolved murders in major American cities.

“We’ve found that more of our students are expressing an interest in investigative journalism. Ms. Kelly’s real-world examples from her investigative career will provide excellent training for the students. The visiting professorship is also a testament to our ongoing commitment to bring top-tier talent to Howard,” said Ingrid Sturgis, chair of the department of media, journalism and film.  

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