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Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Connie Schultz, who began teaching as a professional-in-residence in the School of Media and Journalism in 2015, will depart that role at the end of Spring 2023.

Schultz, a USA Today columnist and author of the New York Times bestselling novel The Daughters of Erietown, will be joining Denison University’s newly established program in journalism in August 2023 as Professor of Practice. Previously Schultz had served as Denison’s Andrew W. Mellon Storyteller-in-Residence and received an honorary degree from the university in the spring of 2022.

“My seven years of teaching at the journalism school that launched my career has been a dream come true,” Schultz said. “The time spent with our students and dedicated faculty has changed me forever, in all the best ways. I am looking forward to this next phase of my career, but that does not mean I am leaving Kent State behind. I will always be a loyal alumnus and look forward to returning often in support of the School of Media and Journalism. There can be only one home for this journalist's heart, and it will always be Kent State.”

In addition to teaching opinion writing, feature writing and ethics at Kent State, Schultz was a nationally syndicated columnist with Creators Syndicate from 2007 until 2021 when she joined USA Today where she continues to write a weekly column. It was also during her years teaching at Kent State that she completed her debut novel The Daughters of Erietown, a multi-generational family saga set in a fictional working-class northeastern Ohio town.

“I have always admired Connie’s deep commitment to journalism and telling meaningful and important stories,” said Amy Reynolds, Dean of the College of Communication and Information. “She is an advocate for civil discourse. She is a talented writer, no matter the form. What I appreciate most, though, about Connie is her dedication to and mentorship of students. She knows how to empower and inspire them to find their voice. Her legacy at Kent State endures as both an alumnus and a professor.

“Students say that Connie ‘challenged me to think with every interaction’ and ‘she welcomed different opinions and... respected all of us.... She really cared about helping us learn.’ 

“I am grateful Connie will continue to engage with CCI and MDJ for summer programs and workshops for students. I wish her all the best at Denison.”