Former staff, interns and fellows: Where they are now

Dee J. Hall, a co-founder of Wisconsin Watch, joined as managing editor in June 2015. She worked at the Wisconsin State Journal for 24 years as an editor and reporter focusing on projects and investigations. Previously she was a reporter for eight years at The Arizona Republic, covering city government, schools and the environment. Hall has won more than three dozen local, state and national awards for her work, and is a member of Investigative Reporters and Editors. 

Emily Neinfeldt joined Wisconsin Watch in 2017. Her role included maintaining the digital infrastructure and operations developed under the Facebook Local News Membership Accelerator and leading audience-growth efforts including marketing initiatives. Before working at Wisconsin Watch, she was a news intern at Wispolitics.com and managing editor at The Badger Herald. Neinfeldt is secretary of the Madison Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and holds degree in journalism and political science from UW-Madison.

Where he is now: Currently reports at Lansing State Journal covering courts, incarceration and law enforcement. Previously worked as an investigative reporter for the Louisville Courier Journal, the State Journal in Lansing, Michigan, as well as newspapers in Illinois and Florida.

Where he is now: Currently is the Director of Major Giving and Grants for Radio Milwaukee. Formerly led fundraising for the Milwaukee County Parks, helped found the Milwaukee Parks Foundation, and was the Development Director for WMSE in Milwaukee.

Where she is now: Former reporter with The Badger Herald and The Daily Cardinal, and formerly with Baird Wealth Management.

Where he is now: Retired as senior director of development at the University of Wisconsin Foundation. Formerly in tech working in sales, product management, marketing and management positions with Wang Laboratories, Inc. and NCR Corporation.

Where she is now: Currently works as developmental director at Wisconsin Humanities. Gathered more than 30 years of fundraising experience for both statewide and local organizations, including American Players Theatre, Taliesin Preservation Commission, Frank Lloyd Wright Heritage Tourism Program, United Cerebral Palsy, Seth Peterson Cottage Conservancy and Big Top Chautauqua. Former development director of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters.

Where he is now: Currently reports for Adams Publishing in Dane, Jefferson Counties. Formerly interned for state and local government in the past and worked as co-editor-in-chief and photographer for the Daily Cardinal student newspaper at UW-Madison.

Where she is now: Currently a Milwaukee Local Government and Politifact reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Previously a reporting fellow at the New York Times, and worked for NBC Investigations, Reveal, Diario SUR and SUR in English. Swales is a graduate of the Spanish-language journalism program at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism.

Where she is now: Currently freelances as a creative storyteller. Former researcher for CBS News and former associate producer at Blue Chalk Media. She has interned for the Cap Times, WORT Radio and The Weekend Today Show at NBC in New York City and is a graduate of UW-Madison.

Where he is now: Currently covers airline and electric aviation for FlightGlobal. Former freelancer, local news fellow for First Draft News and Wisconsin State Journal reporter.

Where she is now: Currently reports on the auto-industry for the Wall Street Journal. Former reporter at the Rochester Post Bulletin, Post-Bulletin Co., LLC, The Diamondback, The Associated Press, NPR and Capital News Service. Former Multimedia Communications Specialist with Imanis Life Sciences, LLC.

Where she is now: Currently a capitol reporter at WPR. Former misinformation reporter for Grid, politics/policy writer & editor with Vox.com, reporter for MLive.com and intern with Philadelphia Media Network: Philly.com, Inquirer and Daily News.

Where she is now: Currently an advisory council member of Investigative Project on Race and Equity. Formerly president of Complete Communications, Inc., the Amplify Collaborations editor at the Institute for Nonprofit News, editor for Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and visiting professor at Marquette University.

Where he is now: Associate membership marketing manager at WTTW & WFMT Chicago. Formerly a customer success analyst for Recruiter.com, outreach and communications coordinator with The Nature Conservancy and marketing and communications intern with Filene Research Institute.

Where he is now: Currently free-lancing audio editor and service journalist. Former Audio Collective Senior Story Editor with TED Conferences, managing editor for LWC Studios, John S. Knight Journalism Stanford Community Impact Fellow and producer and reporter for New Hampshire Public Radio.

Where he is now: Current consultant to Derute Consulting Cooperative. Former Racial Equity and Youth Development Roundtable Fellow with the Aspen Institute Roundtable on Community Change; former Executive Director of Urban Roots, Inc.; currently a Program Officer and a Policy and Systems Innovation Fellow with the Community Advocates Public Policy Institute; serves as a Commissioner and Chairperson of City of Milwaukee Equal Rights Commission; Campaign Director for Youth Justice Milwaukee; National Member of BYP-100

Where she is now: Business/Systems Analyst at the Kellogg Information Systems team at Northwestern University. Formerly a business analyst with the Federal Reserve Financial Services. Earned a Master’s degree in computer information systems at Northwestern University. Received awards for photography from Society of Professional Journalists and the Milwaukee Press Club.

Where she is now: Reports with reporter The Verge covering tech companies. Formerly an audience engagement editor at The Markup and engagement editor at Better Government Association. Formerly reported for the MIT Technology Review and was an engagement editor with Better Government Association.

Where she is now: Currently a doctoral student at University of Pennsylvania. Formerly a research fellow at Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania and COMPASS fellow at American Journalism Project. Worked as a development specialist at PRX and as a sponsorship marketing intern at NPR.

Where she is now: Currently the membership manager at Sahan Journal. Previously the membership manager with the Institute for Nonprofit News, a communications specialist with VocalEssence and developmental intern at MinnPost.com.

Where she is now: Currently reports on the Maryland state government for The Baltimore Banner. Former freelance data reporter for The New York Times, Maryland Matters, Bay Weekly and Upstart Annapolis. Reported for Capital News Service and interned with Howard Center for Investigative Journalism

Where he is now: Independent investigative journalist reporting on climate, environment, wildlife, social justice. Worked formerly for DeshSanchar.com, Deshsanchar Pvt Ltd and Ujyaalo 90 Network. Inducted into the 2022 Asia Executive Leadership Program.

She interned with The Cambridge News & Deerfield Independent, was editor-in-chief of UW-Eau Claire’s newspaper, The Spectator, wrote for The Chippewa Valley Post and interned with WQOW News 18.

Where she is now:  Currently works as an associate editor at Greenspring Media. Former intern with WQOW-News 18 and reporter for The Washington Post and The Leader-Telegram.

Where she is now: Currently reports with Громадське | hromadske.ua. Former Hromadske Radio and LB.ua reporter and editor for The Day Newspaper online.

Where he is now: Midwest correspondent for Kaiser Health News. Previously he reported at KBIA in Columbia, Missouri and for Side Effects Public Media. He has contributed stories to NPR, APM’s Marketplace and Kaiser Health News. His reporting has received two national and one regional Edward R. Murrow awards, and two national Sigma Delta Chi awards.

Where she is now: Currently a breaking news reporter at the Des Moines Register. Former business reporting intern with The Kansas City Star and reported for the Columbia Missourian and Missouri Business Alert. Interned with Murder Murder News.

Allison Dikanovic reported for the News414 initiative, a collaboration between Wisconsin Watch, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and Outlier media.

Where she is now: Dikanovic is pursuing a master’s in social journalism at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY.

Where she is now: Investigative reporter for Alabama Media Group. Previously worked in public radio as a reporter and producer at member stations and as a freelancer for National Public Radio and American Public Media’s Marketplace. Former reporter for KUAR and WHYY.

Where she is now: Journalist based in Moscow, Russia. Former Fulbright scholar and Edmund S. Muskie Internship participant from Russia. Former intern with AZ Public Media.

Where he is now: Current investigative journalist with the BBC. Producer for TraumaZone documentary series by Adam Curtis (BBC Film). Associate Producer for “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” documentary series by Adam Curtis (BBC Film). Former editor and deputy editor-in-chief of Esquire Russia. 

Where she is now: Belle Lin is a Wall Street Journal’s New York bureau reporter writing about enterprise technology for The Wall Street Journal’s New York bureau. Previously a senior reporter covering technologies like cloud computing and software for Insider’s technology section for Business Insider.

Where he is now: Founder, editor and executive director of @SahanJournal. Previously worked as a staff writer for the Star Tribune and Minnesota Public Radio News. He has also written for the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Al Jazeera English, BuzzFeed News and the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism.

Katherine Proctor was an investigative reporting fellow from the Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism at Columbia Journalism School.

Where she is now: Managing editor for Continuing Education for the Bar-California and freelance writer and researcher. Former producer for WBUR news station in Boston and Courthouse News Service reporter.

Where she is now:  An enterprise and accountability reporter for KQED Public Radio. Former bilingual producer for NPR’s Investigative Unit and at Reuters TV in Washington, D.C. Previously worked on the international desk at CNN Chile and as a freelance radio reporter in Santiago, Chile. Hall’s reporting has aired on NPR News, LatinoUSA, Radio Ambulante, PRI’s The World, and Here & Now.

Where she is now: Special projects reporter for Wisconsin Public Radio. Former multimedia reporter at the Hale Center for Journalism at Kansas City Public Television. Her work also has appeared in The Kansas City Star, Nashville Public Radio, Al Jazeera America and NPR. 

Where he is now: Aman Abhishek is a Ph.D. student at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, UW- Madison. Prior to the Ph.D., he got his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in physics from Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, India.

Where she is now: Current postgraduate fellow at nonprofit newsroom Columbia Journalism Investigations. Former The Globe and Mail in Toronto and Southeast Asia Globe in Phnom Penh writer, and has written for VICE World News, The Walrus, Maclean’s.

Where she is now: Currently a freelance photojournalist and reporter, and manager at City Bar. Former digital media intern for the Madison Journalism School.

Where she is now: Currently reports with Missouri Business Alert. Former Detour Magazine reporter. Former member of the University of Missouri’s chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists and Social Media chair for the organization Mizzou Black Women’s Initiative. Former associate producer at KOMU 8.

Where she is now: Currently the Deputy Sr. Content Editor at the Chicago Tribune. Former senior copy editor of the online student publication The Black Voice. Interned with the Center for Journalism Ethics as an Election Integrity Fellow, WDET-FM Detroit, the Journalism, Ethics, and Democracy Institute at the University of Notre Dame, and the Detroit Free Press.

Where she is now: Current reporter on WXPR Public Radio program All Things Considered and Morning Edition. Former Managing Editor of Carleton’s independent student newspaper, the Carletonian, and has previously worked as the Carletonion’s Features and Arts Editor and as a Staff Writer.

Where she is now: Former student fellow with the university’s Center for Journalism Ethics, as an investigative intern with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and as college news editor with the Daily Cardinal.

Where he is now: Freelance photojournalist pursuing degrees in journalism and environmental studies at the University of Oregon. Former Charles Snowden intern with Masher Enterprise. Former photojournalist at the Daily Emerald, and a sports photographer for GoDucks and a photographer for Flux Magazine.

Where she is now: Communications and Policy intern for the House Democratic staff in the Illinois legislature. Former opinion editor for The Badger Herald, and interned with the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs, Madison Public Library Foundation, Planet Propaganda, and the Center for Journalism Ethics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Where she is now: Current part-timer with KOMU 8. Former member of the University of Missouri’s chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists. Formerly serves as the Assistant General Manager of MUTV 23News.

Where she is now: Current producer for “The Larry Meiller Show” on WPR’s The Ideas Network.  Previously, they were the Ann Devroy fellow at The Washington Post and the Sally Webb Journalism intern at Wisconsin Public Radio. Former host of “The West Side” on Wisconsin Public Radio.

Where he is now: Current Eviction Data and Court Services Lead with The Tenant Resource Center. Former public affairs reporting fellow for the Capitol Time.

Where she is now: Breaking News and Crime Enterprise Reporter with Wisconsin State Journal. Former Lee Enterprises reporter. Former editor of Edgewood College’s newspaper “On the Edge.” Reporting intern at “News 3 Now” in Madison, Wisconsin, starting July 2021.

Where she is now: Current senior social media specialist with Evoke Kyn. Former The Badger Herald reporter and L2T Media.

Where she is now: Current service journalism reporter at The Kansas City Star. Former engagement journalism M.A. candidate at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, and intern with NBCUniversal, The Wall Street Journal Magazine, Wisconsin Public Television and Essence Communications Inc.

Where she is now: Investigative reporter for Lee Enterprises’ Public Service Journalism team. Former county government and criminal justice reporter for Wisconsin State Journal.

Where she is now: Report for America corps member for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel who writes about environmental challenges in the Mississippi River watershed and across Wisconsin. Former Health and science reporter at the Appleton Post-Crescent. Former reporter at the Winona Daily News, Politifact Wisconsin and Winona Daily News.

Where he is now: Capitol reporter at Wisconsin State Journal. Former reporter for WisPolitcis.com. Former intern with Isthmus and Wisconsin Magazine. Former editor with The Badger Herald.

Where he is now: Current newsroom developer at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Former Communications Specialist at University Health Services – Madison and aide for Wesser, Lehker & Fummel Inc.

Where she is now: Co-founder of Madison Minutes. Former marketing communications coordinator at Fetch Rewards. Former engagement editor at WisContext. Former editorial operations intern at Vox.

Where she is now: Engagement reporter with New York Focus, formerly with The Marshall Project. Completed a resident program with City Bureau where she reported on the census, elections and civic participation in Chicago’s immigrant communities. Formerly a digital media specialist at the Chicago Sun-Times and reporting fellow at the Texas Tribune.

Where she is now: Reporter at the Wall Street Journal. Former legislative relief reporter for the Associated Pres, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter and associate with PwC.

Where she is now: Current UniverCity Alliance communications and outreach associate. Former city and county government reporter at The Capital Times in Madison, Wisconsin. Former education reporter for Madison Commons and news intern with Wisconsin State Journal.

Where she is now: Current lead shopping reporter at Mashable. Freelance writer whose work has appeared on the USA TODAY Network, Us Weekly, Mashable, PC Mag, Gothamist, Culture Trip, LittleThings and Entrepreneur Magazine.

Where she is now: Working at HuffPost covering the Biden administration and Congress, and as senior editor Vanity Fair. Formerly on the Policy and Politics team at Vox.com in Washington D.C., and with Agency France-Presse. Former investigative reporting intern at USA TODAY.

Where he is now: Assistant editor at Wisconsin Health News.

Where she is now: Policy director at Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation. Formerly worked as a reporter the Appleton Post-Crescent, Gannet USA Today Network and Beacon Reader. Former state editor for The Badger Herald and research intern with Center for Media and Democracy.

Where she is now: News anchor, reporter and producer at KFBB-TV in Great Falls, Montana. Formerly worked as an intern at WKOW in Madison.

Where she is now: Editorial director of the Mississippi River Basin AG and Water Desk. Former news director and reporter, New Orleans Public Radio. Previously worked for Wisconsin Public Radio, WRKF-FM in Baton Rouge and WVIK-FM in Rock Island, Illinois.

Where she is now: Education reporter with Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Former reporter at USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin, based in Milwaukee, formerly based at the Appleton Post-Crescent. Former reporter, NOW Newspapers, suburban Milwaukee and Waukesha County. Former editor and reporter for the Patch news websites in the Milwaukee area.

Where she is now: Founder of Project Optimist. Former Watchdog reporter, St. Cloud Times. Formerly worked as a watchdog reporter for the Wausau Herald Media. Former relief legislative reporter for The Associated Press in Pierre, South Dakota.

Where she is now: Reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Former crime and justice reporter at the Appleton Post-Crescent. Former reporter for Wausau (Wis.) Daily Herald and Curb magazine, and education editor for Madison Commons.

Where he is now: Assistant professor in the Department of Journalism & Creative Media at the University of Alabama. Awarded Ph.D. in mass communication at UW-Madison School of Journalism & Mass Communication.

Where she is now: Editor for Good Fruit Grower. Former reporter with Yakima (Washington) Herald Republic covering natural resources issues. Former research assistant with UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Where he is now: Currently a New York Times local investigation fellow. Former West Coast correspondent for The Guardian U.S., reporter for the Voice of San Diego investigative news website. Former Milwaukee Journal Sentinel intern and New York Times/National Association of Hispanic Journalists fellow.

Where she is now: Interior designer at Blue Lantern Studios in Atlanta. Formerly studied at the Savannah College of Art and Design and worked with Larson Nichols Interior Design and ai3. Former spokeswoman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin and wrote for Madison Magazine, Madison Commons, Curb Magazine and Epic Systems Corporation.

Where she is now: Lead at Arrowhead Communications. Formerly running a successful medical writing firm, Karon Medical Writing LLC. Former epidemiologist and veterinarian.

Where he is now: Senior staff photographer at Loyola University in Chicago. Former professional photographer and graduate student at the University of Texas-Austin. Former staff photographer for Green Bay Press-Gazette and assistant for Magnum Photos.

Where she is now: Lead editor at Construction Dive based in Washington, D.C. Formerly worked with Greater Greater Washington, and in Togo for the Peace Corps teaching gender education and journalism. Formerly worked for AllAfrica Global Media, PolicyMic and Amnesty International.

Where he is now: Litigator for Husch Blackwell. Former executive editor at the Journal of Corporation Law and former editor for the Sheboygan (Wis.) Press. Former reporter for WisPolitics.com covering the state government and politics and reporter for Journal of Corporation Law. Former relief legislative reporter with The Associated Press in Madison.

Where she is now: Currently an associate editor with The Progressive Magazine. Climate change journalist, and book-writer for St. Martin’s Press. Former Transatlantic Media Fellow with Heinrich Böll Foundation North America and Climate Solutions Fellow with the New Economy Coalition. Research assistant for writer Naomi Klein at The Nation Institute. Researcher for Rolling Stone. Former intern at The Nation and relief legislative reporter, The Associated Press, St. Paul, Minnesota.

Where she is now: Global health journalist at Devex. Former reporter for VICE on HBO. Former fellow and reporter (in partnership with the LA Times) at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Former GlobalPost Fellow in Africa; former reporter for Bloomberg LP, Tanzania.

Where he is now: Washington-based investigative reporter with USA TODAY NETWORK. Formerly Appleton-based reporter for the Gannett Wisconsin Media investigative team and the Rapid City Journal. Former editorial intern with Isthmus.

Where he is now: Russia correspondent based in Moscow for The Telegraph. Former freelance reporter working in Russia and Ukraine. His work has appeared in publications including The Guardian, The Nation, Foreign Policy, GlobalPost, VICE News, Politico, The Independent, Slate and the New York Times. Former editor and reporter for the Moscow Times

Where he is now: Free-lancing foreign correspondent reporting from East Africa, the Caribbean and Germany. Jacob’s work has appeared in Foreign Policy, National Geographic, the Nation, the ICIJ, VICE Magazine and NewYorker.com. Former Fulbright Fellow in Berlin. Former Overseas Press Club Fellow for the APin Nairobi.

Where he is now: Senior finance reporter at Business Insider. Former wealth reporter for Forbes magazine in New York. Former relief legislative reporter for The Associated Press in Boise, Idaho, and former reporter for Green Bay Press-Gazette.

Where she is now: Executive producer for Salon. Former independent documentary producer in New York. Former director of communications with Little Red School House & Elisabeth Irwin High School. Former video producer for NBC’s The Morning Joe in New York and associate producer with CNN.