Edith Chapin of NPR to address Medill convocation

Decades of reporting experience to guide Chapin’s remarks to graduates

EVANSTON, ILL. -- Edith Chapin (BSJ86), acting chief content officer, senior vice president and editor-in-chief of National Public Radio, will address 2025 graduates and their families as the convocation speaker for the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications.

“We are honored to have Edith share her advice and wealth of experience with the Class of 2025,” said Dean Charles Whitaker. “Her insights and outstanding accomplishments will provide inspiration to the graduates as they take the next step in their lives.”

As a top editorial leader at NPR, Chapin guides an award-winning team of journalists and newsroom executives around the world across several platforms and oversees the newsroom’s strategic coverage priorities.

Prior to joining NPR in 2012, Chapin spent 25 years at CNN and worked her way up from intern to vice president and deputy bureau chief of CNN’s Washington D.C. bureau.

She served as CNN’s New York bureau chief and managing editor during the time of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Before that, in the early ‘90s, she produced groundbreaking reports across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Chapin’s coverage of Hurricane Katrina for CNN earned her the 2005 Peabody Award. That same year, she also won an Alfred I. DuPont Columbia University Award for CNN’s reporting on a catastrophic tsunami in South Asia.

In 2017, Chapin was inducted into the Medill Hall of Achievement, the highest honor bestowed on alumni. She also serves on the Medill Board of Advisers.

Convocation will take place at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, June 16 at the Ryan Fieldhouse.

Student Speakers

Selena Kuznikov (BSJ)

Selena Kuznikov is a journalism major and Latina and Latino studies minor. Kuznikov worked at The Daily Northwestern as a print managing editor, arts and entertainment editor, in focus editor, special stipend coordinator and assistant city editor. She also served as a Medill ambassador and as a summer research assistant for the Medill Investigative Lab. Kuznikov is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

Jade Thomas (BSJ)

Jade Thomas is a journalism major and French minor. Thomas was recently the web editor-in-chief of BlackBoard Magazine and previously served as the executive editor at North by Northwestern, among other roles. She remained active in the greater campus community as an office assistant at Multicultural Student Affairs and as a peer adviser. Thomas is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated.

Nicole Johnson (MSJ)

Nicole Jeanine Johnson is a journalism master’s student. Johnson’s career includes having served as a Chicago Public Schools teacher and running for alderman for the Chicago City Council. She brings a wealth of experience to her work as an investigative journalist, focusing on education, race and politics. She was born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and the National Association of Black Journalists Chicago Chapter.

Introductory Reminders/Introduce Land Acknowledgement Video: Simone Roberts (MSJ)

Keynote Speaker Introduction: Yash Markendey (BSJ)

Dean Whitaker Introduction: Tom O’Connor (MSJ)

Closing Remarks: Angela Zhang (BSJ)