Class of 2026-27 Scripps Fellows
Collectively, the 2026-27 class of Ted Scripps Fellows in Environmental Journalism at CU Boulder’s College of Communication, Media, Design and Information will explore environmental justice and inequity, air quality and atmospheric science, freshwater ecosystems and fisheries conservation, climate change impacts on agriculture and food heritage, and the human, emotional, and cultural dimensions of environmental change.
Together, the cohort reflects the Ted Scripps Fellowship's emphasis on combining rigorous environmental reporting with compelling storytelling across science, policy, culture, and communities.
Part of the college’s Center for Environmental Journalism, the Scripps fellowship gives full-time journalists the opportunity to enhance their knowledge and understanding of a variety of topics, so they can more effectively report on pressing environmental issues in ways that resonate with broad audiences. Over a nine-month period, fellows attend classes, participate in weekly seminars and field trips, and meet experts as they develop independent journalistic projects related to the environment.
Established in 1993, the Scripps fellowship has been based at CU Boulder since 1997, making this the 29th class to join the program as part of the university.
This year’s fellows are:
Jenae Barnes
Jenae Barnes covered issues at the intersection of public health, environmental justice, and the lived experiences of Black communities, with a particular focus on the Midwest and national audiences as the flagship healthand environment reporter for Capital B Gary. She has been recognized with two awards by the Indiana Society of Professional Journalistsfor deeply reported, community-centered journalism, blending investigative rigor with narrative storytelling. Her reporting frequently highlights the impact...
Sam Brasch
Sam Brasch is a public radio reporter covering climate and environmental issues for Colorado Public Radio News. A Denver native and graduate of Colorado College, he began his journalism career atModern Farmer Magazine. Since joining CPR News in 2019, he has co-createdPurplish, a podcast on Colorado politics, and helped launch the station’s climate solutions desk.As a Scripps Fellow, Sam plans to study the history and science of air quality to produce podcasts and other long-form radio projects.
Amanda Eggert
Amanda Eggert is an environmental journalist based in Bozeman, Montana. In January 2021, she joined the staff of Montana Free Press, a nonprofit newsroom founded by John S. Adams, the journalist featured in the documentary Dark Money.Her stories about Montana's housing affordability challenges, land-use issues in central Montana's Crazy Mountains, and the intersection of drought and Montana's treasured cold-water fisheries have won awards. When not working, she enjoys exploring Montana's mountains and river...
Ayurella Horn-Muller
Ayurella Horn-Muller is a staff writer at Grist covering the intersection of climatechange, food, and agriculture. She previously reported for Axios and Climate Central, and her work has appeared in CNN, National Geographic, The Associated Press, El País, The Atlantic, WIRED, and The Guardian. She has been recognized with a first-place Society of Environmental Journalists Award for Outstanding Beat Reporting and an honorable mention Nina Mason Pulliam Award for Outstanding Environmental Reporting, alongside...
Sam Price-Waldman
Sam Price-Waldman is a documentary filmmaker working at the intersection of long-form journalism and cinematic storytelling. His work focuses on character-driven stories shaped by close access, trust, and time.As a director and cinematographer, he has worked across short-form reporting and multi-year documentary projects for HBO, Netflix, Showtime,The Atlantic, PBS, and National Geographic. His most recent short documentary,The Life We Have, screened at over 20 film festivals and was awarded Best Short Docu...
