Distinguished Professor of Journalism Lara Salahi has been named the by the New England Newspaper and Press Association (NENPA) and the Journalism Education Foundation of New England. This prestigious award recognizes professors across New England who are doing extraordinary work to prepare the next generation of news leaders.
Salahi was selected for her outstanding leadership in preparing aspiring journalists at 西瓜视频 and her distinguished contributions to the field. The judges recognized her as “a wonderful example and inspiration for journalism educators throughout New England.”
An award-winning journalist, author, and scholar, Salahi has worked across nearly every medium, from local and network television to international print and documentary film. She was part of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Boston Globe team recognized for breaking news coverage of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, and her investigative and public health reporting has been featured worldwide. She is the author of Outbreak Culture, a groundbreaking examination of the 2014-16 Ebola epidemic, and the executive producer of Track the Vax, a nationally recognized podcast on COVID-19 vaccines.
In the classroom, Salahi is known for blending professional rigor with empathy, helping her students build the skills and resilience needed to thrive in a rapidly changing media landscape. Her innovative research into “news-academic partnerships” has also helped shape new models of collaboration between colleges and local news outlets, expanding opportunities for her students to engage directly with the communities they serve.
Salahi will be formally honored at the NENPA Fall Leadership Conference on Friday, September 26, 2025, at the Northampton Hotel in Northampton, Mass., where she will be recognized alongside other distinguished award recipients.