Madison Reporter

Alec Luhn, a University of Wisconsin–Madison journalism alumnus, is returning to campus as the spring Sharon Dunwoody Science Journalist in Residence. Luhn, now recognized as an international freelance reporter, will visit from April 15-17 to engage with students, meet researchers, and partake in a public panel about journalism in the context of climate change.

During his visit, Luhn will participate in a presentation titled “Beyond 1.5°C: Covering Controversial Climate Solutions,” alongside Wisconsin-based investigative reporter Dee Hall and UW–Madison experts. The event will be held at 4 p.m. on April 17 in the Multicultural Greek Council Room at Memorial Union.

Luhn's career has taken him across the globe, reporting for prominent outlets like The Atlantic, the Guardian, and National Geographic. His story “Why Are Alaska’s Rivers Turning Orange?” for Scientific American earned a Kavli Science Journalism Award. Luhn's reporting earned him recognition from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine in 2024.

The UW–Madison Science Journalist in Residence program, established in 1986, has hosted various notable science writers, including former Scientific American editor-in-chief Laura Helmuth and Pulitzer Prize winner Ed Yong. The program honors the late Sharon Dunwoody, a key figure in its founding.