Sharp Seminar Collaboration with the Pulitzer Center
The Sharp Seminar is a joint initiative between the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and William & Mary, established with the generous gift from Anne and Barry Sharp.
The program pairs Pulitzer Center-sponsored journalists with William & Mary students. Participating students learn how to communicate to a broad audience about topics that they have studied and care deeply about.
The course is designed to help students improve their ability to write as citizens for other citizens. Because of the hands-on, collaborative nature of the classwork and advising, this is designed as an in-person seminar. Interested students who plan to study abroad during their time at William & Mary should plan accordingly.
During the fall students, learn the basics of journalism, hone in on a topic of interest, and begin the groundwork of their reporting. Over the winter break, students take their interviewing and reporting skills on location and dive into their topic of choice for a first-hand perspective. The spring semester focuses on developing and writing the story for a public audience. At the end of the spring, student stories are eligible to be published on the Pulitzer Center's website.
Applications for 2025-26 will open in the spring and will be due 11:59pm on Monday, April 1, 2025.
For questions about the Sharp Seminar or application process, email [[edmari, Ted Maris-Wolf]].
Previous Years
2023-24Declan Casto - Sacred Space: Utah's Queer Haven |
2022-23Jordan Anderson - The Irony of President Vladimir Putin's Culture WarMary Beth Bauermann - A Walk Down Beale Street: Challenges of Revitalizing Historic Black Cultural Centers Alexandra Byrne - Preservation Efforts for Groundbreaking Rosenwald Schools -- Will National Park Status Come? And What Might That Mean for Communities? Emma Henry - Scientists Along the East Coast Face Challenges in Spotted Lanternfly Research Kaleea Korunka - Ghost Gear: Haunting Chesapeake Bay Abby Paras - Re-Examining Asian-American Film: Anna May Wong and the Fight Against Invisibility Catherine Storke - Political Coalition Launches Historic Campaign for Asian-American Voter Engagement |
2021-22Charis Conwell - Protest at William & Mary's Charter Day Ceremony Marks Apprehension Surrounding Education Reform |
2020-21Dana Armstrong - Painting Progress: How Organizations are Supporting Social Justice Public Artists |
2019-20Martha Gizaw - A Techie's Cure to Feel Pure: Virginia's Unique Linkage to Caregiving Technology |
2018-19William Curtis - Finding Community Through PodcastsAnna Gleason - Green Incubators: UAE Rethinks Sustainability with 'Sustainable Cities' Rachel Layko - A Long Road to Recovery: Rebuilding After Hurricane Florence in North Carolina Amy Olejniczak - Italian Communities Combatting Hidden Struggles Megan Pierce - Between the Desert and the Sea: The Plight of Refugees in Morocco Taro Shirakawa - The Rise of Importance of Personal Development Education in Higher Education Jack Sims - Southern Hospitality? Immigrants Settling in Richmond Brooke Stephenson - Indigenous Communities Seek More Support to Keep Women, Children Safe |
2017-18Heather Baier - Laughed Away: Brexit Raises Concerns About Environmental ProtectionsLexi Godfrey - Profile of Iraqi Human Rights Activist Frustrated by International Organizations Thea Gu - English Learners at a D.C. Public Charter School Erika Jaimes - Creating Home in Refuge Amelia Lucas - Swedish Opposition to Cash-Free Economy Gains Momentum Gabbie Pachon - Uber in London: A Global Economic and Social Impact Noah Petersen - The Face of Financial Abuse Sarah Shevenock - Exploring Mental Illness Through Musical Theatre Talia Wiener - Hope for the Future: Alaskan Community Works to Revive Native Languages |
2016-17Madeline Bielski - A Herd and a Hope: The Fight to Reopen Canada's Prision FarmsHolly Fleming - Teaching Artists Provide Access to Arts in New York City Jesse Granger - Saving the Monarch Butterfly or Saving the Village Iris Hyon - Initiating the Dialogue: How 'Letters for Black Lives' Sparked Conversations About Asian American Identity Sri Harshini Malapati - Child Labor Trafficking: The Work of NGOs in Bangalore and Hyderabad William Neely - Cuba 'Libre': How Independent Citizens Are Ushering in Cuba's Information Revolution Lorraine Pettit - South Africa's Fees Must Fall: Paving the Road to Equality Brandon Posner - Uganda: Building Tomorrow Amid Issues of Land Rights Sarah Ruiz - Between the Earth and the Sky Kayla Sharpe - U.S. Colleges Shed Light on Their Enslavement History Lillian Waddill - Refugees in Texas: Attitudes Toward Security and Service |
2015-16Merci Best - Over 400,000 Potential Unfilled STEM Jobs: Houston We Have a Problem!Alexandra Granato - Not the Usual NIMBY: LA's Balance of Rights in Residential Homelessness Thomas Le - No More Saving Face: Empowering Asian-American Women to Seek Mental Health Treatment Catie Liebeck - Alternative Healing, A Walk in the Forest Sydney Mahan - Recovery Road: The Heroin and Opiate Epidemic in Virginia Diba Mohtasham - In Tehran, Gallery Hopping is a Trend Nathalie Moore - Citizen-for-Service Program and the National Interest Meagan Phillips - The Cat's Out of the Bag: Cat Cafes Make Successful Debuts in the U.S. Jeremy Rellosa - Nepal: Local Guides, Foreign Climbers Consider Life After Earthquake Nicole Walsh - Boston's Efforts to End Sex Trafficking Amanda Williams - Tanzania's Challenge in Preventing Deforestation |
2014-15Hannah Berk - The Right to Know Your Rights: Language Access in the Justice SystemAkshay Deverakonda - The Fall of Icarus: Ivanpah's Solar Controversy Alexis Foxworth - What's in a Vote? Akela Lacy - Italy: The Future of Migrants and Refugees Rachel Merriman-Goldring - The War Over Wilderness: Drakes Bay Oyster Company and the Preservation Movement William Plews-Ogan - New Justice Center: A Beacon of Hope for Oglala Sioux Amid Complex Challenges Katharine Sucher - Private Tiger Ownership in U.S. Becca Thorpe - The Future of Confucius Institutes in the U.S. Ellen Wexler - When Employers Demand Skills Professors Cannot Define |
2013-14Hannah Boes - Charm City Gets Real |
2012-13Aly Brahe - The Crackdown: Spanish Protestor Becomes Symbol for Free Expression |
2011-12Morgan Barker - Seeing Disability |
News and Media
- Unique William & Mary Program Gives Students Tools to Turn Research into Well-Crafted Stories
- The College of William & Mary becomes First Virginia Campus Consortium Partner
- Sharp Seminar connects W&M students with Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting
The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting supports the work of journalists working on "under-reported" international topics. You can read more about the Pulitzer Center by visiting their site.
