Kentucky 45th in the
Nation for Healthcare

Source The Commonwealth Fund

Maryn McKenna, MSJ, Resume   www.MarynMcKenna.com  

AUTHOR

• SUPERBUG: The Fatal Menace of MRSA, Free Press/Simon & Schuster, March 2010

• BEATING BACK THE DEVIL: On the Front Lines with the Disease Detectives of the Epidemic
  Intelligence Service, Free Press/Simon & Schuster, September 2004

n Best science books 2004, Amazon.com
n Outstanding academic title, American Library Association

INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST

• Blogger, Wired.com

• Investigative and feature writer for major magazines and websites: Scientific American, SELF, Prevention, China Newsweek, More, Health, Los Angeles Times, CNBC.com, Bulletin of the History of Medicine, Boston Magazine, Chicago Magazine, Washington Post, et al.

• Contributing writer, Annals of Emergency Medicine

• Contributing writer, Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, University of Minnesota (2006-2010)

NEWSPAPER REPORTER

Science/medical writer, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, January 1995 to June 2006

• Only US reporter assigned full-time to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• Covered Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and Indian Ocean tsunami in Thailand.

• Embedded in CDC investigative team on Capitol Hill during 2001 anthrax attacks investigation.

• Documented persistent difficulties in CDC-World Health Organization campaign to eliminate polio worldwide, reporting from within a “STOP Polio” team in India.

Reporter, The Boston Herald, August 1990 to December 1994

• Uncovered illnesses afflicting thousands of veterans of the Persian Gulf War in the US and UK, prompting first Congressional hearings on Gulf War Syndrome.

• Discovered life-threatening gaps in ambulance and emergency radio networks, leading to substantial increases in state funding. 

Projects Reporter, The Cincinnati Enquirer, August 1988 to August 1990

• Led team of three reporters investigating federal nuclear weapons plant; uncovered decades of severe air and groundwater pollution and resident and worker exposures to radiation.

• Exposed crack transport and trafficking in the Midwest, focusing on social damage along main highway to/through Cincinnati: child abuse, juvenile homicide, gang growth, food-stamp fraud.

Reporter/Columnist, The Rockford (Ill.) Register Star, October 1985 to August 1988 Health/Science Reporter, September 1987 to August 1988

• Led team of reporters covering devastating drought, from impact on international futures markets to disintegration of a small farming town.
  Business Reporter/Columnist, October 1985 to September 1987 

• Using federal financial records, exposed suspicious investments behind collapse of three local savings and loan associations.

EDUCATION

• MSJ with highest distinction, Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University

• AB cum laude, College of Arts and Sciences, Georgetown University
  Fellowships

2010: Ochberg Fellow, Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, Columbia University

2006: Health Journalism Fellow, East West Center (Yunnan and Hong Kong)

2006: Media Fellow, Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation (emergency medicine)

2001: CASE Fellow, Harvard Medical School (genomics)

1998: Fellow in Medicine, Knight-Wallace Program, University of Michigan (medical history)

1996: Fellow, Casey Journalism Center on Children and Families, University of Maryland

AWARDS AND HONORS

2008: Online Journalism, third place, Association of Health Care Journalists

2007: Best Service Journalism, second place, GAMMA/Magazine Association of the Southeast

2004: Georgia Author of the Year

2001: Kanter Award, Health Legacy Partnership

2000: Georgia Associated Press Association, first place, deadline news

1997: Georgia Associated Press Association, first place, public service
Georgia Press Association, first place, community service

1996: PASS Award, National Council on Crime and Delinquency
Missouri Lifestyle Journalism Awards, finalist, health category
American Cancer Society, Media Challenge award, first place, news

1994: J.C. Penney-University of Missouri Lifestyle Journalism Awards, finalist, health category

1993: New England AP News Executives Association, Sevellon Brown Award for Public Service

1991: American College of Emergency Physicians, Journalism Awards of Excellence, first place New England Associated Press News Executives Association, first place, spot news

1990: Associated Press Society of Ohio, second place, investigative reporting

1989: Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, Award for Journalistic Excellence

1988: Associated Press Society of Ohio, second place, investigative reporting

1987: Illinois Associated Press Editors Association, Award of Excellence, first place, columns Northern Illinois Newspaper Association, second place, science writing

1986: Best of Gannett, first place, business/consumer reporting
Northern Illinois Newspaper Association, second place, business/financial reporting

TEACHING

* Writer in residence, Texas A&M University, November 2010
* Writer in residence, Grady College of Journalism, University of Georgia, September 2010
* Health Journalism Fellowships, Senior Trainer, East West Center/Hong Kong University,
Yunnan and Hong Kong, September 2009
* Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, India, 2008 and 2007
* “Reporting Public Health,’ Journalism and Media Studies Centre, Hong Kong University,
February 2007
* “Public Health and the Media,” Southeastern Institute for Training and Evaluation, Emory
University, October 2006
* Summer Science Writing Intensive, Emory University, May 2006
* “Popular Science Writing,” Department of Biological Sciences, University of Georgia (repeat
guest lecturer), 1998-2006
* “Health and Science Writing,” Department of Journalism, Emory University (repeat guest
lecturer), 2000-2001
* single classes at Georgetown University, Georgia State University, Johns Hopkins University,
Northwestern University, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota

MEDIA APPEARANCES

More than 100 TV, radio and web appearances in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia, including Fresh Air with Terry Gross, The Takeaway with John Hockenberry, The Leonard Lopate Show, CBC The Current and Coast to Coast.

PERSONAL SITES AND BLOGS

www.Wired.com/wiredscience/superbug
www.MarynMcKenna.com
www.Superbugthebook.com
www.BeatingBacktheDevil.com