Klein College Associate Professor of Journalism Tara Pixley has been selected as a 2026–27 Nova Media Fellow, joining a cohort of journalists pursuing yearlong, solutions-focused reporting projects about health and well-being.
Through the fellowship, Pixley will develop a multimedia journalism project examining the mental health effects of incarceration on Black mothers in California. Her reporting will highlight evidence-based programs, policy reforms and community-led approaches that can support healing, family reunification and more equitable access to care.
A visual journalist and media innovation strategist, Pixley’s work explores race, gender, climate futures, LGBTQ+ issues and immigrant communities through a solutions-focused lens. Her research also examines ethics of care in photojournalism, efforts to re-envision marginalized communities in news media, and anti-racism in generative AI and synthetic media.
Pixley brings two decades of journalism experience to the project. She has worked as a photo editor for The New York Times, CNN.com, Newsweek and Creative Loafing, and her photography has appeared in outlets including The Wall Street Journal, NPR, ProPublica, The Atlantic and ESPN Magazine.
Launched in 2023, the Nova Media Fellowship supports print, digital and broadcast journalists—as well as nonprofit newsrooms—reporting on the interconnected factors that shape health. Previous fellows’ work has appeared in outlets including The Guardian, Bloomberg, NPR and Science Friday.
Pixley is one of three recipients selected for the 2026–27 fellowship cycle.