Ethics Center Staff

Kathleen Bartzen Culver

Director

Kathleen Culver joined the School of Journalism & Mass Communication in 1999 to help launch an innovative converged curriculum to prepare students for a changing media landscape. When Culver was advised early on that she was “preparing students for jobs that may not even exist yet,” she scarcely had a clue how quickly and massively the ground would shift. Read more.

Head shot, Tomas Dodds

Tomás Dodds

Affiliated Faculty

Tomás Dodds is an assistant professor in Journalism and Mass Communication at the UW–Madison and a faculty associate at the Berkman Klein-Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University. He was also a research fellow at the AI, Media & Democracy Lab and the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) at the University of Amsterdam. His research examines the evolving relationship between journalism and technology, with a focus on how journalists and media organizations can develop open-source tools and artificial intelligence systems that serve the public interest.

Headshot, Krista Eastman

Krista Eastman

Administrator & Communications Specialist

Krista Eastman is a writer and editor with expertise in university communications and external relations. As the administrator of the Center for Journalism Ethics, she assists with strategy, communication, event planning, and special projects.

 

Fall 2026 Fellows

Our student fellowship program welcomes exceptional UW–Madison students with a strong interest in creating a more ethical future for media. Over the course of one or two semesters, fellows work under the mentorship of our director, advisory board and administrator, to produce original reporting on the critical ethical issues of our time and to contribute to the life of the Center.

Headshot of Kat Hans

Kat Hans

Kat Hans is a second-year student in the professional master’s program at the UW’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She previously worked as a Reporting Intern for Madison Commons, where she published a range of feature stories highlighting people and organizations across Dane County. Before coming to UW, she held various roles at a PreK–8 school, including teaching creative writing in its summer program. Kat hopes to pursue a career in strategic communication, where she can continue translating stories for broad audiences.

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Headshot Audrey Lopez-Stane

Audrey Lopez-Stane

Audrey Lopez-Stane is a junior at UW–Madison studying journalism, political science and history. She is a senior staff writer for The Daily Cardinal covering Wisconsin state politics. She has reported on legislative bills, farms, Capitol addresses and campus news. Her work has also been featured in the Oshkosh Herald. Audrey hopes to pursue a career in political journalism after college.

Headshot of Sreejitra Patra

Sreejitra Patra

Sreejita Patra is a first-year student in the professional master’s program at UW-Madison’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Her undergraduate work has been featured in Wisconsin news organizations such as PBS, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin Watch, Wisconsin Examiner and several local newspapers. She has also been shortlisted for national awards from the South Asian Journalism Association and Harry S. Truman Foundation. In the future, Sreejita aspires to be an investigative/accountability journalist focusing on minority communities.

Headshot of Anna Smith

Anna Smith

Anna Smith (she/they) is a senior at UW-Madison majoring in journalism in addition to pursing certificates in photography and science communications. She is currently the outreach director at The Badger Herald, where she previous served as the editor-in-chief and science news editor. Her work for The Herald focused on environmental and healthcare issues. Further, they worked as a summer intern for WisPolitics where they wrote on abortion access following the OBBBA. Anna plans to pursue a career as a multimedia journalist with a focus on environmental and mental health coverage.