Resume

“The Center has established a sound reputation as a sponsor of community conversations about the media and news coverage, and its director, Andrew Conte, is a well-respected, award-winning investigative journalist who has a media network that extends beyond the borders of our region.”

– Grant Oliphant, president, The Heinz Endowments, & David K. Roger, president, Hillman Family Foundations. April 18, 2018.

EXPERIENCE

Photo by Emma Federkeil.

Center for Media Innovation at Point Park University, founding director: 2016-present

Point Park University, part-time faculty: 2005-present

Selected grants, presentations and awards:

• • Recognition from the Participatory Journalism Interest Group of the Association of Education in Journalism and Mass Communication for the best Ph.D. dissertation in the field of participatory journalism research, August 2021.
  • Ignite Talk, “Citizen Journalism Fills the Gaps,” Google’s Newsgeist, online, May 2021.
  • Panel presentation, “Revisiting Positionality in Community-Focused Research,” Point Park University Department of Community Engagement, Pittsburgh, April 2021.
  • Symposium presentation, “Media Oasis: Forming a University and Community Organization,” Engagement Scholarship Consortium, Denver, October 2019.
  • Roundtable presentation, “Bridge Pittsburgh: Building Broad Collaboration Through Common Interest,” Engagement Scholarship Consortium, Denver, October 2019.
  • Convener, “Engagement Through Arts,” Engagement Scholarship Consortium, Denver, October 2019.
  • Panel presenter, Building Local News Ecosystems: A Knight Media Forum 2019 Preview, online, February 2019.
  • Clinic track participant, People Powered Publishing, Illinois Humanities, Chicago, November 2018.
  • Poster presentation, “Media Oasis Project,”Engagement Scholarship Consortium, Minneapolis, September 2018.
  • Panel moderator, “First Amendment on the Edge: New, Controversial and Outlier Approaches,” National Conference on the First Amendment, Pittsburgh, October 2018.
  • Panel moderator, “Technology: Freedom and Responsibility,” The First Amendment for the Twenty-First Century, Pittsburgh, June 2018.

Nonfiction book author

• Death of the Daily News. University of Pittsburgh Press, September 2022.
• The Color of Sundays, released 2015. Winner of a Silver Benjamin Franklin Award, Independent Book Publishers Association.
• Breakaway, released 2010. National best-seller
• All About Roberto Clemente, released 2016.

Prior employment

• Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, investigative reporter: 2007-2016
• Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, government and general assignment reporter: 2001-2007
• Essential Pittsburgh, guest host for a daily talk show on Pittsburgh’s NPR station, WESA-FM: 2014-2016
• University of Pittsburgh, part-time faculty, 2003-2005
• The Cincinnati Post, reporter: 1998-2001
• The Stuart News / The Post St. Lucie News, reporter: 1997-1998
• Council for Urban Economic Development, editor: 1994-1996
• Jack Anderson’s Washington Merry-Go-Round, associate: 1991-1994
• National Geographic Society News Service, intern: 1991

EDUCATION

• Point Park University; PhD, Community Engagement, 2020
• 

  Speaking at the Newseum in Washington for Cybersecurity & the Media.

  Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism; MS, with honors, 1997

• Dickinson College; BA American Studies, with minors in Russian and English, 1993
• American University; Semester in Washington, D.C., 1991
• Mendeleev Institute; Russian language and Soviet culture program; 1991

SELECTED JOURNALISM  AWARDS

Pennsylvania Society of Professional Journalists:  Spotlight Award – 2017, 2014, 2009, 2007

Press Club of Western Pennsylvania: Ray Sprigle Memorial Award for overall best reporting at a large-circulation daily publication — 2013, 2012, 2010, 2009

Scripps Howard Foundation: William Brewster Styles Award, recognizing outstanding national business and economics reporting – 2013 

U.S. Attorney David Hickton, on left, stops by WESA’s Studio A to talk with me.

Carnegie Science Award – 2010

Association of Health Care Journalists: 1^st place, Awards for Excellence – 2009

Inland Press Association: 1^st Place, Explanatory — 2015; 1^st Place investigative — 2014, 2010; 1^st Place, Local News – 2011, 2008

Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants: Truth in Finances Award, 2014, 2013

National Headliner Awards: Finalist, 2014

Society of American Business Editors and Writers: Finalist, 2014

The National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation: Finalist – 2012

Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors: 1st place, Investigative Reporting – 2009

Pennsylvania Bar Association: 1st Place, Special Report/Series — 2015

Bangkok, Thailand.

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Journalist of the Year – 2007, 2004; Best Enterprise/Investigation — 2014, 2008

Livingston Awards for Young Journalists, Finalist – 2005

Austria Press Agency: Writing for Central Europe Award, Finalist – 2004

FELLOWSHIPS

East-West Center:  Fellow, Japan-US Journalists Exchange – 2009

German Marshall Fund of the United States: Journalism fellow – 2003