Résumé: Tracie McMillan

Experience

2011 – Senior Fellow, Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism, Brandeis University

• As a senior fellow, received support for investigative work engaging with food and class in America, particularly in terms of labor

2009 – Present, Author, Foodless (Scribner, 2012)

• Working on The American Way of Eating: Undercover at Walmart, Applebee's, Farm Fields and the Dinner Table, a first-person, undercover investigative book about America's food system, slated for publication by Scribner, a division of Simon and Schuster, in early 2012.

1999 – Present, Freelance Journalist

• Wrote features, news and analysis pieces (as well as traditional, recipe-based food articles) for a wide range of publications including the New York Times, Harper’s, Slate, Mother Jones, The Atlantic Online, Huffington Post, MSNBC.com, Town and Country, Saveur, Gastronomica, Salon.com, American Prospect, and Good. Of particular note:

·       Multiple cover pieces for the New York Times food section about urban agriculture, including an introduction of the trend as an outgrowth of community demand for fresh food (May 2008)

·       Several early profiles of innovative food movement leaders, including first national profile of Will Allen of Growing Power (Plenty, 2007); an early feature on the work of Bryant Terry (City Limits, 2004); and first national piece profiling the Food Trust’s Healthy Corner Store program in Philadelphia (Good, 2008)

• Launched initial blog, 5DollarDinner.tumblr.com, to track issues of food and poverty; work cited in national publications

• Occasional speaking engagements, including appearance on NPR.

2001-2005 Managing Editor, City Limits magazine

• Regularly produced major features, including investigations of community food access, changes to the local welfare system, and young people out of school and work.

• Helped spur changes in New York City food system during my tenure, including:

·       Developed food access metrics now used by New York City to measure the problem and inform city policy;

·       Federal bill to get corner stores to stock fresh food, the Bodegas as Catalysts for Healthy Living Act (HR-5952), was based on my work;

·       Expansion of wireless terminals at farmers markets to process food stamps following my exposure of the problem;

·       Expansion of farmer’s markets into poor neighborhoods based on my food access analysis

• Managed staff of award-winning news organization and oversaw production of magazine, supervising art and production staff

• In absence of editor in chief, determined editorial content; assigned and edited features, Q&As and book reviews; conceived issues and article presentation; wrote display copy.

Awards

      2011 Mesa Refuge

• Awarded residency for writers engaging with the intersections between human activity and the natural world.

2010 Fund for Investigative Journalism

• Awarded grant to pursue in-depth reporting on farm labor in California, to be used towards completion of book for Scribner

2006 James Aronson Award for Social Justice Journalism

• Won national prize rewarding journalism that measures business, governmental and social affairs against clear ideals of the common good, for a feature series on poverty issues, “Getting By.” The three articles were “The New Safety Net?” (City Limits, Nov/Dec 2005), “Ending Workfare As We Know It?” (City Limits, July/Aug 2005), and “The Young and the Jobless” (City Limits, March/April 2005).

2006 Livingston Award for Young Journalists

• Finalist in largest national reporting prize in country for young journalists, for 2005 series, “Getting By.”

2006 Wesleyan Writer's Conference

• Recipient of Jon Davidoff Scholarship, awarded to journalists of unusual promise.

2005 Harry Chapin Media Award

• Won national prize rewarding outstanding coverage of poverty and hunger issues, for twice previous, for “Market Babies” (City Limits January 2003), and “The Great Training Robbery” (City Limits, May 2001).

2005 James Beard Journalism Award

• Finalist for national prize rewarding outstanding newspaper or magazine reporting on Nutrition or Consumer-Related Food Issues, for “The Action Diet” (City Limits, July/August 2004).

2004 Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism

• Honorable mention for national prize rewarding outstanding coverage of issues facing children and families, for “Market Babies” (City Limits, January 2003)

2004 Fellowship, University of Maryland Journalism Fellowships

• Fellow for Journalism Fellowships in Child and Family Policy at Philip Merrill School of Journalism, aimed at deepening journalists’ understanding of how social policies affect children.

Education

1994-1999 New York University

• Magna cum laude, Bachelor of Arts, Political Science.

• Phi Beta Kappa

language

• Conversational Spanish and rudimentary French