Chandler Award for Excellence in
Student Religion Reporting

About the Award

This award is made possible by the generosity of Russell and Marjorie Lee Chandler. Russ Chandler was the religion editor for the Los Angeles Times from 1974 to 1992. He served as RNA president from 1982 to 1984. The Chandler Award, established in 2002, was the first secular award in the country to recognize student journalists for religion reporting.

Eligibility

The Chandler Award is open to any full-time or part-time students who have never been employed as reporters or similar positions—such as contractors paid as regular contributors/correspondents—at general circulation media outlets are eligible. Internships do not affect eligibility. RNA membership is not required for entry.

How to Enter

The Chandler Award is administered through BetterBNC. There is no entry fee for the Chandler Award. For detailed entry instructions, please click here.

Past Winners

2023

First Place: Sarah Nachimson, The Forward
Second Place: Gabriel Grant Huff, Harding University

2021

First Place: Zachary Lee, Cornell University
Second Place: Madison Muller, Northwestern University, Medill School of Journalism
Third Place: Nicole Chebili, University of Virginia

2020

First Place: Elizabeth Vandenboom, The King’s College
Second Place: Megan Botel, University of Southern California
Third Place: Diana Kruzman, New York University

2019

First Place: Zachary Davis, Harvard Divinity School
Second Place: Lauren Jackson, University of Oxford
Third Place: Hannah Bernstein, Northeastern University

2018

First Place: Paulina Cachero, University of Southern California
Second Place: Lauren Jackson, University of Oxford
Third Place: Rachel Cohrs, University of Southern California
Honorable Mention: Vildana Hajric and Isobel van Hagen, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism

2017

First Place: Blake Nelson, University of Missouri-Columbia
Second Place: Lauren Jackson, University of Virginia
Third Place: Aysha Khan, University of Maryland
Honorable Mention: Jemar Tisby, University of Mississippi

2016

First Place: Jacob Steimer, University of Missouri
Second Place: Jack Cahn, University of Pennsylvania
Third Place: Kaitlyn Chamberlin and Alexis Daily, Indiana University

2015

First Place: Jill Castellano, University of Pennsylvania
Second Place: Simran Jeet Singh, Columbia University
Third Place: Alfredo Garcia, Princeton University
Honorable Mention: Corey Stern, University of Pennsylvania

2014

First Place: Sara Grossman, University of California-Berkeley
Second Place: Heather Adams, University of Missouri
Third Place: Will Mari, University of Washington

2013

First Place: Rebecca Nakashima, Biola University
Second Place: Catherine Newhouse, University of Missouri
Third Place: April Burbank, Wheaton College

2012

First Place: Catherine Newhouse, University of Missouri
Second Place: Weston Gentry, University of Colorado at Boulder
Third Place: Jack Jenkins, Harvard Divinity School

2011

First Place: Paige Benton, University of Georgia
Second Place: Kelsey Kastrava, Cabrini College
Third Place: Anam Chias, University of Houston

2010

First Place: Evan Pondel, University of Southern California
Second Place: Jeremy Blaney, Michigan State University
Third Place: Tiffany Stanley, Harvard University
Honorable Mention: Kate Shellnut, Northwestern University

2009

First Place: Adeniyi Amadou, Syracuse University
Second Place: Sarah Pulliam, Wheaton College
Third Place: Tiffany Stanley, Harvard University

2008

First Place: Heather Donckels, The Master’s College
Second Place: Allison Ross, University of Missouri at Columbia
Third Place: Matthew Streib, Northwestern University

2007

First Place: Tina Shah, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Second Place: Shari Rabin, Boston University
Third Place: Mrinalini N. Reddy, Northwestern University

2006

First Place: Roy Maurer, Indiana University
Second Place: Laura Misjak, Michigan State University
Third Place: Malorie Lucich, San Francisco State University

2005

David Crow, Davidson College

2004

Andrew Olsen, Asbury College

2003

Manya Braschear, Columbia University

Catherine Newhouse receives a plaque from ML Chandler at the 2013 RNA conference.