Fall 2026
Intro reporting team
Abigail String
Abby String is a sophomore double majoring in English and linguistics. She is originally from Laurel, Maryland. In her spare time, she can often be found curled up around a book with a warm cup of tea.
Alex Finkelberg
Alex Finkelberg (he/him) is a senior majoring in political science and minoring in writing. He is from Westchester, New York and has been enamored with the Knicks for the last couple months following their championship win. Alex also enjoys anything that involves simply existing in nature.
Andrei Aprea
Andrei Aprea is a junior public communication major with a concentration in community media & journalism. He is from Scituate, Massachusetts. He enjoys reading, writing, playing his guitar and going to the beach.
Anja Ciric
Anja Ciric is a third-year political science major and reporting and documentary storytelling minor. She is from New York City and enjoys baking, film, music and all things pop culture.
Asher VonDoepp
Asher VonDoepp is majoring in health and society and minoring in behavioral change sciences. Asher grew up in Burlington. He has spent three years on the UVM Club Basketball team. He is a big Lamar Jackson fan, and he is currently trying to move to New York City.
Aurora Freeman
Aurora Freeman is currently majoring in English and minoring in reporting and documentary storytelling. She is from Saugerties, New York and appreciates a good hike once in a while. She also appreciates photography, film, music and books.
Claudia Cacace
Claudia Cacace is a junior from Phoenix, Arizona studying English and film. During her time at UVM, she has fallen in love with the fall foliage and coffee creemees. When she’s not at a concert, Claudia can be found crocheting, buying too many books or imagining the day she wins “Survivor.”
Emma Rosenthal
Emma Rosenthal is a junior with a psychology major and a minor in political science. She is originally from Long Island, New York. When she’s not in class, she can be found obsessing over music, whether it’s playing electric bass or collecting CDs. She is also a lover of watching movies, reading and finding the best maple latte in Vermont.
Fiona Hughes
Fiona Hughes is a junior studying political science. She is from Bayonne, New Jersey. Fiona loves reading, watching movies and thrifting.
Kylie DelMaestro
Kylie DelMaestro is a senior majoring in English with minors in reporting and documentary storytelling and consumer and advertising. She is from Nutley, New Jersey. When she’s not on campus, you can find her reading outdoors or scooping ice cream.
Lindsay Foxwell
Lindsay Foxwell is a fourth-year student from Portland, Oregon studying public communications with a minor in Latin American and Caribbean studies. As a passionate outdoors enthusiast, you can find her backpacking and skiing in the Green Mountains when she is not in the newsroom writing for The Vermont Cynic or giving tours to prospective students as an AdvoCat.
Maddy Upston
Madeleine Upston is a senior double majoring in political science and philosophy. She loves Instagram reels and writing about herself in the third person. She is afraid of cheese, worms and most text messages.
Matt Rice
Matt Rice is a political science and environmental studies major. They are from Bardstown, Kentucky. Matt loves outdoor rock climbing and fantasy books.
Mela Fortunato
Mela Fortunato is a junior. She is a political science major and an art minor. She is from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and likes going to concerts and the beach.
Molly Bergeron
Molly Bergeron is a political science and environmental studies major with a minor in community and international development. She is from Voorheesville, New York. When she’s not in class she likes to see live music, read, cook and craft.
Molly Hutton
Molly Hutton is a senior, public communications major and Spanish minor from Montpelier. You will usually find her floating in a river, skiing or hanging out with her hermit crab “Hermie” that she acquired in third grade.
Robert Stark
Robert Stark is a sophomore at pursuing a B.S. in environmental science with a minor in biosecurity. Robert is originally from Cleveland, Ohio. He is a wildlife photographer and photojournalist with a passion for traveling and has conducted work in numerous countries around the globe.
Sabrina Spencer
Sabrina Spencer is a sophomore from Waldorf, Maryland. Outside of class, she loves drawing, eating, thrifting and lying in bed. She also frequents the Vermont Cynic as a writer, editor, artist and photographer.
Scarlett Glazebrook
Scarlett Glazebrook is a political science major and an emergency medical services minor. She is from Half Moon Bay, California. While living in Vermont, she has spent a lot of her time swimming, going to live shows, playing tennis and doing art with friends.
Will Sisler
Will Sisler is a film and television studies major and a reporting and documentary storytelling minor. He is from Skillman, New Jersey. While at UVM, Will has explored many of the towns around Vermont and enjoyed the outdoors along the way. If not adventuring, he can be found watching movies or creating his own.
Zachary Yang
Zach Yang is a political science major with a minor in reporting and documentary storytelling. He is from Stow, Massachusetts and is the youngest of three siblings. When not in class, Zach loves following sports, listening to music and spending time outdoors.
Advanced reporting team
Caitlin Justice
Caitlin Justice is a senior majoring in public communication and journalism.
Kyle Neece
Kyle Neece is a senior pursuing a BA. He is majoring in history and minoring in writing. Kyle is originally from San Francisco, California.
Mona Abou
Mona is a junior double majoring in political science and Chinese and minoring in philosophy, film and accounting. She is passionate about local politics. In her free time, she is a dedicated music nerd who loves discovering new artists and learning new instruments.
Natalie Bankmann
Natalie Bankmann is a senior philosophy major with a minor in reporting and documentary storytelling. She is interested in human interest stories. Natalie loves to travel, explore Vermont, take cold plunges and knit.
Roxy Vanderhoff
Roxy Vanderhoff is a senior public communications major with a concentration in community media and journalism and a minor in applied design.
Simone Traynor
Simone Traynor is a junior at studying political science, philosophy and writing. She is from Brooklyn, New York. In her free time, she loves to watch movies and scope out the best iced vanilla latte in town.
Audio reporting team
Anika Reitmeyer-Lankone
Anika Reitmeyer-Lankone is a senior sociology major from Southern Vermont. She is most interested in reporting on socio-political systems, culture and the human condition. She loves to sing, boogie and play outside!
Catson Shane
Catson Shane is a senior anthropology major from Salt Lake City, Utah. He is interested in reporting on Vermont’s history, culture and food scene. In his free time, he likes to go bowling, make up songs and get lost in the woods.
Dakota Hyland
Dakota Hyland is a senior public communication major from Eugene, Oregon interested in telling stories, making meaning through sound and connecting communities through words. Outside of class, she enjoys hiking Vermont’s beautiful Green Mountains, going on runs by the waterfront and grabbing coffee with friends downtown.
Emily Rodin
Emily Rodin is a senior English major with a minor in reporting and documentary storytelling. She is originally from Cheshire, Connecticut. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and baking sourdough.
Evan Witt
Evan Witt is a junior from Dallas, Texas majoring in public communication with a concentration in community media and journalism. He is interested in covering institutional abuses of power. He loves music and most activities outdoors.
Finn McDonough
Finn McDonough is a senior English major from Reading, Massachusetts, interested in reporting on local history, culture and government. He enjoys reading and playing the electric bass.
Juliette Dutton
Juliette Dutton is a senior public communication major from Washington, Connecticut interested in reporting on people and their cultural context. In her free time she loves to ski, hike and watch movies.
Kelly McNamara
Kelly McNamara is a junior English major from West Hartford, Connecticut interested in researching the current social landscape of Vermont including fostering community and addressing disparity. She enjoys writing poetry, listening to music, and above all, meeting new people.
Lucia DiDomenico
Lucia DiDomenico is a junior political science major from New York City interested in reporting on local politics. She likes running and hanging out with cats.
Marshall Austin Moffatt
Marshall Austin Moffatt is a junior studying political science and public communication. He is from Berkshire, Vermont, and has a deep interest in cultivating the stories of rural Vermonters while highlighting the experiences of those historically unrepresented in media. In his free time, he enjoys visiting tourist towns and crafting a new identity for a day.
Ollie Zwicky
Ollie Zwicky is a junior pursuing a degree in psychology with minors in neuroscience and political science. They are an officer of UVM’s improv team and have performed in numerous shows throughout the Northeast. They love to talk about music, comedy, literature, film, TV and anything else that illustrates how wonderful and weird humans are.
Faculty and staff
Instructor
Scott is the former CEO and president of Vermont Public and West Virginia Public Radio. He has worked at public radio stations in Florida and Connecticut and as a reporter at the Charlestown Gazette. He teaches our introductory-level cohort. Scott manages CCN’s efforts to increase collaborations between university-licensed public radio stations and university reporting programs.
CNS editor
Courtney is an award-winning journalist who most recently covered Burlington city politics for Seven Days. A total public records nerd, Courtney advocates for more transparency in government as part of a committee for the nonprofit New England First Amendment Coalition. She will talk endlessly about women’s basketball and Buffy the Vampire Slayer with anyone willing to listen.
Instructor and editor
Kelsey is a teacher and audio producer from Columbia, Missouri. She teaches radio journalism and audio storytelling courses at the University of Vermont and leads the Community News Service’s public radio journalism cohort. Previously, Kelsey led youth radio programs at KBIA in mid-Missouri and KUOW in Seattle, Washington.
Assistant editor
Anna Van Dine
Anna Van Dine is an audio producer based in Winooski. Anna provides CNS with additional editing.
Classroom editor
Molly Walsh
Molly covered Vermont for more than 30 years as a newspaper reporter, first with the Burlington Free Press and later with Seven Days. She provides CNS with additional editing.
Classroom editor
Jim Welch
Jim retired from a nearly 50-year career in journalism in the spring of 2023. He worked for the Burlington Free-Press as, among other things, city editor, assistant managing editor and managing editor. He was one of USA Today’s founding leaders, serving as the national paper’s first D.C. editor, sports deputy managing editor and news deputy managing editor. He joined VTDigger in 2018 as a senior editor and served as its interim executive director prior to retiring. He is a lecturer in the English department at UVM.
Classroom editor
Ace Sheehan
Ace is a recent University of Vermont graduate from Boston, Massachusetts, and serves as a classroom editor for the Community News Service. While at UVM, Ace worked with CNS and the Vermont Cynic in sports. She is focused on amplifying underrepresented voices in sports. Outside of writing, Ace is a passionate New England sports fan and avid iced coffee drinker.
Founder
Richard Watts
Richard is a former journalist and political campaign manager who now studies and teaches courses in journalism and public policy at UVM. Richard is the co-director of UVM’s Reporting & Documentary Storytelling Program, directs the Center for Research on Vermont and Center for Community News and founded CNS in 2019.
Social media manager
Matt Dooman
Matt is a professional digital communications and social media manager. He enjoys astronomy, student journalism and 15-second video comedy.
Social media coordinator
Jackson Bartels
Jackson Bartels is a senior public communication major with a concentration in community media and journalism with a minor in reporting and documentary storytelling. He is originally from outside of Philadelphia but is a big Seattle Seahawks fan. After spending the last year writing and reporting for the Community News Service, he now helps manage the social media for the Center for Community News.