Campus Life

Two Pulitzer Prize winners set for annual Foster-Foreman Conference

Pulitzer Prize winners David Fahrenthold and Megan O'Matz, a Penn State alumna, will participate in the annual Foster-Foreman Conference of Distinguished Writers. Credit: Photos ProvidedAll Rights Reserved.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Two Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists will speak during the annual Foster-Foreman Conference of Distinguished Writers — two free public lectures on Oct. 20 and 21 presented by the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State.

David Fahrenthold of The Washington Post and Megan O’Matz of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel will share examples of their work and participate in question-and-answer sessions.

Fahrenthold will be featured at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, on Zoom and Penn State alumna O’Matz will be featured at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, on Zoom.

Fahrenthold earned a Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting in 2017 for his coverage of U.S. President Donald Trump and his alleged charitable endeavors. Fahrenthold also serves as a political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. He joined the Post in 2000.

O’Matz is a long-time investigative reporter with the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. She was part of the team that won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for its coverage of the Parkland school shooting. O’Matz, who earned her Penn State journalism degree in 1987, has been with the Sun-Sentinel since 2000. She was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2006 and her work has been honored with a variety of awards.

The conference was designed to bring students together with standout journalists and is an opportunity for students to acquaint themselves with distinguished role models in the profession.

Last Updated June 2, 2021