WATCHDOG WRITERS GROUP TEAM
The Teams
Class of 2023
THE FELLOW
![WWG-Smarsh Sarah Smarsh](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/WWG-Smarsh.jpg)
FELLOW
Sarah Smarsh
Sarah Smarsh is a journalist who has covered socioeconomic class, politics and public policy for The New York Times, National Geographic, Harper’s, and many other publications.
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THE STUDENT
![WWG-Jocelyn Heimsoth Sarah Smarsh](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/WWG-Jocelyn-Heimsoth.jpg)
Jocelyn Heimsoth
Jocelyn Heimsoth is a senior at the University of Missouri double-majoring in Journalism and Environmental Science, studying environmental journalism.
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THE FELLOW
![WWG-Alisa Alisa Roth](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/WWG-Alisa.jpg)
FELLOW
Alisa Roth
Alisa Roth is a contributor to Marketplace, NPR, and other outlets, who specializes in mental health, criminal justice and other social policy issues.
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THE FELLOW
![WWG-Frazier Photo](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/WWG-Frazier-Photo.png)
FELLOW
Mya Frazier
Mya Frazier is writing a book that expands on her recent investigation for The New York Times Magazine into America’s housing crisis and the credit reporting system. During the fellowship, she will research the relationship between class mobility and the credit system.
READ BIO
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THE STUDENT
![WWG-ValerieHS ValerieHS](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/WWG-ValerieHS.jpg)
Valerie Nava
Valerie Nava is a second year M.A. student in the University of Missouri School of Journalism.
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The Teams
Class of 2022
THE FELLOW
![WWG-Smarsh Sarah Smarsh](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/WWG-Smarsh.jpg)
FELLOW
Sarah Smarsh
Sarah Smarsh is a journalist who has covered socioeconomic class, politics and public policy for The New York Times, National Geographic, Harper’s, and many other publications.
READ BIO
![Arrow Right Arrow Right](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/down-arrow-2x-1.png)
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THE STUDENT
![WWG-Mavis-Chan Mavis Chan](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/WWG-Mavis-Chan.jpg)
Mavis Chan
Mavis Chan is a senior majoring in journalism and political science at the University of Missouri.
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THE FELLOW
![WWG-Alisa Alisa Roth](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/WWG-Alisa.jpg)
FELLOW
Alisa Roth
Alisa Roth is a contributor to Marketplace, NPR, and other outlets, who specializes in mental health, criminal justice and other social policy issues.
READ BIO
![Arrow Right Arrow Right](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/down-arrow-2x-1.png)
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THE STUDENT
![WWG-Teghan-Simonton Teghan Simonton](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/WWG-Teghan-Simonton.jpg)
Teghan Simonton
Teghan Simonton is a graduate student at the University of Missouri studying investigative reporting.
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THE FELLOW
![thumbnail_Leonard High Resolution copy Chris Leonard](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/thumbnail_Leonard-High-Resolution-copy.jpg)
DIRECTOR
Christopher Leonard
Executive Director
of the WWG
Writing a book about a company at the heart of American political and economic affairs.
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THE STUDENT
![thumbnail_Regan Mertz Regan Mertz](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/thumbnail_Regan-Mertz.jpg)
Regan Mertz
Regan Mertz is a graduate student studying Documentary and Photojournalism at the Missouri School of Journalism.
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THE FELLOW
![WWP-Grunwald Photo](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/WWP-Grunwald-Photo.png)
FELLOW
Michael Grunwald
Michael Grunwald is working on a book for Simon & Schuster about how to feed the world without frying the world. It’s about the food we eat, the farms that make the food, the forests that get cleared to make room for the farms, and the search for technological and political solutions that can prevent us from eating the earth.
READ BIO
![Arrow Right Arrow Right](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/down-arrow-2x-1.png)
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THE STUDENT
![thumbnail_Jana Rose Schleis Jana Rose Schleis](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/thumbnail_Jana-Rose-Schleis.jpg)
Jana Rose Schleis
Jana Rose Schleis is a second year M.A. student in the Missouri School of Journalism. She’s studying investigative journalism, government reporting and public policy.
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THE FELLOW
![WWG-Frazier Photo](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/WWG-Frazier-Photo.png)
FELLOW
Mya Frazier
Mya Frazier is writing a book that expands on her recent investigation for The New York Times Magazine into America’s housing crisis and the credit reporting system. During the fellowship, she will research the relationship between class mobility and the credit system.
READ BIO
![Arrow Right Arrow Right](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/down-arrow-2x-1.png)
![Down Arrow Down Arrow](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/down-arrow-2x.png)
THE STUDENTS
![WWG-Bankauskaite Beatrice Bankauskaite](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/WWG-Bankauskaite.jpg)
Beatrice Bankauskaite
Beatrice Bankauskaite is a Fulbright grantee and a graduate student at the University of Missouri studying documentary and photojournalism.
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![WWG-Claudia-Rivera Claudia Rivera-Cotto](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/WWG-Claudia-Rivera.jpg)
Claudia Rivera-Cotto
Claudia Rivera-Cotto is a graduate student at the University of Missouri in data and investigative journalism.
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THE FELLOW
![WWG-Walter Photo](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/WWG-Walter-Photo.jpg)
FELLOW
Shoshana Walter
Shoshana Walter is writing a book that builds on her award-winning reporting for Reveal on unpaid work camps masquerading as rehab. Her book, “Untreated,” will chronicle the many problems plaguing the country’s addiction treatment system, how it got this way and how we could do better for the millions of people in the US struggling with addiction.
READ BIO
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THE STUDENT
![Kelly-Dereuck Kelly Dereuck](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Kelly-Dereuck.jpg)
Kelly Dereuck
Kelly Dereuck is a graduate student researching the use of public records to report on private equity.
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The Teams
Class of 2021
THE FELLOW
![WWP-Grunwald Photo](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/WWP-Grunwald-Photo.png)
FELLOW
Michael Grunwald
Michael Grunwald is working on a book for Simon & Schuster about how to feed the world without frying the world. It’s about the food we eat, the farms that make the food, the forests that get cleared to make room for the farms, and the search for technological and political solutions that can prevent us from eating the earth.
READ BIO
![Arrow Right Arrow Right](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/down-arrow-2x-1.png)
![Down Arrow Down Arrow](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/down-arrow-2x.png)
THE STUDENT
![WWG-Mark_Ossolinski](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/WWG-Mark_Ossolinski.jpg)
Mark Ossolinski
Ossolinski is working with Grunwald to investigate the relationship between agribusiness and climate change.
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THE FELLOW
![WWG-Walter Photo](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/WWG-Walter-Photo.jpg)
FELLOW
Shoshana Walter
Shoshana Walter is writing a book that builds on her award-winning reporting for Reveal on unpaid work camps masquerading as rehab. Her book, “Untreated,” will chronicle the many problems plaguing the country’s addiction treatment system, how it got this way and how we could do better for the millions of people in the US struggling with addiction.
READ BIO
![Arrow Right Arrow Right](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/down-arrow-2x-1.png)
![Down Arrow Down Arrow](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/down-arrow-2x.png)
THE STUDENT
![WWG-Morales Photo](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/WWG-Morales-Photo.jpg)
Cianna Morales
Morales is working with Shoshana Walter to investigate the shrouded rehab industry that has grown up around America’s opioid epidemic.
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The Teams
Class of 2020
THE FELLOW
![Pamela Colloff Pamela Colloff](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/PamelaColloff-min.jpg)
Pamela Colloff
Staff writer, New York Times Magazine
and Senior Reporter at ProPublica
Writing a book about the criminal justice system and jailhouse informants.
READ BIO
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THE STUDENT
![STEVEN GARRISON STEVEN GARRISON](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/steve-color-min.jpg)
Steven Garrison
Working with Pamela Colloff to investigate the criminal justice system in Missouri and
other states.
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THE FELLOW
![John Eligon](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/John-Eligon.jpg)
John Eligon
New York Times National Correspondent
Developing a book project about the Black Lives Matter movement.
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THE STUDENT
![missing-photo](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/missing-photo.jpg)
Eligon’s student reporter will be assigned in the fall of 2020.
![Search Icon Search Icon](https://watchdogwritersgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/search-icon.png)
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“False Witness”
The New York Times Magazine