The AI Journalism Labs at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, created in partnership with Microsoft, is thrilled to introduce the next cohort of the program — the AI Journalism Lab: Adoption. This group of 23 journalists, reporters, producers, and managers from across the globe will learn strategies to effectively adopt AI practices.
“Our participants are at the forefront of AI adoption in journalism,” said Marie Gilot, Executive Director of J+ at the Newmark J-School. “This program is designed to empower them with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to lead their newsrooms into an AI-enabled future.”
The cohort members hail from across the globe including Canada, Colombia, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Nigeria, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Romania, Turkey, United States, and Uruguay. Their collective expertise spans local and international reporting, editorial leadership, audience engagement, product management, digital innovation, and data-driven storytelling.
“AI offers incredible opportunities for newsrooms, but navigating its adoption can be challenging,” said Noreen Gillespie, Journalism Director, Microsoft. “This program is tailored to help participants overcome those challenges, ensuring they can integrate AI in ways that strengthen their journalism and better serve their communities.”
The Lab will run from March 28 to July 2, 2025. The program is virtual except for an in-person kick-off at the Newmark J-School in New York from March 28-29.
AI JOURNALISM LAB: ADOPTION COHORT
Mariya Abate
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: Decatur, Georgia, United States
Country of origin: United States
Organization: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Role: Optimization Producer
Mariya is a writer and editor based in Atlanta, Georgia. She is currently an Optimization Producer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, specializing in SEO, sports, and Black culture.
Chibuike Alagboso
Pronouns: he/him
Current location: Abuja, Nigeria
Country of origin: Nigeria
Organization: Nigeria Health Watch
Role: Deputy Director of Media Programmes
Chibuike Alagboso is the Deputy Director of Media Programmes at Nigeria Health Watch, where he supports transformative health communication and advocacy initiatives. With over a decade of experience, Chibuike supports Nigerian, African and global media organizations, empowering them to report on health and other development issues. Since 2020, he has led the implementation of the Solutions Journalism Africa Initiative in Nigeria. Through the project, he has built a community of journalists, editors, and leaders of media organizations across Nigeria while supporting them in integrating solutions journalism framework in their practice and newsroom strategies. He leads Cross-Learning efforts, helping to expand his organisation’s policy advocacy work across Africa. Chibuike has trained and mentored journalists, students, and media organisations globally. He has been a mentor and grant jury member for the European Journalism Centre’s Solutions Journalism Accelerator Grant, One World Media UK, and Journalism Fund Europe. He enjoys exploring innovative strategies and processes that drive positive social impact.
Ece Defne Altiok
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: Berlin, Germany
Country of origin: Turkey
Organization: Deutsche Welle (DW)
Role: Journalist/Editor
Ece Defne Altiok is a freelance journalist at Deutsche Welle (DW), Germany’s international broadcaster. She began her career at DW in 2018 as a journalism trainee, gaining hands-on experience in TV, digital journalism, and social media. This program ignited her passion for data-driven journalism and the integration of emerging technologies in newsrooms. Currently, Altiok writes, edits, produces, and hosts for DW’s +90 project, a collaborative initiative by DW, VOA, BBC, and France24 that emphasizes constructive, data-driven journalism in Turkey. Published on YouTube and various social media platforms, +90 addresses a wide range of social issues in an engaging format. In 2023, she joined the London School of Economics’ JournalismAI Fellowship Program, collaborating with editors and technologists to develop an AI tool for detecting bias in text. She presented these findings at the 2024 International Journalism Festival in Perugia and continues to explore AI’s potential through webinars and academic research.
Mayra Julieth Baez Jimeno
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: Bogotá, Colombia
Country of origin: Colombia
Organization: Latin American Center for Investigative Journalism (CLIP)
Role: Audience Strategist
Mayra Báez is an award-winning audience strategist with over a decade of experience at the intersection of innovation and product development. She is passionate about connecting impactful stories with diverse communities, amplifying underrepresented voices, and bridging gaps across language barriers and geographical borders. Mayra has developed groundbreaking approaches in data visualization, social media for news production and consumption, and collaborative journalism. Her career highlights include launching AJ+ Español, Al Jazeera’s first and only Spanish-language media outlet; co-creating Univision’s Rise Up; and leading cross-border audience strategies at the Latin American Center for Investigative Journalism (CLIP). Her work has consistently used technology and storytelling to illuminate critical issues across the Americas. Mayra is spearheading the implementation of generative AI in journalism, exploring its potential to revolutionize newsroom workflows. Her mission is to free up time and mental energy for what truly matters in these uncertain times: strategy, impact, and creating meaningful connections with audiences.
Thomas Caputo
Pronouns: he/him
Current location: Belmont, Massachusetts, United States
Country of origin: United States
Organization: The Belmont Voice
Role: CTO
Tom is a seasoned technology leader dedicated to advancing nonprofit journalism through innovation. As the CTO of The Belmont Voice, his hometown’s nonprofit newspaper, Tom built its technology platform from the ground up. He often consults with other nonprofit newsrooms and spearheads efforts to integrate technology and AI into the community news workflow. Tom draws on over 25 years of experience in technology and product leadership at organizations ranging from Microsoft and CapitalOne to various media startups. Most recently, he served as Chief Product Officer at CarGurus, where he guided the product strategy to scale its digital marketplace. Tom holds a BA in Computer Science from Dartmouth College, as well as an MBA and an MS in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.
Anthony DeLorenzo
Pronouns: he/him
Current location: Stamford, Vermont, United States
Country of origin: United States
Organization: PBS | FRONTLINE
Role: Senior Web Developer
Anthony DeLorenzo is the Senior Web Developer for PBS FRONTLINE. He specializes in producing immersive storytelling and data visualizations, including award-winning interactives such as Un(re)solved (which tells the stories of lives cut short and examines a federal effort to investigate more than 150 cold cases dating back to the civil rights era), War Crimes Watch Ukraine (an initial collection of Russian war crimes during the first year of the war in Ukraine), and Lethal Restraint (an investigation documenting police use of force). In addition to his work on interactive projects, DeLorenzo develops and implements tools to support journalists and filmmakers in creating FRONTLINE’s documentaries. He also maintains and improves FRONTLINE’s longstanding web presence.
Miguel Dobrich
Pronouns: he/him
Current location: Montevideo, Uruguay
Country of origin: Uruguay
Organization: Amenaza Roboto
Role: CEO, Editor-in-Chief
Miguel Dobrich is a journalist and educator based in Montevideo. He is the founder of Dobcast, a network of podcasts and a premium content YouTube channel for the Spanish-speaking world, and the CEO and Editor-in-chief of Amenaza Roboto, a science and technology news website that hosts Uruguay’s only data and climate journalism vertical. Miguel is a 2024 National Academies Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communications recipient, a 2024 and 2023 Pulitzer Center grantee, and a 2023 Sigma Awards winner. He was a 2018 Tow-Knight Fellow in Entrepreneurial Journalism at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, and is an alumnus of the Oxford Climate Journalism Network at the Reuters Institute.
Lorirae Francisco
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: New York City, New York, United States
Country of origin: United States
Organization: The Atlantic
Role: Product Manager
Lorirae Francisco is a product manager at The Atlantic. Although relatively new to the news product space, she brings five years of experience in product management across multiple industries, including emergency service eduTech and Apple’s creative advertising. With a background in industrial design, Francisco draws inspiration from cutting-edge technologies, the dynamic interplay between humans and innovation, and the elegance of nature. She thrives at the intersection of design and functionality, passionate about crafting solutions that resonate with the people they are built for and align with the evolving technological landscape.
Sara Herschander
Pronouns: she/they
Current location: New York City, New York, United States
Country of origin: United States
Organization: The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Role: Staff Reporter
Sara Herschander is a reporter and audio producer based out of New York City. She currently covers the nooks and crannies of nonprofits, wealth, and philanthropy for the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Before coming to the Chronicle, she worked in podcasting at Futuro Media and as a freelance journalist covering social movements, labor, and housing. Sara received an M.A. in Spanish-language journalism from Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY and studied international security and foreign policy at Boston University. In a prior life, she spent several years working in education, refugee services, and homeless services in Santiago, Chile, Mexico City, and New York City.
Nina Ignaczak
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: Detroit, Michigan, United States
Country of origin: United States
Organization: Planet Detroit
Role: Founder, Executive Editor
Nina Misuraca Ignaczak is an award-winning Metro Detroit-based editor, journalist and documentary filmmaker. She is the founder, publisher, and editor of Planet Detroit, a digital media startup with a mission to produce quality climate, equity, health and environment journalism in the public interest that centers grassroots voices, holds power accountable, spotlights solutions + serves the community. Since its inception in 2019, Planet Detroit has won awards and recognition from the Society for Professional Journalists Detroit, the Institute for Nonprofit News, and LION Publishers.
Imad Khan
Pronouns: he/him
Current location: New York City, New York, United States
Country of origin: United States
Organization: CNET
Role: Senior Reporter
Imad Khan is the Google and AI reporter at CNET. A 2017 graduate of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, he previously served as the news editor at Tom’s Guide. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, ESPN, and Wired.
Megan McPhaden
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: Toronto, Canada
Country of origin: Canada
Organization: The Globe and Mail
Role: Product Manager, Storytelling
Megan McPhaden is a former journalist with over a decade of experience across print, digital, and broadcast organizations in Canada and abroad. During her time as the managing editor of lifestyle brand Cottage Life, her interest in bridging editorial and product development grew. She recently took on a new role as product manager of The Globe and Mail’s storytelling portfolio, working alongside journalists to develop innovative storytelling tools that leverage AI to improve workflows and enhance the user experience.
Adrian Nesta
Pronouns: he/him
Current location: New York City, New York, United States
Country of origin: United States
Organization: Dotdash Meredith
Role: Senior Data Reporter
Adrian Nesta is a data reporter with Dotdash Meredith, primarily covering economics and health stories for Investopedia and Verywell Health. He has also contributed freelance reporting on housing and transportation topics for local news organizations such as City Limits and Greater Greater Washington. Nesta is passionate about finding data that enhances or forms the basis for novel reporting. He leverages programming languages and other tools to gather, store, analyze, and visualize data in his work.
Robert Olivier
Pronouns: he/him
Current location: New Jersey, United States
Country of origin: United States
Organization: NJ Advance Media (NJ.com and The Star-Ledger)
Role: Food and Culture Editor
Bobby Olivier is the Food and Culture Editor and a Music Reporter for NJ Advance Media (NJ.com and The Star-Ledger). He has worked for the company in various editing and reporting roles for 15 years, covering music, entertainment, dining, nightlife and more. He has won numerous awards from the New Jersey Press Association, Society of Features Journalism (national), and was a Livingston Award finalist. He graduated with a degree in journalism and professional writing from The College of New Jersey in 2011.
Kamini Ramdeen-Chowdhury
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: New York City, New York, United States
Country of origin: United States
Organization: theSkimm
Role: Managing Editor
Kamini is a one-stop content shop with a knack for wearing many hats. As the Managing Editor of theSkimm, she oversees editorial operations, campaigns, and events, bringing her expertise to a wide range of topics, including news, politics, parenting, wellness, finance, and culture. She also brings a passion for amplifying underrepresented voices, co-editing Untold in 2021, an anthology that highlights the experiences of the South Asian diaspora. When she’s offline you’ll likely find her sipping on endless coffee, getting lost in a good book, dreaming about writing her own, or chasing after her two-year-old.
Roni Satria
Pronouns: he/him
Current location: Jakarta, Indonesia
Country of origin: Indonesia
Organization: CNN Indonesia
Role: Correspondent, Affinity Desk Head
Roni Satria is a correspondent at CNN Indonesia with over 13 years of experience covering terrorism, disasters, environment, and corruption issues. Roni frequently explores remote and outermost areas of Indonesia, creating documentaries that shed light on overlooked social and cultural disparities. He currently leads the affinity desk at CNN Indonesia, overseeing journalists covering international, economic, and lifestyle news. Roni holds a master’s degree in Terrorism in International Security Studies from the University of Indonesia, graduating with top honors. He was a fellow in the East-West Center’s 2024 Jefferson Fellowships in Honolulu, USA, the 2024 International Trade Fellowship held by National Press Foundation in Singapore, the 2024 Climate Change, Air Pollution, and Health Reporting at Sunway University in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and the 2023 Crises and Disasters Reporting from Thomson Reuters Foundation in Bangkok, Thailand. Roni completed a remote course on JournalismAI by Polis LSE and Google News Initiative in 2024.
Demetrius Suggs, Jr.
Pronouns: he/him
Current location: Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
Country of origin: United States
Organization: WFAE
Role: Digital Solutions Manager
Demetrius Suggs, Jr. is an innovative Digital Solutions Manager at WFAE, Charlotte’s NPR station, where he drives strategies to engage diverse audiences, expand financial support, and build community connections. With a master’s in digital marketing, Demetrius blends creativity and analytics to implement meaningful solutions. His professional journey began in sales and evolved into a focus on digital marketing and programmatic advertising, developing impactful digital membership programs and sponsored content initiatives. Passionate about leveraging technology for storytelling, Demetrius is excited to explore AI’s potential to enhance journalism and audience engagement. Beyond work, Demetrius enjoys photography, R&B music, and exploring beginner hiking trails.
Beakal Teshome
Pronouns: he/him
Current location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Country of origin: Ethiopia
Organization: The Reporter Ethiopia
Role: Head of Digital Department and Digital Editor
Beakal Teshome is the Digital Editor at The Reporter Ethiopia, with over eight years of experience leading digital transformations. He has successfully grown platforms like EthiopianReporter.com to over 15 million monthly views by focusing on user-centered design, SEO, and cross-functional collaboration. His work includes implementing advanced CMS systems that increased operational efficiency by 30%, transforming these platforms into high-traffic, impactful digital products. Through the News Product Management Certification, Teshome aims to enhance his skills in creating user-focused news products that balance editorial integrity with audience needs. For his capstone project, he plans to develop a personalized content recommendation engine to improve engagement while maintaining editorial priorities. Teshome is passionate about leveraging AI and data-driven strategies to craft innovative and sustainable news products. He sees this program as an opportunity to refine his ability to translate data insights into actionable improvements and better manage cross-functional teams. With scholarship support, he is eager to contribute his experience and perspectives to the cohort while learning from global professionals in this dynamic field.
Lilian Tiburcio
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: Quezon City, Philippines
Country of origin: Philippines
Organization: GMA Network, Inc.
Role: Journalist
Lilian Tiburcio is an award-winning journalist from GMA Network, the Philippines’ leading broadcast network. With a passion for impactful storytelling, she has carved a niche in producing long-form narratives that spotlight social issues and stories that resonate deeply with audiences. Her works earned recognition both locally and internationally. In 2023, her documentary, “”Runaway Child Brides””, garnered 15 million views online and became GMA Network’s first digital documentary to win at the prestigious New York Festivals TV and Film Awards. The documentary was also a finalist at the U.S. International Awards. Additionally, Lilian was shortlisted for the Thomson Foundation’s Young Journalist Award 2023 in London, highlighting her exceptional talent and dedication to journalism. Known for her keen attention to details and unwavering commitment to her craft, Lilian believes in the transformative power of storytelling to amplify marginalized voices and inspire change. Outside of journalism, she participates in community outreach programs and advocates for sustainable development. A nature lover and adventure seeker, Lilian embraces continuous learning and self-improvement, enriching her personal and professional journey.
Luiza Vasiliu
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: Bucharest, Romania
Country of origin: Romania
Organization: Freelancer
Role: Freelance journalist
Luiza Vasiliu studied literature and became a journalist by contagion. In 2016 she co-founded Scena9, a platform for the young generation of artists and thinkers. In the meantime, she discovered the thrill of investigative journalism. She published a series about one of the most famous Romanian doctors, who performed unauthorized experimental procedures which killed children or left them crippled. This investigation was a finalist for the European Science Writer of The Year Award. She wrote about astrophysicists studying micro black holes, a communism dissident setting Stalin’s statue on fire, the Tate brothers and their human trafficking victims in Romania, and more recently, about online disinformation and obstetric violence. In 2025 she plans to start a new publication dedicated to the rights that are lost in failing democracies.
Giovanny Vega
Pronouns: he/him
Current location: Puerto Rico
Country of origin: Puerto Rico
Organization: El Vocero de Puerto Rico
Role: Innovation and AI Manager
Giovanny Joel Vega De Lleguas is a Puerto Rican journalist and editor with over a decade of experience covering politics, sports, health, and government. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and a master’s degree in Sports Management from the Escuela Universitaria del Real Madrid and Universidad Europea. Known as the youngest chronicler and editor in Puerto Rico’s journalism history, Giovanny has earned national awards for his work in storytelling and multimedia journalism. Currently, he leads the Innovation and Artificial Intelligence Unit at El Vocero de Puerto Rico, driving the integration of technological tools in the newsroom and pioneering new narratives for the publication. He has covered international events like the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Haley Velasco
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: Morristown, New Jersey, United States
Country of origin: United States
Organization: McClatchy
Role: Senior Editor, News Audience Development
Haley Velasco is a passionate storyteller who loves to innovate with content types and on digital platforms to create compelling stories. As a journalist, she specializes in audience development, writing and reporting, with work in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today and more. Currently, she is the Senior Editor for News Audience Development at McClatchy, which owns 30 newspapers across the U.S., including the Miami Herald, Kansas City Star and Sacramento Bee. In this role, she manages all messaging strategies for the newspapers, from push notifications to newsletter, focused on growth and optimization. Previously, she was one of the most senior Social Media Editors for The Wall Street Journal, leading social platforms focusing on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, as well as working on Instagram strategy and weekly posts. In her spare time, you can find her at the Jersey Shore, reading and playing with her dachshund named Relish.
Ashley Yeager
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: North Carolina, United States
Country of origin: United States
Organization: Science News
Role: Associate News Editor
Ashley Yeager is an associate news editor at Science News. Previously, she worked at The Scientist, the Simons Foundation, Duke University and the W.M. Keck Observatory and as a freelance writer and editor. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a master’s degree in science writing from MIT. Her book, Bright Galaxies, Dark Matter and Beyond, on the life of astronomer Vera Rubin, was published by MIT Press in 2021.