National Faculty Honor to Boost Student Reporting

Assistant Professor of Practice Kendal Blust was named a member of the 2026 Faculty Champions cohort by the Center for Community News (CCN), a national program that supports partnerships between universities and local news organizations.

The recognition highlights faculty working to expand opportunities for students to report on issues that matter at the local level. As part of the program, Blust will receive funding to strengthen the impact of student journalism and take part in a yearlong fellowship that includes mentoring, training and networking with fellow educators.

Blust, along with adjunct instructor Cathy Burch, oversees Arizona Sonoran News, the University of Arizona School of Journalism’s official student newswire and a central part of its capstone reporting course. The platform publishes reporting by students for audiences across Southern Arizona and is designed to serve both the public and professional newsrooms.

With support from the Center for Community News, Blust and Burch will work to expand Spanish language content on Arizona Sonoran News. The site, launched in 2024, continues a decades-long tradition of student-powered community journalism at the School, offering work that news outlets can access and republish.

“It’s inspiring to collaborate with and learn from other educators doing this work across the country,” Blust said. “We know Arizona Sonoran News is already helping students improve their reporting skills and filling gaps in local news coverage, and we’re grateful for CCN’s support to keep expanding and improving that work.”

The Center for Community News, based at the University of Vermont, was established in 2022 to support university-driven reporting programs and their contributions to journalism across the United States.

Blust joins 150 faculty leaders in this year’s cohort representing public and private colleges across the U.S. and Canada.