Loyola University Maryland will host a panel discussion with three journalists who have been critical in getting information to the public during recent disasters—including the Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, the flooding in Asheville, North Carolina, and the hurricane season in Florida—for this year’s Caulfield Lecture. The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place on Thursday, April 3, at 5 p.m. in the 4th Floor Program Room of the Andrew White Student Center. Registration on The Bridge is encouraged.

Danny Zawodny, transportation reporter for The Baltimore Banner, Karen Chávez, executive editor of The Asheville Citizen Times in North Carolina, and Danielle Van Pelt, broadcast meteorologist with WJCB TV20 in Florida, will be in conversation with a Loyola Department of Communication and Media faculty member and will also answer questions from the audience. All three journalists were part of critical reporting on situations that had widespread impact in their communities. 

Zawodny covers transportation for The Baltimore Banner as a corps member with Report For America, a national nonprofit that partners with local newsrooms to tackle under-reported issues. His stories dive into transit, infrastructure, state and federal spending, and, of course, the people of Baltimore and how they get around. He has been part of The Banner’s extensive coverage of the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, including day-one coverage, following the process of designing the rebuild, and telling the stories of the human impact of the collapse.

Chávez has worked for The Asheville Citizen Times daily newspaper for nearly 25 years in multiple capacities, from outdoors reporter to assistant sports editor to investigations editor. Karen led round-the-clock coverage of Tropical Storm Helene from the bullseye of the deadliest natural disaster in North Carolina’s history, and the third deadliest storm in modern U.S. history. Karen and her staff lived without water, power, Wi-Fi, or cell service in their homes for weeks while covering Helene—as did much of Western North Carolina—and no running water, air conditioning, or toilets in the downtown office.

Van Pelt is a First Alert Meteorologist in North Central Florida who loves to study all things weather. This past hurricane season, Danielle tracked Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton. She experienced the intensity of covering such powerful storms and learned up close how much devastation and uncertainty tropical systems can cause to communities.

About the Caulfield Lecture

Now in its 34th year, the Caulfield Lecture series at Loyola was established by the family of Clarence J. Caulfield, a 1922 graduate who spent 26 years as an editor at The Baltimore Sun and was a mentor to such prominent writers as J. Anthony Lukas and Russell T. Baker. Hosted by the communication department, the Caulfield Lecture brings journalists and commentators of national stature to Loyola every year.