HONORS & AWARDS

2025

2024

2021

  • Edward R. Murrow Award, National Radio Television Digital News Association, for “The Virus’s Tale,” Boston Globe short documentary and hard news digital coverage/narrative investigation of the spread of COVID-19

  • Society for Features Journalism, multiple national awards: for Narrative Storytelling (separate awards for "The Virus's Tale" and "The Hijacking of Flight 1320"); for General Feature ("The Virus's Tale"); and for Best Special Section ("Dispatches from the Edge" of the Pandemic)

  • Knight Journalism Program at MIT’s Victor K. McElheny Award for Science Journalism (finalist), for Boston Globe narrative investigation “The Virus’s Tale”

2020

  • The Best American Essays, notable essays selection (book editors Robert Atwan and Andre Aciman), for “The Madness of College Sports”

2019

  • Sigma Delta Chi Award for Investigative Reporting in Magazine Journalism, Society of Professional Journalists, for “The Madness of College Sports” 

  • Paris Accords of Science Communication, National Press Foundation science writing fellowship

2017 

  • Sigma Delta Chi Award for Public Service in Magazine Journalism, Society of Professional Journalists, for “Trump’s Wall and Prescott Hall: The Anti-immigrant Playbook” 

  • Journalism/Book Award, Boston Society of Civil Engineers, for Trapped Under the Sea

  • Weidenbaum Center Award for Evidence-Based Journalism, Washington University in St. Louis, for “Hopes, Dreams, Debt: The College Loan Crisis”

2016

  • Sigma Delta Chi Award for Public Service in Magazine Journalism, Society of Professional Journalists, for “Hopes, Dreams, Debt: The College Loan Crisis”

  • Sigma Delta Chi Award for Magazine Writing, Society of Professional Journalists, for “The Reckoning: The Roots of ISIS”

2015

  • Sigma Delta Chi Award for Public Service in Magazine Journalism, Society of Professional Journalists, for “Why Food Allergy Fakers Need to Stop”

2014

  • Booklist “Editor’s Choice” best-of-the-year selection, for Trapped Under the Sea

  • Amazon Top 100 Books of the Year (Combined Fiction and Nonfiction List), for Trapped Under the Sea

  • Amazon’s Top 20 Nonfiction Books of the Year, for Trapped Under the Sea

  • Amazon’s Top 20 History Books of the Year, for Trapped Under the Sea

  • Amazon Canada’s Top Nonfiction Books of the Year, for Trapped Under the Sea

  • Apple/iTunes Best Book of the Month selection, for Trapped Under the Sea

  • Publishers Weekly Top Ten (Science) pick, for Trapped Under the Sea

  • The Best American Essays, notable essays selection (book editors John Jeremiah Sullivan and Robert Atwan), for “Restart: The Future of the Boston Marathon after the Bombings”

2013

  • Sigma Delta Chi Award for Public Service in Magazine Journalism, Society of Professional Journalists, for “Greetings from Gun Valley”

  • National Headliner Award for Magazine Feature Writing (writing on a variety of subjects), Press Club of Atlantic City

2012

  • Sigma Delta Chi Award for Public Service in Magazine Journalism, Society of Professional Journalists, for “Boston vs. New York: The End Game”

  • Iowa High School Book Award (finalist), for The Assist

2011

  • Rosie Book Award (Indiana High School Book Award, named after Kurt Vonnegut character; finalist), for The Assist

  • The Best American Sports Writing, notable selection (book editor Jane Leavy), for “What We Lose When Everyone Wins”

2010

  • National Magazine Award / “Ellie” for Reporting (finalist), American Society of Magazine Editors, for “Trapped” and “The Way Out”

  • Emmy Award Nominee for Historic/Cultural Feature documentary/video segment (co-producer), National Academy of Arts and Sciences (New England), for “Trapped Under the Sea”

  • Non-deadline Writing Award (finalist), American Society of Newspaper Editors, for “Trapped” and “The Way Out”

  • Laventhol Prize for Online Storytelling (team award), American Society of Newspaper Editors, for “Ted Kennedy”

  • Journalism Award, Boston Society of Civil Engineers, for “Trapped” and “The Way Out”

  • News or Feature Multimedia Package (team award), National Press Photographers Association, for “Ted Kennedy”

  • Documentary Video Award (co-producer; finalist), National Press Photographers Association, for “Trapped Under the Sea”

  • The Best American Nonrequired Reading, notable selection (book editor Dave Eggers), for “Trapped”

2009

  • Sigma Delta Chi Award for Feature Reporting, Society of Professional Journalists, for “Trapped” and “The Way Out”

  • National Headliner Award for Magazine Feature Writing (writing on a variety of subjects), Press Club of Atlantic City

  • Media Award for Coverage of Family Issues, Council on Contemporary Families, for “Spying on the Text Generatio.”

2008

  • Best Books of the Year, Washington Post, for The Assist

  • Favorite Books of the Year, Rocky Mountain News, for The Assist

  • New Voices selection, Barnes & Noble, for The Assist

  • National Headliner Award for Magazine Feature Writing (writing on a variety of subjects), Press Club of Atlantic City

  • Narrative Feature Writing Award (finalist), American Society of Sunday and Features Editors

2007

  • National Headliner Award for Magazine Feature Writing (writing on a variety of subjects), Press Club of Atlantic City

  • The Best American Political Writing (book editor Royce N. Flippin III), for “The Lessons of the Father: George & Mitt Romney”

  • The Best American Crime Reporting (book editors Otto Penzler and Thomas H. Cook), for “The Inside Job”

2006

  • The Best American Science Writing (book editors Atul Gawande and Jesse Cohen), for “What Makes People Gay?”

  • National Headliner Award for Magazine Feature Writing (variety; finalist), Press Club of Atlantic City

2005

  • The Best American Crime Writing (book editors James Ellroy, Otto Penzler and Thomas H. Cook), for “The Self-destruction of an M.D.”

  • National Headliner Award for Magazine Feature Writing (variety; finalist), Press Club of Atlantic City

2003

  • Livingston Awards for Young Journalists (finalist), University of Michigan, for “The Costly Case of the Purple Pill”

Earlier

  • As a newsroom leader and project editor, received top honors from Investigative Reporters and Editors, the National Newspaper Association (top newspaper in its class), and a number of regional press associations (including the New England Newspaper Association’s Publick Occurrences Award, named after the nation’s first newspaper).