University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa students had the rare opportunity to learn from acclaimed environmental journalist Rosanna Xia during her visit in January. Xia, a Pulitzer Prize finalist and environmental reporter for the Los Angeles Times, shared her expertise on crafting compelling stories, connecting science and humanity and addressing critical climate change issues such as sea level rise.
Xia’s visit was organized by the university’s Institute for Sustainability and Resilience (ISR), where she met with PhD students researching sea level rise. The group toured sea level rise hotspots across the island, from the North Shore to Kahala, discussing sea level rise-related challenges and some of the strategies that are being utilized or considered for sea level rise response.
“I really enjoyed learning about her approach to journalism and storytelling about climate impacts and sea level rise in California, and how important it is to connect with and compassionately represent the stories of those who are experiencing the impacts of the climate crisis firsthand,” said Tanya Dreizin, PhD student in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning.
Xia also led the workshop for journalism students “Crafting Compelling Stories: Lessons from a Pulitzer Prize Finalist.” Held in Associate Professor Youjeong Kim’s JOUR 330 class, the session focused on narrative-building techniques. Xia emphasized intention, ownership and responsibility in writing while guiding students through the process of integrating technical language with cinematic and sensory details.
“If writing is magic, Rosanna Xia is the magician who reveals her secrets behind the illusion. Not only did Xia expose the techniques but she also taught us how to apply them effectively,” said student Lauryn Johnson.
Xia concluded her visit with a public lecture, “Telling the Story of Sea Level Rise: Lessons from a Los Angeles Times Reporter.” As part of the Better Tomorrow Speaker Series, sponsored by SSFM International and co-hosted by ISR and the UH Mānoa Journalism Program, the lecture drew an audience eager to hear Xia’s perspective on some of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time.
“Her talk was amazing and having the opportunity to spend the day with her was great—there’s so much more to learn from her and her knowledge of sea level rise cases in California,” said Renee Setter, PhD student in the Department of Geography and Environment.
