Mary Beth S. Marklein
Higher education reporter
USA TODAY
7950 Jones Branch Drive
McLean, VA 22108
703-854-3684
Education
MA, American University, Washington, DC, journalism and public affairs, 1988. Graduated with distinction.
BA, University of Wisconsin-Madison, journalism; certificate in women’s studies, 1981.
Journalism experience
* Higher education reporter, USA TODAY, McLean, Va., 1997-present
Newspaper’s only full-time higher education reporter, covering hard news and features in a variety of areas including, but not limited to, admissions, standardized tests, affirmative action, tuition, financial aid and college costs, trends in teaching and learning, student and residential life, crime and safety, finance, fundraising and endowments, academic freedom and tenure, study abroad and international student issues.
* Free-lance journalist, Washington DC, 1987-1997
-Stories have appeared in the Quill (Society of Professional Journalists), Washington (now American) Journalism Review, Editor and Publisher, Science Writers, The Progressive, Chicago Sun-Times, Nation’s Business and others. Frequent contributor to USA TODAY and USA Weekend. Contributed to publications of the American Association of Retired People, United States Information Agency, Inter-American Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education. Awarded Honorable mention, USA TODAY education section, Benjamin Fine Awards for Outstanding Education Reporting, National Association of Secondary School Principals.
-Correspondent, The (Baltimore) Sun, Washington Bureau, 1988-1989. Coverage included Iran-Contra criminal case, 1988 presidential and congressional races, general assignment.
-Correspondent, San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Bureau, 1988-1989. Coverage included AIDS, environment, general assignment.
-National copy desk editor, Gannett News Service, 1989-1997. Occasional contributing writer. Stories distributed to local and state papers nationwide.
-Research assistant, 1988. Prepared background materials for congressional debates on WETA-TV, a public TV station in the Washington DC metro area; Iran-Contra trial for California-based Pacifica Radio; photo research for Life magazine.
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* Assistant features editor, Green Bay Press Gazette, Green Bay, Wisconsin, 1985-1987.
Position created to assist in revamping expanded features section. Co-supervised staff of seven reporters in editing and planning. Responsible for headline writing, copy editing, layout and design for daily, Sunday, and special sections. Created travel section. Section received first place for lifestyle pages in 1986 from Wisconsin Newspaper Association (WNA).
* Features editor and reporter, Wausau Daily Herald, Wausau, WI. 1982-1985,
Hired as features reporter and promoted (1983) to features editor. Supervised reporters and developed bank of local columnists/contributors. Created Sunday features section and weekly cooking section. Won first place feature writing in 1984; section won first place for feature/lifestyle section awards in 1985 from WNA.
Teaching experience
*Adjunct faculty, American University, Washington, DC, 1990-2000.
- Lecturer, “Writing for Mass Communication,” School of Communication, fall and spring semesters 1990-1999; fall semester 2000. Developed course syllabus, exercises and assignments for skills-based course required of all communications majors. Students were instructed in how to write print news stories, press releases and basic broadcast stories. Participated in training and curriculum development sessions with Writing for Mass Communication adjuncts.
- Intern adviser, Washington Journalism Semester, spring 1997. Advised about 20 visiting college students as they pursued and completed journalism internships. Group sessions focused on developing short- and long-term career goals.
- Instructor, Media in America, summer journalism program for high school students, 1994-1996, American University. With co-instructors, developed curriculum, including readings, written assignments, field trips, guest lecturers for three-week intensive program that focused on relationship between media and federal government. Students earned two college credits.
* Teacher (volunteer), Our Lady of the Americas Church, Washington, DC, 1994-1997. Taught English as a second language to Latino adults. Met weekly (September through June) with recent immigrants, most from South and Central America, to adapt to U.S. culture, understand the English language and improve pronunciation and grammar. Created assignments and exercises. Attended in-house and citywide workshops on pedagogy and teaching strategies.
* Graduate teaching assistant, American University,1987-1988.
Graded papers, developed assignments and led occasional sessions for graduate-level copy editing class and undergraduate feature-writing class.
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* Lecturer, University of Wisconsin Marathon Center, Wausau, Wisconsin, 1984-1985. Taught introduction to journalism course; advised student editors for campus newspaper on content and layout.
Special projects/publications
* News in the Next Century, a project managed and published by the Radio and Television News Directors Foundation (RTNDF) and supported by the Robert R. McCormick Tribune Foundation. The project examined the impact of technologies used to gather and deliver the news. RTNDF’s mission is to promote excellence in electronic journalism through research, education and professional training.
- writer, roundtable monograph, Dollars and Demographics: The Evolving Market for News, Spring 1996, pp. 1-22;
- writer, “Today’s News Audience,” Changing Channels: Young Adults, Internet Surfers and the Future of the News Audience, Summer 1996, pp. 19-28;
- editor, “The Future of News,” with permission of author Howard Rheingold, A Seat at the Table: The Role of Journalism in the Digital Era, 1995 pp.51-61;
-writer/editor, The Future of News: Defining the Issues, a survey of radio, TV and print news professionals in conjunction with the Manship School of Mass Communication, Louisiana State University, Summer 1995.
* USA TODAY educational development department and partners:
-contributing writer, teacher’s guide, “Careers: A Lifetime Journey,” 1994, as part of classroom materials for middle, secondary and postsecondary levels, developed by USA TODAY and the National Career Development Association, with input from the U.S. departments of Education, Labor and Congress, the American Library Association and the National Foundation for the Improvement of Education.
-author, teacher’s guide, “Geography Connections,” 1993, as part of classroom materials for grades 4-8. The curriculum was developed with input from USA TODAY and the National Geographic Society to meet (then-) recent criteria specified by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The guide drew from scientists at a number of federal agencies, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and educators with the National Science Teachers Association and National Council for the Social Studies. Also contributed to follow-up projects, including a USA TODAY-Delta Airlines promotional campaign to introduce Geography Connections into classrooms worldwide.
Special appointments
*Visiting scholar, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Summer 2001.
Studied the impact of technology on higher education as part of USA TODAY-sponsored sabbatical, summer 2001. Activities included but not limited to the following:
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- Attended Electronic Information Sources course; as class project developed Web site explaining USA TODAY sabbatical. (
- Attended “boot camp” training program of the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting, sponsored by Investigative Reporters and Editors and hosted by UNC-Chapel Hill.
-Attended sections of faculty workshop at North Carolina State University on how to develop and teach a course over the Internet.
-Enrolled (as auditor) in distance-learning course, Main Problems of Philosophy, offered over the Internet by UNC-Chapel Hill.
- Virtual guest lecturer for featuring writing class, Elon (N.C.) University; visitor/lecturer for a leisure studies course at Appalachian State University, Boone, N.C.; speaker on media ethics to African dignitaries visiting UNC during U.S. State Department-sponsored tour.
*Reporting copy editing “loaner,” USA TODAY, Arlington, Virginia. Fall/winter 1986.
Selected for exchange program between USA TODAY and Gannett newspapers. General assignment in Life section, copy editor on USA TODAY special sections and for Gannett News Service.
Professional service and outreach
* Member, advisory board, school of journalism, Elon University, Elon, N.C., 2002 to present. Advisors meet twice a year to develop strategies for journalism school, which is preparing to apply for accreditation.
* Member, board of directors, The Eagle, American University’s student newspaper, 2002 to present. Board meets three times a year to approve budget, elect key staff members, and advise on related details.
*Occasional contributor/consultant, USA TODAY Collegiate Program, 2001 to present. When invited, speak with visiting groups and participate in planning sessions as national circulation staff develops curriculum case studies based on USA TODAY articles available to faculty for use in college and university classrooms. Contribute to “Behind the Story: A Reporter’s Notebook” for case studies in which my higher education stories are highlighted.
* Judge, various contests, including feature writing/opinion columns for student journalists at Georgetown University; Circle of Excellence Awards, news writing category, for alumni relations, communications and development, Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, Washington, DC.
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Presentations, guest lectures, related outreach (partial list)
Frequent guest lecturer/speaker on campuses and at conferences, 1990-present. Speak on issues related to journalism and higher education before a variety of audiences.
2004
-March 22, panelist, “Academe in a Challenging Public Environment,” Association of American Universities Public Affairs Network, Washington, DC.
2003
-Nov. 10, speaker, senior student affairs officers’ luncheon, National Association of Student Personnel Administrators regional conference, Hyannis, Mass.
-Oct. 2-4, panelist, “Strange Bedfellows: How can Educators and Journalists Work Together to Tell the Truth About Education?” National Association for College Admission Counseling, Long Beach, Calif.
-Sept. 15, keynote speaker, College Admissions Institute, a leadership development program for the Lamar School, Meridian, Miss.
-May 12, panelist, “Covering Higher Education Issues,” Lumina Foundation on Education, Washington, DC.
-April 9, seminar leader, "A Brainstorming Session with a USA TODAY Reporter,” Elon University, Elon, N.C.
-Feb. 28, panelist, "Making Headlines: Stories and Issues Facing Private Higher Education This Decade,” Appalachian College Association conference, Lexington, Ky.
2002
-Dec. 9, panelist, “Cracking Major Media Markets,” Council for the Advancement and Support of Education regional meeting, Anaheim, Calif.
-June 26, panelist, “Media Skills for Higher Education Lawyers: Working with the Press,” National Association of College and University Attorneys annual meeting, Boston,
-June 19, 2002, panelist, “Attracting Attention from National Writers and Editors,” Keith Moore and Associates annual conference for public relations professionals, Philadelphia.
-May 14, 2002, keynote speaker, monthly meeting of Higher Education Group, Washington, DC
-April 16, 2002, panelist, higher education issues, Council for the Advancement and Support of Education regional meeting, Washington, DC. (Designated a “faculty star” based on program evaluations.)
-March 8-9, 2002, speaker, “The Shifting Cost of College -- From State to Student,” Education Writers Association higher education meeting, Ann Arbor, Mich.
-January 5-8, 2002, panelist, 2002 Presidents Institute, Council of Independent Colleges, Sanibel, Florida
Before 2002
-April 15-16, 2001, Elon University, Elon, N.C., keynote speaker, Media Board Banquet; advising session for student editors of The Pendulum; guest lecturer, Writing and Information Gathering and Reporting and Newswriting courses.
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-Nov. 14, 2000, panelist, “Communicating the Value of Public Higher Education: Tomorrow’s Headlines,” National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges annual meeting, San Antonio, Texas.
-Sept. 28, 1999, National Press Club, moderator, forum on admissions tests and standardized testing, featuring Dr. Nancy Cole, then president of Educational Testing Service; Nicholas Lemann, author of "The Big Test: The Secret History of the American Meritocracy", Vance Wilson, headmaster of St. Alban's School, Washington, DC.
- June 11, 1999, panelist, “Boards and Beats: Press Views on Faculty Governance,” American Association of University Professors annual meeting, Washington, DC.
-March 22, 1999, panelist, “Race Relations on Campus,” Haverford College forum for students and faculty, Haverford, Pa.