Staff

Len Bruzzese, Executive Director

Bruzzese is the executive director of AHCJ and its Center for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. He is also an associate professor at the Missouri School of Journalism and serves on the executive committee of the Council of National Journalism Organizations. Bruzzese, a founding staff member of USA Today, spent 20 years in daily journalism before entering the nonprofit and academic worlds. He served as deputy director of Investigative Reporters and Editors and the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting for seven years before helping base AHCJ at Missouri in 2005. He is co-author of "The Investigative Reporter's Handbook," (fourth edition), and has edited 11 reporter beat books focused on different reporting topics of use to daily journalists. He has won several newspaper and magazine editing awards and was named Outstanding Alumnus in Journalism by the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Bruzzese's journalism career included writing, editing and management stints at USA Today, The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, Miss.), the Pensacola News Journal and Gannett News Service (Washington, D.C.). His final daily newspaper position was as editor of The Olympian in Olympia, Wash. len@healthjournalism.org | Phone: 573-884-5606

Jeff Porter, Special Projects Director

Porter became AHCJ special projects director in 2008 after serving six years as the database library director for Investigative Reporters and Editors and the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting. In that position, he conducted and directed data analysis for broadcast and print investigative projects, served as lead instructor for computer-assisted reporting boot camps, and provided journalism training across the United States and overseas. He also has served as a CAR instructor at the Missouri School of Journalism. Previously, he worked 20 years as an award-winning newspaper journalist, served as adjunct college faculty, and co-created and hosted a weekly radio program. His last newspaper job was at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, where he served as CAR specialist, combining traditional investigative reporting techniques with advanced data analysis tools. jeff@healthjournalism.org | Phone: 573-884-5477

Christy Stretz, Membership Coordinator

Stretz is the membership coordinator for AHCJ, where she provides the first line of service for members and potential members. She also serves as fellowships coordinator, assisting journalists awarded one of our specialty fellowships with logistical support to attend training events or obtain help from other professionals. She has worked as a continuing education coordinator with the Center for Innovations in Education at the University of Missouri, and a genetics and rural outreach clinics coordinator at the MU Medical School. christy@healthjournalism.org | Phone: 573-882-2955

Pia Christensen, Managing Editor/Online Services

Christensen manages the content and development of healthjournalism.org and oversaw the site's redesign. She  assists with the editing and production of AHCJ's publications, including books, conference programs and the quarterly newsletter. She previously was publications coordinator for Investigative Reporters and Editors, where she oversaw Web site content, edited IRE publications and assisted advertisers. She worked as a copy editor and an interactive producer at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, a producer for Tribune Interactive, a sports copy editor for the Marin (Calif.) Independent Journal, and was job and internship coordinator at the Center for Integration and Improvement of Journalism in San Francisco. She telecommutes from Oklahoma. pia@healthjournalism.org | Phone: 405-707-7300

Ev Ruch-Graham, Training Coordinator

Ruch-Graham serves as training coordinator for AHCJ where she helps arrange conferences, workshops and other training events. She offers logistical assistance to speakers, exhibitors and conference program advertisers, and provides on-site leadership during events. She has served in similar roles at New Directions for News and most recently at Investigative Reporters and Editors, where she served for nearly eight years. She also has worked as a course coordinator at the University of Missouri's College of Education and earlier for the Missouri School Boards Association. ev@healthjournalism.org | 573-884-8103

Stacey Andreasen, Financial Officer

Andreasen handles daily accounting chores and overall budget monitoring of the association and the center. The former office manager for a local private company has served as a case manager for developmentally disabled children, a payroll clerk and a Spanish teacher. She graduated from Utah State University with degrees in Spanish and political science/pre-law. She is happy to assist our Spanish-speaking members. stacey@healthjournalism.org | 573-882-2868

Student Staff

DaMonica Boone

Boone, a work-study student, is a sophomore in the Missouri School of Journalism. she is majoring in magazine journalism with a minor in textile and apparel management. She is from Chicago and eventually would like to start a fashion magazine.

Madeline Giangrosso

Giangrosso is a senior magazine journalism major in the Missouri School of Journalism. As a work-study student, she helps AHCJ with day-to-day administrative work and has helped at national conferences. She recently went to London to study abroad and work for a jewelery and watch trade magazine.

Michael Gibney

Gibney is a master's student at the Missouri School of Journalism and a research assistant for AHCJ. He is a 2008 graduate of Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, where he majored in English and environmental studies. He is originally from Long Island, N.Y.

Chelsea Reynolds, Graduate Research Assistant

Reynolds, a graduate student in the Missouri School of Journalism, has worked as an editorial assistant or intern at several national health and lifestyle magazines. She has an undergraduate degree from Iowa State University. 

Andrew Van Dam, Web Producer

Van Dam is a graduate student at the Missouri School of Journalism where he studies reporting, both through text and through new media, infographics and design. He previously reported for the Idaho Press-Tribune in Nampa, Idaho.