Pulitzer Prize Winners Celebrated

In three Nov. 17 events coordinated by the Center for Media Ethics and Literacy, the women shared how their upbringing in a college town with University of Arkansas professor parents shaped their careers.

Fulbright Dean Brian E. Raines moderated two Q&A sessions with the guests, with a focus on the value of a liberal arts education.

“Ziva Branstetter and Kathleen DuVal have each told stories that reached audiences across the country and around the world—stories that reveal truth, that bridge divides, that remind us of our shared humanity,” Dean Raines said. “Their journeys started here—in this place, among these hills and people—in a community that values curiosity, creativity, and connection.”

Branstetter accepted her Pulitzer in New York in October and brought it to the School of Journalism and Strategic Media for a session with students. She was recognized for her work on a project with ProPublica, The Life of the Mother, about maternal health.

“Journalists should shed light, not heat,” Branstetter said. “We want to motivate people to fix problems and do it creatively without being prescriptive. If you’re clearly trying to tell people how to think about something, they’re going to stop listening.”

Branstetter is CEO of the Tulsa Flyer, a nonprofit newsroom. Her previous roles include 20 years with the Tulsa World, corporate accountability editor for the Washington Post, senior editor at ProPublica, and co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Frontier.

DuVal’s book, Native Nations: A Millenium in North America, took the Pulitzer Prize in History. The book is a study of indigenous American civilizations.

When asked to give advice to students and young storytellers, DuVal said, “Approach what you do with humility. You are small in all of this, but you are also just as important as anyone else doing the work.”

DuVal is a distinguished professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her expertise is featured in a new Ken Burns PBS documentary series, The American Revolution.

Gina Shelton, director of the Center for Media Ethics and Literacy, said the events co-sponsored by Fulbright College and SJSM were inspiring for the 200 people who attended. 5NEWS, KNWA/FOX24 and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette all covered the winners’ talks.

Branstetter and DuVal grew up in Fayetteville as daughters of Fulbright College professors. Branstetter’s father, Professor Emeritus Art Hobson, retired in 1999 after 35 years in the Department of Physics. Branstetter was inspired to get involved in journalism at Fayetteville High School after watching her father write and publish several academic texts.

DuVal’s mother, Kay, is a former instructor of English. Her father, John, is professor emeritus of English. He worked in the Department of English from 1982 to 2023 and directed the University of Arkansas’s literary translation program. Kathleen and John co-edited the book Interpreting a Continent: Voices from Colonial America.

Before an evening Q&A celebration at George’s Majestic Lounge, Branstetter and DuVal participated in a Fulbright College panel alongside their parents in the Honors College Lounge.

“We always taught our children it’s more important to be good than to be successful,” John DuVal said. “Students put so much pressure on themselves to be successful, but the work itself is good—even without the prizes.”