Professor of Communication Nicole Casarez, JD, will serve as a panelist along with moderator Brian Rosenthal, The New York Times investigative reporter and others, at the 2019 Investigative Reporters and Editors annual conference on June 13.

Rosenthal reached out to Casarez to join him on the panel when The New York Times Magazine/ProPublica senior reporter Pam Colloff recommended her.

“This conference is quintessential for investigative reporters and editors,” Casarez said. “It is an honor to be recommended and invited by two of The New York Times investigative reporters. All the top investigative reporters from the U.S. and around the world will be there.”

Casarez's Investigative Work Exonerates Death Row Inmate

Casarez, who is also a Texas attorney, is known in the investigative journalism world through her work conducting innocence investigations. She and her investigative journalism students at UST investigated the case of Texas death row inmate Anthony Graves who spent two decades on death row for a crime he did not commit. Their work led to his exoneration in 2010. The Graves investigation attracted statewide and national attention.

Prestigious IRE Conference Comes to Houston

The IRE conference is for investigative reporters and editors. This year the event is in Houston. According to conference planners, journalists have the opportunity to “reboot skills, recharge watchdog batteries and reconnect with the world’s largest network of investigative journalists”

Panel Focuses on Organization for Investigative Reporter

The IRE panel is on organization, an important skill for an investigative reporter. During the panel discussion, journalists and professional investigators will demystify the options of using apps like Airtable or Workflowy and everything in between. They will also offer old-school tips to get organized. Those who choose to attend this panel discussion will learn how to organize their interviews, source lists, story ideas, record requests, assignments and more.

Casarez holds a bachelor of journalism and law degree from the University of Texas, and a master’s in communication/public relations management from the University of Houston. She joined the University of St. Thomas faculty in 1990.