Toluse Olorunnipa, ’08, MA ’09, White House bureau chief for the Washington Post, and co-author Robert Samuels have won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction for His Name Is George Floyd: One Man’s Life and the Struggle for Racial Justice. Vauhini Vara, ’04, was the finalist in fiction for her debut novel, The Immortal King Rao.
Also immortalized are Dianne Calvi, ’84, and Rey Saldaña, ’09, MA ’10, recipients of the President’s Award for the Advancement of the Common Good, for their work as CEOs of Village Enterprise and Communities in Schools, respectively.
Tops in the seafaring community is Helena Scutt, ’14, MS ’17, named the Foiling Awards Female Sailor of the Year for her achievements in navigating a boat with winglike hull attachments that lift the craft out of the water to achieve high speeds.
Oscar-winning director Cynthia Wade, MA ’96, is more immersed in what’s happening under the sea. Her Netflix docuseries, MerPeople, explores the lives of underwater performers who have turned their passion for mermaiding into high-stakes careers.
