Bettina Boxall
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bettina Boxall | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1952 (age 73–74) |
| Education | B.A., University of Maine |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Awards | Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting |
Bettina Boxall (born 1952[1]) is an American journalist who covered water issues and the environment for the Los Angeles Times. She is a recipient of a Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting.[1] She graduated in 1974, with honors, from the University of Maine in Orono.[2] Boxall retired from the Times on May 3, 2022, after 34 years at the paper.[3]
Boxall, who is openly gay, has written about civil rights issues and joined in panel discussions about the role of LGBT journalists and writing about the issues that involve the LGBT community.[4][5][6]
When she was growing up, Boxall did not have a deep desire to become a reporter, but in high school she became editor of The Maine Campus which was why she chose journalism as her major in university. At that point, she developed an interest in photojournalism.[7]
She also enjoyed her geology class with Professor Stephen Norton. It was some of that early study that laid the groundwork for her Pulitzer Prize. She explained, "on both the exams and field trips, he demanded that his students think rather than regurgitate information. The facts were just the foundation for critical thinking. That was a valuable lesson to learn as a journalist."[7]
Boxall graduated in 1974, summa cum laude, with a Bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Maine.[8][2]