What I Cover
I primarily write about today’s college students and campus culture. I have my finger on the pulse of student protest movements and free-speech debates. Regular conversations with administrators and faculty members yield trend-spotting stories on student conduct, LGBTQ inclusion, student success, and residential life.
I also cover issues of campus health and safety, like substance use, hazing, violence, and mental illness. I am drawn to stories that examine colleges’ obligations to protect their students and employees against threats to their emotional and physical safety and the conflicts that result when there is disagreement over what qualifies as harm. When students or employees accuse their institutions of failing to keep them safe, I ask questions.
My Background
Prior to starting at The Chronicle as a fellow in 2021, I spent a year in the beautiful Lowcountry region of South Carolina covering workforce and housing issues for The Island Packet. My investigation of living conditions at Hilton Head Island’s only public-housing complex won a first-place award from the South Carolina Press Association in the enterprise-reporting category.
I studied English and political philosophy at the University of Virginia, where I wrote for The Cavalier Daily and served as a resident adviser. I am a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the Education Writers Association, and I have talked about my higher-ed coverage on National Public Radio affiliates across the country. I live in Washington, D.C.
Connect
The best way to reach me is via email: kate.hidalgobellows@chronicle.com. I am also available on LinkedIn, Bluesky, and Twitter.
