E. Tammy Kim has been chosen as the 2021 James H. Ottaway Sr. Visiting Professor of Journalism, joining the Department of Digital Media & Journalism for the spring semester.
Kim will be teaching an upper-level seminar titled “Writing Globalized Labor,” that will be highlighting her knowledge on the subject. Kim has covered globalized labor extensively, with bylines appearing in The New York Review of Books, Al Jazeera America, Columbia Journalism Review, The New Yorker, and The Nation.
Kim is also scheduled to speak at two virtual public events. The first — an introductory Q&A with President Donald P. Christian — was held on Feb. 2. Additionally, a public lecture is scheduled to be given by Kim on Tuesday, April 6 at 7 p.m.
Prior to her visit to New Paltz, Kim has worked as a freelance magazine reporter and an opinion writer for The New York Times. Her recent work focuses on Asia and Asian America, which is a frequent topic of the podcast co-hosted by Kim, “Time to Say Goodbye.”
Before her career in journalism, Kim worked as a legal-services attorney in New York. Since her transition to a career in journalism, Kim has written about a range of topics, including housing and labor, Korean literature and politics.
Kim has also taught undergraduate courses at Yale University, the City University of New York, the Cooper Union and the University of Montana School of Journalism.
The professorship began in 2000 after a donation was made by James H. Ottaway Jr. and Mary Ottaway, following the death of James H. Ottaway Sr. — the founder of Ottaway Newspapers Inc. — to recognize his contributions to journalism both in the Hudson Valley and across the globe.
Ottaway Sr. worked as a director to the Associated Press and as president of the New York State Press Association. He was also the leader of the American Press Institute, based in Virginia.
Their mission statement reads: “The goal of the James H. Ottaway Sr. Endowed Professorship is to provide students at The State University of New York at New Paltz with the skills to be courageous journalists and better writers. They are taught by award-winning journalists with extensive national and international credentials.”
Currently, the journalism program at SUNY New Paltz offers the professorship to a distinguished journalist each spring semester. The professor teaches an upper-level undergraduate journalism course, participates in either a workshop or round table discussion with students and faculty ,and gives one on-campus presentation. Due to COVID-19 guidelines, workshops and presentations will be held virtually this semester.
Kim will be the twentieth journalist given the professorship. She follows award-winning photojournalist Matt Moyer — who held the professorship during the Spring 2020 semester — and Jelani Cobb, a Columbia professor and New Yorker staff writer from the Spring 2019 semester.
For more information on the Ottaway Professorship, visit www.newpaltz.edu/ottaway. To stay up-to-date with Kim, you can follow her on Twitter @etammykim.
