Visual journalist Andre Lambertson is the fall 2024 James H. Ottaway Sr. Visiting Professor of Journalism
The Department of Digital Media & Journalism at SUNY New Paltz is pleased to welcome Andre Lambertson, the award-winning photojournalist and filmmaker, as the fall 2024 James H. Ottaway Sr. Visiting Professor of Journalism.
Lambertson’s career spans more than 25 years capturing stories of transformation from around the globe. His work covers a range of subjects and contexts, often united around themes of resilient people who embody stories of hope and healing.
His approach to visual storytelling is deeply artistic, and much of his work is founded upon a profound understanding of criminal justice issues and the unique rhythms of urban America.
As the Ottaway Visiting Professor, he will teach a class titled “The Documentarian: Navigating Sensitive Storytelling with Empathy and Compassion,” which explores the role of the visual journalist as a visionary and storyteller.
Lambertson will deliver a public speech on Documenting the Human Experience, from Trauma to Joy on Monday, November 4, at 7 p.m. in the Coykendall Science Building Auditorium.
Lambertson was welcomed into the campus community in a public Q&A on Tuesday, October 8.
About Andre Lambertson
Lambertson is known for using photojournalistic tools and techniques to document stories that uplift and inspire. He has created photo essays for magazines, newspapers, foundations and museums, including Time, National Geographic, Fortune, Mother Jones, Rolling Stone, The New York Times Magazine, the Sunday London Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, The Ford Foundation, The Smithsonian Museum and The Corcoran Museum.
Lambertson co-directed “The Whole Gritty City,” which aired on CBS in 2013. The documentary follows marching bands that help combat teen street violence in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was the recipient of a Christopher Award, which honors books, films and television specials that spread a positive influence.
Other film work includes a producer role on “Charm City,” which aired on PBS and was shortlisted for an Academy Award in 2019, and cinematography for the Netflix-produced documentary “Dick Johnson is Dead,” which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and won the Special Jury Award for Innovation in Non-fiction Storytelling.
Upcoming film projects are “Jump At The Sun,” a docuseries on African Americans’ contributions to the great outdoors, and “Beaumont Blues,” a film about environmental racism in Texas.
Additional accolades include five Pulitzer Center grants for investigative journalism, The George Soros Foundation Media fellowship, the Webby Award, the National Press Award, The Nation Grant, the National Geographic Emergency Grant for Journalists, and the Netflix-sponsored Film Independent Amplifier Fellowship.
About the James H. Ottaway Sr. Visiting Professorship
The James H. Ottaway Sr. Visiting Professorship, SUNY New Paltz’s first endowed professorship, is named for the founder of Ottaway Newspapers Inc., James H. Ottaway Sr. (1911-2000), a leader of the American Press Institute and a lifelong supporter of high-quality journalism in the Hudson Valley and across the globe.
The Ottaway Visiting Professorship was established in 2000 through the generosity of James H. Ottaway Jr. ’18 HON and Mary Ottaway ’70g (Elementary Education).
Numerous well-known journalists have preceded Lambertson as Ottaway professors, including Pulitzer Prize winners, foreign correspondents, book authors, editors, investigative reporters and experts in finance, science and consumer journalism.
More information about the Ottaway Visiting Professorship, including biographies of previous professors, can be found at https://www.newpaltz.edu/ottaway/.
