Hanna Zakharenko

Experience

Currently on contract through Dec. Started in June as an intern in Graphics as part of The Washington Post’s 2023 Summer Intern Class
Help reporters visualize their stories by interviewing and analyzing data, and creating dynamic visualizations using Datawrapper, Adobe Illustrator, and other tools
Pitch stories, report, write, and design on solo projects and with a team of other reporters

Filed and negotiated over 20 FOIA requests, filed appeals using knowledge of PIA laws as part of an investigation into law enforcement practices with The Associated Press
Used token-analysis of text extracted from law enforcement records to identify patterns and trends; and use API-powered search to help reporters identify documents that fit the themes they are reporting on
Developed a data processing pipeline using R, Python, Java and AWS Textract to make law enforcement records searchable for reporting and analysis, and continue pipeline maintenance

Wrote three stories every two week period, attend weekly pitch meetings and pitch reviews or features related to arts, culture, campus life, etc.
Coordinated with other writers, photographers, and editors to ensure story is published on deadline
Did layout for special editions of The Diamondback using Adobe InDesign, and coordinated with editors, writers and photographers to complete on deadline

Pitched relevant article ideas related to food and health on a local, regional, or national level
Coordinated with other writers, photographers, and editors to visit local restaurants and curate timely reviews
Published articles on the UMD branch of Spoon as well as the Spoon University home page

Identified and reported on data stories surrounding the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia areas
Aided reporters’ stories by finding data-backed sources and computing statistics, making data visualizations and designing web applications for immersive storytelling

Curated background research for news headlines, wrote news copy and presented on-air alongside student reporters for weekly news broadcast
Assisted with weekly show program, coordinated with writers, producers, program managers, news director and audio engineers to ensure smooth running of the show
Attended local events and conducted interviews with College Park community members and guest talent

The National Science Foundation's Research Experience for Undergraduate Students at ODU
Learned about behavioral transportation sciences and conducted research in two labs focusing on distracted and risky driving behaviors
Showcased research at two poster presentations for students and faculty, and presented poster at the American Psychological Association's Technology, Mind & Society conference in Fall 2021

Developed creative design and layout using Adobe InDesign, with photo editing and illustration
Coordinated with other writers, photographers, and designers to create a cohesive monthly magazine

Assessed the NOx Budget Program’s impact on different socioeconomic groups by combining atmospheric science simulations and census surveys
Collaborated with peers to complete a research project and presented project results at an undergraduate research symposium

Attended local events, took photographs and conducted interviews with Westfield community members
Collected information on assigned stories for news headlines and articles, wrote draft and submitted to print on deadline
Generated new and interesting stories to pitch at monthly meetings with an EIC

Bachelor of Arts, Journalism, The University of Maryland at College Park, May 2023.
Bachelor of Sciences, Information Science, The University of Maryland at College Park, May 2023.

Languages: Python, R, SQL, HTML, CSS, JavaScript
Data Analysis and Visualization: Microsoft Excel, Datawrapper, RAWGraphics, Flourish, Adobe Illustrator, ggplot2, pandas
UI/UX Design: Figma, Adobe XD, Miro, Adobe Illustrator
Photography/Videography: Abobe Photoshop, Premiere Pro
Layout Design: Adobe InDesign, WordPress
Other: AWS (s3, Lambda, Textract), API (e.g., GoogleDrive, DocumentCloud)