Sarah Cahalan Education: University of Notre Dame, Northwestern University Location: Chicago, IL Expertise: Outdoor recreation, Food and drink Sarah Cahalan is a Pulitzer-winning journalist with nearly a decade of experience in fact-checking and research. She has worked for lifestyle brands including Denver's 5280 Magazine, New Hampshire Magazine, and Notre Dame Magazine, and in traditional news at the New York Times.Highlights• Served as a research editor for Denver's 5280 Magazine• Managed fact-checking interns at New Hampshire Magazine and Notre Dame Magazine• Has written for regional travel outlets across the U.S. and Europe, including Down East, Indianapolis Monthly, and Lovin Dublin• Has worked as a researcher for almost three years on the New York Times Covid tracking team, winning a Pulitzer Prize for the work in 2021 Experience Sarah Cahalan has been a fact-checker and researcher for nearly a decade. Her experience comes from both the traditional news world, where she is a New York Times contributor with a Pulitzer Prize for her work on the paper's Covid data tracker, and the travel journalism sphere. In the travel space, Sarah has particular expertise in dining, the arts, and outdoor recreation thanks to her time as a staffer at 5280 Magazine and New Hampshire Magazine. She has managed fact-checking interns and served as a research editor at multiple special-interest publications, including the alumni magazine of the University of Notre Dame. In addition to her extensive work as a fact-checker, Sarah has also been a freelance writer, contributing travel and culture coverage to publications across the United States and Europe. Education Sarah has a bachelor's degree in English and American Studies from the University of Notre Dame, where she graduated with departmental honors in both majors. She also holds a master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University. At Northwestern, she graduated with a perfect grade point average and won the Harrington Award for Magazine Publishing, the top honor given to a student in the program's magazine journalism specialization. About Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure, a Dotdash Meredith Brand, is a top travel media brand with a mission to inform and inspire passionate travelers. Our expert team includes a network of hundreds of writers and photographers across the globe, all providing a local eye on the best places to stay, eat, and explore. We reach an audience that takes 76 million round trips annually, offering valuable travel tips, ideas and inspiration, and products you need to get you to your destination — whether it’s a small town or big city, beach or lake, national park or theme park, road trip, cruise, or long-haul flight, and everything in between. Learn more about us and our editorial process