Education

B.S., Broadcast Journalism, Virginia Commonwealth University
M.S., Multimedia Journalism, Virginia Commonwealth University

Background

Brandon Shulleeta has more than 15 years of journalism experience and has written more than 2,500 published articles as a reporter for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Reuters and other news organizations. His beats included courts and crime; breaking news; and local government. He has won several statewide and national awards for investigative reporting, data journalism, general news writing and others. He also worked as a web producer and TV news reporter for an ABC affiliate in Virginia.

Shulleeta was a research specialist with the University of Virginia's CLEAR Lab, investigating poor oversight of government funds during the pandemic. His reporting has uncovered secret lobbying by the Catholic Church to block lawsuits from victims of child molestation; incompetencies from Tropical Smoothie that led to a hepatitis breakout; and a Social Security administrative law judge who routinely denied benefits to disabled people while refusing testimony from their physicians.

Research

Shulleeta's research includes government corruption; local and state government; courts and crime; laws and sentencing for sex crimes.

Teaching

Shulleeta provides students with real-world experience in the classroom, challenging them to do industry-level work. He helps them with pitching, interviewing, fact-gathering, storytelling and writing concisely. He focuses on critical thinking and attempts to push students to the point of failure, challenging them to stretch their boundaries in college, so that they can be sharper and more confident as professionals.

Awards

1st place in the nation for In-depth Reporting, Society of Professional Journalists, 2013
1st place in the southeast region of the U.S. for In-depth Reporting, Society of Professional Journalists, 2013
2nd place statewide for Government Reporting, Virginia Press Association, 2011
2nd place statewide for In-depth/Investigative Reporting, Virginia Press Association, 2006
3rd place statewide for General News Writing, Virginia Press Association, 2006
3rd place statewide for Data Journalism, Virginia Press Association, 2016.

Service

Member - SJMC curriculum committee

Personal

Shulleeta enjoys poker, traveling, talking journalism and hanging out with his many cousins. His wife is also a journalist, and they have a Goldendoodle named "Scoop."