NPR journalist and alumna Olivia Aldridge ’17 to speak at Presbyterian College
January 21, 2025Olivia Aldridge, senior health reporter for KUT, Austin’s NPR station, will return to her alma mater, Presbyterian College, for a public event on Tuesday, Jan. 30.
Aldridge will speak at 5 p.m. in Kuhne Auditorium as part of the college’s Alumni at Work series.
A 2017 PC graduate with a degree in English, Aldridge has built an impressive career in journalism. Her reporting frequently appears on national NPR programs, covering topics ranging from healthcare to social justice. She is a recipient of the PC English Department’s Creative Writing Award and has contributed to publications such as The New York Times and South Carolina Public Radio.
Aldridge’s presentation, titled “Names We Don’t Know,” delves into her investigation of an 1894 racial terror lynching near Austin, Texas. The victims of the lynching remain unnamed but are memorialized at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama.
Aldridge’s research explores the scant details surrounding the event, the ways it was reported — and often underreported — in Texas and across the South.
This project was first performed at the University of Texas at Austin’s Bass Concert Hall during KUT News’ ATXPlained Live event in October 2024. In addition to discussing this and other projects, Aldridge will share insights from her career, including her work at KUT and her journey into public radio journalism.
Dr. Terry Barr, professor of English at Presbyterian College, praised Aldridge’s work and its significance.
“Olivia has clearly used her liberal arts education from PC to make a difference in this world,” Barr said. “Her strong writing voice is combined with a journalist’s instinct, and in her most recent reporting, she shows that the darkness of community history can be brought to light honestly and with the purpose of changing our hearts and minds.”
The event is free and open to the public. A question-and-answer session will follow Aldridge’s presentation. For more information, visit https://www.kut.org/people/olivia-aldridge.