Katherine Blunt to Deliver Elon University’s 2026 Graduate Commencement Address
Katherine Blunt ’15, a Pulitzer Prize finalist and Wall Street Journal reporter covering Google and artificial intelligence, will deliver the Commencement address to Elon University’s Class of 2026 graduate students on May 20. The ceremony will be held in Alumni Gym and will recognize candidates for the Master of Arts in Higher Education, Master of Education in Innovation, Master of Science in Accounting, Master of Science in Business Analytics and Master of Business Administration.
A Distinguished Elon Alumna
Elon University President Connie Ledoux Book praised Blunt, stating, “Katie Blunt embodies the very best of what an Elon education makes possible. Her outstanding reporting on some of the most complex and consequential issues of our time reflects a commitment to truth, rigor and public service that began right here on our campus.” Elon University News
Blunt currently reports for the Wall Street Journal in San Francisco, focusing on Google and the impact of artificial intelligence on search technology. Her function also encompasses the rapid expansion of data centers and its implications for the power grid. Previously, she covered power, renewable energy, and utilities for the Journal, with a focus on risks facing Western utilities, including wildfires.
Pulitzer Recognition and Award-Winning Journalism
Blunt’s reporting, alongside her colleagues, on Pacific Gas & Electric was a finalist for the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting and received a Gerald Loeb Award. She is also the author of “California Burning: The Fall of Pacific Gas and Electric—and What It Means for America’s Power Grid,” a national bestseller and the 2022 Golden Poppy Award winner for nonfiction.
Early Career and Elon Experience
Prior to joining the Wall Street Journal in 2018, Blunt worked as a business reporter at the Houston Chronicle and as a transportation reporter for the San Antonio Express-News. During her time at Elon, she double-majored in journalism and history, served as news editor of The Pendulum, and received a Lumen Prize. Her undergraduate research focused on the portrayal of Adolf Hitler in major American newspapers from 1923 to 1933, and she presented her findings at academic conferences. LinkedIn
About Elon University
Elon University is recognized for its commitment to engaged, experiential learning, preparing graduates to be creative, resilient, ambitious, and ethical global citizens. The university offers more than 70 undergraduate majors, complemented by professional and graduate programs in law, business, education, and health care. Elon is ranked No. 1 for excellence in undergraduate teaching by U.S. News & World Report.