2010-2011 Luce Scholar

Julia Simon earned a B.A. with honors from University of Chicago, with a degree in Middle Eastern Studies, in 2009. Julia is a radio producer and reporter and an aspiring foreign correspondent. Growing up in Los Angeles, long hours stuck in traffic listening to stories from around the world fueled Julia’s love of radio and led to her commitment to a career in broadcast journalism. During the summer of 2008, Julia interned for the NPR News programs “Weekend All Things Considered” and “Morning Edition”. At NPR, Julia gained a strong foundation in radio reporting and production, which she carried with her to the Middle East. Julia spent most of 2009 in Egypt on a grant from the Nassef Sawiris Foundation, researching modern renewable energy projects for her University of Chicago senior thesis. While in Egypt, Julia worked for the BBC News Cairo bureau, where she used her media production and Arabic language skills to find and record stories and interviews. At the BBC, Julia helped produce several stories, including stories about Egyptian political succession, a threat to the Muslim call to prayer, and Cairo’s notorious air pollution. She also reported her own story about an Egyptian comedian for PRI’s “The World,” which was broadcast across the US. Julia has worked for the public radio business show “Marketplace” in Los Angeles. In addition to Arabic, Julia speaks Spanish and is proficient in French and Swahili.