Business columnist, White House correspondent to visit

Alexis Simendinger, White House correspondent for the National Journal, and Justin Lahart, author of the Wall Street Journal’s “Ahead of the Tape” column, will visit UW–Madison as writers in residence.

Simendinger has covered the administrations of Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush since 1991, starting as a reporter with the Bureau of National Affairs and has covered the beat for National Journal since 1997.

In addition, she is a frequent panelist on the weekly PBS show “Washington Week in Review.” Prior to working in Washington, she was a reporter for the Tampa Tribune and earned a master’s degree in journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

She will be the spring semester Public Affairs Writer in Residence. During her stay the week of Feb. 19, Simendinger will speak to classes and meet with journalism, political science and public policy students. She will also meet with local journalists and discuss Washington politics with residents of the Chadbourne Residential College.

During the week of March 5, Lahart will visit campus as the spring Business Writer in Residence. Since 2004, Lahart has written the popular “Ahead of the Tape”column, which focuses on corporate news and the economy from a markets perspective.

Prior to coming the Wall Street Journal, Lahart was a columnist for CNN/Money from 2002-04, and began his journalism career as one of the first reporters for TheStreet.com in 1996. He studied English literature and philosophy at the University of Michigan, graduating in 1990.

He will speak to classes at the School of Business and the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and meet informally with students and local journalists.

The Writer in Residence Program is sponsored by the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and University Communications, with support from the UW Foundation. The public affairs program is cosponsored by the La Follette School of Public Affairs and the business program is cosponsored by the School of Business.