New members of the Fresnoland Lab, a new reporting and engagement lab at The Fresno Bee focused on covering land use, housing, water and neighborhood inequality: from left, Dayana Jiselle, engagement reporter; Dympna Ugwu-Oju, editor; and Monica Vaughan, water and land use reporter.
Earlier this year, we announced a new partnership between local nonprofit Fresnoland and The Fresno Bee: the Fresnoland Lab, a new reporting and engagement lab dedicated to uncovering deep stories around the land use, housing, water and development challenges that contribute to regional inequality.
When we launched in February, we had no idea that we would face generational challenges that threaten to further expose racial and economic inequality we see in the region: the coronavirus pandemic and the current wave of protests for black lives in the wake of the killing of George Floyd by the Minneapolis Police Department.
We have always been committed to connecting the past to the present in our coverage at the Fresnoland Lab. So while the issues we will cover on won’t change, we will work to help our readers understand current events through the lens of policy and the past.
We can’t do this all without a team, which is why we are pleased to announce our new hires:
Dympna Ugwu-Oju, Editor
Until the end of the spring 2020 semester, Dympna Ugwu-Oju was the full-time instructor of journalism at Fresno City College, where she advised the college newspaper and coached and mentored hundreds of aspiring journalists.
Dympna’s widely anthologized writing has been published extensively in national newspapers and magazines, including Newsweek and The New York Times. Her first book, What Will My Mother Say (A Tribal African Girl Comes of Age in America) describes Ugwu-Oju’s childhood in the traditional Ibo culture of Nigeria and chronicles her war-torn childhood. She presents writing workshops and lectures on race and multicultural sensitivity and awareness. She is married to Charles Ugwu-Oju, an OB/GYN, and has three grown children and two grandsons.
You can reach Dympna at dympna@thefresnoland.com.
Monica Vaughan, Water and Land Use Reporter
Monica has worked as a reporter in rural areas of northern and central California since 2013, covering health, air quality, agriculture, water, affordable housing, the legal system, and local government. Her reporting is driven by the needs and questions of the community she serves; she wants to help identify solutions to water and housing issues in the Fresno area.
Originally from the Bay Area, she earned a bachelor’s degree in mass media and women’s studies at Southern Oregon University and a master’s degree from the University of Oregon, School of Journalism and Communication.
Monica is sixth generation Californian, with roots in Colusa County.
Send your questions or suggestions to mvaughan@fresnobee.com, or follow her on Twitter at @MonicaLVaughan.
Dayana Jiselle, Engagement Reporter
Dayana Jiselle Conteras is a Mexican-American woman born and raised in Fresno by immigrant parents. She is a Fresno State graduate with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication and journalism with an emphasis in broadcasting, and a master’s degree in humanities through California State University, Northridge.
She has served as a community health educator, entertainment and music blogger for Red Alert Live and RnBass, radio personality with iHeartMedia’s B95 and La Preciosa, and communications assistance for Fresno State’s student body government.
Most recently, she served as the Community Outreach Specialist for Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission, chairing the agency’s largest event with over 3,000 people. Her topics of interest revolve around criminal, social and racial justice.
Dayana is also a mother of a 2-year old. You can reach Dayana by email at djiselle@fresnobee.com, or follow her on Twitter at @DayanaJiselle.
Funders make it possible
The James Irvine Foundation, Central Valley Community Foundation and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative have contributed to fully fund the first year of the Fresnoland Lab.
Fresnoland builds on the foundation set by the Education Lab, which got liftoff in December. The four-person team of journalists is taking a deep dive into coverage of critical education issues in the central San Joaquin Valley. Donor funding helps us do meaningful work.
These funders believe in Fresnoland’s work, and we thank them. However, all lab reporting — like any Bee reporting — will be free from outside influence. Our funders understand this is essential to our credibility and theirs — and even require journalistic independence as a condition of their financial support.
As always, we welcome your questions and concerns. Please do not hesitate to reach out.