Jena is the environment and food reporter for BridgeDetroit and the 2023 SPJ Detroit Young Journalist of the Year.
Before becoming a journalist, she earned her Bachelor of Arts in environmental studies at the University of Michigan. She was the Midwest reporting fellow at Grist in 2021 and intern for Planet Detroit in 2020. Her work has appeared in The Guardian, Salon, Slate, Mother Jones, Grist, Next City, Chalkbeat, Planet Detroit, and others.
She was a Data Fellow at the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism, and a Science-Health-Environment Reporting Fellow through CASW, AHCJ, and SEJ.
Featured Work
The Midwest defined itself by its winters. What happens when they disappear?
For Midwesterners, winter has long been a point of pride. Now, climate change is playing havoc with traditions.
Grist
Hantz tree farm falls short on solving east side blight
One man bought almost an entire Detroit neighborhood for less than $1 million. He’s sold 10% of his properties for $9.5 million while contributing to blight and falling short on his promises to residents.
BridgeDetroit/Planet Detroit
A freeway ripped the heart out of Black life in Detroit. Now Michigan wants to tear it down.
Highway removal is the easy part. Making reparations is where it gets complicated.
Grist/BridgeDetroit