Henry Chu, a 2015 Nieman Fellow and veteran foreign correspondent and editor, has been named the new curator of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard.
Chu will be the ninth curator in the foundation’s 88-year history and starts his new role on Aug. 3. Harvard announced his appointment on Wednesday following an extensive search process, during which the university sought feedback from Nieman staff and alumni, the wider Harvard community, and leading figures in the news industry.
“I am delighted that Henry has agreed to serve as the Nieman Foundation for Journalism’s next curator,” Harvard University Provost John F. Manning said. “His deep commitment to his craft and to mentoring journalists exemplifies the foundation’s mission of promoting and elevating the standards of journalism worldwide.”
Chu spent most of his career at the Los Angeles Times, including on two Pulitzer Prize-winning teams and on assignment in Asia, Europe, and South America. He also served as Variety magazine’s London-based international editor, overseeing its coverage of the global entertainment industry.
A graduate of Harvard College, Chu returned to Cambridge for his Nieman Fellowship in 2014-15.
“My Nieman year was a transformative one, and I’m honored to be entrusted with keeping the fellowship fresh and vital for future cohorts,” Chu said. “Nieman plays an important role in bolstering journalism worldwide through our distinguished alumni and through our publications and other activities. It’s all the more necessary given the challenges our industry faces.”
Chu succeeds former Nieman Curator Ann Marie Lipinski, who stepped down in July 2025. He has been serving as the foundation’s interim leader since that time and was deputy curator for a year before that.
Chu began his journalism career as a staff writer for the L.A. Times in Los Angeles, going on to report from more than 30 countries as bureau chief in Beijing, Rio de Janeiro, New Delhi, and London. He has covered events including the downing of a U.S. spy plane over southern China, fires in the Amazon rainforest, a republican revolution in Nepal, terrorist attacks in Europe, the resignation of one pope and the election of another, and a royal wedding in Britain.
For more on his appointment, read the announcement in The Harvard Gazette.
