Senior Writer
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Expertise: Tom Bartlett writes mostly about social science for The Chronicle. He's written about the importance of childhood play, how to make good guesses, and the basement tapes of Osama Bin Laden, among many other topics. He analyzes new and interesting research on the Percolator blog, including the meaning of standing ovations, the trustworthiness of beards, and the dark side of loyalty.
He's also reported a lot on academic wrongdoing. In 2005 two packages of stories that Bartlett co-wrote – one on plagiarism and one on diploma mills – were chosen as finalists for the National Magazine Award in reporting. He has twice been a finalist for the Livingston Prize, given to the best journalists in the country under age 35. His Chronicle article "The Betrayal of Judas" was recognized by The Revealer, a daily review of religion in the news, as one of the best religion stories of 2008.
His articles have been published in Slate, The Washington Post Magazine, the New York Times, among others. He’s written about baby pageants, insomnia, and toasters.
Background: Bartlett has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Baylor University and a master's of fine arts in writing from the University of Texas at Austin, where he was a Michener Fellow.
Honors: Finalist, National Magazine Award, 2005 | Finalist, Livingston Award, 2002 and 2003
Media appearances: Bartlett has appeared on national radio and television shows such as National Public Radio's Talk of the Nation and Tell Me More, ABC News's Nightline, and numerous local radio programs in Washington.
