Virginia
Baldwin Gilbert
(formerly Virginia
Baldwin Hick)
6906 Columbia Ave.,
University City, MO 63130
Home Phone (314) 725-8745 ~ Email vrgilbert@mindspring.com
A journalist with 25-plus years experience at a large metropolitan daily, as a reporter covering education, business and technology; as a columnist writing about education and technology; and as an editor of business, technology and science news and features.
Editing/Reporting Experience, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
May 2001-present BUSINESS REPORTER, covering science, construction and small business.
March 2000-May 2001, ASSISTANT TEAM LEADER, Science Team; REPORTER, biotech business and environment beats.
July 1999-March 2000, ACTING TEAM LEADER, Science, health, technology team – assigning and editing stories by a team of six reporters.
October 1995-July 1999, BUSINESS WRITER & COLUMNIST, technology beat, and part-time BUSINESS COPY EDITOR.
March 1993-October 1995, TREND WRITER, city desk, with sub-specialty in workplace.
September 1987-March 1993, EDUCATION REPORTER, city desk, covering two urban and 23 suburban school districts, education legislation in two states and national issues.
November 1986 to September 1987, BUSINESS REPORTER, small business, tourism, commercial real estate and the 1986 federal income tax law.
March-November 1986, temporary assignments in business, editorial page, county government, county police and county courts.
February 1984-March 1986, SUBURBAN REPORTER, covering municipal government and school districts.
July 1981-February 1984, POLICE REPORTER, early morning city.
June 1978-July 1981, SUBURBAN REPORTER. Started four days/week, moved up to full time in 18 months.
February 1978-June 1978, STRINGER. Covering city council and school board meetings.
May 1977-June 1978, CITY DESK CLERK, the last six months as head clerk.
July 1976-June 1978, FREE-LANCE WRITER, for Sunday magazine, features and consumer sections.
Awards
1999 Traveling trophy, quarterly peer award, Post-Dispatch, (to the Science Team).
1998 Society of American Business Editors and Writers, best section (department).
1997 Society of American Business Editors and Writers, best section (department).
1993 St. Louis Association of Black Journalists, best spot news, best series.
1992 Education Writers Association, First Place for series, Second Place for breaking news (shared with two other reporters).
____ Benjamin Fine Award for best education column.
____ Missouri State Teachers Association Education Reporting Award (shared with two others).
____ Unity Award, Lincoln University (shared with two others.)
1991 Horace Mann Award for Education Reporting.
1988 Unity Award, Lincoln University.
1981 Missouri UPI Award.
Fellowships
1996 Nevada Fellows Program, University of Nevada, for business writers and editors.
_____Knight Center for Specialized Journalism, University of Maryland, on business in cyberspace.
1994 National Institute for Computer Assisted Reporting. CAR bootcamp.
1991 German Marshal Fund/Education Writers Association. Two weeks in Germany and Denmark, researching vocational education and school-to-work programs.
1990 Johnson Foundation/Education Writers Association. Seminars on science education.
Newsroom Planning/Leadership
1999 Committee to improve Sunday business section.
Committee to create Sunday technology section.
1998-99 Committee recommending changes in science/health/technology coverage.
1997 Business redesign committee that recommended changes in content of daily sections.
1995-96 Education subcommittee of local news task force, which recommended the creation of an education team.
1994-1998 Beta tested and wrote training manuals for newsroom PCs and some software, conducted formal and informal training sessions for colleagues.
Teaching Experience
2001-present ADJUNCT FACULTY, University College, Washington University, St. Louis.
1975-76 PART-TIME COLLEGE INSTRUCTOR, St. Louis Community College.
1969-75 ENGLISH TEACHER, Ritenour High School, St. Louis County.
Education
1973 Master of Arts in English, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.
1969 Bachelor of Science in Education, Southeast Missouri State University, magna cum laude,
Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities. English major, biology minor.