May 2, 2026
Keri Blakinger ’14 returned to campus in April as a Zubrow Distinguished Visiting Journalist. Blakinger is a formerly incarcerated Cornell alumna and investigative journalist whose work has been nominated for both a Pulitzer Prize and an Academy Award. Despite her busy speaking schedule at Cornell, she took an afternoon off to speak with our students at Auburn Correctional Facility.
Keri candidly discussed her journey from addiction and incarceration to becoming an impactful journalist focused on prison and criminal justice issues. She engaged openly with our students answering their questions and interacting with them one-on-one at the end of her presentation.
On campus, Keri screened her 2024 film “I Am Ready, Warden” which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2025 in the Best Short Documentary Film category. Peter John Loewen, who is Harold Tanner Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Cornell, facilitated a panel conversation after the screening. The film traces the story of a man in Texas who is sentenced to death, in the days before his execution. The film includes extensive interviews with the victim’s family, and the supporters of the man who was condemned to the ultimate punishment.