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Dear readers,

We are excited to announce Derry Oliver and Md Zobayer Hossain Joati as the recipients of The Daily Orange’s annual Inclusive Journalism Fellowship.

The $2,000 fellowship is open to all Syracuse University and SUNY ESF students interested in contributing work to The D.O. The fellowship allows student journalists to craft a body of work that they otherwise would not have been able to create without financial support.

In a time when diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility initiatives are under attack nationwide, The D.O. maintains a commitment to diversity in our reporting and in our newsroom. The fellows will work closely with Savannah Stewart, our DEIA manager — a staff position implemented last year — and section editors.

The fellowship began in spring 2022 under then Editor-in-Chief Emily Steinberger, thanks to support from the John Ben Snow Foundation and Memorial Trust and Joele Frank. Previous fellows have reported series, produced multimedia and written recognized opinion columns. A former fellow has even gone on to pursue a reporting fellowship with the Pulitzer Center.

We look forward to seeing what Derry and Zobayer accomplish with their projects. Read on to learn more about the fellows and their previous work.

Sincerely,

Kendall Luther, editor-in-chief
Rosina Boehm, managing editor
Griffin Uribe Brown, digital managing editor
Savannah Stewart, DEIA manager

Derry Oliver

Derry Oliver is a sophomore from Brooklyn, New York, majoring in policy studies, law, society and policy with a minor in African American studies. Avery Magee | Photo Editor

Derry Oliver is a sophomore from Brooklyn, New York, majoring in policy studies, law, society and policy with a minor in African American studies. On campus, she is vice president of College Democrats at Syracuse University, community service chair for Black Reign Step Team, director of mental health advocacy at Student Government Association, a member of the Student Board of Directors for the New York Public Interest Research Group and a student in the Renée Crown Honors Program.

Her passion for journalism focuses on social commentary, alongside political events in the United States. She utilizes her personal experiences to write meaningful articles to highlight minority-centered stories and issues.

Her articles have been featured in publications such as Teen Vogue, the 74 Million and the Teen Magazine.

In her free time, Derry enjoys stepping, roller skating and playing Roblox.

Md Zobayer Hossain Joati

Md Zobayer Hossain Joati, also known as Zobayer Joti, is currently a master of science candidate in multimedia, photography and design at the Newhouse School of Public Communications as the inaugural Alexia Scholar and a research assistant for The Alexia. Avery Magee | Photo Editor

Md Zobayer Hossain Joati, also known as Zobayer Joti, is a Bangladeshi photographer based in Syracuse. His work focuses on various social crises, gender equality, cultural norms and underrepresented communities, comprising intimate human stories that investigate social and cultural challenges and their emotional dimensions.

After finishing his bachelor’s of science in engineering, his passion for photography led him to a professional diploma in photography from Counter Foto in Bangladesh. Joati is currently a master of science candidate in multimedia, photography and design at the Newhouse School of Public Communications as the inaugural Alexia Scholar and a research assistant for The Alexia. He is a member of VII Community, National Press Photographers Association, an Up-Next member of Diversify Photo and an alum of the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop.

His long-term project on the martial arts communities in Bangladesh named “We Live to Fight” made him the first Bangladeshi photographer to win The Alexia Student Grant 2023 and one of the four finalists in The W. He also earned the Eugene Smith Student Grant 2021. Limited edition prints from this project have been acquired by prominent art collectors in India. His other awards, grants and publications include Courrier International, POY Asia, Inception Grant Solo Show, Sharjah Art Foundation, Pingyao International Photography Festival, Der Greif, Zeke Magazine and many others.

Beyond photography, Joti loves playing guitar, beatboxing, badminton, cycling and traveling the world.

Published on March 1, 2026 at 10:30 pm