About Johns Hopkins Magazine

The first issue of Johns Hopkins Magazine landed in readers’ mailboxes in 1950, marking the birth of a new kind of magazine. Published for the graduates, faculty, and friends of America’s first research university, it was conceived to give readers “intellectual nourishment,” and over the years has featured thought-provoking and sometimes controversial articles on particle physics, student unrest, solitary confinement, artificial intelligence, and trailblazing artists.

Today, we honor the magazine’s original mission while also adapting to a new world and an even broader audience. Our award-winning quarterly publication is now mailed to more than 140,000 Johns Hopkins graduates, faculty, and friends, and viewed online around the globe.

We seek to forge an emotional connection with our readers, strengthening their bond with and pride in the university. Johns Hopkins remains one of the nation’s premier centers of learning, research, and discovery—sharing knowledge to better the world. The university’s notable list of alumni includes visionary scientists; entrepreneurs of every stripe; famous authors of fiction and nonfiction; winners of Oscars, Grammys, Emmys, and Pulitzer Prizes; heads of local, regional, national, and international organizations; and various elected officials including mayors, governors, and members of Congress. An institution with such a rich and textured history of excellence deserves an alumni magazine that reflects this distinction and mirrors its global reach, while never losing sight of its Baltimore roots.

At our core, we love to tell stories with a universal appeal. The magazine engages in a variety of short- and long-form storytelling with a Hopkins link the only common thread. Our list of contributing writers includes award-winning authors and journalists whose work has appeared in the nation’s most decorated print and digital publications. In choosing the subjects we write about, we have the curious reader in mind. At our best, we are provocative, humorous, challenging, and informative. Above all, we must never forget the human condition, the beating hearts of those we write about, chronicling triumph, failure, and inspiration.

We consider Johns Hopkins Magazine a gift to our readers, whom we hope look forward to every issue to be entertained, nourished, and sometimes surprised by its contents.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the magazine get its funding?

The magazine gets a good portion of its support from the university. In addition, reader donations account for about 20 percent of the overall budget; local and national advertising account for about 15 percent. Subscriptions are available for $20 per year ($25 overseas). For subscription information contact: jhmagazine@jhu.edu.

What makes a good story for Johns Hopkins Magazine?

There needs to be a Hopkins link. Beyond that, there’s no hard-and-fast recipe. We run profiles about alumni doing fascinating things: wildlife ecologists, figurative painters, media moguls. Excerpts from books written by Hopkins authors. In-depth reports on cutting-edge research being done by faculty and students. Historical looks at people and events that shaped Hopkins. News stories about events shaping Hopkins today.

How do you come up with story ideas?

By canvassing the university’s many campuses and divisions: chatting with faculty members, showing up at poetry readings and engineering symposiums, going to alumni events, hanging out with students, and keeping current on the many publications that come out of the university. Some of our best story ideas come from faculty, students, and alumni who pick up the phone or drop us a note.

Do you run contributions from readers and/or freelance writers?

Though the magazine’s freelance budget is limited, we do make some freelance assignments—most often when a writer approaches us with a great idea. (When we come up with a great idea, someone on the staff usually grabs it first.) We also welcome contributions from readers, though it’s prudent to call or write the editor first (gjr@jhu.edu), with a description of what you have in mind.

Meet the Staff

GREG RIENZI is editor of Johns Hopkins Magazine. He previously served as a contributing writer for the magazine, and as the associate editor of the Johns Hopkins Health Review and The Gazette magazine. A former business reporter, his writing has appeared in the Connecticut Post, Howard County Times, Boss magazine, and Urbanite magazine, among others. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Southern Connecticut State University and an MA in Writing degree from Johns Hopkins University. Since 2003, he has taught numerous journalism and communications courses at Towson University.

JEANETTE DER BEDROSIAN is the associate editor of Johns Hopkins Magazine and a content editor within the university’s Office of Communications. Before coming to Johns Hopkins, she worked as the associate editor of Washington Parent magazine and as a Montgomery County, Maryland, reporter for The Washington Post Company’s Gazette newspapers. Her writing has appeared in USA Today, The Washington Post, and Maryland’s The Daily Record, among others. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and American studies from the University of Maryland.

Senior writer BRENNEN JENSEN has contributed to nine different Hopkins publications during a decade of work as a freelance writer. He began his writing career on the staff of the Baltimore City Paper and later was senior writer for the Chronicle of Philanthropy in Washington, D.C., covering the nonprofit world. He is co-author of A History Lover’s Guide to Baltimore, published in 2021.

PAM LI is the art director for Johns Hopkins Magazine. Prior to coming to Johns Hopkins, she was an art director with Waldinger Birch Inc., a marketing and communications firm. Prior to that she was a freelance designer for six years. Pam holds a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art.

ANN STILLER is a copy editor whose principal responsibilities are fact checking and editing Johns Hopkins Magazine, as well as collecting items for its Abbreviated section. She is also responsible for the announcements section of Today’s Announcements and for editing university reports, Hub articles, and global emails. Ann has a BA from Smith College, an MAT from Harvard School of Education, and an MLA from Johns Hopkins. She has been with the university 36 years.