‘Five Windows: Life Hacks from an Accidental Foreign Correspondent’ Presentation at UW Oct. 1

Before she lived in Australia explaining U.S. politics and news on national television or went to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean to view the wreckage of the Titanic, Sara James needed to find a window.

“I believe that there are windows of opportunity and more of them than perhaps recognized,” James says. “That’s been true in my professional life -- identifying them and figuring out how to get through them.”

James, an Emmy Award-winning journalist, author and public speaker, will present “Five Windows: Life Hacks from an Accidental Foreign Correspondent” Wednesday, Oct. 1, at noon in the Wyoming Union Family Room at the University of Wyoming. Her presentation is free and open to the public.

Drawing on her experience as an NBC newsreader and her current role as a commentator for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, her talk will guide attendees through navigating the ups and downs of their careers.

“I got to NBC news through a window, so that’s why I wanted to chat about windows, because I think there are more windows than we recognize,” James says. “Getting the opportunity to go the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean to see the wreckage of the Titanic was something that I never anticipated would ever happen in my life.”

Tom Dougherty, the Milward L. Simpson visiting professor of political science at UW, invited James to campus to give students an inside look at the interesting life experiences of an international correspondent.

“What makes Sara unique is the perspective and experience she has from reporting both in America and about America,” Dougherty says. “While at NBC, she very effectively explained to American audiences about events both at home and abroad. Since her move to Australia, Sara is a preeminent journalist in explaining America to Australians.”

The talk is co-sponsored by the UW School of Politics, Public Affairs and International Studies and the UW Department of Communication and Journalism.

For more information about this event, email Dougherty at jdoughe4@uwyo.edu.