Andrew Otis

otis.andrew@gmail.com | 3731 Oakview Terrace NE D.C. | 860 754 8677 | andrewotis.com

EDUCATION
University of Maryland, College Park, MD May 2022 Anticipated
Ph.D. in Journalism at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism.
Anticipated focus: Investigative journalism and fake news.
University of Rochester, Rochester, NY Sep 2007 - May 2011
B.A. in Political Science and History. Magna Cum Laude. GPA 3.91/4.00.
Honors Thesis: Freedom of the Press in British South Africa and India.

EXPERIENCE
Hicky’s Bengal Gazette: The Untold Story of India’s First Newspaper Aug 2011 – Present
Author
Author of an upcoming book on Hicky’s Bengal Gazette (1780-1782, Calcutta), India’s first newspaper.
 The book tells the story of the first journalist in India, James Augustus Hicky. Hicky used his newspaper
to expose corruption in the British East India Company and in the Christian Church. It is a thrilling story of
adventure, courage, and a willingness to sacrifice everything for the freedom of the press.
 I am telling this story based on years of archival research using untouched primary sources in India,
Germany, and the UK.
 Publication date: May 27, 2018 , Westland Books. Genre: Narrative Non-fiction.
Hyde’s Notebooks Oct 2015 – Present
Project Associate
Secondary investigator in a project to digitize and transcribe approximately 22,000 judicial notebook pages
written by one of the first Supreme Court Judges of India, Justice John Hyde. Hyde’s notebooks are one of
the only sources from India’s first Supreme Court, (1774-1796).
 I am also part of a project to publish Justice Hyde’s “secret shorthand.” Hyde began to encode
observations in shorthand after he learned fellow Justices were accepting bribes. Forgotten for over one
hundred years, I found Hyde’s shorthand while researching in archives in Kolkata.
Fulbright U.S. Student Program Kolkata, India
Fulbright Fellow Aug 2013 – Sep 2014
Researched the beginnings of journalism in India through a Fulbright-Nehru Fellowship. I was also earned
a Critical Language Enhancement Award to study Bangla at the American Institute of Indian Studies. The
Fulbright fellowship led to work on Hyde’s Notebooks and to a book on Hicky’s Bengal Gazette.
Discover Borderlands Colombo, Sri Lanka
Assistant Manager, Tourism & Special Projects Oct 2012- Jun 2013
Managed a travel company specializing in adventure sports such as White-Water Rafting, Canyoning, and
Kayaking.
National Public Radio Washington, DC
All Things Considered-Opinion Intern Jan – Jun 2012
Editorial Assistant for All Things Considered, a fast-paced position requiring attention to detail. Authored
pieces for NPR’s intern publication. Edited over 50 articles featured on NPR.com. Learned journalism skills
such as cultivating sources, AP style, multiplatform editing, digital media, and audio production.
Campus Times Rochester, NY
Online Editor / Opinions Editor / Senior Staff Writer Sep 2008 – May 2011
Served as head of the University of Rochester’s Campus Times editorial board. Published 40 articles,
managed website content and established digital archives. Also served with The Varsity, University of Cape
Town’s paper.
Skills Adobe Indesign, Photoshop, WordPress, GIMP, SPSS, MTE, Dalet, Audacity, Seamus, Open Office,
Microsoft Office, Excel, PowerPoint, Basic HTML, CSS.
Other Founded the University of Rochester Men’s Club Squash team. Published in এই সময়, National Public
Radio, The Democrat and Chronicle, the Zimbabwe Reporter and the Zimbabwean.