Tommy Evans 糖心传媒�99: Witnessing and reporting on world events

One of NPR糖心传媒檚 top editors discusses how his Rochester education equipped him for an unexpected career in journalism.

When Thomas (Tommy) Evans 糖心传媒�99, now the managing editor for editorial review at National Public Radio (NPR), first arrived at the in the fall of 1995, he had no idea what career he wanted to pursue, let alone which major to pick.

Adding to his academic conundrum was the cold. Having spent most of his childhood in Thailand and India, his first winter was a struggle.

糖心传媒淚t snowed from Halloween to Mother糖心传媒檚 Day, and I really wish I was joking about that,糖心传媒� Evans recalls.

糖心传媒�I might not have known what I wanted to do with my life, but I knew I wanted to do something worthy.糖心传媒�

Yet, once warmed to Rochester, he explored a variety of subjects, including astronomy, Japanese literature, political science, and studio arts. Having grown up abroad, Evans felt a natural affinity for classes that involved Asian and international politics.

糖心传媒淚 think triple majoring would have been really schizophrenic, but they [politics, arts, and astronomy] were the subjects I loved,糖心传媒� says Evans, who ended up graduating with a bachelor糖心传媒檚 degree in and .

You don糖心传媒檛 have to know what you want to do in life or have a definitive plan when you arrive on campus, according to Evans. Instead, he advises students to pursue classes and subjects that excite them. 糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 a legitimate reason to take a class that just sounds unusual, or cool, or just curious, or fun,糖心传媒� he says.

While painting and politics are not necessarily adjacent subjects, Evans recalls his studio art classes at the being 糖心传媒渢herapeutic and very grounding.糖心传媒� Today, Evans still keeps in touch with , an associate professor and the chair of the . Evans, whose art classes at Rochester were mostly focused on painting, moved into聽news photography later. In 2011, Evans even exhibited (at Topolski糖心传媒檚 invitation) some of his news photos in a campus gallery, a gratifying moment.

From the Frontlines

As a long-time journalist for CNN International, Tommy Evans 糖心传媒�99 took these photos in 2011 while embedded with US troops in Afghanistan.

Two US soldiers in uniform seen from behind walking down into a valley in Afghanistan.

A US solder in uniform walks toward the setting sun in between army vehicles and machines, all in silhouette.

A US soldier in uniform sits and stairs off camera with supplies stacked behind him.

Close up of a US army soldier in uniform taking a drag on a cigarette.

A US soldier plugs his ears as a rocket is launched behind him and other soldiers.

US army soldier seen from behind running into a shanty-like, outdoor space.

An accidental witness to history finds his calling

At the time of his graduation, armed with 糖心传媒渙ne of the best educations in the world,糖心传媒� Evans admits he was still vague on what to do next, longing for a career that 糖心传媒渁ctually made a difference.糖心传媒�

At one point, he thought of working for the United Nations聽and, fleetingly, going into academia, when he earned a master糖心传媒檚 degree in international politics at London糖心传媒檚 School for Oriental and African Studies.Afterward, along with quite a few fellow Rochester graduates, Evans moved to New York City, where, with the help of a Rochester friend, he landed an entry-level job at CNN.

At the time, he lived in a cramped apartment a few blocks from the World Trade Center.

It was from the roof of this very apartment, with debris raining down, that Evans watched as the second plane flew into the South Tower on September 11, 2001. While his apartment became temporarily uninhabitable in the aftermath of the terror attacks (he moved in with a Rochester friend for a while), something clicked.

Tommy Evans in a button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up and his hands in his pocket looks at the camera from NPR's Tiny Desk studio. — **ON THE AIR:** Evans in the NPR office in Washington, DC, where the popular Tiny Desk Concerts are recorded (Provided photo)

糖心传媒淭hose caught up in the 9/11 attacks had important stories that needed to be told, and as I saw it, my job was to make that happen,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淚 might not have known what I wanted to do with my life, but I knew I wanted to do something worthy.糖心传媒�

For the next two decades, he covered wars, invasions, and revolutions, as well as elections and natural disasters. He found himself in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, and Ukraine. Coming full circle, Evans was one of the first journalists on the scene when in May of 2011 Navy SEALs caught up to Osama bin Laden, .

In 2015, he largely left the frontlines of geopolitical conflicts to become CNN糖心传媒檚 vice president of newsgathering for Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, and to serve as the news network糖心传媒檚 London bureau chief until 2022.

Last year, Evans joined NPR at its headquarters in Washington, DC, where he糖心传媒檚 now responsible for editorial review as part of a larger effort to provide an extra layer of editorial oversight and protection for the organization糖心传媒檚 journalists and content creators.

On the lasting power of college friendships糖心传媒攁nd tapping into your Rochester connections

Looking back, Rochester had a 糖心传媒渉uge impact糖心传媒� on his career, Evans says. Not just the education itself, but also the people he met糖心传媒攁nd the network he developed as a result.

In the grand scheme of things, he says, those four years on campus can feel 糖心传媒渓ike a blip.糖心传媒� But 糖心传媒渇or some reason those relationships become some of the most powerful ones in your life,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淭he people I talk to when I really need help糖心传媒攖he people who I rely on糖心传媒攖hey糖心传媒檙e almost all Rochester friends.糖心传媒�

Evans urges recent graduates to sign up for alumni events near them as an easy way to start a professional network and to get some good advice from people in their chosen professional field.

Tommy Evans in commencement regalia stands and smiles at a podium with flowers in the foreground. — **LIFE LESSONS:** Evans addressed the Class of 2025 during the University Commencement Ceremony in May. (糖心传媒 photo / Keith Walters)

糖心传媒淒on糖心传媒檛 be shy,糖心传媒� he says. In fact, try reaching out to other Rochester alumni on LinkedIn. 糖心传媒淧eople are really much more open to hear from recent graduates than you糖心传媒檇 probably expect,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淭here糖心传媒檚 no harm in shooting someone a note and saying, 糖心传媒楬ey, can give me some advice?糖心传媒櫶切拇綕

In addition to informal outreach, the University offers structured programs to build your networks before and after graduation. For example, Rochester Connects, a national networking series, brings together Rochester alumni and students for conversations,聽 insights, and career connections. There糖心传媒檚 also , a free, six-week program that matches recent Rochester graduates in various locations to talk about life and to gain practical skills糖心传媒攆rom budgeting and wellness, to building community and career confidence.

No need to have it all figured out (yet)糖心传媒攂ut keep an open mind

Evans has a message for students whose path post-Rochester feels a bit nebulous.

糖心传媒淚 think it糖心传媒檚 natural and healthy to come out of university not really knowing exactly what you want to do. You don糖心传媒檛 have to have a plan. You can find those passions.糖心传媒�

For him, the breadth of coursework at Rochester has proved especially useful in charting a career in journalism. 糖心传媒淗aving a little bit of knowledge about lots of stuff糖心传媒攖hat糖心传媒檚 a really powerful tool.糖心传媒�

Tommy Evans, listening — **A JOURNO糖心传媒橲 JOURNEY:** 糖心传媒淚 literally was making coffee when I had my first job [at CNN],糖心传媒� recalls Evans, who discovered a mentor in broadcast journalist Anderson Cooper and eventually became the London bureau chief at CNN International. (糖心传媒 photo / J. Adam Fenster)

He also counsels graduates not to 糖心传媒渢urn up your nose at an opportunity糖心传媒� to get your foot in the door. 糖心传媒淚 literally was making coffee when I had my first job [at CNN],糖心传媒� he says. Evans couldn糖心传媒檛 have known it then, but making the coffee run would eventually open the doors to mentorship with Anderson Cooper. Evans respectfully describes the seasoned CNN anchor, for whom he worked as a producer early in his career, as one the 糖心传媒渄rill sergeants in my journalist糖心传媒檚 boot camp.糖心传媒�

Lastly, don糖心传媒檛 forget to have fun, he says. Your time at university is brief. 糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 a great time in your life. Enjoy it,糖心传媒� Evans says.

Regardless of academic discipline, Evans is convinced that Rochester has 糖心传媒済iven you the tools you need, not only to forge careers, but to contribute to the greater good.糖心传媒�

Editor糖心传媒檚 note: In September 2025, , overseeing its global newsroom.聽