In a time of global crisis, namely the COVID-19 pandemic, communication is key. With a massive influx of information being disseminated through numerous outlets on a constant basis, transparency and accuracy are necessary. Cori Zarek, a 2001 graduate of the University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication, has built an impressive resume centered on sharing information.

Before completing her J.D. at the University of Iowa College of Law in 2005, Zarek knew that she wanted to dedicate her career to supporting journalists.

“I loved the whole field of journalism and the news,” said Zarek. “I realized that there’s a field for journalism law, media law, First Amendment law, and that’s where I set my sights even as an undergraduate. I knew that I wanted to build a career in that field.”

Following the completion of her law degree, Zarek moved to Washington, D.C., to take a job practicing First Amendment law with the oldest legal defense organization for journalists in the United States, The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. Zarek gained significant experience directly out of law school working on briefs for the Supreme Court and advocacy issues for journalists. It was there that Zarek began to specialize in access to information, helping journalists access information necessary for their work. 

In 2009, Zarek took a position as Attorney Advisor at the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, a non-political federal agency that maintains and preserves the nation’s history for public access. Zarek spent four years at the National Archives working on national policy for increased transparency and openness by the federal government.

“It was a really interesting experience,” said Zarek. “I felt like I was actually doing something to change the way information was maintained and shared.”

As Zarek built her career around transparency and information, she transitioned into a new role as Senior Advisor for Open Government at the White House under the Obama administration. Her new position involved working with technology and while it wasn’t her background, she adapted to work on big projects such as transforming the way the government buys and builds technology in the aftermath of the botched launch of the Affordable Care Act website. Zarek’s team was called in to untangle the mess and get the site running, an event that led to her calling for more tech talent in decision-making positions. 

Zarek rose through the ranks at the White House, becoming Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer in 2016. In this position, she supported the U.S. Digital Service, a collective of 150-200 technologists who work on urgent technology issues, and 18F, a government-wide delivery service that provides digital service assistance to any agency that needs tech help.

“Now we’re seeing whether it’s a moment of crisis like this with COVID-19 or a moment of opportunity where a new policy initiative might come out, our federal agencies are better equipped to handle the technology piece of the policy-making process,” said Zarek.

After her time at the White House, Zarek took up an 18-month fellowship with Mozilla, a software company that stands for open internet. At Mozilla, Zarek worked on technology policy topics including privacy, data protection, and digital rights. 

Zarek currently works on Georgetown University’s faculty as Director of Data and Digital for the Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation building programs around digital services in the public sector. 

“There’s an opportunity to scale so much of what we learned at the federal government to states, cities, and counties and so that’s where I’ve been spending my time and some of the programs I’ve been building,” said Zarek. “In this current moment with COVID-19 and needing our tech capacity to be able to respond just as our healthcare workers and everyone else is, we’re able to leverage these networks we’ve been building to make sure that there are humans who can help with up-to-date, accurate information on public-facing, government websites so that people know what’s going on in their communities.” 

With millions of Americans out of work and facing unprecedented uncertainty, Zarek acknowledged the need for efficiently-run government services, as people turn to the government for resources in times of crisis. 

In addition to the work Zarek has completed throughout her impressive career, she is also a member of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication’s Professional Advisory Board.

“I joined the Board because I really believe in the power of mentorship and education, but first of all, exposure,” said Zarek. “It’s that kind of classic line, ‘You can’t be what you can’t see.’ If you see people around you and people who came from a background similar to yours, maybe walked the same halls, and go off and do something, it’s so much easier to imagine that possibility for yourself and I think it’s really important for us to show back up to these places that we come from.”

Zarek enjoys the chance to help students with any questions they have and says she’ll never turn down a quick phone call or cup of coffee. Even though she now lives primarily in San Francisco, California, Zarek mentioned that she was often the first stop for students when they came to D.C.

As the country begins to reopen and information about the recovery from COVID-19 needs to spread, Zarek will surely be at the forefront of communication and change.

Zarek will be inducted into the SJMC Hall of Fame in fall 2020 and has been named the Distinguished Alumni Award winner for 2020 in the young alumni division.