Aidan Hughes

Aidan Hughes, a 2025 Merrill College master’s graduate, became a data journalist at the University of Maryland's Howard Center for Investigative Journalism in January 2026.

A former Howard fellow, Hughes helped lead a variety of investigative and data projects including an Investigative Reporters and Editors Award-winning series on privately sponsored travel for members of Congress. He also spent much of 2025 leading the Howard Center’s experimentation with large language models and other forms of generative artificial intelligence to develop new investigative reporting methods.

Hughes previously reported on Congress and President Donald Trump’s administration as a Roy W. Howard fellow. Before coming to Merrill, Hughes worked in data privacy at a health care data and analytics company.

In addition to his master’s degree from the University of Maryland, he earned a master’s in Conflict Transformation & Social Justice from Queen's University Belfast, and a bachelor’s in International Studies and Creative Writing from Virginia Tech.