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Ian Hodgson - Data Reporter, Education
Ian Hodgson

Data Reporter, Education

My title is "data reporter" but my job is to tell stories. I cover health and the environment, two topics that go hand-in-hand now more than ever. I'm a math nerd, a PhD dropout and before joining the Times I worked in economics and finance. I've lived in Vancouver, Chicago and New York, so I'm ready to never go through another cold winter. When I'm not reporting you can find me watching the Cubbies or struggling through on the NYT crossword. Let's grab a coffee and talk about story ideas.

  1. Florida again takes aim at tenured faculty. Who’s affected? Why does it matter?
    Yesterday• The Education Gradebook
    Students walk across the Tampa campus at the University of South Florida, one of 12 state schools affected by legislation that would make it harder for faculty members to keep their tenure status.
  2. New College can pay Interim President Richard Corcoran through June. Then what?
    Mar. 17• The Education Gradebook
    New College of Florida Interim President Richard Corcoran, center, listens during a meeting of the school's board of trustees, alongside trustee Matthew Spalding, left, on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, in Sarasota. The board approved a $1 million pay package for Corcoran, but the school has yet to find a way to cover that amount.
  3. New College trustees, led by DeSantis appointees, dismantle diversity office
    Mar. 1• The Education Gradebook
    Students gathered near the Sudakoff Center at New College of Florida on Feb. 28, 2023, before a meeting of the school's revamped board of trustees. Speakers and protesters said they hoped the school would remain inclusive and diverse, though the trustees later voted to dismantle New College's diversity office.
  5. Why is diversity the hot issue in Florida higher education? 4 things to know.
    Feb. 28• The Education Gradebook
    Enya Silva, second from left, Estevan Santana, Victoria Hinckley and Yuki Shao hold signs as University of South Florida students and faculty members joined a statewide walkout to protest Gov. Ron DeSantis' education policies on Thursday in Tampa. Many protesters were focused on DeSantis' proposals to limit diversity efforts.
  6. How does Richard Corcoran’s New College of Florida salary compare to other school leaders?
    Feb. 20• The Education Gradebook
    Richard Corcoran, left, motions to Gov. Ron DeSantis behind him during a news conference in St. Petersburg on Tuesday, March 15, 2022. Corcoran was Florida's education commissioner at the time. His next job will be interim president at New College of Florida in Sarasota.
  7. As New College faced turmoil, someone called the campus chaplain
    Feb. 4• The Education Gradebook
    Dwight Henry, the campus chaplain at New College of Florida, poses for a portrait at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023, in Tampa.
  8. Pass rates continue to fall at Florida nursing schools, data shows
    Feb. 1• The Education Gradebook
    A patient is prepared for admission by emergency room nurses at Gulf Coast Medical Center in Fort Myers. As Florida hospitals see staffing shortages, problems persist with the pipeline of new nurses coming into the system. The state's pass rates on the national licensing exam for nurses continue to be the lowest in the nation.
  9. Change comes swiftly to New College as DeSantis appointees replace president
    Feb. 1• The Education Gradebook
    New College students attend a protest of the appointment of new board of trustees members by Gov. Ron DeSantis at the school's Harry Sudakoff Conference Center on Tuesday.
  10. New College faces upheaval as remade board of trustees meets for first time
    Jan. 31• The Education Gradebook
    Jason "Eddie" Speir, left, and Christopher Rufo, two of the controversial new trustees for New College of Florida, address the audience at the Mildred Sainer Pavilion on the campus of New College of Florida, on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023 in Sarasota. Going into Tuesday's meeting of the newly remade board, the two have proposed major changes.
  11. 2 DeSantis-appointed trustees showed up at New College. Here’s how it went.
    Jan. 25• The Education Gradebook
    Christopher Rufo, one of six controversial new trustees at New College of Florida, talks with students at the foot of the stage after addressing an audience on the Sarasota campus Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023.
  12. DeSantis budget office requires universities to detail gender-affirming care
    Jan. 18• The Education Gradebook
    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to the crowd after being sworn in to begin his second term during an inauguration ceremony outside the Old Capitol Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023, in Tallahassee.
  13. DeSantis installed 6 new trustees at Sarasota’s New College. Who are they?
    Jan. 14• The Education Gradebook
    A school banner decorates the campus of New College of Florida in Sarasota on Jan. 10, 2023.
  14. With New College gambit, DeSantis aims to ‘recapture higher education’
    Jan. 14• The Education Gradebook
    The entrance to New College of Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed six conservative members to the board of trustees, sparking questions about the Sarasota school's future.
  15. Backyard fireworks bring the New Year’s Eve celebration home in Tampa Bay
    Dec. 30, 2022• Life & Culture
    Cristian Jimenez, assistant manager, left, helps Randall Conley, St. Petersburg resident, organize his items on Tuesday, June 14, 2022, at Phantom Fireworks of Tampa South in Tampa. Sales of personal fireworks exploded during the pandemic and it looks like people haven’t leveled off even though big city shows are back on this year.
  16. Florida is the fastest-growing state in the nation, Census estimates show
    Dec. 28, 2022• News
    Visitors to Pier 60 tour booths of arts and crafts at Clearwater Beach on Wednesday, Dec 28, 2022, in Clearwater.
  17. Dover woman found injured on I-275 Christmas morning
    Dec. 26, 2022• Breaking News
    Breaking news card for crime *** delete and write caption ****
  18. Holiday Monday: Here’s what’s open around Tampa Bay
    Dec. 26, 2022• News
    Post offices will be closed and no mail will be delivered Monday, Dec. 26.
  19. Tampa Bay’s cold snap is easing. Here’s what to expect this week.
    Dec. 26, 2022• Local Weather
    As temperatures begin to return to normal around the Tampa Bay area, two cricket players compete at Macfarlane Park in Tampa on Monday.
  20. Florida’s nursing pipeline is broken as many would-be nurses fail their exams
    Dec. 16, 2022• The Education Gradebook
    A nursing student holds a stethoscope up to a mannequin during a training simulation at South Florida State College, a public college in Avon Park, Fla. A new report found that pass rates for Florida nursing students on the national licensing exam are far below the U.S. average but that students enrolled at public nursing programs do better than those at for-profit schools.
  21. Republicans dominated Florida elections. What happened to Democrats?
    Nov. 9, 2022• Elections
    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to a crowd of supporters during his election night party at the Tampa Convention Center on Tuesday. Statewide, nearly two-thirds of registered Republicans showed up to the polls, compared to just half of registered Democrats, according to a Tampa Bay Times analysis.
  22. Fewer evacuated to shelters during Hurricane Ian. How can Tampa Bay stay safe?
    Nov. 1, 2022• Hurricane
    Aerial photo of flood-prone neighborhoods around Tampa Bay.
  23. People are talking about a 2020 speech by Ben Sasse. Here’s what he said.
    Oct. 11, 2022• The Education Gradebook
    U.S. Sen Ben Sasse of Nebraska enters the President's Ballroom in Emerson Alumni Hall on Monday, Oct. 10, 2022, during a visit to the University of Florida, where he is a finalist to be the school's next president. Accompanying him is Lisa Lundy, left, a member of the school's presidential search committee, and Amanda Phalin, right, president of the faculty senate.
  24. Sen. Ben Sasse was a university president in Nebraska. How will he be at UF?
    Oct. 7, 2022• The Education Gradebook
    In this June 5, 2013, photo, Ben Sasse, then president of Midland University, speaks in the school's gym. At the time, more than 600 of Midland's nearly 1,100 students were on one of its 25 sports teams. Midland's Warrior logo is in the background.