Paula Span

Paula Span is an accomplished journalist and educator with extensive experience in the field of writing and reporting. Currently serving as a columnist for The New York Times since May 2009, Span focuses on aging and caregiving through the New Old Age column. In addition to this role, Span has been an author for Penguin Random House since March 2023, working on a book titled "The Ninth Decade," which explores the lives of octogenarians. As a professor at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism since 1999, Span teaches reporting and feature writing while advising students on their master's projects. With a strong background in freelance writing for various esteemed publications since 1975, Span has also held positions as a staff writer for The Washington Post and The Boston Phoenix, covering a range of topics from cultural issues to in-depth features. Span holds a BS in Journalism from Boston University, having also studied at the University of Pennsylvania.