Gordon Young

Gordon Young is a Teaching Professor in the Communication Department at Santa Clara University's College of Arts and Sciences. He advises the university's student newspaper, yearbook, and community radio station. His academic background includes an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Missouri (1990) and an M.A. in Literature from Nottingham University (1993).

His research focuses on urban planning trends, deindustrialization, and shrinking cities in the U.S. His seminal work, Teardown: Memoir of a Vanishing City, explores Flint, Michigan's decline and was recognized as a Michigan Notable Book. His reporting appears in The New York Times, Slate, and Politico.

Young has received the IRE Magazine Writing Award and a James Beard Award nomination. He teaches courses like Online Journalism and Journalism Practicum, emphasizing hands-on media engagement. Since 1996, he has lived in San Francisco and maintains Flint Expatriates, a blog chronicling his hometown's evolution.