Elizabeth McGowan: A Journey of Resilience, Journalism, and the Pulitzer Prize
Elizabeth McGowan is a distinguished journalist whose life and career are defined by an extraordinary capacity for resilience. From battling a recurring and aggressive form of cancer to uncovering critical failures in pipeline safety, McGowan has consistently turned personal and professional challenges into catalysts for public service and awareness.
Early Life and Education
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1961, McGowan pursued her passion for storytelling early in her adult life. She attended the Missouri School of Journalism, where she earned her Bachelor of Journalism in 1983, laying the academic foundation for a career in reporting.
A Lifelong Battle with Cancer
At the age of 24, while living in Burlington, Vermont, McGowan was diagnosed with melanoma—a type of skin cancer that had previously claimed the life of her father, Ronald McGowan, at age 44. Though doctors initially removed the tumor, the cancer returned in late 1986, spreading to her lymph nodes. This led her to enroll in an 11-month trial of interferon, a protein used to stimulate the immune system to fight cancer.
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Despite her health struggles, McGowan remained dedicated to her career. In December 1987, she began working for the Janesville Gazette in Wisconsin. By 1989, x-rays and biopsies revealed metastases in both of her lungs. To combat this, she underwent the Dartmouth Regimen, an experimental cocktail of chemotherapy drugs. While the standard treatment consisted of three rounds, McGowan and her doctors agreed to a fourth round of chemotherapy.
Following a period of recovery in 1991, McGowan celebrated the news that her cancer was gone by hiking the entire Appalachian Trail, starting at Springer Mountain. It was during this journey that she met her husband, Don Looney. She later spent five years as a reporter for The Times Journal in the mid-1990s, covering feature articles and government news. However, the cancer returned in 1994, invading her liver and requiring surgery, from which she fully recovered.
Heals on Wheels: A Coast-to-Coast Trek
In August 2000, to celebrate five years of being cancer-free, McGowan embarked on a solo bicycle journey called "Heals on Wheels." Riding along the TransAmerica Trail, she traveled 4,250 miles from Astoria, Oregon, to the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia. This experience later served as the basis for her 2020 book, Outpedaling the Big C: My Healing Cycle Across America.
The Pulitzer Prize and Environmental Reporting
In 2010, McGowan joined InsideClimate News, a non-profit news organization, as a correspondent based in Washington, D.C. Her work there culminated in the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting, shared with colleagues David Hasemyer and Lisa Song.
The award-winning work focused on the Kalamazoo River oil spill. The team spent 15 months investigating pipeline safety and the dangers of dilbit. Dilbit is a thick Canadian hydrocarbon known as bitumen that is diluted with liquid chemicals to allow it to flow through pipelines. Unlike standard oil, the chemicals in dilbit evaporate, causing the remaining thick oil to sink to the bottom, making cleanup exceptionally difficult.
The investigation revealed that the pipeline suffered from corrosion and that pipeline operators were not required to inform first responders about the nature of the spill, leaving the EPA unaware for over a week that they were dealing with dilbit.
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Impact of the Investigation
The reporting consisted of a three-part series and several follow-up stories that highlighted the lack of oversight for pipelines skirting Lake Michigan and the inadequacy of spill protection technology in projects like Keystone XL. At the time of the win, InsideClimate News was a relatively unknown digital startup, making the Pulitzer win a significant milestone for digital-only journalism.
Key Facts
- Education: Bachelor of Journalism from the Missouri School of Journalism (1983).
- Health Journey: Survived multiple bouts of melanoma affecting lymph nodes, lungs, and liver.
- Athletic Achievement: Cycled 4,250 miles from Oregon to Virginia for the "Heals on Wheels" fundraiser.
- Major Award: 2013 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for the Kalamazoo River oil spill investigation.
- Key Publication: Author of Outpedaling the Big C: My Healing Cycle Across America (2020).
Summary of Career and Milestones
| Period/Year | Milestone/Organization | Key Achievement/Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Missouri School of Journalism | Earned Bachelor of Journalism |
| 1987-1991 | Janesville Gazette | Full-time reporting during cancer treatment |
| Mid-1990s | The Times Journal | Government and feature reporting |
| 2000 | Heals on Wheels | 4,250-mile solo bike ride for Waukesha Memorial Hospital |
| 2010-2013 | InsideClimate News | Washington, D.C. Correspondent |
| 2013 | Pulitzer Prize | Award for National Reporting on the Kalamazoo River spill |
| 2020 | Book Publication | Published Outpedaling the Big C |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is dilbit and why is it dangerous?
Dilbit is bitumen (a thick Canadian hydrocarbon) diluted with liquid chemicals to facilitate pipeline transport. It is particularly dangerous because the chemicals evaporate during a spill, causing the heavy oil to sink to the bottom of water bodies, which makes it much harder to clean up than conventional oil.
What was the focus of Elizabeth McGowan's Pulitzer Prize-winning work?
McGowan and her team conducted a 15-month investigation into pipeline safety and the Kalamazoo River oil spill, exposing the risks of dilbit and the lack of communication between pipeline operators and first responders.
How did Elizabeth McGowan support the Waukesha Memorial hospital?
She raised funds by completing a solo, 4,250-mile bicycle trek from Astoria, Oregon, to the Atlantic Ocean in Virginia along the TransAmerica Trail, a journey she called "Heals on Wheels."
What is the Dartmouth Regimen?
The Dartmouth Regimen is an experimental cocktail of chemotherapy drugs. McGowan underwent four rounds of this treatment to fight metastases in her lungs, exceeding the standard three-round regimen.
When was Elizabeth McGowan's book published and what is it about?
Her book, Outpedaling the Big C: My Healing Cycle Across America, was published in 2020. It chronicles her personal experiences with cancer and her healing journey across the United States by bicycle.