Jill Burcum

Editorial Writer

Opinion

Burcum has been an editorial writer since March 2008, joining the Editorial Board after working in the newsroom as an editor and reporter. She is a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist for editorial writing. "Not This Mine. Not This Location," which focused on copper mining’s risk to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, was recognized in 2020. Her "Separate and Unequal" series on dilapidated Bureau of Indian Education schools was a finalist in 2015, and she also testified before Congress that same year about these schools' poor condition. Burcum graduated magna cum laude from the University of Washington in 1991 and started her career as a reporter for the Rochester Post-Bulletin. She previously worked for Mayo Clinic and Ican Inc.

Burcum has been an editorial writer since March 2008, joining the Editorial Board after working in the newsroom as an editor and reporter. She is a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist for editorial writing. "Not This Mine. Not This Location," which focused on copper mining’s risk to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, was recognized in 2020. Her "Separate and Unequal" series on dilapidated Bureau of Indian Education schools was a finalist in 2015, and she also testified before Congress that same year about these schools' poor condition. Burcum graduated magna cum laude from the University of Washington in 1991 and started her career as a reporter for the Rochester Post-Bulletin. She previously worked for Mayo Clinic and Ican Inc.

Contact

jill.burcum@startribune.com

612-673-7846

Latest from Jill Burcum

Columnists

Burcum: Flooded dental clinic needs donors, state support

The Scenic Rivers nonprofit dental clinic in Cook, Minn., is still struggling to replace equipment lost or damaged in last summer’s flood.

February 15, 2025

Columnists

Burcum: Seek savings from insurers, not medical research

There’s a literal roadmap for finding $83 billion in annual savings from Medicare Advantage. So why are Trump and Musk going after scientists for $4 billion in cuts?

February 13, 2025

Columnists

Burcum: Healthier kids, less red tape

Innovative reform ensures state’s littlest, neediest kids don’t lose access to medical care during key developmental years. It’s also reducing clinics’ administrative burden.

February 7, 2025

Columnists

Burcum: Tariffs and Musk’s metastasizing power an alarming mix

A trade war and an unelected billionaire’s access to the U.S. Treasury’s financial system made for an unsettling weekend. Congress, could you be bothered to put up a fight?

February 3, 2025