Robert Quigley is an Associate Professor of Practice at The University of Texas at Austin whose work focuses on digital media and journalism innovation. A 16-year veteran of the newspaper industry, he helped the Austin American-Statesman gain national recognition for its use of digital and social media. In 2016, Quigley received the University of Texas System Regents' Outstanding Teaching Award and the Moody College Teaching Excellence Award, followed by the Dad's Association Centennial Teaching Fellowship in 2018.
Quigley began his journalism career as a sports writer at The Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel in 1995 before joining the Austin American-Statesman in 1998 as a page designer and copy editor. He later served as assistant news editor, the newspaper's first Internet editor, and one of the world's first social media editors. His leadership in digital journalism contributed to award-winning coverage of the 2009 Fort Hood shootings and the 2010 plane crash into an IRS building in Austin, earning recognition from the Texas Associated Press Managing Editors.
Since joining UT Austin, Quigley has developed innovative journalism courses, including a cross-disciplinary class that brings journalism and computer science students together to build mobile apps. He also teaches Digital Innovations Capstone, Social Media Journalism, Audio Storytelling, and Digital Storytelling Basics. In 2019, he founded The Drag, the university's podcast production house, which gives students opportunities to produce long-form narrative podcasts in partnership with professional news organizations.
Quigley is widely recognized as an expert in digital media, with his work and insights featured in publications such as The New York Times, Mashable, Poynter, and the Nieman Journalism Lab. He has also spoken at major journalism and media conferences, including South by Southwest Interactive, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists Convention, and the International Symposium on Online Journalism. Originally from Scottsville, New York, Quigley has lived in Texas since he was 18.
