UT graduate and former Foundation Scholar Ryan Chandler is now the newest national correspondent at NBC News

Ryan Chandler hit the big-time in record time! The Headliners Foundation is proud to be part of his journey

Since founding his high school’s first broadcast news channel, Ryan Chandler knew he was destined to be a journalist. As a student at The University of Texas at Austin, he earned a Headliners Foundation scholarship for the 2019–2020 academic year, ranking among the top ten applicants statewide. “I believe that journalism is the greatest tool to affect change and improve lives,” Chandler said in his scholarship application essay. Six short years later, he is doing exactly that.

As a student journalist, Chandler honed his craft across broadcast, print, and multimedia platforms. His college career included serving as executive producer and host of “Tower Talks,” a weekly political news program aimed at fostering productive dialogue and adding the student perspective to the headlines. Chandler also worked as news producer and host for Texas Student Television's morning news program “Good Morning TX,” and was an editorial columnist and podcast reporter for The Daily Texan.

“It’s so exciting to see Ryan succeed, though it’s also wholly unsurprising,” said Robert Quigley, professor of practice at The University of Texas School of Journalism and Media. “He worked incredibly hard while in college, consistently showing the drive to be a journalist that continues to propel him in his career,” Quigley said.

After graduation, Chandler launched his professional career as a multimedia journalist at KAMC/KLBK News in Lubbock, quickly earning praise for his calm under pressure. “Ryan never got rattled. Never panicked. Never stressed out during stressful situations,” said Russ Poteet, news director at KAMC/KLBK. “His attitude, work ethic, talent, intelligence, integrity, and personality made us all better both on and off the air,” Poteet said. 

In December 2022, Chandler returned to Austin as a Capitol correspondent and multimedia journalist at KXAN-TV, Austin's NBC affiliate, where his dual degrees in journalism and government served him well. “That job took me all across the state, reporting on everything from hurricanes to wildfires and border crises in between long, countless nights in the Texas House,” said Chandler.

KXAN News Director Haley Cihock was impressed with Chandler’s work ethic. "Ryan has a rare level of energy for the job of a journalist,” said Cihock. “He grabbed the bull of the Capitol beat by the horns and developed sources faster than most folks take to order a set of business cards,” she said.

Two years later, in January 2025, Chandler joined NBC News as a Texas-based national correspondent for NBC Nightly News, The Today Show, and NBC News Now. “The Texas story is a national story — economically, politically, culturally, demographically,” Chandler said. “Now my job is to tell that story for everyone.”

“This role has turned my journalistic heroes into colleagues,” said Chandler, who now works alongside veteran journalists he has admired for many years. His meteoric rise to the network level made an impression on fellow Texan and NBC National Correspondent Morgan Chesky. “When I was reporting in Austin, it would have been really nice to know that you could make it from Austin to the network without jumping anywhere else,” said Chesky, who was a reporter at KVUE, Austin's ABC affiliate, early in his career. "I needed a few more years of experience to hone some rough edges,” Chesky joked, “but [Ryan] did exactly that, and with flying colors.”

For Ryan, support from the Headliners Foundation made a substantial impact on his college experience as well as his developing professional career. Beyond the financial support and invaluable networking opportunities, Chandler believes the Headliners Foundation scholarships offer hope for young journalists that there is still room for the next generation of storytellers. “So often, journalism students are discouraged from pursuing their passion amid the negativity surrounding the profession,” he said. “The Headliners Foundation’s scholarships show promising students that there are still people investing in the future of journalism, that there are still great opportunities to be found.”

As for the future, Chandler is exactly where he wants to be and is looking forward to a long tenure at NBC. He is focused on his career and finding ways to encourage student journalists hoping to follow in his footsteps. “We'll see what the future brings, but I do know I want to take a more active role in passing along some of my success to the students whose place I was in not too long ago,” he said.

And his message to the next generation? “If you love journalism, the world needs you and there is a place for you in this business. Don't believe the naysayers. Be willing to take chances and move to new places.”

Meet Ryan at the Mike Quinn Awards Luncheon on Saturday, November 8th as we honor this year’s group on scholarship recipients and professional journalism contest winners.

Other sources for this article include the UT Moody College of Communication and ADWEEK.