Smithsonian magazine – Washington, D.C.
- Senior associate digital editor, history, August 2024 through present
- Associate digital editor, history, August 2021 through August 2024
- Assistant digital editor, humanities, October 2019 through August 2021
- Smart News writer, June 2018 through October 2019
- American Society of Magazine Editors editorial intern, June 2017 through August 2017
freelance writer – Washington, D.C.
- Smithsonian.com and Washington City Paper (City Lights section) contributor
The Flat Hat – Williamsburg, VA
- Chief staff writer, August 2017 through April 2018
- Copy editor, September 2017 through April 2018
- Associate blogs editor, April 2016 through November 2016
- Chief staff writer, March 2015 through May 2015
- Associate news editor, November 2014 through March 2015
- Copy editor, October 2014 through May 2015
Kiplinger.com – Washington, D.C.
- Editorial intern, June 2016 through July 2016
- Editorial intern, June 2015 through August 2015
The Saint – St Andrews, Scotland
- Editor-in-chief, November 2016 through April 2017
- Deputy editor, April 2016 through November 2016
- Money editor, December 2015 through April 2016
- Deputy features editor, September 2015 through December 2015
Aberrance Quarterly – Leesburg, VA
- Managing editor and branch co-founder, April 2014 through August 2014
The Husky Headline – Leesburg, VA
- Editor-in-Chief, August 2013 through June 2014
PUBLIC SPEAKING
EVENTS
- January 6, 2025: Panelist, “Pitch Slam” (American Historical Association’s 138th Annual Meeting)
- November 7, 2024: Panelist, “Career Paths and Roles in Publishing” (College of William & Mary’s Ferguson Blair Publishing Seminar)
- June 27, 2023: Panelist, “How to Get Your Foot in the Door” (Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference)
- May 2, 2023: Host, “Why Americans Love the British Monarchy” (Smithsonian magazine)
- March 23, 2023: Panelist, “JDP Creative Careers Alumni Panel” (College of William & Mary/University of St Andrews Joint Degree Programme)
- February 7, 2023: Panelist, “It’s a Doll’s World After All” (Smithsonian’s American Women’s History Initiative)
- November 4, 2022: Panelist, “Digital and New Media” (College of William & Mary’s Ferguson Blair Publishing Seminar)
- December 29, 2020: Presenter, “Canva Breakout Session” (Embolden)
- October 24, 2020: Panelist, “Digital Media” (College of William & Mary’s Ferguson Blair Publishing Seminar)
- November 16, 2018: Guest lecturer, “Data Journalism” class (College of William & Mary)
RADIO/PODCAST
May 25, 2025: “History Shorts,” “Making scholars readable and relevant“
June 27, 2024: “There’s More to That,” “The Crime of the Century, a Century Later“
October 8, 2022: BBC Radio Berkshire, “Who Was the Real Woman King?“
April 10, 2022: “All Things Tudor,” “Ten Things That Will Surprise Us About Mary, Queen of Scots”
March 8, 2022: “All Things Tudor,” “Mary, Queen of Scots, and Illicit Love”July 23, 2016: Radio interview with Michael Finney of KGO (discussing Kiplinger Clinton/Trump slide show)
July 24, 2016: Radio interview with Paul Berry of “Home & Family Finance Radio” (discussing Kiplinger Clinton/Trump slide show)
Awards and honors
- Graduated summa cum laude from the College of William & Mary/University of St Andrews Joint Degree Programme in spring 2018; First Class degree classification from St Andrews
- Senior honors thesis: “Virginia Woolf and the ‘Objective’ Camera: The Relationship Between Text and Image in Three Guineas and Orlando“
- The Dr. Murray Eugene Borish Prize for Distinction in Scholarship and Excellence in Writing (William & Mary English Department, spring 2018)
- Lang Legacy Scholarship Award (William & Mary English Department, fall 2017)
- “Inside the hospitality industry” shortlisted for Best Article –– Student and Young Person, the Write to End Violence Against Women Awards
- Selected for American Society of Magazine Editors internship program (June 2017)
- The Saint: shortlisted for Best Publication, Best Design, and Best Website (Student Press Association Awards, May 2017)
- Virginia Journalist of the Year, Virginia Association of Journalism Teachers & Advisers (June 2014)
- Virginia state representative, Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference (July 2013)
Meilan Solly 