Promotional graphic for the MSU Denver podcast 'BirdTalk,' about alumni careers and lives, hosted by Jamie Hurst ’21. The image features a city skyline in blue tones, a black-and-white photo of a person holding a camera, and a black-and-white headshot of Leah Millis ’11. Text reads: 'Episode 33: Leah Millis ’11.' The MSU Denver logo is in the top right corner.
Promotional graphic for the MSU Denver podcast 'BirdTalk,' about alumni careers and lives, hosted by Jamie Hurst ’21. The image features a city skyline in blue tones, a black-and-white photo of a person holding a camera, and a black-and-white headshot of Leah Millis ’11. Text reads: 'Episode 33: Leah Millis ’11.' The MSU Denver logo is in the top right corner.

From the Tivoli student newsroom to the front lines of history, MSU Denver alum Leah Millis (’11) has built a career documenting the moments the world can’t look away from. Now, the award-winning photojournalist returns to her roots as the featured guest on the latest episode of BirdTalk, MSU Denver’s alumni podcast highlighting Roadrunners making an impact across communities.

Hosted by Jamie Hurst, the episode explores how Millis transformed her time at MSU Denver into a global journalism career defined by courage, empathy, and ethical storytelling. As a student, she sharpened her skills at The Metropolitan, experimenting with design, chasing deadlines, and learning how to tell real stories with real stakes — experiences she credits as the true launchpad for her professional life.

“That’s where you get real experience,” Millis says of the student newsroom. “The most important skill that you can have to be a successful journalist is resilience.”

That resilience has carried her around the world. Since graduating, Millis has reported for major outlets including the San Francisco Chronicle and Reuters, contributing to Pulitzer Prize–winning coverage of the Hong Kong protests. Her work has placed her inside some of the most consequential events of the last decade, including political unrest, protests, and the January 6 Capitol riot — often with a camera in hand and history unfolding just feet away.

But the conversation goes beyond headlines.

Millis speaks candidly about the human side of journalism — the emotional toll of witnessing crisis, the responsibility of ethical reporting, and the empathy required to tell stories with care. She also reflects on the mentors who shaped her path at MSU Denver and why she now prioritizes mentoring the next generation of journalists, especially women entering the field.

The episode offers listeners an honest look at what it means to pursue truth in a rapidly changing media landscape, and showcases how her MSU Denver experience lead to meaningful, purpose-driven work around the globe. Millis’s story embodies the Roadrunner spirit: resourceful, grounded, and committed to serving others through impact.

The episode is now streaming on all major podcast platforms and here.

BirdTalk is MSU Denver’s official alumni podcast, sharing the stories of Roadrunners making their mark across industries and around the globe. For more information on BirdTalk, visit: https://www.msudenver.edu/alumni/birdtalk/