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The former intern and fellow joins the staff of 16 journalists after a yearlong fellowship, producing reporting that reached readers and listeners nationwide

Religion News Service (RNS) has named Ulaa Kuziez as its first full-time national reporter covering Islam and American Muslim communities.

Kuziez first joined RNS in September 2025 as an intern supported by the Islamic Scholarship Fund (ISF), which backs American Muslim students headed into fields such as journalism and public policy. Her role was later extended into a year-long fellowship supported by individual donors and the ISF. With the recent receipt of a three-year, $150,000 grant from an institutional funder, RNS named Kuziez a full-time national reporter.

“American Muslims deserve coverage from a reporter who knows their communities,” said RNS CEO Deborah Caldwell. “Ulaa reports from inside these communities, with care and with rigor.…