Melissa Isaacson is an award-winning journalist and author whose career has spanned the sports world and whose work has consistently endeared her to her readers.

A frequent public speaker, Isaacson is currently on the faculty of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism teaching undergraduate and graduate communications programs.

Isaacson was the Chicago Tribune’s principal beat writer for the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls during their championship years of the early 90s and later the Chicago Bears for seven seasons. Isaacson was also one of the paper’s most respected feature writers and columnists over her 19 years at the Tribune.

Isaacson has covered virtually every major sporting event, including the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, more than a dozen Super Bowls, the Final Four, college bowl games, Wimbledon and U.S. Open tennis and the British Open. She was part of Tribune’s coverage for the White Sox World Series run in 2005, as well as the Cubs’ playoffs in 2003, ’07 and ’08, and for ESPN, the Blackhawks Stanley Cup runs in 2010 and 2013.

Isaacson was born in Chicago and was a member of the 1979 girls state championship basketball team for Skokie’s Niles West High School. She graduated from the University of Iowa in 1983 with a BA in Journalism. Isaacson lives in the Chicago area, with her husband Rick. They have two children, Amanda and Alec.