Hillary Howard

Howard is a 6-time Emmy Award-winning writer, reporter and weathercaster who hosts "It's Academic," the world's longest-running TV quiz show. For 18+ years she worked at Washington DC's WTOP News. Howard co-anchored afternoons with Shawn Anderson after co-hosting a political interview show with former NBC correspondent Bob Kur on "Washington Post Radio," a joint venture between WTOP and the Post. Her DC broadcast career began at WTTG/FOX5 where she was the weekend anchor and special projects reporter following her work as an award-winning street reporter and Emmy-winning weekend weathercaster. She also worked at WUSA9 and briefly freelanced at ABC7. Besides her news work, Hillary was a writer for the documentary short "Bee the Future," about an english language spelling bee for non-english speakers in Bangalore, India. Howard is also a voiceover artist, story producer and public speaker who was the 2023 master of ceremonies for the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial. The NY native loves travel and visiting the world's far-flung places. Sometimes rafting calls to her. She's rolled over rapids on Alaska's Alsek-Tatshenshini and the Grand Canyon's mighty Colorado. Twice. She says her biggest professional accomplishment was a last-minute opportunity to step in for for "It's Academic" great Mac McGarry. She did the show cold at the old NBC4 studio, a studio she'd never seen. Howard is an NYU graduate whose early career was jumpstarted at New York's legendary 1010 WINS where she led a dial-up "newsphone" headline service before shifting to the newsroom.

In November 2010, Howard fell and suffered a head injury. Later, a brain scan revealed a meningioma tumor in Howard's brain. Although the tumor was benign, she opted to have it removed.[1] The surgery was performed at Johns Hopkins Hospital in April 2011. The operation was successful, and she recovered. Howard returned to work in May.[2]

Howard is married to retired WUSA reporter and noted fire-service blogger Dave Statter.[3] [4]

Howard won Emmy Awards for News Writing, Hard News Reporting, Feature Reporting and Weathercasting. She also won an Imagen Award for reporting on Hispanic Issues, and was a finalist in the New York Festivals. Howard also won a Chesapeake AP Award for TV and radio work. Her radio career garnered other awards too including a regional Murrow and SPJ. Howard was also part of the WTOP national Murrow Award-winning newsteam for its collective work on breaking news, including the Capitol insurrection of January 6, 2021. [4]