Kristina Abovyan was the 2024-2025 Murray Journalism Fellow. She is a recent Missouri School of Journalism graduate and holds a master's degree in journalism with a focus on reporting, editing and investigative journalism. Growing up in Russia and Armenia, she came to value in-depth and accurate reporting that focuses on people and narratives.

Kristina completed a fellowship with ABC News in Washington, D.C., learning the ropes of broadcast journalism and national news. She also reported locally for a digital-first publication in Missouri for over a year, covering social justice issues. While in grad school, Kristina worked on a 5-month investigative story about funeral contract fraud that revealed a patchwork of regulations across 35 states. Her reporting was part of "Dead Wrong," a larger project about the funeral industry with NYCity News Service.

For her master's research, she explored how investigative journalists build trust and communicate with their sources. She is passionate about documentary journalism and filmmaking. While building a foundation in investigative reporting and writing, Kristina has also taken part in several audio and video projects. When she's not going down reporting rabbit holes, she loves reading fiction, spending time outdoors, practicing yoga and picking up crafty hobbies, most recently crocheting.