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Jess Daninhirsch

Reporting Intern, Museums

Jess Daninhirsch

Jess Daninhirsch is a reporting intern focusing on museums for Smithsonian magazine.

Highlights

  • Recent graduate of the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism and honored as a member of Kappa Tau Alpha, the national journalism honor society, for graduating in the top 10 percent of her class
  • Has interned for a radio station, a PBS station, local newspapers in Pittsburgh and the DMV area, and most recently, NBC’s “Meet the Press”
  • Placed in the top 20 for Hearst Journalism Awards in photojournalism and audio story categories in 2025 and 2026

Education
Bachelor’s degree in multiplatform journalism and a minor in history from the University of Maryland

Stories from Jess Daninhirsch

In the bitter chill of a six-degrees Fahrenheit morning in Olathe, Kansas, firefighters respond to a duplex fire. Working quickly despite the cold, they stopped the fire’s advance and saved the adjoining unit from damage.

These 15 Riveting Photos of Firefighters in Action Showcase the Strength and Courage They Need to Risk Their Lives to Save Others

On the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, take in this collection of images pulled from the archives of the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest

Baptistery of Saint Louis basin, engraved and inlaid copper alloy, silver, gold and black compound, Egypt or Syria, Mamluk dynasty, c. 1325-1340

For the First Time, a Selection of Islamic Masterpieces From the Louvre Is Coming to the United States. See the Treasures Soon to Be Displayed at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art

Twenty-six works spanning many centuries and regions will form the September exhibition titled “From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art”

Out on safari, this tired lion lets out a big yawn after an early morning hunt.

Lions, Lions and Lions, Oh My! 15 Photos of the Most Majestic Big Cats Found Throughout Africa

Ranging from cubs to adults, this selection of shots from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest showcases the apex predator of the savanna

The global bodyboard market is estimated to reach $623.6 million by 2035, up from $296.3 million in 2024.

How the Boogie Board Became One of Summer’s Most Popular Toys

Fifty-five years ago, surfer Tom Morey cut a piece of polyethylene foam with a carving knife and created a wave-riding board with a low barrier of entry

Anderson Taylor stands behind display cases in the Cambridge Natural History Museum in Cambridge, Illinois.

An 11-Year-Old Boy in a Small Midwestern Town Just Became the Guinness World Record Holder for Being the Youngest Museum Curator

Four years after Anderson Taylor began collecting specimens, he opened the Cambridge Natural History Museum in Cambridge, Illinois, offering school tours and attracting visitors from across the region

The "Jane!" exhibition is on view at the Cantor Arts Center through May 18, 2028.

Stanford University’s Founding Matriarch Was a Travel-Loving Philanthropist Who Met a Tragic End. A New Exhibition Explores Her Life, Grief and Death by Poison

Jane Stanford’s legacy is the focus of a new showcase at the California university. The display features artifacts that have never previously been exhibited

Scientists studied the sweat bee species Megalopta genalis​​​​​​, native to Central and South America.

In This Bee Species, Why Do Some Daughters Leave Home While Others Stay ‘Bee-hind’ to Help Mom?

Biologists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute investigated a flexible social bee species, which helps shed light on the evolution of more complex organizational structures among other insects

A busy scene unfolds on Broadway in Nashville, featuring a taxicab parked on the curb, a “pedal tavern” and a scooter rider.

These Photos of Nashville Will Have You Packing Your Bags for Music City, USA

These 15 images from the archives of the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest give us a glimpse of life in Tennessee’s capital city

In the bushes on a summer day, the photographer’s cat plays and looks up at the camera.

15 Kitten Photos That Will Make You Feel as Warm and Fuzzy as the Tiny Felines Themselves

These moments from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest highlight curious kittens from around the world

A male red fox (silver morph) with a playful kit on San Juan Island in Washington State, May 17, 2024

These Devoted Dads Across the Animal Kingdom Will Warm Your Heart This Father’s Day

From foxes that bring home dinner to fish that keep watch over their young, male animals across several species take an active role in building nests and caring for their babies