Eric Eyre joined the Charleston (W.Va.) Gazette-Mail in 1998, after working as an intern at the Tampa Bay Times. At the Gazette-Mail, he covered the statehouse, education, health and business. Eyre's work has won several national awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting, Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE) Medal, Fred M. Hechinger Grand Prize in Education Reporting from Education Writers Association, National Headliners Award, Society of American Business Editors and Writers award, Gerald Loeb Award for business writing, and an Association of Health Care Journalists award. He also was the recipient of a Kaiser Family Foundation fellowship. His investigative stories have mostly spotlighted issues in rural West Virginia communities. Eyre graduated from Loyola University of New Orleans and received a master's degree from the University of South Florida at St Petersburg while on a Poynter Fund Fellowship. He lives in West Virginia with his wife Lori, son Toby, and two cats, BlackieBella and Abby.