Ana Graciela Méndez is a Panamanian-American journalist, and the special projects editor at The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Lenfest Local Lab where she leads research and strategy, co-manages collaborations, and oversees and translates Spanish-language editorial products. Méndez began as an investigative reporter in Panama and co-founded Nueva Nación, a digital news platform in her native country. In 2015, she was awarded a Magic Grant from the Brown Institute for Media Innovation to develop Nueva Nación’s El Tabulario, Panama’s first open data repository for journalists. Méndez has freelanced for The New York Times since 2012, and was part of a team that was awarded a 2017 Gerald Loeb Award for graphics for an investigation into the construction of the Panama Canal’s new locks. She holds a B.A. from Haverford College, an M.S. from Columbia Journalism School, and an M.S. from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice.