David Cuillier, director
David Cuillier, Ph.D., is director of the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project, and co-director of the Brechner Center for Advancement of the First Amendment, at the University of Florida. Contact David.
Before joining the University of Florida in July 2023, Cuillier (pronounced “COOL-yer”) taught access to public records, data journalism, and other courses at the University of Arizona School of Journalism for 17 years, where he also served as director of the school and director of graduate studies. He has published peer-reviewed research on freedom of information and co-authored, with Brechner alum Charles N. Davis, the books “The Art of Access: Strategies for Acquiring Public Records,” and “Transparency 2.0: Digital Data and Privacy in a Wired World.”
He served as national president of the Society of Professional Journalists in 2013-14, as well as SPJ FOI chair for five years, was president of the National Freedom of Information Coalition 2019-2023 and served as head of the Communication Law & Policy Division for the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. He is founding editor of the open-access peer-reviewed Journal of Civic Information, from 2019 to present.
Cuillier currently serves on the Federal FOIA Advisory Committee under the National Archives and Records Administration and has testified three times before Congress regarding FOIA. He has trained more than 15,000 journalists and citizens in how to acquire public records.
He got his start in public records as a newspaper reporter and editor in the Pacific Northwest for a dozen years before earning his doctorate in communications at Washington State University, studying under Dr. Susan Dente Ross, who earned her Ph.D. from UF while aiding the Brechner Center. Cuillier lives in Gainesville, Florida.
Samantha Sunne, Secrecy Tracker coordinator
Samantha Sunne joined the Brechner FOI project in fall 2025 as coordinator of the Brechner FOI Project’s Secrecy Tracker, which monitors legislation regarding access to public records and meetings throughout the United States.
Sunne (pronounced “Sunny”) is co-author of the textbook “Data + Journalism: A Story-Driven Approach to Learning Data Reporting,” now being published in its second edition. She is a freelance journalist based in New Orleans, specializing in data and investigative techniques. Sunne teaches at conferences, universities and newsrooms around the world.
As a freelance reporter, she is the recipient of several national grants and awards for investigative reporting, and has worked with publications including ProPublica, the Poynter Institute and The Washington Post. As an instructor, she has designed tutorials and curricula for organizations including Investigative Reporters & Editors, Society of Professional Journalists and the Nieman Foundation at Harvard.
Sunne also publishes the Tools for Reporters newsletter, which recommends a new tool for journalism every other week. The newsletter reached its 10th anniversary and was named one of the most popular newsletters in the news industry by Revue.
Zoe Metchick, student researcher
Zoe Metchick joined the Brechner FOI project in fall 2024 as a research aide.
She is a third-year honors student at the University of Florida pursuing a degree in criminology. She also serves in the Student Government Senate as Member At-Large and utilizes her position on the Senate Rules and Ethics Committee to promote accountability and access to information. She has spearheaded the implementation of several student resources, including a legal studies minor curriculum.
After completing her degree, Metchick plans to attend law school, pursuing a career as an attorney. She aims to use the law to continue promoting human rights and strengthening American civil liberties.
Savannah Rude, student researcher
Savannah Rude joined the Brechner FOI Project as a research aide in October 2023, and now is the social media communications coordinator.
Rude is has worked on projects regarding the freedom of college press organizations and vexatious requests. She is a senior at the University of Florida pursuing a major in journalism and a minor in international development and humanitarian assistance.
Rude is also on the staff of Strike Magazine and a marketing intern for Buckhead Recruiting Co. Rude has done previous research on sex trafficking and had her study published in the Journal of Student Research. She is a UF Journalism and Communications Ambassador for the college. For more information check out her website at https://savannahrude.portfolial.com/.