Rukmini Callimachi

Rukmini Maria Callimachi is a Romanian-born American journalist currently working for The New York Times. She has been a Pulitzer Prize finalist four times. Callimachi gained fame as the host of the New York Times podcast Caliphate, which won a Peabody Award. However, the Times later returned the award after an investigation raised doubts about a significant portion of the podcast. Born as Rukmini Sichitiu, she is the stepdaughter of Mihai Botez, a scientist and dissident against the Romanian communist regime. Rukmini is a matrilineal descendant of the Callimachi family of Phanariotes and changed her last name to honor this legacy.