Mike Gruss has joined the staff of SpaceNews covering military space, missile defense and policy matters.

Previously Gruss worked at The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk, Va., where he covered education and the state legislature and most recently was a columnist and features writer. From 1999 to 2003 he was an award-winning education reporter for the Journal Gazette in Fort Wayne, Ind.

Gruss earned a bachelor’s degree in English and American Studies at Miami University in Ohio, and was named his class’ most outstanding journalist as a junior and a senior.