Alison Bologna, 35, has become a familiar face to many, anchoring the 7 p.m. news for WJAR-TV NBC 10 and as a member of the station’s award-winning, investigative team of reporters. She is currently studying for a master’s degree in English and American literature at Harvard University, holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

She began her journalism career in 1997 while studying at Columbia, producing and reporting “A Family in Crisis,” a documentary film about a South Bronx family in New York City.

She landed a job at Dateline NBC in 1998 at the age of 22 as one of its youngest assistant producers. In four years there, she produced investigative reports, wearing hidden cameras as part of an undercover investigative team. After Sept. 11, 2001, “my role as field producer took a different turn,” she noted, and she produced hour-long specials with Tom Brokaw following the terrorist attacks.

She first came to WJAR-TV in the summer of 2002, where she contributed to news pieces that won such awards as the Edward R. Murrow Award, Associated Press awards and Emmy nominations.

She left WJAR in July 2006 for a stint at Fox 25 News in Boston. Living in Pawtucket while working in Boston, she used her days off to establish a yoga studio in downtown Pawtucket, Shri Studio, which opened in April 2010. Her yoga studio regularly partners with local nonprofits on fundraising and other projects.

But she missed working in Providence and, in the summer of 2010, returned to WJAR-TV.

“We’ve become the fourth-highest 7 p.m. newscast in the country,” she said proudly.••