Jay Schadler

— -- Jay Schadler was originally named a correspondent for ABC News in 1982. He became a full-time correspondent for "PrimeTime Live" in December 1989, and has also contributed reports for "20/20." He currently contributes regular reports to "Primetime."

Schadler's most recent "Primetime" reports include an interview with controversial R&B star R. Kelly, an exploration of the biggest diamond heist in history, a behind-the-scenes look at how inventors struggle for a chance at fortune on the Home Shopping Network and a profile of an unusual friendship between a former hockey pro and a disabled man who has become a cult hero.

Schadler's other "Primetime" reports include an hour-long program on the fateful expedition of a group of extreme adventurers in Alaska, the story of the disappearance of a small fishing boat off the coast of Alaska and an interview with married music stars Vince Gill and Amy Grant. Following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, he filed an Emmy-nominated report on the people of the small Canadian town of Gander who welcomed stranded travelers into their homes.

Schadler was awarded a 2000 Emmy for Outstanding Investigative Journalism for a "20/20" report detailing false claims by veterans receiving medical benefits for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.

In 1997, Schadler received two Emmy nominations, including one for his critically acclaimed hitchhiking series, "Looking for America." He has twice hitchhiked his way across America, recording the stories of the people he met. In a special hour-long edition of "PrimeTime Live," Schadler hitchhiked across America from his home in Massachusetts to California, covering 3,500 miles in 10 days.

Schadler has reported on the dangerous Ebola virus, tracking it for the first time from the jungle to an international city; tracked Bengal tigers in India on elephant-back and followed poachers in the Himalayan foothills for an investigation into international illegal wildlife trade; and reported from Uzbekistan on the Soviet Union's environmental destruction of the Aral Sea.

His wide range of investigative reports has included an examination of the desperate search for an AIDS treatment in the underground drug network; an investigation of a hazardous waste incinerator plant in North Carolina; and a report on the notorious 1932 Tuskegee experiments.

Schadler has interviewed a diverse group of newsmakers and personalities, from Joe Ramos, the prime suspect in the disappearance of Etan Patz, to singer Willie Nelson and radio personality Don Imus. He conducted the first-ever broadcast interview with John F. Kennedy, Jr., who, with his sister Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, discussed their father's legacy.

Schadler rejoined ABC News in 1989 as a full-time correspondent after 2½ years as a contributing correspondent to "PrimeTime Live," "Nightline," PBS' "The AIDS Quarterly With Peter Jennings" and "The Wall Street Journal Report." He also served as weekend anchor and special projects correspondent for WCVB-TV in Boston and co-founded "Learning Through Video," a project designed to produce educational videos for public schools.

Schadler first joined ABC News in June, 1982, as a general assignment correspondent based in Atlanta. In July 1985, he was assigned to ABC News' Boston Bureau and provided a number of "Special Assignment" reports for "World News Tonight With Peter Jennings."

In 1995, Schadler received first place in the National Headliner Awards and an Emmy nomination for his "PrimeTime Live" story detailing the failure of modern science to help people cope with dying; and in 1994, he was awarded the National Environmental Media Award and an Emmy nomination for his ABC News "Day One" investigation on illegal wildlife trade, and the National CINE award for his "PrimeTime Live" profile of small-town America as seen through the camera lenses of a professional photojournalist.

In 1988, Schadler was awarded UPI's Outstanding Individual Achievement Award for both New England and the United States. In addition, he was named the first recipient of the Dennis Kauff Memorial Award for Boston's outstanding broadcast reporter. "Teenagers in America," the week-long series Schadler prepared for "World News Tonight," received a number of awards, including Planned Parenthood's Maggie Award.

Schadler is a graduate of Michigan State University. He graduated magna cum laude from the Newhouse School of Communications, Syracuse University. He also received a law degree from the Syracuse University College of Law.