Christian Wallace, Class of 2010, has emerged as one of Texas’s most celebrated young writers, earning national recognition for his storytelling and editorial leadership. A first-generation college graduate from a small West Texas town, he earned his degrees in English and History from Texas State before completing a master’s in writing at the University of Galway in Ireland. His career began at Texas Monthly in 2016, where he rose from fact-checker to senior editor and authored seven cover stories, several of which have been optioned for Hollywood adaptation. His acclaimed limited-series podcast Boomtown, a 12-episode exploration of the Permian Basin oil boom, topped Apple’s documentary charts, amassed more than five million downloads, and inspired the Paramount+ series Landman, which he co-created with former Texas State student Taylor Sheridan. The show, which premiered in 2024, quickly became the most-watched original series in Paramount+ history.
In addition to his professional achievements, Christian has remained deeply committed to the craft of writing and to representing Texas voices on national and global stages. He is a member of the Writers Guild of America – West and the Texas Institute of Letters, and his work has garnered multiple National Magazine Award nominations. While at Texas State, he excelled as a Terry Scholar, Honors College student, and leader in organizations such as Alpha Chi, Sigma Tau Delta, KTSW Radio, and The University Star. His academic excellence was recognized with the LBJ Outstanding Senior Award nomination, multiple essay prizes, and honors in both English and history. From his roots in Andrews, Texas, to his rise as an award-winning journalist, podcaster, and screenwriter, Christian continues to embody the promise and potential of Texas State’s Rising Stars.