Year: 2013 
Manager of Drama Programming at HBO 

Hollman graduated from UVM with degrees in history and economics with a minor  in political science. While focusing on U.S. history, he also took a number of courses in, and wrote my Honors College thesis, on a topic based in Islamic/Middle Eastern history. 

“The deeply rooted tradition of storytelling in the study of history has been instrumental to my career at HBO, which is all about telling stories,” Hollman says. “At UVM, I learned how to critically examine history, asking questions like: “Who's telling this story and why? Who actually gets the opportunity to tell the stories that become what we call ‘history’? What's the evidence that supports a version of events?’ Asking these questions—and learning how to write about them—gave me the skills to do what I do now.” 

Part of his job is to read scripts, watch episodes of television and movies, and give feedback to the writers/directors/producers. “That feedback is grounded in the same questions that guided my historical studies,” he says. “’What makes this a compelling story? Why are people (characters) making certain decisions, and how do those decisions have ripple effects through the story?’ You might think studying history is a natural path to a career in creative TV/film, but in both fields, you're approaching narratives with a critical eye.”