National Geographic
Senior Editor of Overheard of National Geographic podcast, August 2020 – present
- Edits narrative episodes about science and history
- Collaborates with executive producer of audio, manager of audio and business strategy team to align episodes with National Geographic magazine, Disney+, Nat Geo Books, National Geographic Explorers and other Disney/National Geographic priorities
- Edits and writes promotional descriptions and copy for a weekly show
- Arranges the production calendar for weekly episodes in coordination with editors, hosts, producers, sound designers and researchers
- Communicates with legal staff, production managers and music licensing team on using, cataloging and archiving audio assets, appearance releases and other documentation for episodes
- Works with producers, editors, hosts, factcheckers and sound designers on production workflows and updating our production bible
- Serves as a fill-in host and producer on several episodes, including pieces on how climate change is changing Native Alaskans’ whale hunting traditions, exploring urban wildlife in historically redlined areas and racial disparities in tree shade in U.S. cities
- Prioritizes storytelling that features explorers who are women and people of color, demonstrated a significant increase in Black, Latinx, Asian/Pacific Islander and Indigenous voices represented on the podcast within first year in the role
- Awards received include:
- 2022 Ambies – Winner of Best Knowledge, Science or Tech podcast
- 2022 Webby Awards – “A Reckoning in Tulsa” for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion podcast episode
- 2022 Anthem Award, “Searching for Himalaya’s Ghost Cats”, Silver Award for Sustainability, Environment and Climate Special Projects
- 2022 Anthem Award, “Olympic Training During A Pandemic,” Silver Award for Health Research Projects/Publications Awareness
St. Louis Public Radio | KWMU 90.7
Science & Environment Reporter, Saint Louis, M.O., May 2016 – August 2020
Reported on environmental news, including river flooding, coal ash waste and land use in St. Louis’ Black neighborhoods- Reported on local research on agriculture, urban wildlife, medical science, and space (e.g. NASA’s New Horizons mission, total solar eclipse of 2017)
- Reported on the 2020 coronavirus pandemic’s impact on nursing homes and other high-risk groups
- Prioritized interviewing scientists of underrepresented groups, such as women of color
- Contributed to election coverage and other breaking news reporting
- Established partnership with The Story Collider podcast and produces live storytelling shows to enhance the station’s audience engagement
Pictured: Saint Louis Zoo’s Maris Brenn-White telling me to reach into the ground to touch the shell of a hibernating box turtle in Forest Park, St. Louis. (Credit: Sharon Deem, St. Louis Box Turtle Project)
The Story Collider
Artistic Advisory Board Member – June 2022 – present
Producer, Saint Louis, M.O., May 2017 – September 2021
- Produces a live storytelling stage show per season that features personal science stories to audiences that exceed 150 patrons
- Interviewed, booked and coached a variety of people, including doctors, scientists and writers, to tell science stories for a general adult audience
- Worked with storytellers who have shared personal struggles to become scientists or advance in a science-related field, dealing with depression and encountering racism
- Coordinated marketing, design, venue and other logistical tasks for each show
Pictured: Danielle Lee, Jenna Niebuhr, Katie Czeschin, Kenny Kinds, Chelsey Carter, myself and Emma Young at the St. Louis Story Collider show, “Moment of Clarity” in March 2019. (Credit: David Kovaluk)
Freelance writer & multimedia producer, Aug. 2011 – present
- My work has appeared in The New York Times, National Public Radio, Science Friday, Marketplace, WHYY’s the Pulse, OnEarth magazine, Nautilus, The Scientist, among various others.
- I have also spoken about science journalism, communication and storytelling at events and conferences organized by Challenger Learning Center-St. Louis, Washington University in St. Louis, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and more.
Delaware Public Media | WDDE 91.1: Delaware’s NPR station
Science Reporter & Newscast Host, Dover, D.E., Sept. 2014 – April 2016
Reported on breaking news in the state of Delaware for the daily newscast- Produced features on local scientific research, health and environmental issues
- Led WDDE’s partnership with iSeeChange, an AIR Localore project focused on telling stories about the impacts of climate and weather on local communities
- Host two-ways with local scientists about their research and their perspectives on trending national or international science news
- Provided near-weekly science coverage on WDDE’s newsmagazine, The Green
- Anchored Weekend Edition and filled in for Morning Edition and All Things Considered
- Participates in on-air fundraising
Pictured: A 2015 interview with restoration expert Josh Moody of the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary about using salt marshes to build “living shorelines” to make coastal areas more resilient to storms and erosion. (Credit: Partnership for the Delaware Estuary)
World Science Festival (worldsciencefestival.com)
Production Associate, New York, N.Y., Aug. 2013 – Sept. 2014
- Produced several events for WSF 2014, including an immersive robotics exhibit
- Pre-interview and book guests; arrange travel accommodations and itineraries
Science Friday (sciencefriday.com)
Assistant Producer, New York, N.Y., March – June 2013
- Researched topics and pre-interviewed guests for Science Friday’s 2013 tour: Salt Lake City, Utah; Stanford, Calif.; Seattle, Wash.
- Wrote promos, scripts and produced segments on the theory of time and Earth-like exoplanets
Internships
- The Natural Resources Defense Council’s OnEarth magazine, Spring 2013
- National Public Radio’s Science Friday, Summer 2012
- The New York Times’ science desk, Spring 2012
TECHNICAL SKILLS
Software: Pro Tools, Reaper, WordPress, Adobe Audition, Photoshop & Lightroom
Hardware: Marantz PMD 661 Recorder, Canon EOS 60D
TRAINING
Awarded fellowships to attend the Institute for Journalism and Natural Resources’ Upper Mississippi River Institute in 2018 & Lower Mississippi River Institute in 2019
Awarded the Missouri fellowship to attend the Association of Health Care Journalists Conference in 2017 and 2018
Attended the Metcalf Institute for Marine and Environmental Reporting’s Climate Change and the News Seminar in 2015
Pictured: I’m aboard a small plane that’s flying over the disappearing wetlands in the Mississippi River Delta in May 2019. (Credit: Clay Masters)
AWARDS
2019 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards
Multimedia (Large Market Radio) for “25 Years Later: Remembering the Great Flood of ’93”
2017 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards
Continuing Coverage (Large Market Radio): “Winter flooding.”
National Federation of Press Women’s 2015 Communications Contest
Prepared Report (Radio), Second Place
Delaware Press Association’s 2015 Communications Contest
Prepared Report (Radio), First Place
EDUCATION
City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism
M.A., Journalism, Science Reporting & Audio Production, Dec. 2012
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
B.S., double major, Environmental Sustainability; Creative Writing, May 2011