I'm a designer, developer and data journalist. In 2018, I began workring as data editor at KPCC — an NPR affiliate that is L.A.'s No. 1 news station and which now runs LAist. I've taught coding, data reporting and data visualization at the University of Southern California and at various conferences and workshops all over the country each year. I currently teach a gradaute class on interactive narratives as part-time lecturer at UC Berkeley.
I have a passion for finding the human stories behind the data points, digital storytelling and creating compelling news experiences for audiences. I have won numerous awards for my data visualizations and interactive stories.
Check out some of my work below or drop me a line with any questions or comments.
I’ve been working as a data journalist, developer and designer for almost a decade. In a previous lifetime, I was an intern and aspiring foreign correspondent who covered Congress during the Obama administration and a reporter covering the Maryland statehouse. I was also a freelancer for a community newspaper — writing about everything from increased interest in adult ballet to 17 hours shadowing an EMS crew on a Saturday night — for 50 bucks a story to make rent.
I’ve tried out just about every role in the newsroom, at some point or another, as a student, intern or working professional. I’ve done weekend social media shifts (which I sucked at) and copyedited and done print layout.
I’ve terrorized colleagues who've grown to be dear friends from Baltimore to Washington, D.C. to Dallas and, finally, Los Angeles. I completed my undergraduate studies at Wesleyan College, where I was the editor of the humble student newspaper (the school had no journalism department) and earned my Master’s of Journalism degree from University of Maryland, College Park.
But I don’t think anything could’ve prepared me for where I’ve found myself at this point in my career. I teach, I get to code cool stuff, I edit and lead awesome projects — and I get paid for it. I love every minute of it, and I wouldn’t change a thing.
Check out some of my work below or drop me a line with any questions or comments.
Small/Medium Newsroom WinnerOnline News Association's University of Florida Award for Investigative Data Journalism for “Deceit, Disrepair and Death Inside a Southern California Rental Empire,” 2020
WinnerOnline News Association's Excellence in Audio Digital Storytelling, Use of Audio Storytelling for “Deceit, Disrepair and Death Inside a Southern California Rental Empire,” 2020
WinnerOnline News Association's Gather Award in Engaged Journalism, Overall Excellence Several projects including “Facing the music: The Uncertain Future of the Orange County School of the Arts” 2020
Multimedia - 1st placeRadio Television Digital News Association's National Edward R. Murrow Award for “Graying California: Profiles of Aging in the Golden State,” 2020
Feature Reporting - 1st placeRadio Television Digital News Association's Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for “Protesters Killed A Plan For A Koreatown Homeless Shelter. But That's Just The Beginning Of The Story,” 2020
Multimedia - 1st placeRadio Television Digital News Association's Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for “Graying California: Profiles of Aging in the Golden State,” 2020
Free Speech & Open Government AwardFirst Amendment Coalition for The California Reporting Project, 2019
Best multimedia package - 2nd placeSouthern California Journalism Awards for Voter Game Plan 2018 elections coverage, 2019
Excellence in InnovationRadio Television Digital News Association's Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for “The Block that Prop. 13 Built,” 2019
Best News Public Affairs ProgramRadio Television Digital News Association's Golden Mike Award for “Collateral Damage: A Look At How California And Los Angeles Prosecute Sex Trafficking, And Who Really Pays The Price,” 2019
Michael Brick Storytelling AwardTexas Associated Press Managing Editors for “Almost Famous,” 2018
Star Online Package of the year - 2nd placeTexas Associated Press Managing Editors for “My Aryan Princess,” 2018
Award of ExcellenceSociety of News Design for “My Aryan Princess,” 2018
Newsroom Award for Digital DesignThe Dallas Morning News for “My Aryan Princess,” 2017
Idea Lab FellowshipThe Dallas Morning News, research and teaching at University of Texas-Austin that culminated in a news project on public housing inequality, 2016
Newsroom Award for Alternative StorytellingThe Dallas Morning News for “Dallas Police Ambush in Pictures,” 2016
Single-Topic News or Feature award finalistEducation Writers Association for “#BlackAtSMU,” 2016
Print/Digital Feature News award finalistNAHJ Journalism Awards for “#BlackAtSMU,” 2016
Outstanding Newsroom Performer The Baltimore Sun for Voter Guide, 2014
Best Use of Interactive Media - 2nd place Maryland-D.C. Press Association for “Top 20 Ravens Moments,” 2013
. . .
NOTE: Many of these awards were collaborative efforts for which I fully acknowledge the work of my colleagues and teammates.
Interactive Narratives :: Graduate level course taught at University of California, Berkeley in Spring 2021, 100% Online
Recognizing bias :: Implicit bias presentation for BuzzFeed (non-newsroom) staff in December 2020, Online
Intro to Data Journalism :: Graduate level course taught at University of Southern California in Fall 2020, 100% Online
Recognizing our blind spots :: Implicit bias presentation for BuzzFeed News staff in August 2020, Online
Python Coding for Data Journalism :: Undergraduate/graduate level course taught at University of Southern California in Spring 2020, Online 2/3 semester
Journalism Capstone Project :: Graduate level course co-taught at University of Southern California in Spring 2020, Online 2/3 semester
Thinking beyond your newsroom: The 2020 Census :: Session co-led at SRCCON:LEAD 2019, Philadelphia, PA
Census 2020 data training :: Led hands-on training for community, ethnic and in-language media partners in November 2019, Pasadena, CA
Graphic lies and misleading with data :: Presentation to Multicultural Summer Institute students at Occidental College in July 2019, Los Angeles, CA
Creating data visualization to tell better stories :: Led hands-on training for APME NewsTrain 2019, Albuquerque, NM
A playbook for reporters interested in reaching people at risk of being undercounted :: Session co-led at SRCCON 2019, Minneapolis, MN
How newsrooms can start thinking right now about community coverage around Census 2020 :: Session at M3: Machine learning, migration, mountains journalism "unconference" hosted at the University of Denver in May 2019, Denver, CO
First Graphics App :: Workshop at 2019 National Institute of Computer-Assisted Reporting Conference (NICAR), Newport Beach, CA
Use data visualization to tell better stories :: Hands-on training for APME NewsTrain 2018 at University of North Texas, Denton, TX
Data Reporting: The Ultimate Lie Detector :: Panel at National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Convention 2018, Detroit, MI
Managing the “blind spots” in community news coverage :: Session taught at SRCCON 2018, Minneapolis, MN
Data Reporting and Visualization :: Undergraduate course taught at University of North Texas in Fall 2018, Denton, TX
How Much Does College Really Cost? :: Panel at 2018 Education Writers Association (EWA) National Seminar, Los Angeles, CA
Celebrate Mayborn :: April 2018 roundtable mentoring event for undergraduates, Denton, TX
Digital Media :: Undergraduate course taught at University of North Texas from Fall 2017 through Fall 2018, Denton, TX
First Graphics App :: Workshop at 2018 National Institute of Computer-Assisted Reporting Conference (NICAR), Chicago, IL
Data Blitz :: Panel at 2018 National Institute of Computer-Assisted Reporting (NICAR) Conference, Chicago, IL
#BlackatSMU: Covering Racial Inequality on Campus :: Workshop at 2017 ACP/CMA National College Media Convention, Dallas, TX
The Art of Multimedia Storytelling: The Aryan Princess :: Panel at 2017 Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference, Grapevine, TX
Just Enough Django :: Workshop at 2017 National Institute of Computer-Assisted Reporting Conference, Jacksonville, FL
Practical Data Viz in JavaScript :: Workshop at 2016 National Institute of Computer-Assisted Reporting (NICAR) Conference, Denver, CO
Interactive Graphics for People with No Free Time :: Workshop at 2016 National Association of Science Writers Conference, San Antonio, TX
Digital Publishing :: Undergraduate course taught at Towson University from Fall 2014 through Fall 2015, Towson, MD