EXPERIENCE

International Investigations Specialist, Better Business Bureau, Remote, June 2022-Current

• Long-form position tasked with analyzing thousands of complaints, reviews and reports sent to the Better Business Bureau for investigative pieces called “Scam Studies.” The studies identify bad actors, lay out predatory practices and recommend solutions for curbing the issue to regulators, lawmakers, law enforcement, other journalists and related industries.

Producer, Big Picture Science, Remote                                                   June 2020-June 2021

• Write, produce, edit and record in-field audio for weekly episodes. Subjects cover a wide swath of science topics such as space, AI, medicine and biology.

Post-doctoral research fellow, Columbia University, NY, NY                June 2020-June 2021

• Worked with a team of four on a long-term investigative project for ProPublica about online dating platforms and how they routinely fail to address sexual assault complaints. Additionally was part of a three-person team compiling a first-of-its-kind investigation into how climate change is fueling worker deaths related to heat for National Public Radio.

Staff Reporter, Montgomery Advertiser, Montgomery, Ala.             Sept. 2017-Aug. 2019

Wrote three to five stories a week, ranging from quick-hit daily work to in-depth investigative and enterprise pieces. A story on the 1919 mass lynching in rural Arkansas was part of a package that won 2018 Best of USA Today Network prize. Selected projects:

• Reported on a top city official and his history of domestic abuse, leading to his dismissal.
• Completed a series on city discretionary funds that spurred an overhaul of spending controls.
• Investigated a city council member who gave thousands of dollars to a nonprofit run by close friends.
• Organized, pitched and ran complete coverage of the Montgomery municipal elections, where there were twelve candidates for mayor and 27 candidates for nine city council seats, while juggling other daily coverage.

EDUCATION

M.S. in the Stabile investigative program, Columbia Journalism School, NY

Degree conferred May 2020

• Coursework on the Manhattan court system, marginalized communities and real estate embezzlement. Master’s project: A partnership with ProPublica and Columbia Journalism Investigations examining serial sexual violence on popular online dating applications.

B.A. in journalism, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

Degree conferred Dec. 2016

• Capstone project looked at medical professionals and professors at the university taking money from pharmaceutical companies.

SKILLS & ACTIVITIES

Investigative: PACER, 990 forms, property records, local court systems, LexisNexis, FOIA, Excel, Tableau and IRE member.

Multimedia: DSLR camera, photo, audio and video editing software, ProTools, Adobe Audition social media platforms and light graphics work.

Outside interests: Hiked “rim-to-rim-to-rim” in the Grand Canyon in six days. Ran a 3:15 marathon.