Experience

ISRIC - World Soil Information

• Netherlands
• Environmental Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Communications Manager and Community of Practice Developer

  • Sep 2020 - Present



New York Times, Science Magazine, Atlas Obscura & other publications

• Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

• Freelance Journalist

  • 2013 - Present

  • "The Secret World of Life (and Death) in Ireland's Peat Bogs," New York Times • "Power from peat—more polluting than coal—is on its way out in Ireland," Science Magazine • "How an Irish Bog Got a Second Life as a Sculpture Garden," Atlas Obscura • "Bog Curious," National Geographic Society Blog • “Deforestation Robs Amazon Soil of Life,” Discovery News • “Scientists work to discover watermelon’s lost genetic diversity,” Mongabay.com • “Illegally captured parrots finally fly free,” Mongabay.com In addition to writing, I fact-check magazine stories for Discover Magazine. This entails word-by-word breakdown of stories that fall into a range of categories including news, scientific explanation, and feature-style writing. I verify the accuracy of all facts and, where I can't verify a fact, make suggestions for more accurate wording. Show less



Trek Bicycle

• United States
• Sporting Goods
• 700 & Above Employee

• Digital content creator and evaluator

  • Oct 2019 - Jul 2020

  My content creation role at Trek is with Trek Factory Racing, Trek’s in-house racing program. Trek-supported athletes compete at the highest level of their sport and inspire all to experience the grit and glory of professional cycling. My job is to create digital media for our social media and website platforms in order to tell the story of how advanced bicycle development with inspirational athletes creates better bikes for everyone. I evaluate the success of our content strategy using in-depth data analytics generated by web and social users. Links below are brand stories I write or, in the case of multimedia, projects that I produce. Show less



The Fulbright Program

• United States
• International Affairs
• 700 & Above Employee

• Fulbright - National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellow

  • Sep 2018 - Aug 2019

  As a 2018-2019 Fulbright-National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellow, I was honored to affiliate with The Fulbright Program and National Geographic Society. I lived in Ireland and, through the perspective of a soil geographer, studied the science, energy politics, and cultural identity associated with peat bogs in Ireland. I interviewed more than 100 people and produced digital media such as written stories, audio slideshows, social media, photographs and a blog. Why Irish bogs matter: Though covering only 3% of land globally, peatlands hold more than 25% of the world’s soil carbon. That is the equivalent of half the carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, or three times the amount of carbon stored in rainforests. Peat bogs cover 20% of Ireland and hold an iconic place in Ireland's collective identity. This project explored the changing Irish relationship to peatland. These changes are driven by a shifting energy economy and increasing concern about carbon emissions resulting from drained bogs. While wet, peat soil is a stable carbon reservoir. However, like many carbon-rich natural resources, people harvest and burn peat as fuel, releasing its carbon back into our increasingly saturated atmosphere. Through this fellowship, I explored the complex relationship between Irish culture and carbon-rich peat soil. About the fellowship: "The Fulbright-National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellowship is a partnership between the U.S. Department of State and the National Geographic Society, which provides a unique platform for U.S. Fulbrighters to undertake an in-depth exploration of globally relevant issues and use a variety of digital storytelling tools and media, including blogs, photography, video and social media, to share their stories by providing content to National Geographic digital platforms with the support and mentorship of National Geographic staff. These storytelling tools are a powerful resource in building lasting ties across cultures." ~Nat Geo Society Show less



Purdue University

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Urban Agriculture Extension Educator

  • Mar 2014 - Aug 2018

  I led Purdue Extension's urban agriculture education and community development programs. I connected new, small-scale diversified farming businesses and non-profit initiatives to one another, to their communities, and to technical assistance. My accomplishments in this role include: --Design, development and delivery a new Urban Agriculture Certificate program that uses a hybrid online and classroom learning approach. To create this program, I worked across university departments and with a team that included an urban farmer as co-curriculum writer, a video producer, and many Purdue staff and faculty. --Envisioning and building a Purdue Urban Farm Incubator Network that supports new urban farm and garden projects by drawing them into a environment where they can build relationships and generate social capital for their community and their work --Fundraised more than $150,000 over the course of two years to support Purdue Extension urban agriculture and small farm programs --Supported for Indy Food Council's collective impact work to strengthen the city's local food system and supported development of food councils around the state of Indiana. I co-edited Indy Food Council's first "State of the Food System" report, which involved facilitating collaboration amongst more than 30 people across multiple sectors through a writing, review and launch process. Show less



Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters

• United States
• Civic and Social Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Editorial Assistant

  • Oct 2012 - Jun 2013

  • Science writer-in-residence for the magazine • Contributed two long-form stories: --“This sand is your sand, this sand is my sand” about hydraulic fracture sand mining --“Power for the people” about state energy policy • Fact-checked and assisted with design decisions • Science writer-in-residence for the magazine • Contributed two long-form stories: --“This sand is your sand, this sand is my sand” about hydraulic fracture sand mining --“Power for the people” about state energy policy • Fact-checked and assisted with design decisions



Online News Association

• United States
• Non-profit Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• AP-Google Journalism Technology Scholarship recipient

  • Sep 2012 - May 2013

  • One of six national recipients selected by the Online News Association • I led an independent and digitally advanced project to catalog state data available to Wisconsin journalists • One of six national recipients selected by the Online News Association • I led an independent and digitally advanced project to catalog state data available to Wisconsin journalists



The Why Files

• Madison, Wisconsin Area

• Online Production Assistant

  • Aug 2012 - May 2013

  I produced weekly features stories explaining the "science behind the news." Below is a link to one feature story I wrote for The Why Files. Typically my role was to source images and work with our designer to illustrate stories. I also was responsible for several web publishing tasks. I produced weekly features stories explaining the "science behind the news." Below is a link to one feature story I wrote for The Why Files. Typically my role was to source images and work with our designer to illustrate stories. I also was responsible for several web publishing tasks.



Madison Commons

• Madison, Wisconsin Area

• Reporter, Food Editor

  • Sep 2011 - May 2013

  • Held one of four leadership positions as a section editor • Initiated a series called Madison Flavors, highlighting international food communities • Edited hyper-local online news stories about food issues and food culture • Published audio-photo slideshow, photos, video, and data graphic Below are two of my stories published on Madison Commons. • Held one of four leadership positions as a section editor • Initiated a series called Madison Flavors, highlighting international food communities • Edited hyper-local online news stories about food issues and food culture • Published audio-photo slideshow, photos, video, and data graphic Below are two of my stories published on Madison Commons.



Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

• Book and Periodical Publishing
• 300 - 400 Employee

• Investigative Reporting Intern

  • Jun 2012 - Aug 2012

  I worked on investigative and news stories during my summer at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. I was excited to produce both written and multimedia stories. Links to two of my published stories are below. Multimedia projects I published for the Journal Sentinel included: • Video: “Voices from Oak Creek,” captured and edited reactions from a mourning community • Interactive timeline: “Wade Michael Page, Oak Creek temple shooter,” using ProPublica tool • Storify: “How the Sikh Temple shooting unfolded,” summarized social media sharing Show less



University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Biogeochemistry Research Assistant

  • Jul 2010 - May 2012

  • Solely responsible for defining a research plan to analyze soil from WWII internment camp• Developed methods to test carbon and nitrogen concentrations in low-nutrient soils• Executed archival research in four libraries in three states and analyzed government documents, photos, memoirs, etc. for information about internment camp gardens• Published an original thesis

• Soil technician

  • Feb 2010 - Jun 2010

  I assisted a professor in the Department of Soil Science to organize and prepare soil and plant samples for several research projects and assisted with sample collection in the field. Specific tasks included ground water collection, fertilizer application, and designing a process to separate buckwheat grain from dried stems and leaves.