Experience

Borderless Magazine

• United States
• Media Production
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Executive Director

  • Feb 2017 - Present

  I lead Illinois' only immigration-focused newsroom. Borderless Magazine is an award-winning nonprofit newsroom covering immigration and immigrant communities in the Chicago region. Every story is published in English and Spanish, and we are also the only local news outlet in the U.S. to publish in Dari Persian for our Afghan refugee community. As executive director, I oversee our staff of five and set the strategic direction of the growing organization. I lead Illinois' only immigration-focused newsroom. Borderless Magazine is an award-winning nonprofit newsroom covering immigration and immigrant communities in the Chicago region. Every story is published in English and Spanish, and we are also the only local news outlet in the U.S. to publish in Dari Persian for our Afghan refugee community. As executive director, I oversee our staff of five and set the strategic direction of the growing organization.



Northeastern Illinois University

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Lecturer

  • Aug 2018 - May 2021

  I taught undergraduate-level journalism courses including News Writing and Community Media. I taught undergraduate-level journalism courses including News Writing and Community Media.



The Christian Science Monitor and others

• Independent Journalist

  • 2013 - May 2020

  • Regularly covered criminal justice, poverty, and health for The Christian Science Monitor, Chicago magazine, and the Chicago Reader, among others• Produced heavily-investigated multimedia package in Chicago magazine about the 16-year life expectancy gap between the Loop and the West Side, which included a feature story, video, three infographics, and three oral histories• Led a team of reporters and data scientists to produce a 20-page special issue of The South Side Weekly investigating lead exposure in Chicago and a companion phone-based app that made the data we gathered through FOIAs and sourcing easily accessible to the public• Recent work includes a feature in Block Club Chicago looking at a new program that uses predictive analytics to find the men most likely to be shot and then gives them jobs and therapy; a cover story in The Christian Science Monitor investigating what caused the recent decline in gun violence in Englewood; and a 30-minute episode of the podcast 70 Million unpacking a program in Oklahoma that is trying to address the highest female incarceration rate in the world Show less

• Foreign Correspondent

  • 2010 - 2013

  • Served as a regular correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor, Radio Netherlands Worldwide and CBC Canada Radio• Covered the bombing of a South Korean island by North Korea and the survival of endangered wildlife in Korea’s landmine-filled Demilitarized Zone• Wrote 2013 cover story for The Christian Science Monitor Weekly magazine on the return of American veterans to Vietnam • Organized international symposium on religion journalism at Griffith University in Australia



LWC Studios

• United States
• Media Production
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Staff Writer

  • Oct 2018 - Apr 2020

  Writer for 70 Million, an innovative documentary podcast about criminal justice reform Writer for 70 Million, an innovative documentary podcast about criminal justice reform



Korea JoongAng Daily

• South Korea
• Newspaper Publishing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Copy Editor and Staff Writer

  • 2009 - 2010

  • Fact-checked and edited political and cultural articles under tight deadlines for the Korean partner of The New York Times • Stories covered include a feature about the anti-colonial history of baseball in Korea • Fact-checked and edited political and cultural articles under tight deadlines for the Korean partner of The New York Times • Stories covered include a feature about the anti-colonial history of baseball in Korea



Chicago Public Media

• United States
• Broadcast Media Production and Distribution
• 100 - 200 Employee

• "Worldview" Producer and Director

  • 2006 - 2009

  • Produced and supervised the creation of stories for this daily global affairs show • Led field reporting expeditions to Mexico and Canada • Organized the annual Global Activism Expo, which in 2009 brought together over 100 nonprofit organizations and 3,500 community members to talk about humanitarian aid • Produced and supervised the creation of stories for this daily global affairs show • Led field reporting expeditions to Mexico and Canada • Organized the annual Global Activism Expo, which in 2009 brought together over 100 nonprofit organizations and 3,500 community members to talk about humanitarian aid