Special projects

As technology has evolved, I’ve kept my skills current through special projects. These projects also allow me to work with students more directly on developing story ideas, interviewing and reporting, editing and creating storytelling aids like data visualization and graphics.

 

Project assistant – Center for Journalism Ethics – 2015-16 & 2017-18

• Assisted in the operation of the center by helping to plan an annual conference “Race, Ethnicity & Journalism Ethics,” including speakers, facilities, catering, marketing, live webcasting, social media team, and conference logistics.
• Worked with undergraduate fellows and center staff to produce multimedia content for website.
• Developed and implemented a online strategic plan that resulted in a 6 percent increase in year-over-year web traffic, 60 percent increase in social media engagement, and 44 percent increase in conference registration from previous year.
• Solicited a record number of nominations for a journalism ethics contest and coordinated award reception.

e-Textbook assistant – School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin-Madison, The Media Handbook – Summer 2015

• Assisted in completion of a textbook for beginning media writers.
• Authored several chapters.
• Edited text for style and clarity.
• Develop website for textbook, and edit HTML and CSS to optimize textbook for the multiple platforms including desktop, tablet and mobile devices.

 

Web editor – The Confluence – University of Wisconsin-Madison – Summer 2015

• Managed a website featuring multimedia journalism about Wisconsin’s water quality.
• Organized site, post content, create design from template, edit CSS, and respond to requests for changes.
• Developed a survey, collect data, and analyze results. Write news story from results. Created several visualizations of results.

Project assistant – University of Wisconsin, Data Visualization – 2014

• Assisted creating, planning and administering a new 400-level interdisciplinary course for students looking to use computer-assisted tools to tell stories through data.
• Chose resources and readings, recommending online tools, creating and publishing the course website, assisting with syllabus writing and drafting assignments.
• Guest taught a class on use of Pivot tables to find a news story in financial data.