My Resume
Education
- University of California, Santa Cruz, 2004: Bachelor of Arts in Politics; Journalism minor.
- Universita per Stragnieri, Siena, Italy, 2003: Intensive course in Italian language and culture
- Dalian University of Technology 大连理工大学, Dalian, China, 2007: Intensive course in Chinese language
Experience
Interactive Editor, PBS NewsHour: Jan. 2009 to present
I tell stories with data and documents. Some days I build web applications in Django; some days I write blog posts.
Freelance journalist：July 2007 to Jan. 2009
China: Pitched and published stories in several magazines based in Asia. Regular contributor to Urbane China, writing about technology, social trends and business.
California: Reporter and multimedia producer for Bay Area News Group, as well as other publications.
English teacher, Dalian Fisheries University 大连水产学院; Dalian, China： Sept. 2006 – July 2007
I built a curriculum from scratch with no supervision and minimal support. My students (approx. 240 in seven classes) ranged from beginners to near-fluent English majors.
Reporter, Antelope Valley Press; Palmdale, California： Aug. 2004 – Aug. 2006
Award-winning education writer for 35,000-circ. daily, simultaneously covering up to 12 school districts in Los Angeles and Kern counties
Editor, City on a Hill Press; Santa Cruz, California： Sept. 2002 – June 2004
I wrote for and managed the campus desk, focusing on education issues and student concerns with a local focus. Later, I ran the World/National and Health desks.
Also published in:
Red Fence Magazine, Asian Geographic, Student Guide (Santa Cruz), Santa Clarita Signal
Other Projects
- DalianDalian.com — A community site focused on bringing news and practical information to Dalian residents. I founded the site with three partners and currently oversee content development.
- HomicideWatch.org — A database and blog focused on homicides in Washington, DC. I’m building the GeoDjango application that powers the site. Homicide Watch is a joint project with Laura Norton.
Skills & Languages
Proficient in Python (usually using Django). Functional knowledge of JavaScript. Conversational in Italian and Mandarin Chinese. For my complete skill set, click here
Outside Interests
I love to travel. I‘ve visited 17 countries, lived and worked in three, and plan on seeing the rest in due time. Martial arts are also a life-long fascination; I’ve trained in styles from Japan, China, Southeast Asia and the West.