photographer, reporter, video producer, entrepreneur, storyteller.

A 2012 News21 fellow, I have a strong interest in the new shape of journalism and all its multimedia facets. I am spending 10 weeks in Phoenix during the summer of 2012, helping to produce an in-depth investigative reporting project about the state of voting rights in America leading up to the 2012 election. From January to May 2012, I was based in Florida, where there is a particularly unique election law history.

Besides News21, I am halfway through a two-year journalism master’s degree at the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications. I work with Matt Sheehan, director of the 21st Century News Laboratory, where we have guided two sections of News21-esque immersion reporting courses and are also working to build the digital presence of the college’s multimedia properties.

That’s my day job.

While many decry journalism graduate degrees as a waste of time, I have come to love the program for its opportunities to learn as much as possible about the history, legends and future of the craft. In particular, my master’s project focuses on the life and career of David Halberstam. One of his great maxims, spouted whenever he discussed the struggle to begin researching one of his 20 nonfiction books, was the concept of “learning how to learn.” That is why graduate school is far from a waste.

As for the past, I split my undergraduate years between Bowling Green State University and Mercyhurst College. I worked within a wide variety of campus media positions at both institutions, some that I applied for and others that I helped create. A full description of each of these jobs is available below in my resume.

In 2011, I worked at Mercyhurst’s Hammermill Library, digitizing a selection of the college’s archived material and making it accessible both internally and online.

This blog is a place for me to share the work—whether personal, professional or academic—I produce during the next two years for friends, family and future clients or employers.

Resume (updated May 2012)

EXPERIENCE (By order of position completion)

News21 at Arizona State University, Phoenix, Az. | Reporting Fellow, Spring 2012-Present
  • One of 25 advanced j-school students participating in a seven-month national investigation into voting rights. The program consists of a 16-week issues webinar, followed by 10 weeks of on-the-ground multimedia reporting.
Center for Media Innovation and Research, Gainesville, Fla. | Graduate Assistant, Fall 2011-Present
  • Serving as a teaching assistant for Advanced Online Reporting course during 2011-12 school year. Overseeing a collaboration among 10 undergraduate students specializing in reporting, visual media and public relations who produce a multimedia storytelling project. Also responsible for building and managing a digital presence for WUFT News, a branch of UF’s Division of Multimedia Properties.
Hammermill Library, Erie, Pa. | Digitization Specialist, Spring 2011-Summer 2011
  • Volunteered to begin digitizing Mercyhurst College’s archives as an independent study; experience culminated in a paid summer position wherein 82 years of student newspapers were scanned and made searchable in an online database through optical character recognition. Completed the position and then trained full-time staff on best practices for continuing to digitize and make accessible the institution’s other archival collections.
The Merciad, Erie, Pa. | Multimedia Editor/Editor-in-Chief, Fall 2009-Spring 2011
  • Managed a staff of six section editors to create a weekly print product with circulation of 1,200 and an emerging online presence. Reported, photographed and copy edited while assisting with design and layout for each section of the newspaper. Collaborated with the staff in 2009 to launch a weekly multimedia series to highlight campus news and sporting events with video and photo slideshows which helped establish the publication’s website.
Erie Times-News, Erie, Pa. | Reporter/Photographer, Summer 2008-Spring 2011
  • Covered business, education, health, local events, and area sports during respective 12-week summer internships in 2008 and 2009 for a newspaper with circulation of 55,000. Continued employment as reporting and photography stringer for the sports department.
Magoc Media, Bowling Green, Ohio/Erie, Pa. | Photographer/Reporter/Videographer, Spring 2008-Spring 2011
  • Provided multimedia services to commercial and non-profit clients including The CBC, The Boston Herald, Triumphant Life Church, Erie Day School, Erie Highlight Reel, Inside Hockey (NHL photography), Lake Erie Lifestyle,Toledo Blade and KCET-TV Hollywood.
Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center, Erie, Pa. | Director/Camera Operator/Editor, Fall 2009-Spring 2011
  • Edited a series of programs about Mercyhurst’s public events facility for a student-produced television series in 2009-10. Then created brief, online video content to promote arts on campus and throughout Erie during 2010-11.
Erie SeaWolves, Erie, Pa. | Production Intern, Summer 2010
  • Alternated between operating cameras and directing/switching a nightly five-camera broadcast for the Double-A minor league baseball affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. Created graphics, directed lighting setups during video shoots and edited nightly game highlights using Final Cut Pro.

EDUCATION

  • University of Florida: Pursuing a Master of Arts in Mass Communications. Expected completion in spring 2013. Current GPA of 3.9.
  • Mercyhurst College: Graduated summa cum laude in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in new media communication with 3.9 GPA.
  • Bowling Green State University: Completed two years of undergraduate work in print journalism from August 2007 to May 2009.

(Full resume available by clicking here.)