I am a Teaching Assistant Professor of Journalism and Communication at Lehigh University and freelance multimedia journalist based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. I am a feminist, Southern storyteller and reporter that doggedly looks at the world with a critical eye.

Although news reporting is my first love, I also enjoy writing editorials, opinion pieces and first-person essays, a craft I’ve honed after years of reporting almost every beat, across media. To that end, I serve as Vice President of the National Society of News Columnists. I also write book reviews for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – and on Medium for. various publications – and am a contract freelancer for The New York Times.

Early in my career I was the only woman/only person under 40 on an editorial board and it taught me how to thoughtfully be heard. I am reluctantly resilient. I am a survivor of postpartum depression and a maternal mortality near miss, as well as a direct hit from a tornado. I have lost loved ones to gun violence. Since childhood I have lived with Type 1 diabetes. As a single mom, I raised an autistic child. These experiences have made me an empathetic reporter, a stronger person and someone who doesn’t waste time.

My work, which has spanned print, online, TV, radio and podcasting – received awards from the National Society of News Columnists and National Federation of Press Women in 2024. I am a freelance contractor for various outlets including The New York Times, The Associated Press and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, where I write book reviews.

I believe in the nuances of stories; the gray area between the shouting sides that so often get attention. I explore those nuances through opinion columns and I was elected president of the National Society of News Columnists in 2024. To explore those gray areas in my own profession, I completed a one-year 10,000 mile journey to chronicle journalism in America, which earned awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the National Federation of Press Women, among others.

Please buy me a coffee or get in touch if you want to chat!