I was born in Newfoundland, educated in British Columbia and I currently make my home somewhere in the middle, in Ottawa.
I work in many media. I currently write data-based stories, features and investigative pieces for GlobalNews.ca, lately with an emphasis on health and science reporting. I’ve written for the Vancouver Sun and the Globe and Mail. I’ve contributed to the local news website OpenFile. I’ve spent time at CBC Radio, where I’ve worked on The House, a national political show, and on local morning and afternoon radio shows.
I’ve spent much of the past few years buried in Excel spreadsheets, massive databases and FOI documents. I analyze data and where it doesn’t exist, I make my own. Then I turn that data into stories and cool interactive online features – some of which win awards.
I’ve also taught these skills to other journalists in Canada as well as in Jordan, where I have worked as a media trainer for Journalists for Human Rights.
I’ve put together live remote broadcasts. I’ve covered methadone shortages, federal election victory parties and immigration detention. I’ve also covered seal meat lunches on Parliament Hill, protests in Poland and Indian wedding shows. Let’s say there’s a good variety of stories.
I’ve won fellowships including the Arthur F. Burns Fellowship, which involves reporting from Germany, and a William Southam Journalism Fellowship at Massey College, at the University of Toronto.
I also have some experience in television documentary work. I was part of a team of UBC students who put together the documentary “Ghana: Digital Dumping Ground” for PBS’ Frontline/World. We traveled around the world, tracking what happens to North America’s used electronics.
That documentary went on to win the Emmy Award for Outstanding Investigative Journalism in a News Magazine.
I have an honours degree in Public Affairs and Policy Management from Carleton University, and a Master of Journalism from the University of British Columbia. The two fit quite nicely together, I think.
Outside of work, I’m interested in reading anything I can get my hands on, aerial acrobatics, and all generally geeky things. I also take long walks, though not in a dating profile kind of way.