About Me
I'm a data visualizer, map-maker, geospatial analyst, and a documentary filmmaker. My skills are varied, but my work is connected by the themes of environmental quality, energy production, and social equity. Whether I'm working on a map, interactive data story, or a report, I make informational media that's visually compelling, accessible to everyone, and relevant to local communities.
After completing a Master's degree in City and Regional Planning, I spent my time in a variety of roles: consulting, freelancing in film and data viz, grant-writing, and teaching kids about nature. In 2018, I spent a year at the Office of Research and Development at the Environmental Protection Agency, where I connected universities and community partners to fine-scale geospatial data through EnviroAtlas. Currently, I make maps and data visualizations to support the attorneys at the Southern Environmental Law Center. Before studying planning, I spent time in East Texas and South Louisiana documenting the impact of oil spills and oil pipelines. To see the fruits of this work, check out the feature documentary film Above All Else.
Software & Skills
Research | geospatial analysis, environmental justice screening, demographic analysis, development impact assessment
Engagement | data visualization, research interpretation, public speaking, webinars, workshop facilitation
Media | photography, videography, sound, video and sound editing, document layout and design
Maps Arcgis Pro, Arcgis Online, QGIS, R
Data & Data Viz R, Tableau, Qlik
Design & Video Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro
Education
Master of City and Regional Planning | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 2014-2016 | Specialization in Land Use and Environmental Planning. Awarded best master's project for paper titled "Coal Ash, Race, and Class."
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science/International Relations | Carleton College | 2006-2010 | Graduated summa cum laude. Minor in Latin American Studies. Significant coursework in Cinema and Media Studies.
Featured Work
Summer 2017 - Winter 2018 | Consultant | New Economy Coalition, Partnership for Southern Equity & Clean Energy Works | Authored customized analyses of electric cooperatives for grassroots organizing partners across the nation. Measured energy burden for state-wide comparisons across census tracts. Designed publishing-quality maps and charts for use in presentations, reports, and the web.
Fall 2016 - Fall 2017 | Consultant | Environmental Defense Fund | Georeferenced over 1 million non-profit members to identify organizing opportunities among consumer-owners of electric cooperatives. Authored white paper on the characteristics of communities served by rural electric cooperatives in North Carolina. Gave webinars summarizing results.
Fall 2015 - Summer 2017 | Research Associate | University of North Carolina Center for Urban & Regional Studies | Wrote academic paper (under review) titled “Coal Ash, Race and Class in North Carolina.” Executed geospatial analysis to determine demographic characteristics of fourteen coal ash pond sites and two coal ash landfills. Presented findings to audiences including advocates, community members, and regulators.
Winter 2016 - Spring 2017 | Director & Producer | Duke University Center for Undergraduate Studies | Directed and produced a fifteen-minute documentary for use in an educational setting. The work, titled "Domestic Energy Access Stories, North Carolina," explores the themes of energy poverty and energy justice.
Fall 2014 - Summer 2016 |Research Associate | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Center for Urban and Regional Studies| Collaborated with UNC faculty to investigate solid waste siting policies. Wrote a comprehensive typology of environmental justice statues. Analyzed demographic, land use and environmental hazard data to identify case studies. Produced landfill databases for eleven states. Built GIS model and applied original demographic analysis methodology.
Fall 2015 - Spring 2016 | Research Assistant | Communities in Partnership and Research Collaboratory | Coordinated among investigators and research assistants from three universities in the implementation of a community-based participatory research project to address environmental equity in Durham, North Carolina. Compiled and summarized relevant planning and economic development data for study area including transportation plans, housing resources, and changes in land use designations. Mapped community resources and assets. Wrote report on policy interventions to prevent displacement and mitigate impacts of gentrification.
Summer 2015 | Research Associate | Duke University Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions | Worked with State Policy Program director to research and write an energy policy framework for North Carolina. Synthesized data across multiple sources to summarize state-wide energy resources and consumption patterns. Quantified the environmental and public health impact of electricity generation across traditional and renewable sectors. Crafted compelling data visualizations to support policy framework.