The University of Texas at Austin, School of Journalism and Media
September 2018 – Present
Assistant Professor of Practice: Courses I’ve taught include Reporting with Data, Intro to Coding for Journalists and Digital Innovation Capstone, a media project course for seniors. Since September 2020 I’ve served as Innovation Director for the Dallas Morning News Journalism Innovation Endowment.
January 2013 – August 2018
Lecturer: I taught data reporting and data visualization courses as an adjunct professor for five years before coming to the University of Texas at Austin full-time in September 2019.
Austin American-Statesman
January 2010 – August 2018
Data and Online Projects Editor: I managed and contributed to an award-winning team of developer/journalists that specialized in data journalism, visualizations and online presentations. We worked with reporters in all areas of the newsroom to not only use data to bolster our best reporting, but also to create special online presentations that pushed our storytelling to new heights, from investigative reports to the Longhorns sports vertical, Hookem.com, and the content management system that powers it.
December 2007 – December 2009
Technical Solutions Manager: I managed a team of three developers who built and maintained business and editorial projects specific to the Statesman web sites, using Agile development methodologies. Platforms included Python/Django, PHP/WordPress, Perl, Java and more. We developed one of the first iPhone apps for a medium-sized newspaper, and were responsible for site design for all Statesman web sites, as well as the technical aspects of our vendor relationships. As our corporate structure changed, this team was folded and I returned to the newsroom.
October 2005 – December 2007
Online Projects Editor: I managed the development and use of online tools for the Statesman web sites, guiding in-house projects and advocating for the newsroom with our corporate development team. I evaluated vendors and integrated their tools and content onto our site. I led efforts to incorporate user-generated and social content into our sites and managed the scope and details of our award-winning site redesign in 2005.
November 2000 – October 2005
Online News Editor: I managed the birth of Statesman.com in January 2001, starting with a staff of two, growing the site into the dominant online news source in Central Texas. In addition to negotiating the technical challenges of moving print content to the internet, I fostered a web-first culture in our newsroom.
September 1999 – November 2000
Pagination Editor: I managed the workflow and troubleshooting of our print publication system, while also assisting editors and reporters in the newsroom with various technologies.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
March 1996 – September 1999
Pagination Editor: I was part of the team that brought desktop publishing to one of the largest newspapers in the Southeast, developing workflows and training newsroom employees to use a variety of new communication platforms.
Cox Arizona Publications Inc.
October 1992 – March 1996
Assistant News Editor, Copy Editor: I started as a copy editor/designer, rising to assistant news editor helping manage 40 design and copy editors. In addition to leading the conversion to a new print publishing system, I also developed and managed the digital imaging department.
The Longview News-Journal
February 1990 – October 1992
Copy Editor: I was a designer and copy editor for news pages and graphics.
Education
- Bachelor of Arts, Journalism; University of Texas, December 1989
- Associate of Arts: College of the Mainland, May 1986
Skills
While I have broad skillsets in data reporting and journalism technology, I have consistently excelled in introducing and implementing technology, from helping executives understand and buy into the worth of new ventures, to teaching seasoned and budding journalists alike how to use new tools and tactics to further their storytelling. I have knowledge in:
- R data analysis
- Python data analysis (Pandas, Agate, Jupyter Notebook)
- Javascript, HTML, CSS and Node-based build systems for online presentations
- Databases (MySQL, Postgres)
- Tableau for data exploration and visualizations
- Python/Django framework for building news applications
- PHP/WordPress for CMS
- Various geographic tools (QGIS, Leaflet.js)