I’m a journalist, researcher and lifelong Hoosier from Indianapolis.

Currently, I’m a watchdog reporter for The Associated Press in Indiana covering elections, with focuses on the state attorney general’s race and on U.S. House District 5. During the legislative session, my reporting centers around K-12 funding, the state’s response to COVID-19, and the effects of various state policies on local districts.

I hold a master’s degree in narrative science writing and investigative reporting from the University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. During my graduate studies, I honed in on in-depth environmental and law enforcement reporting. I was also awarded a Graduate Research Fellowship at Berkeley’s Investigative Reporting Program, where I further reported on juvenile justice, eldercare industry and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before moving to the Golden State, I graduated magna cum laude from Ball State University with degrees in journalism, telecommunications and anthropology, along with a minor in Spanish.

At BSU, I was an active academic and journalist. During my four years spent at Ball State’s independent student newspaper, The Daily News, I grew my journalism chops as both a reporter and an editor. From covering breaking news and writing on deadlines, to filing records requests and digging deep into court documents, I reported hundreds of stories. As the senior news editor, and later as the editor-in-chief, I improved my fact-checking abilities and put to practice sound, ethical decision-making skills as a leader in the newsroom.

Through the Honors College, I also enhanced my studies with immersive learning projects and worked as an Undergraduate Research Fellow, where I conducted social science research alongside my professors. In the Department of Anthropology, I also served as a Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) intern. There, I cataloged collections, assisted with repatriation consultations, and learned about NAGPRA laws and compliance policies.

Through a variety of internships, fellowships and reporting opportunities, my work has made its way into USA TODAY, National Geographic, The Washington Post, the front page of The New York Times and more. Additionally, I’ve traveled around the world while on assignment, including to the Gulf of Mexico to report on water quality, Chile and southern Patagonia for investigative reporting relating to salmon industry practices, and to Rio de Janeiro where I covered the 2016 Olympic Games. Most recently, my love for research and writing culminated in my first book, Perry Township, which offers a glimpse at more than 200 years of history on Indianapolis’ south side.

My work as a journalist has also resulted in a number of awards and honors, including from the Society of Professional Journalists, Hoosier State Press Association, Associated Collegiate Press and Indiana Collegiate Press Association. In 2017, I traveled to Germany as a Fulbright Berlin Capital Scholar, and in 2018, I was named the Indiana Student Journalist of the Year.