RESEARCH
& FACT-CHECKING
I perform journalistic research, fact-checking, and interviews. My favorite thing is diving down research rabbit holes to find factual answers for challenging questions.
PODCASTS
I spent more than five years as a podcast researcher for iHeartMedia, and before that was a contract researcher for How Stuff Works. I am skilled at navigating academic, legal, and news databases, identifying expert consensus and disagreement, synthesizing and organizing information, and ensuring use of reliable sources.
As the researcher for the first season of this acclaimed podcast about the billion-dollar business of mom influencers, I dug into why Mormon women are prone to become influencers, how scientists explain women's hatred of other women, and more. I also collaborated with producers on narrative strategy and made a cameo in the episode "Burning Cats." Under the Influence was named one of the best podcasts of 2021 by Time, Marie Claire, and other outlets.
Let's Start a Coup!
I provided research, fact-checked scripts, and identified and interviewed historians for this comedic nonfiction podcast about a failed plot to overthrow FDR. Let's Start a Coup! charted in iHeart's top ten.
Newton's Law
As warden of the Royal Mint at a moment when Britain's economy was teetering on the brink, Sir Isaac Newton found himself in a high-stakes pursuit of counterfeiters and con men. I researched the history of British minting, Sir Isaac Newton's mental health, and more for this show, which Vulture named a "best new true crime podcast."
Main Accounts: The Story of MySpace
Researching this cultural history of MySpace meant scouring legal databases for court documents, summarizing the late 1990s panic over internet predators, and learning about how soldiers communicated with the home front as the internet advanced.
Part-Time Genius
For this podcast about obscure facts and hidden histories, I researched everything from codebreaking during World War II to China's investment in renewable energy to surprising White House jobs.
This podcast explores the Kennedys as a cultural phenomenon. I pitched story ideas, identified potential guests, and researched topics such as Rosemary Kennedy and her infamous lobotomy, the so-called Kennedy Curse, and the role of anti-Catholic bias in the family's rise.
Very Special Episodes
For "The Case of the Two Nancy Drews," I researched the Stratemeyer Syndicate—the fiction factory that brought us the iconic girl detective and the Hardy Boys, and led generations of children to wonder, "Who is Caroline Keane?"
Math & Magic: Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing with Bob Pittman
I performed biographical research on C-suite executives and other high-profile guests to guide interviews by Bob Pittman, iHeartMedia's CEO, on his podcast about the art and science of marketing.
ARTICLES
I was the staff researcher at Mental Floss for over two years. Below are a selection of Mental Floss articles that I researched or fact-checked.
RESEARCH
"The Legend (and Truth) of the Voodoo Priestess Who Haunts a Louisiana Swamp," by Bess Lovejoy
"When Theodore Roosevelt Tried to Reform the English Language," by Paul Anthony Jones
"August Musger: The Priest and Physicist Who Invented Slow Motion," by Lana Schwartz
"How Conman Jerry Balisok Pulled the Ultimate Disappearing Act," by Meg Van Huygen
"The Time Swedes Called in Gay to Work in 1979," by Shaunacy Ferro
"How All 50 State Capitals Got Their Names," by Anna Green
"22 Hamilton Lyrics, Explained," by Erin McCarthy
"4 Famous Recipients of the Nansen Passport, the Travel Document Created for Refugees," by Emma Jacobs
"18 Stylish Facts About Anthropologie," by Erin McCarthy
"15 Surprising Facts About Target," by Jake Rosen
"11 Energizing Facts About Mountain Dew," by Alvin Ward
"16 Fun Facts About The Baby-Sitters Club," by Erin McCarthy
"25 Fascinating Facts About American Girl Dolls," by Erin McCarthy
"20 Hilarious Facts About Waiting for Guffman," by Erin McCarthy
"Here's What 10 Symbols on Cosmetics Labels Mean," by Caitlin Schneider
"The Origins of 6 Terrifying Urban Legends and Classic Campfire Stories," by Jake Rosen
Series on "Forgettable Presidents," such as Martin Van Buren and Chester A. Arthur
FACT-CHECKING
"How Eclipse Chasers Are Putting a Small Kentucky Town on the Map," by Lucas Reilly — named to Longreads Best of 2017: Science, Technology, and Business Writing
"The Blind Traveler: How James Holman Felt His Way Around the World to Become History's Most Prolific Explorer," by Lucas Reilly — recommended by Longform
"The Most Important Scientist You've Never Heard Of," by Lucas Reilly
"The Polish Doctors Who Used Science to Outwit the Nazis," by Lucas Reilly