Journalism
I enjoy covering environmental, racial, and LGBTQ+ issues. I have experience with protest coverage, profile features, investigative reporting, and writing reviews of food, music, and books. My work has appeared in Prism Reports, Pittsburgh City Paper, Pittsburgh Magazine, and The Pitt News and has been recognized by the Golden Quill Awards and the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation awards.
Race
How Pittsburgh's Asian restaurants and community are adjusting to a pandemic Lunar New Year, Pittsburgh City Paper, February 2021
The first print story I wrote for Pittsburgh City Paper gave me the opportunity to talk to Asian community members in Pittsburgh about their Lunar New Year celebrations, including Chinese Spring Festival, Vietnamese Tết, and Bhutanese Losar.
Anti-Asian hate crimes don’t begin with physical violence, Pittsburgh City Paper, February 2021
"[P]eople do not wake up as a blank slate and choose to commit a racist hate crime. Those actions need to be primed with the slow chipping away of a person’s humanity, and the othering and exoticizing that uncritical, biased educators perpetuate helps lay that foundation."
Stop Asian Hate protest against anti-Asian racism emphasizes love and solidarity in response to Atlanta shooting, Pittsburgh City Paper, March 2021
For my first live coverage of an event, I live tweeted and wrote about Thrash the State's Stop Asian Hate protest, which Sandra Oh attended and spoke at, in the wake of the March 16 Atlanta shooting in which a white man shot and killed eight people, six of whom were Asian women.
Hundreds join Stand in Solidarity with Palestine protest in Oakland, Pittsburgh City Paper, May 2021
I covered a protest held in response to Israeli police raiding Al-Aqsa Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan and the forced displacement of Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah.
Movements against Critical Race Theory in Pittsburgh-area schools have ties to Republican organizing and right-wing media, Pittsburgh City Paper, September 2021
As Critical Race Theory became a buzzword in political and educational discourse, I investigated a local astroturfed campaign against educators of color.
How newsrooms, police departments, and social media fail missing people of color, Pittsburgh City Paper, October 2021 | Pittsburgh Black Media Federation News feature second place 2022
Tonee Turner went missing in December 2019. She still has not been found.
Environment
Greenwashed advertising falsely promises we can buy our way out of the climate crisis, Prism Reports, April 2022
Focusing on carbon offsets and other individualized and consumerist practices diverts time and resources from real, systemic solutions
About 200 march for Sunrise Movement Pittsburgh’s Strike for Climate Justice, Pittsburgh City Paper, September 2021
The youth climate movement had five demands for officials, including banning fracking in Allegheny County.
Virtual book talk explores the human and environment costs of fracking in Appalachia, Pittsburgh City Paper, August 2021
A preview of the virtual event for Up to Heaven and Down to Hell: Fracking, Freedom, and Community in an American Town.
Reports highlight how to repair the Appalachian economy without relying on fracking, Pittsburgh City Paper, July 2021
I summarized findings from recent Ohio River Valley Institute reports on moving away from fracking without harming local economies.
Gentrification/Labor
How rising rents and renovations have displaced Pittsburghers and added to the city’s ongoing issues with gentrification, Pittsburgh City Paper, April 2021
I spoke with several community members who had been displaced by large management companies looking to renovate their buildings and raise rents.
A proposed Amazon distribution center is conflicting with Lawrenceville’s vision of a more pedestrian-friendly neighborhood, Pittsburgh City Paper, August 2021
I covered the fight against Amazon and gentrification in Lawrenceville, a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood.
State Lawmakers Join Pittsburgh Restaurant Owners in Revolt Against Food Delivery Apps, Pittsburgh City Paper, June 2021 | Golden Quill Award Excellence in Written Journalism, Business/Technology/Consumer - Division 3 first place 2022
LGBTQ+
The recent deaths of trans people of color in Western Pennsylvania signal an alarming trend of violence, Pittsburgh City Paper, February 2021
What began as a story about Chyna Carrillo became a story about four trans people of color who died within two weeks in Western Pennsylvania and the pattern of anti-trans violence in the United States.
LGBTQ Asians in Pittsburgh create community from the intersections of their identity, Pittsburgh City Paper, June 2021
Living at the intersection of two marginalized identities is difficult in Pittsburgh; several LGBTQ+ Asians shared their experiences.
Providing Leadership and Fostering a Trans-Led Community, Pittsburgh Magazine, November 2021
As part of the GIVE issue, I profiled the Black-led trans organization sisTers PGH.
Food
芋见BAO’s wide variety of dim sum offers delicious options that are perfect for sharing, Pittsburgh City Paper, September 2021
"[W]hen split with a friend, dim sum becomes a wonderful opportunity to enjoy a wide array of delicious dishes, and 芋见BAO delivers on that potential."
Secretos De Mis Abuelos balances salty and sweet Puerto Rican cuisine in new storefront, Pittsburgh City Paper, October 2021
"The restaurant’s wide array of dishes balances the juxtapositions of natural sweetness and flavorful saltiness, crispy fried skin, and tender meat — as well as the full range of plantains — to create delicious meals for Pittsburgh’s Puerto Rican community and newcomers to the cuisine."
How to make Old Bay latte syrup and taste the sea, Pittsburgh City Paper, July 2021
A tribute to my Maryland roots.
Remember sourdough starters? These Pittsburghers are still keeping theirs alive, Pittsburgh City Paper, August 2021
I chatted with several Pittsburghers about yeast farts, baking habits, and forming connections through bread.
Arts/Culture
Sourdough Culture offers a tour of sourdough history and human connection from a Western Pa. author, Pittsburgh City Paper, Pittsburgh City Paper, September 2021
A review of a new book about sourdough and bread throughout history.
How to have a hot girl summer on a budget in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh City Paper, June 2021
I got the scoop from several hot girls (non-gendered) around Pittsburgh on tips for a hot girl summer.
Soundscape.social merges video games and concerts for an interactive virtual music experience, Pittsburgh City Paper, May 2021
Local PhD students experimented with the nascent genre of virtual concerts.
Through his own singles and collabs, Pittsburgh musician Konscious Kel focuses on the positive, Pittsburgh City Paper, April 2021
I profiled the "actually kind of fire" Konscious Kel, a local music producer, rapper, and sound engineer.
Best of the Burgh: Addressing Inequities Through Gardens, Pittsburgh Magazine, July 2020
For Best of the Burgh, the editorial team gets to pick its local favorites in addition to the readers' poll, and I chose to spotlight Grow Pittsburgh's efforts to expand food access and equity in the city.
Humor
Tiny dicks descend on Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh City Paper, August 2021
They began appearing in May.
It is finals week, and I must scream, The Pitt News, April 2019
A reflection on catharsis and the benefits of screaming after four long years of undergrad.
Five obsolete jobs we need to bring back, The Pitt New, July 2018
Over the summer, I wrote a lighthearted listicle of outdated jobs. To write it, I tapped into two of my favorite things — weird facts and historical rabbit holes.