Portfolio
Projects
Book Author
Although insects are found on nearly every land mass on earth, their size makes them less accessible. Some are also quick. Through photography I capture their essence and magnify their unique features to make them accessible. This enables my friends & family to see the wonders & beauty I see.
I produced and published a book on the backyard bugs of Philadelphia. The 55 page books contains my images of over 100 insect species in the Philadelphia area. It includes fun facts to be enjoyed by a range of people from casual book browser to the amateur entomologist.
Broadcast Producer and Host
I began the BugScope, a weekly, video live-broadcast, in 2017 to create a respectful, accessible community where entomological thoughts, stories, and information can be exchanged between the viewers and host in a way that cultivates positive attitudes, perspectives, and behaviors toward insect biodiversity and science. I recently reached 13,200 followers. It is a passion project of mine.
Insect Biodiversity in Center City Philadelphia
Starting in 2013 and ending in 2018, I collected insect samples in center city Philadelphia. I collected drowned insects from the surface of the water in a high traffic area, which led to many in-person discussions with hundreds of people about insect biodiversity.
I have also shared the preserved collected specimens with thousands of tourists and Philadelphians.
Video
What a joy to collaborate with videographer, Hans Reijnen to plan and produce this 5 minute video celebrating the Brood X 17 year cicadas.
Writing
Investigative Journalism
In my Investigative Journalism course, we responded to prompts and word count guidelines, to craft compelling stories in AP style format. Here are two pieces I wrote. One is about what is missing from the township budget and the other investigates the death of a butterfly in the neighborhood. I especially enjoy speaking with credible, expert sources and adding their input into the stories as appropriate.
Museum Ethics
In my Science Communication Ethics course, I became well acquainted with the American Alliance of Museum’s ethics code and chose to evaluate the Academy of Natural Science’s adherence to these standards for my midterm assignment.
How live, video broadcasting works through the communication lens
For my Environmental Communications final paper, I chose to examine my own insect biodiversity communication production. It is the insect-themed live video broadcast channel that I produce and host weekly, called the bugscope. My research paper is in two parts. First it examines live, video broadcasting as a communication channel. Then it specifically dives into the bugscope channel broadcasts, examining them under the communication theories and research lens.
Technical Communication
Macrophotography is a hobby and profession. I photograph insects in the field when on trips. At work, I photograph insect specimens, like the one above, for digitization projects. To help visiting scientists and student workers use the equipment, I wrote a technical, user-friendly guide on how to use the imaging station equipment.
Grant Writing
As my final project for my Grant Writing course, I wrote a grant proposal for a center city urban biodiversity project. I paid keen attention to incorporating all three elements of Aristotle’s rhetoric into the presentation: ethos, pathos, & logos.
Educational and Science-themed Blog Posts
I occasionally create and post blog posts here on this website.
Also, while interning with the Frost Entomological Museum, I wrote five blog posts. Nearly all included my original photography.
Social and Visual Media
Twitter Stories
I enjoy connecting with colleagues and the public through twitter. On twitter I share my #bugscope live-video-broadcasts, photos, stories, and I both join and facilitate conversations with others.
Below are two examples of threads I shared on Twitter.
Instagram Stories
In my free time, I share my insect images on Instagram. I especially enjoy using the “Instagram story” function. I like playing with the text and the stop-motion capabilities. I like how the viewer to go at their own pace. For my more in-depth Instagram stories I make sure there is a full and clear story (beginning, middle, and end) to ensure a satisfying audience experience. I also recognize that video is a powerful way to connect with my audience.
Podcast Production
I worked with classmates to make a podcast with three episodes. I hosted edited this episode, and created the “lightning round” segment near the end. In the lightning round, I ask a guest quick questions about their travel experience and preferences. The project involved setting up audio recording equipment, editing the recordings with audio editing software, & digital publishing.
Interested in working together to create something inspiring? Maybe a presentation or media content?
Get in touch.