Visual Journalism Employment
Senior Photo Editor, National Geographic — January 2021 to Present
Pitch, assign, and produce innovative, impactful stories for print and digital for the storied magazine. Work with award-winning photographers from Lynsey Addario to David Doubilet, while also bringing new talent into the magazine. Provide photographers with technical advice, photo assistance, and editorial guidance in the field. Adapt stories for digital-first presentation. Manage budgets for ambitious domestic and international projects that explore science, wildlife, culture, and history. Lead diversity efforts at the magazine, including coordinating a mentorship program in partnership with the National Geographic Society to offer training in technical photography. Represent the editorial team on a task force that oversees Digital Asset Management systems.
Photo Editor, Earthjustice — March 2020 to December 2020)
Assigned photography for a multi-million-dollar international nonprofit. Collaborated across the communications team of 40 as well as with the leads of more than 400 attorneys to make climate change legal strategy and case law visually moving and relevant to a broad and committed audience. Researched, interviewed, trialed, and ultimately recommended the organization’s first Digital Asset Management system while detailing a comprehensive onboarding document for department-wide onboarding.
Deputy Visuals Editor, Topic — January 2017 to July 2019
Joined the founding team of the digital magazine Topic, dedicated to visual storytelling, which was quickly recognized by the National Magazine Awards, World Press Photo, Pictures of the Year, Society for Publication Designers, and other awards. Collaborated to establish the visual tone of the magazine; generated story ideas; commissioned, art directed, and edited photography, illustrations, and animations. Cultivate a talented network of artists, identifying emerging photographers and working with established voices at such agencies as Magnum and VII Photo.
Visuals Editor, ChinaFile — August 2010 to December 2016
Founding visuals editor for a news site covering China for a Western audience published by Asia Society. Commissioned and edited photo essays, produced video documentaries, and conceived interactive multimedia pieces; negotiated photo rights and managed freelance budgets; set up partnerships with photo agencies and outlets. Led the creation of the site’s visual identity and supervised original site design. Created the Abigail Cohen Fellowship in Documentary Photography in partnership with the Magnum Foundation to support photographers from China.
Staff Photographer/Multimedia Producer, San Jose Mercury News — October 2006 to February 2009
Covered news for the print edition and produced video and multimedia stories for an award-winning news website. Filmed, produced, and edited video series for the News, Features, Technology, and Home & Garden departments. Produced and built dynamic multimedia packages for special online projects including interactive graphics, photo galleries, audio slideshows and video players. Filled in as photo editor as needed.
Staff Photographer, Rocky Mountain News — December 2005 to October 2006
Covered daily news, sports, and features reporting for a major daily newspaper. Worked closely with reporters to coordinate coverage. Covered breaking news as well as longer-term, enterprise projects focusing on immigration and economic hardship.
Staff Photographer, Valley News — November 2004 to November 2005)
Responsible for developing and completing an original photo essay every two weeks, as well as covering breaking and general news, features, and sports in Vermont and New Hampshire’s rural communities.
Curatorial Work
Turning Darkness into Light, Photoville(2024)
Curated Magnum Photographer Yael Martínez’s story on a group of immigrants often absent from the U.S. narrative: the Indigenous peoples of Central America. His photographs remind us that the histories of the Aztecs and Mayas do not belong only in history books; rather, they traveled through North America before there were borders or cities founding communities that persist today.
Depth of Field, World Press Photo Foundation(2016 – 2019)
In collaboration with Yuanjin Photo, established and co-edited Depth of Field, a quarterly photo column bringing the best of undiscovered Chinese photographers to a Western audience. The column would later be syndicated in the World Press Photo Foundation’s Witness blog.
Federal Project No. 2, Photoville(2018)
Collaborated with the Topic team to present “Federal Project No. 2,” a series of dramatic photographic pairings. Topic commissioned world-class photographers, visual artists, and musicians to pick a work from the vast Works Progress Administration archives and make new work in response.
Documenting China, Photoville (2018)
Curated an exhibit of five Chinese photographers to mark the 40th anniversary of China’s Reform and Opening Up policy, which drove an economic explosion that drastically altered the country’s landscape and culture. From the surprising fate of China’s shrinking cities to the quiet resilience of young migrant women, this exhibition featured long-term projects by Chinese visual storytellers.
China Through Chinese Eyes, Photoville(2017)
Curated this exhibition exploring social, cultural, and economic issues central to China as captured through the nuanced perspectives of Chinese photographers. For many, this exhibit marked the first time their work was being presented outside of China.
Traces: Navigating the Frontlines of Climate Change, Photoville(2014)
Curated this exhibition of photographs on the Tibetan plateau where the headwaters of the Yellow River spring forth, sweeping three thousand miles across China on their way to the sea. This site-specific installation featured large format, panoramic prints by Ian Teh.
Professional Associations
- Diversify Photo, core team member, community director
- National Association of Hispanic Journalists, visual task force member, chapter president 2020–2021
- Missouri Photo Workshop, faculty
- Investigative Reporters and Editors, member
- National Press Photographers Association, member
- American Photographic Artists, member
- International League of Conservation Photographers, affiliate member
Education
- University of Missouri, School of Journalism — Master of Arts
- Middlebury College, Geography major — Bachelor of Arts