Here for your Midwestern stories.
I'm a senior podcast producer and reporter at KCUR Studios, the podcast wing of Kansas City’s NPR affiliate. I produce A People's History of Kansas City and a myriad of other podcasts.
Over the years, my curiosity has led me to investigate blues "too risque" for the radio, how America became a fast food icon, and the place where civil rights and McDonald's intersect.
My stories have aired on 99% Invisible, NPR's Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Marketplace, Here & Now, and the podcast Gravy. I've done additional freelance work for Radiolab, LAist Studios, the Washington Post, StoryCorps, and Milk Street Radio.
I'm grateful to have won a handful of awards in my career! My podcast episode, Kansas City's Barbecue King was a finalist for a James Beard Award and won a national PMJA documentary award. I also won a national PMJA award for my feature, "Julia Lee pioneered blues 'too risque' for the radio."
In addition, the investigative podcast series I produced, Overlooked, won a national IRE award for best audio project, a regional Edward R. Murrow podcast award, and a national PMJA podcast award.
Then again, the thing I might be most proud of is this letter to the editor that I wrote at age 7:
In addition to holding an undergraduate degree in media & cultural studies from Macalester College, I also have extensive experience as an IT help desk consultant (have you tried turning it off?) and leading people hesitant to drink straight olive oil in olive oil tastings.
