I’m a data & graphics reporter on Chalkbeat’s data visuals team, where I collaborate with local reporters to tell data-driven stories about education. Occasionally I work with Votebeat, as well. Check out my recent Chalkbeat bylines and my broader portfolio.

In 2020, I cofounded the Trans Journalists Association with several dozen other journalists; I have since run many of its internal operations and directed the organization’s development to an incorporated grassroots nonprofit. I currently serve as board president and a volunteer Executive Director as we work to establish funding.

I present on queer and trans coverage best practices, data reporting and visualization tools, and the intersections of these topics at universities, industry conferences, custom-designed workshops, and newsrooms around the U.S.

Previously, as a digital reporter at St. Louis Public Radio, I created graphics, built newsroom-wide tools, and covered data-driven stories across beats. Before that, I was an editorial assistant at St. Louis Magazine. I also served on the St. Louis Pro chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists’s board of directors as secretary and a finance committee member from 2017 to 2023.

While working in Missouri and Illinois, I also produced freelance investigations, breaking news, web redesigns, and entertainment criticism, and spent a year in healthcare as a data analyst. Throughout my career in local news I have contributed data analyses and visualizations to reporting that has been recognized by the Education Writers Association, LION Local Journalism Awards, multiple chapters of the Society for Professional Journalists, the Missouri Broadcaster Association, and regional Edward R. Murrow Awards.

What I've been up to

These are some of the education questions Chalkbeat answered through data in 2023

With Chalkbeat on 12/18/2023

As coverage of the trans community increases, journalists work to get it right

With NLGJA Connect on 9/9/2023

The Trans Journalists Association is expanding to meet the moment

With Poynter on 9/5/2023

Introducing TJA’s new board of directors and fiscal sponsor

With Trans Journalists Association on 9/5/2023

USA: Amid anti-trans legislation, Trans Journalists Association seeks to provide education and community

With International Press Institute on 6/30/2023

The Trans Journalists Association Tackles the Shortfalls of Media Coverage of Trans People

With Nieman Reports on 6/23/2023

How LGBTQ+ journalists can survive this moment in American politics

With Poynter on 5/2/2023

3 tips to avoid spreading misinformation about trans people, mental illness and mass shootings

With Association of Health Care Journalists - Covering Health on 4/3/2023

13 education data stories that explained U.S. schools in 2022

With Chalkbeat on 12/29/2022

Mainstream newsrooms’ emphasis on “objectivity” continues to harm trans people — and that needs to change now

With The Objective on 9/1/2022

As Trans Issues Take Center Stage in Media, Trans Journalists Fight For More Than Just Visibility

With Mediaite on 6/29/2022

How to Write About, Edit, and Cite Source Pronouns Accurately

With The Freelance Creative on 6/3/2022

Embrace unique paths, and don't neglect the soft skills: Kae Petrin on Entering Data Journalism

With Teenformation on 4/6/2022

What LGBTQ+ journalists think you should know

With Investigative Reporters & Editors on 11/1/2021