1. Please tell us about the journey that led you to USF.

My first full-time job was at a food bank, raising funds for hunger-relief services by telling the stories of people who relied on soup kitchens, food pantries, and school-based grocery programs. Fifteen years later, I found myself on the other side of the table—as a food critic for a Southern California newspaper and a judge for the James Beard Awards, often called the “Oscars of the food world.” In other words, my storytelling has always covered both what needs reform and what brings us joy.

Over the years, I’ve worn many hats as a journalist: news editor, culture critic, photojournalist, TV presenter, and audio/video producer. I earned my master’s degree at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism, completed a John S. Knight Journalism Fellowship at Stanford, and have been reporting through . . . let’s just say several eventful presidential administrations.

Before joining the University of San Francisco in 2021, I led the communications program at Mills College and taught at Mills and St. Mary’s College of California. You may not have recognized me at first—most of us were still masked that year to protect public health. In my Global Media and Journalism course in the Global Studies department, I quickly learned to project through a surgical mask. Since then, I’ve loved teaching media literacy and journalistic storytelling to non-journalism majors and serving as managing editor for Globus, USF’s social-justice magazine.

2. As a writer, professor, comedian, and journalist, your career is multifaceted! How do you think about the interplay between these roles? How do you see them influencing each other?

When I look at those four roles—writer, professor, comedian, journalist—the first thing that strikes me is how much I seem to enjoy the low-paid arts. Next stop: Fisherman’s Wharf, where I’ll be busking for tips.

In stand-up, there’s a saying: “The audience is never wrong.” I interpret that to mean people need to feel connected to your material. That sense of connection runs through everything I do—whether I’m writing an article, teaching a class, or performing comedy. The audience, the reader, the student—they all shape how my message lands.

In fact, just this October, I gave a talk at the Fromm Institute titled “Can Comedy Save Democracy?”, which was a chance to bring together my interests in civic engagement and laughter. In communication studies, we know audiences aren’t passive receivers; they actively decode messages. So in everything I create—essays, lectures, stand-up bits, or reporting—I try to anticipate how people might either embrace or resist what I’m saying. My goal is always the embrace, and lately, comedy has been the best bridge.

I believe deeply in blending humor with information. Research shows comedy can be a powerful tool for civic engagement: it grabs attention, breaks down social barriers, encourages sharing, and can even motivate people to seek out more information. Comedic framing often helps audiences understand complex or difficult topics more effectively than straight news can.

Right now, as people tune out of traditional news and tune in to funny podcasts, viral memes, and even presidents with questionable punchlines, I see comedy as a way to meet audiences where they are—and use laughter for good. That’s my mission more than ever.

3. You are the managing editor of Globus magazine here at USF. Can you tell us about that work and its value to you?

What I love about Globus is that it reminds me why I got into journalism–to tell real stories that connect us, not just scroll past the noise. Our tagline is A World in Words. The magazine brings together writers who believe storytelling can bridge differences, whether across borders or across a dinner table.
Many contributors have come from my Global Media and Journalism class, which makes it especially rewarding to see students grow into confident storytellers. Globus was co-founded by our co-executive editor and USF professor Brian Dowd-Uribe and Michael Levitin, with USF assistant professor Jennifer Murphy as our current co-executive editor. Their vision continues to shape the magazine into a platform for bold, thoughtful nonfiction.

As managing editor, I think of Globus as part newsroom, part creative lab for people who still believe words matter. We publish stories from students, faculty, alumni, and independent writers who want to tell the truth beautifully.

In a world where free expression and academic freedom are under pressure, Globus feels like a small act of resistance. Like a reminder that storytelling is still one of the most human things we do. And if you’re inspired to contribute, we’re accepting submissions through December 1 at globus@usfca.edu. (Oh! We don’t accept AI-generated work. If you can’t sweat through your third draft, is it even writing?)

4. What projects or collaborations are you currently excited about?

Beyond Globus, essays blending comedy and journalism, and teaching, I’m diving into humor and storytelling with my project MenoPower, which explores menopause.

I’m producing Hot Off the Page: Menopause Stories Live, a free literary event on November 14 featuring short, often funny works by a dozen writers. The November event will take place at Page Street Writers (296 Page Street at Laguna)—doors open at 6:30 p.m., show starts at 7 p.m.

I’m also a Brown-Handler writer-in-residence at the San Francisco Public Library, where I’ll be hosting a free series of menopause-centered events next year. And looking ahead, I’m already planning MenoPower: The Menopause Festival at SFPL in 2026, so stay tuned!