CURRICULUM VITAE

ONLINE and PRINT ARTICLES


It's Bird-Feeding Month

eBay Buying Guide | February, 2016

Host a banquet in your own backyard.

 

LA Is a Great Walking City. Really.

The Daily Beast | November 29, 2015

Los Angeles is famous for its reliance on the car—until now, as planners in the city's Downtown try to craft street-life around pedestrians.

 

Out-of-this-World Gifts for Space Nerds of All Ages

eBay Buying Guide | November 11, 2015

A round-up of gift ideas that explore the wonders of the universe.

 

Picturing Sound: A Visit with MacArthur Genius Winner Carl Haber

Superscript Magazine, Columbia University | Summer, 2015

The physics behind Carl Haber's digital restoration of old sound recordings and artifacts

 

The Siren Comes to Magnetic Springs

Chicago Quarterly Review | Fall 2015

A fictional excerpt from the novel The Uncrowned Queen of Magnetic Springs

 

Lost and Found at the Hollywood Bowl

Catamaran Literary Reader | Issue 9, Winter 2015

A fiction excerpt from the novel The Uncrowned Queen of Magnetic Springs

 

Rebuilding Haiti So It's Better Than Before

Takepart.com | Fall 2014

A San Francisco-based group of architects helps communities hit by hurricanes and earthquakes come back stronger.

 

Listening to Whales

Catamaran Literary Reader | Issue 7, Summer 2014

Sightings inspired by "The Log of the Sea of Cortez"

 

Specimen Spotlights | Monarch the Grizzly Bear | Summer, 2014

Our Work: California Academy of Sciences

Monarch was one of the last Ursus arctos californicus, a new-extinct grizzly bear subspecies.

 

Specimen Spotlights | Deppea splendens | Summer, 2014

Our Work: California Academy of Sciences

Thought to now be extinct in the wild, the few Deppea splendens left are the legacy of Academy botanists.

 

Specimen Spotlights | Darwin's Hawkmoth | Summer, 2014

Our Work: California Academy of Sciences

The giant hawkmoth was discovered in 1882. Its existence, however, was predicted 20 years earlier.

 

Specimen Spotlights | Coco de Mer | Summer, 2014

Our Work: California Academy of Sciences

This flowering palm is a plant kingdom record-holder, boasting the world's heaviest seeds.

 

Science Hero: Dr. Terry Gosliner | March, 2014

Discover Science: California Academy of Sciences

Web-based profile, video, slideshow, and Q&A about the Academy's senior curator of invertebrate zoology and geology.

 

Science Hero: Ryan Wyatt | December, 2013

Discover Science: California Academy of Sciences

Web-based profile, video, and Q&A about the Academy's director of the Morrison Planetarium and Science Visualization.

 

Science Hero: Bart Shepherd | September, 2013

Discover Science: California Academy of Sciences

Web-based profile, video, and Q&A about the Academy's director of the Steinhart Aquarium.

 

Philippine Coral Reef Webcam | September, 2013

Discover Science: California Academy of Sciences

Field Guide to tropical marine life found in the Steinhart Aquarium's 212,000 gallon tank and content describing the Academy's onsite conservation program for coral biodiversity in the Philippines.

 

Marine Life in the Desert | May 30, 2013

Science Today: News Channel of the California Academy of Sciences

Academy researchers Terry Gosliner and Luiz Rocha head to the Middle East to look for marine life.

 

Raising Rare Octopus | March 28, 2013

Science Today: News Channel of the California Academy of Sciences

Last month, a rare octopus species—the Larger Pacific Stripped Octopus—moved into the Academy.

 

Coral Reef Genes | February 25, 2013

Science Today: News Channel of the California Academy of Sciences

Some corals actually welcome warm water.

 

The Importance of Names | January 22, 2013

Science Today: News Channel of the California Academy of Sciences

How Bill Eschmeyer made an online database, Catalog of Fishes, one of the AcademyÕs most popular website pages.

 

Protecting the OceanÕs Jewel | January 2, 2013

Science Today: News Channel of the California Academy of Sciences

Academy researchers begin the new year with an ambitious plan to conserve Raja Ampat.

 

Avian Clues | November 26, 2012

Science Today: News Channel of the California Academy of Sciences

What house finches can tell us about staying together (or apart) in sickness or in health.

 

Fantastic Voyage | October 16, 2012

Science Today: News Channel of the California Academy of Sciences

Academy scientists detail the process of discovering and documenting new shark species.

 

Breaking the Code | October 5, 2012

Science Today: News Channel of the California Academy of Sciences

The ENCODE project is revealing more about the human genome.

 

Academy Expeditions

California Academy of Science

Public-facing landing page of recent scientific explorations with interactive Google Map content.

 

Earthquake Exhibit

California Academy of Science

Life on a Dynamic Planet: Public-facing landing page devoted to the seismic science that has shaped EarthÕs evolution.

 

Earthquake Blog

California Academy of Science

From live ostrich chicks to the secrets of the Shake House, this five-month blog tracked behind-the-scene efforts to create this exhibit.

 

Square Feet: A San Francisco District Begins to Reduce Blight

New York Times | March 13, 2012

The successful completion of a $75 million condo development in San Francisco's Bayview neighborhood proves that a mix of private and public investments are transforming this long-isolated and impoverished district.

 

Arts Education: Beyond Band Practice

Imagine Magazine | Marin Community Foundation, Fall 2011

How one school district in Marin County has integrated the arts into core subject curricula to provide arts education for its student population in an era of budget cutbacks.

 

Regional Initiative Empowers Parents to Develop Civic Engagement Skills

IQ—Irvine Quarterly | James Irvine Foundation, Fall 2011

Low-income, multilingual families in the Central Valley and Riverside counties are learning how to advocate for their children through the Families Improving Education grant funded by the James Irvine Foundation.

 

Reinvention of Urban Reinvention

San Francisco Magazine | July 2011

For the annual ÒBest of the BayÓ issue, a profile of Toody Maher, an East Bay resident who has transformed a blighted playground in Richmond in Pogo Park.

 

Hidden in Plain Sight

Imagine Magazine | Marin Community Foundation, Spring 2011

MarinÕs once formidable middle class feels the squeeze of the Great Recession.

 

The Challenge Among Us: The Education Achievement Gap in Marin

Imagine Magazine | Marin Community Foundation, Fall 2010

A deeper look into MarinÕs neighborhoods reveals how socio-economic disparities lead to different educational outcomes, even in the regionÕs most affluent school districts.

Sidebars: The Gap by the Numbers and It Takes a Village

Online white paper

 

Raising Children Who Care

Imagine Magazine | Marin Community Foundation, Spring 2010

Profiles of four families that are passing on the values giving and philanthropy to a younger generation. Plus online resources guide sidebar.

 

At-Risk Students Make Multimedia

Edutopia | Oct/Nov 2009

A team of college professors and K–12 teachers discover how building video games can elevate student performance at Los AngelesÕ Crenshaw High School.

Edutopia.org Web Extra:

Colleges and Public Schools Forge New Partnerships

 

Online Photography Archives Enable Teaching with Primary Sources

Edutopia | Oct/Nov 2009

Visual literacy resources for teachers and students.

 

Bullying: How Educators Can Make Schools Safe

Edutopia | Oct/Nov 2009

Resource sidebar for Teaching Tolerance, a profile of Bob Parlin, the teacher who launched the first gay-straight alliance in a public school.

 

Nature Reimagined: Exhibits and Education are Integrated at Cal Academy

Edutopia | February 2009

The worldÕs greenest museum in San FranciscoÕs Golden Gate Park inspires the next generation of scientists.

Edutopia.org Web Extras:

The California Academy of Sciences Collaborates with Teachers

+

Online Slideshow: The California Academy of Sciences in Pictures

 

The Greenest Mayor

Organic Style Magazine, Summer 2008

Profile of SF Mayor Gavin NewsomÕs ecological policies that make San Francisco one of the worldÕs greenest cities.

 

Delegating Authority

On to Denver—and into History

Pacific Sun, August 2008

Cover feature examining the delegate selection process during CaliforniaÕs 2008 primary season and a profile of MarinÕs nine delegates representing the stateÕs 6th Congressional District at the Democratic National Convention that nominated Barack Obama for president.

 

BLOG: Conventional Wisdom Daily posts during the August 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, CO, on the Pacific Sun website.

 

Swimming uphill for salmon

Three enterprising West Marin farmers ask: CanÕt we all just get along?

San Francisco Magazine, July 2008

Focus on three organic farmers who joined forces to converse fresh water—a model that could work to save salmon throughout the state.

 

Near and Dear: In Search of Hot Wheels and Other Treasures, Playing Tourist My Way, Where Dog is My Copilot

Cover Story Package on Bay Area Travel — 2008

San Francisco Magazine, April 2008

Profile of three Bay Area getaways including lead article on the cityÕs new architectural landmarks, hiking MarinÕs Baltimore Canyon, and antique shopping in FremontÕs Niles Canyon.

 

Life After George (Street Detail)

San Francisco Magazine, April 2008

Feature article on San Rafael and the cityÕs thriving economy despite the move of Lucas Film and ILM to San FranciscoÕs Presidio in 2005.

 

Green Pioneer

Organic Style Magazine, April 2008

Interview with Denis Hayes, philanthropist, environmental activist, and coordinator of the first Earth Day in 1970.

 

About the Academy

Explore Science

Website landing pages and additional content

California Academy of Sciences, August 2007 to April 2008

Web content profiles on world-renowned architect Renzo Piano, designer of the new California Academy of Sciences facility in Golden Gate Park. Public-facing landing pages on Academy history. Web articles on sustainable design features, the Living  Roof, energy conservation, profiles of Academy science heroes, and overview pieces Explore Science web pages for K-12 readers on 18 topics, including:

Earth and Space: Paleontology, Minerals, Astronomy, Astrobiology

Life forms: Mammals, Invertebrates, Frogs and Snakes, Plants, Birds, Fish, Cultural Anthropology, Anthropods.

Biomes: Deserts, Rain Forests, Mountains, Rivers, Savannah, and Oceans.

 

Hope for a New Age

Cover Story Package on Best of the Bay 2007

San Francisco Magazine, July 2007

Architectural profile of San FranciscoÕs new Federal Building, designed by award-winning architect, Thom Mayne. Opening spread in the magazineÕs yearly ÒBest OfÓ feature.

 

Downtown: the Makeover—Cover Story

San Francisco in 2020

San Francisco Magazine, February 2007

Architectural feature story exploring San FranciscoÕs changing skyline as a result of pressure on the local housing market and the adoption of high-rise residential towers in the South of Market district.

 

Welcome to Park City

San Francisco Magazine, November 2006

A look at the hidden treasures of San FranciscoÕs Presidio National Park.

 

Love Reincarnate

Pacific Sun Newsweekly, August 2006

Profile of Jane Bay, personal assistant to George Lucas, as she discusses the death of her adopted daughter and the emails that brought rebirth.

 

Column: California Journeys — Bay Area Science Centers

California History Magazine, Summer 2006

Travel narrative exploring the differences between five leading interactive science museums of Northern California.

 

Work In Progress: LandÕs Sake

San Francisco Magazine, January 2006

Profile of Oakland-based landscape architect Walter Hood who designed the landscapes surrounding the new de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park.

 

Mothers Who Write

Pacific Sun Newsweekly, January 20 – 26, 2006

Profile of journalist Dawn Yun who leads a monthly writing workshop for young mothers.

 

Live the Rock Dream

Cigar Aficionado, November/December 2005

Profile of Bill Zabit, the CEO of Sonoma Mountain Entertainment and Star Experience Records.

 

PicassoÕs Buried Treasure

Salon.com, September 2004

Using x-rays and Silicon Valley technology, conservators have discovered a previously unknown painting behind the artistÕs ÒRue de Montmartre.Ó

 

Tunnel Vision: The noir view of life is hip, addictive, all-pervasive — and untrue.

San Francisco Magazine, August 2005

Arts opinion essay on the subtle ways that noir sensibility has become nonfiction, creeping into our political and cultural discourse.

 

The River, Wild! What happens when a lesbian couple takes young kids rafting down a river? They become cooler than cool.

Out Traveler, August 2005

First-person adventure travel piece on river rafting down the South Fork of the American River.

 

Column: California Journeys — The Thrill of Rushing Water

California History Magazine, Summer 2005

How river rafting down the South Fork of the American River is a trip through CaliforniaÕs Gold Rush history.

 

Profits Per Partners: How One Small Law Firm is Building Business Around the New Domestic Partnership Law

California Lawyer, May 2005

Feature article exploring the marketing strategy of Boutiette + von Herrmann, a San Francisco-based law firm, following the passage of CaliforniaÕs ground-braking law, AB 205.

 

Art Doctor: A Famous Mural is Healed

Sunset Magazine, February 2005

Profile of mural conservator Nathan Zakheim and his restoration of Kent TwitchellÕs freeway mural ÒL.A. Marathon.Ó

 

Trailing Steinbeck

StanfordÕs archive of his papers keeps growing

Stanford Magazine, January/February 2005

New gifts from the Steinbeck family estate (including the authorÕs Nobel Prize award) add to an already extensive collection of the California authorÕs personal letters, early drafts, and first editions in the universityÕs private archive.

 

News & Politics articles

PlanetOut.com, 2004 - 2005

Financial fuel runs law for LGBT movement; June 24, 2005

Julie Dorf - From kitchen activist to international advocate; May 12, 2005

Schiavo case hints at fragility of gaysÕ rights; April 7, 2005

Report details global lesbian-baiting trend; March 9, 2005

Couples seek answers about partner law; December 3, 2004

More anti-gay ballot measures on the way; November 12, 2004

Coretta Scott King condemns marriage ban; March 24, 2004

Oakland, Calif., may create GLBT district; March 23, 2004

Pro golfer comes out, wins endorsement; March 22, 2004

 

Spotlight on Education

Pacific Sun Newsweekly, December 22 – 28, 2004

Profile of Dr. Milton Chen, executive director of the George Lucas Educational Foundation and a look at their new venture, Edutopia Magazine.

 

Column: California Journeys — Santa Barbara Noir

California History Magazine, Fall 2004

How the atmosphere and architecture of Santa Barbara recall the many tropes and attitudes of film noir.

 

In the Classroom

John Steinbeck: Big Man in Campus Collections

Los Angeles Times, September 8, 2004

Both Stanford University and San Jose State University can lay claim to having the countryÕs premier research archive, having collected the private papers of John Steinbeck—CaliforniaÕs only writer to have won a Nobel Prize for Literature.

 

The Changing Face of Community Centers

San Francisco Magazine, August 2004

Arts opinion piece on SFÕs architectural history as illustrated by the new Jewish Community Center, designed by Kevin Hart of Gensler & Associates.

 

The Dog Therapist: When your pooch has a problem (or causes one) whoÕre you gonna call?

Pacific Sun Newsweekly, July 21 – 27, 2004

Cover profile of Trish King, director of the Marin Humane SocietyÕs Behavior and Training Department

 

Tile Tour Guide

Sunset Magazine, June 2004

Profile of Riley Doty and the Marina District, a San Francisco neighborhood with extensive vintage tile installations.

 

Column: California Journeys — San Juan Capistrano Romance

California History Magazine, Spring 2004

A visit to one of CaliforniaÕs oldest surviving encampments, founded in 1776.

 

Going, Going . . . Gone

San Francisco Magazine, May 2004

Arts opinion piece on the state and maintenance of the cityÕs outdoor public murals.

 

Astonishing Autos

Sunset Magazine, May 2004

Survey of the five best car museums in Los Angeles county and surrounding area.

 

Los Rios: The StateÕs Oldest Neighborhood

Sunset Magazine, May 2004

Travel article exploring the 200-year-old residential district built on the edges of San Juan CapistranoÕs historic mission community.

 

Equal Rites

San Francisco Magazine, April 2004

Essay supporting same-sex weddings in San Francisco.

 

Bright Lights, Big City

Sunset Magazine, March 2004

Profile of Vanda Vitali, vice president of public programs at the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History, as she launches a new exhibit entitled ÒLos Angeles: Light, Motion, Dreams.Ó

 

Hues of Green and Blue

California Tourism Magazine (Sunset Custom Publishing), Fall 2003

Profile of Walter Hood, a UC Berkeley professor and landscape architect who creates lyrical landscapes that are as inviting as they are informative.

 

Smoke and Stamps

Cigar Aficionado, September 2003

Profile of French Artist Marc J. Pasini who was the first foreign-born national to have his artwork selected by the Cuban government to be issued as stamps.

 

Picture This: California Perspectives on American History

Oakland Museum of California, Summer 2003

Online educational resource for high school students featuring 140 historical photographs, organized chronologically that describe CaliforniaÕs cultural diversity from 1769 to the present era.

 

Fluke or Fixture? Gray Whales in the Bay

Bay Nature magazine; September 2003

An increasing number of gray whales have been spotted in San Francisco Bay in recent years. A special report on why these aquatic giants are venturing here in ever-greater numbers.

 

The California Story—Unabridged

Stanford Magazine, December 2002

An examination of CaliforniaÕs regional literature following the publication of an ambitious new anthology, The Literature of California: Writings from the Golden State.

 

Weekend Escape: On the Central Coast, a slough of sights

Los Angeles Times, Sunday Travel section, November 10, 2002

Travel narrative featuring Moss Landing, the jumping-off point for boat tours of a wetland research reserve.

 

The Son Also Rises: Profile of Thomas Steinbeck

Sunset Magazine, Fall 2002

In the year celebrating the centennial anniversary of his fatherÕs birth, John SteinbeckÕs son is publishing his first work of fiction. What a long strange trip itÕs been.

 

A Wicked Good Guide to Boston

AcuraStyle Magazine, Sunset Publishing Corp, Summer 2002

Travel narrative of a road trip from Boston to MarthaÕs Vineyard.

Weblink:

 

Extreme Kites: Beyond Paper and String

Zoom-Zoom Magazine, Sunset Publishing Corp, Summer 2002

How parafoil-powered windsurfers, land buggy enthusiasts, and even a few snowboarders have learned how to ride the wind.

 

Where Miles of Murals Preach a PeopleÕs Gospel

New York Times, Sunday Arts and Leisure, May 26, 2002

Report on the need to preserve Latino artist Judith BacaÕs mural masterpiece, ÒThe Great Wall of Los Angeles.Ó Survey of public funding strategies designed to save LAÕs public artwork treasures

 

The Obscure History of Mickey Mouse

Los Angeles Times Sunday Magazine, May 12, 2002

Profile of filmmaker Leslie Iwerks whose grandfather, Ub Iwerks, created Mickey Mouse.

 

Power to the People: Solar Energy is Finally Feasible for Homes

San Francisco Chronicle, October 27, 2001

Report on the exact costs of adding a solar energy system to your home.

 

California Clay: Arts and Crafts Movement Left Rich Legacy of Local Tile Art

San Francisco Chronicle, June 23, 2001

Overview of contemporary local tile artisans working in the vintage tradition.

 

Momiji Madness: Japanese Maples Bring Grace and Beauty to Bay Area Gardens

San Francisco Chronicle, June 2, 2001

Profile of unique Bay Area nursery that cultivates hundreds of varieties of Japanese maples.

 

All in the Family: Sons-in-Law Build Mt. Tam Dream House

San Francisco Chronicle, May 19, 2001

Profile of Marilyn Smith (former executive director of Mt. TamÕs Mountain Play series) as family members create an architectural gem on the mountaintop.

 

In Good Taste: Sun Suite

American Home Style & Gardening, September 2000

Profile of Michael Chiarello, executive chef and co-owner of Tra Vigne restaurant in Napa.

 

Lost Legacies of California: Heyday Books Revives and Reprints Two Classics of Golden State Literature to Launch a Series

San Francisco Chronicle, February 4, 2001

Book review of Eldorado by Bayard Taylor and Unfinished Business by Toshio Mori.

 

One Woman's Reluctant Quest for Gold

San Francisco Chronicle, June 25, 2000

Book review of For California's Gold, a historical novel by JoAnn Levy.

 

Sagebrush and Smog—A Shining Collection of Western Visions

San Francisco Chronicle, April 16, 2000

Book review of Writing Home: Award-Winning Literature from the New West edited by Brian Bouldrey.

 

Sounds Like Old-Time Radio

Seniors.com, March 2000

Q&A with Ray Erlenborn, sound effects engineer for KNX radio during the 1930s and 40s—the golden era of radio programming.

 

Hiring Smart: Ten Questions with Dr. Pierre Mornell

icPlanet.com, February 2000

Interview with the Mill Valley-based author and business advisor.

 

Companies and Consultants: A Guide for the Perplexed

icPlanet.com, March 2000

Business article describing how three modern companies—filmmakers at Lucas Digital, publishers at 101 Communications, and internet infrastructure provider Keynote Systems—deal with freelance employees.

 

Rules of Engagement: How the Microsoft ConsultantsÕ Case Affects You

icPlanet.com, March 2000

Latest legal rulings on IRS status of independent consultants.

 

Waste Not, Want Not: Ten Questions for Gopal Kapur

icPlanet.com, April 2000

Interview with founder and president of the San Ramon-based Center for Project Management.

 

The Gift That Keeps On Giving: The McNeil Docent + Volunteer Awards Program

OPEN, The Magazine of San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Winter/Spring 2000

Profiles of SFMOMA philanthropists

 

Tapestries in Tile

RebeccaÕs Garden, October/November 1999

The role of mosaic artwork in creating a year-round colorful garden.

 

The Voices of Anna Deavere Smith

Stanford Magazine, July/August 1999

Profile of award-winning theater artist and Stanford drama professor.

 

Southern Culture: New Generation of Los Angeles-based Museums

San Francisco Focus Magazine, December 1996

Irreverent guide to the latest additions to Southern CaliforniaÕs cultural scene.

 

Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die: On the Road with the James Dean Caravan

LA Weekly, December 1995

Essay on the fortieth anniversary of actor James Dean's death.

 

Boulevard of Dreams

San Francisco Focus Magazine, October 1995

Travel coverage on Los Angeles and the history of the Sunset Strip.

 

On the Edge

San Francisco Focus Magazine, October 1994

Cover story on California's endangered species and Pulitzer-prize nominated photographers, Susan Middleton and David Liittschwager.

 

Destination: Las Vegas

San Francisco Focus Magazine, August 1994

Essay exploring myth and illusion in AmericaÕs favorite desert playground.

 

They Paved Paradise: Yosemite at the Crossroads

San Francisco Focus Magazine, January 1993

Award-winning investigative report on the future of Yosemite National Park.

 

California Getaways: 52 Great Weekends

San Francisco Focus Magazine, May 1992

Yearly spring travel coverage.

 

Montana: A Brand New Eden?

San Francisco Focus Magazine, April 1992

Lifestyle report on California emigrants.

 

Science Meets Art: A Profile of George Coates

San Francisco Focus Magazine, December 1991

Profile of San Francisco-based theater artist and impresario.

 

BOOKS

 

Money Savvy, Rodale Press, 1998

Contributed three chapters on 401(k)s, IRAs, pensions, and retirement planning for Baby Boomers

 

Beat the System, Rodale Press, 1996

Contributed three chapters on negotiating the lowest prices on hotels, airfare, and other modes of transportation for world travelers.

 

California: The Eyewitness Travel Guide, Dorling Kindersley Publishers, Duncan Baird Book Packagers, London, England, 1996

Contributed profiles on California-based outdoor adventure activities for travel guidebook

 

Best Bay Area Bargains: The Insider's Guide to Smart Shopping for Almost Everything, KQED Books, 1994

Managing editor of consumer-oriented shopping guide

 

Smart Health: The Complete Guide to Health Care in the Bay Area, KQED Books, 1993

Managing editor of consumer-oriented health-care publication

 

 (partial listing)

 

(References and portfolios available upon request.)