Portfolio

Project Case Studies

Showcasing My Journey Through Digital Storytelling

Throughout my career, I've had the extraordinary opportunity to collaborate with a diverse array of talented individuals, forward-thinking organizations, and impactful projects. The case studies presented below showcase my journey in leveraging digital storytelling as a powerful tool to communicate complex ideas, articulate missions, and engage audiences with the critical work undertaken by these groups.

University of Wyoming Biodiversity Institute

At the heart of the University of Wyoming Biodiversity Institute's mission lies a commitment to deepen the understanding, appreciation, and conservation of biological diversity. This mission is brought to life through a blend of innovative research funding, education, and outreach initiatives designed to engage a diverse audience—from young students to retirees and from ranchers to physicists—in the wonders of the scientific process and the story of discovery in the natural world.

My Contribution:

As the Digital & Social Media Communications Director, my role was pivotal in weaving the fabric of this story through the digital realm. The Biodiversity Institute's website became a canvas on which the tale of the Institutes' work was painted, utilizing a rich palette of storytelling techniques, illustrations, videos, audio podcasts, blogs, maps, and interactive tools. My responsibilities encompassed:

  • Strategic Storytelling: Crafting and curating content that communicated the Institute's work, public programs, and events, turning the website into a vibrant hub for discovery and learning.
  • Engagement through Rich Media: Leveraging video, audio, and interactive experiences to captivate and educate a broad audience, making the science of biodiversity accessible and engaging.
  • Facilitating Community Involvement: Enhancing the website's functionality to support membership sign-ups, fundraising efforts, and submissions for citizen science programs, fostering a community of engaged and active participants in the Institute's mission.


Project Highlights:

The Biodiversity Institute's website stands as a testament to the power of digital storytelling in the field of science communication. Through meticulous management of the site's content creation, video production, and audio storytelling, I aimed to:

  • Illuminate the Institute's Endeavors: Each element of the website was designed to shine a light on the groundbreaking research, educational outreach, and citizen science programs that define the Institute.
  • Inspire Action and Participation: By creating an immersive digital experience, the website encourages visitors to explore, learn, and contribute to the conservation of biodiversity.


The Biodiversity Institute Website stands as a dynamic testament to the enduring mission of understanding, appreciating, and conserving biological diversity. Continuously updated and enriched, it serves as a portal for visitors to dive into the ongoing story of discovery and engagement with the natural world. I encourage you to visit http://www.wyobiodiversity.org to navigate through the wealth of stories, visuals, and interactive experiences. Join us in celebrating the intricate tapestry of life and the Institute's unwavering dedication to its preservation and study.

Biodiversity Institute Logo

In my tenure as the Digital & Social Media Communications Director at the University of Wyoming Biodiversity Institute, I've had the privilege of spearheading a series of impactful projects. Each project, a testament to our commitment to biodiversity, was meticulously crafted to engage and educate our community. Below, you'll find a curated selection of these sub-projects, showcasing the diverse ways we've brought the wonders of Wyoming's biodiversity to a global audience.

University of Wyoming Biodiversity Institute

Ferruginous Hawk Nest Cam

In 2018, I pioneered a project at the Biodiversity Institute to bring the hidden lives of Wyoming's raptors into the public eye through live-streamed footage of their nests. Our project centered on livestreaming a Ferruginous Hawk nest for the first time, uniquely positioned on an oil pumping rig in the Laramie Valley, nestled between the Snowy and Laramie mountain ranges. Ferruginous Hawks, known for their impressive migrations across the American West, embody the spirit of wilderness and adaptability. These birds are short- to medium-distance migrants, with some populations remaining sedentary in the southern parts of their range. The migrants, particularly those traveling from Alberta to Texas, navigate by following the grasslands, avoiding the rugged terrain of the Rockies, in a breathtaking journey that underscores the interconnectedness of our ecosystems.

The Ferruginous Hawk, distinguished by its long broad wings and a broad tail varying in shades from gray to rusty, thrives in the open, level, or rolling prairies of North America. Their habitat preferences, from arid grasslands to semi-arid sagebrush, highlight the hawk's adaptability and the critical need for conservation efforts to preserve these landscapes. The project I led not only showcased the Ferruginous Hawk's remarkable lifecycle—from nesting and hatching to the fledging of chicks—but also highlighted its significant ecological journey, engaging over 7,500 viewers with more than 252,195 minutes of watch time. This initiative did more than just promote raptor conservation; it served as a vivid reminder of the natural beauty and biodiversity we stand to lose without concerted efforts to protect and understand our world.

I was  involved in every technical aspect of this initiative, from sourcing and installing the advanced camera systems that made this intimate observation possible to managing the solar power solutions and data transmission that brought the wild into homes worldwide. This project stands as a testament to the power of technology in bridging the gap between humanity and the natural world, offering a rare glimpse into the private lives of one of nature's most magnificent travelers, the Ferruginous Hawk.

Biodiversity Institute Logo

University of Wyoming Biodiversity Institute

The Wyoming Wild Podcast:
Exploring Savana Ecology on UW's Kenya Field Course at the Mpala Research Center

Produced for Jake Goheen and the University of Wyoming Program in Ecology this podcast episode transports listeners to the heart of the African savanna, sharing the transformative experiences of University of Wyoming students engaged in a unique field course led by Professor Jake Goheen. Through interviews with the professor and participating students, the episode explores the complexities of wildlife conservation, hands-on ecological research techniques, and the power of firsthand encounters with African biodiversity.

The podcast and related website, focuses on interviews with Professor Jake Goheen, instructor of the "Ecology and Conservation of African Savannas" field course, and three students from the program, Ema Lujan, Angela Zhu, and Dill Scherer. The course was organized by personnel from the UW Department of Zoology & Physiology, and took place from May 19 to June 7 at the Ewaso Ng’iro base camp on the grounds of Mpala Research Centre in Laikipia County, Kenya.

This immersive episode paints a vivid picture of the students' journey, in their voices, from classroom lectures to savanna explorations, as they delve into wildlife conservation in Kenya. The podcast is a testament to the impact of experiential learning and international collaboration, capturing firsthand experiences, and edited to highlight student voices and their newfound knowledge.

For more about the project, visit Wyoming Biodiversity Institute's Podcast page.

Biodiversity Institute Logo

Listen Now: 

Exploring Savana Ecology on UW's Kenya Field Course at the Mpala Research Center