Hello!

Who Am I?

I’m Emily. A bit about me—I’m a storyteller, avid coffee drinker, lover of the outdoors and often abstain from using the Oxford comma. As one may presume, I love to write. I hail from a creative background with experience in photography, videography, editorial writing and social media work. Though currently, I work in a field dedicated to technology — and I really enjoy it.

What Have I Accomplished Professionally?

Over the past nine years I have worked in industry roles on both sides of the country, with specialized, applied experience in the fields of technology, real estate, interior design and agriculture.

As a media specialist I have provided professional creative services such as social media management, content creation, photography and video to several clients. I have interviewed greats such as Food Network queen, Paula Deen, and New York Times Best-Selling author Nikki Giovanni. I have worked in videography and social media for The New York Times, as a copy-writer and blogger for an award-winning tech start-up in Seattle, and most recently as a senior communications consultant and social strategist for a Fortune-200 tech company, Lumen.

I graduated magna cum laude from Virginia Tech in 2017 with a B.A. in multimedia journalism and a B.A. in creative writing. While at Virginia Tech, I also conducted innovative undergraduate research at the R1 university with GoPro 360-degree video. I was lifestyles editor for the Collegiate Times newspaper, and wrote over 80 articles with one viral article that was shared over 180,000 times.

Along with my passion for storytelling, I have years of experience in DSLR photography, videography, news writing and editing, SEO, and paid media advertising. I am extremely proficient in Adobe Creative Cloud, especially Lightroom and Premiere Pro, and I have been certified by Hootsuite, LinkedIn, and Yale in social media marketing.

Graduate Studies

My passion for people, storytelling and original, open-ended projects inspired me to return to academia and pursue my M.A. in communication with a focus in media effects research. Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Blacksburg, Va. — my graduate career enabled me to pursue opportunities within collegiate teaching, public speaking and social science research.

Specifically, my areas of research focus on media effects, digital messaging and generational effects of media (i.e., Generation Z, millennials, Generation X, etc.). I see the value in learning why people respond the way they do to certain ideas, messages and media. I observe, analyze and record the attitudinal and behavioral effects of media and technology, specifically within the realms of video advertisements, social media messages and news content. I study the way messages impact how people think, and consequently, how people respond to varying messages, platforms and media outlets.

Upon completing my master's degree in communication and media studies from Virginia Tech, I defended my thesis on the power of polarizing frames to make or break consumer loyalty in advertising; this research, and its intersection with corporate social responsibility, helped shape my passion for inclusive and authentic media campaigns.

Additionally, I enjoy teaching and mentoring, having taught courses in visual media and public speaking at Virginia Tech's School of Communication.

In my spare time, I enjoy connecting with members of the specialty coffee community as a member of the SCA, as well as practicing yoga as a certified instructor. These spaces help feed my values of community and wellness. If you'd like to stay in touch or chat more about your media goals, let’s connect!