Lead Producer:
Campus Files
Campus Files is a weekly documentary podcast series about college life in America — a new story every week.
The American university holds a mythic place in our culture, with its manicured quads, bustling lecture halls, and football rivalries. So, it’s no wonder that college campuses capture the nation’s attention, especially in times of upheaval.
Episodes I’ve Produced
Selected from a total of 30+
A Tale of Two Presidencies
The story of Mark Welsh III, the beloved president of Texas A&M who was dramatically forced out as part of a conservative backlash to academic freedom in higher ed.
Assassination on Campus
The fight at Utah Valley University over whether or not to install a memorial to Charlie Kirk after his assassination on campus.
Harvard’s Secret Court
In 2002, Harvard undergraduate student Amit Paley stumbled upon a strange entry in Harvard’s archival database: “Secret Court Files, 1920.” This discovery unearthed a dark and little-known chapter in Harvard’s history—a secret disciplinary tribunal convened in 1920 to investigate and punish students for being “guilty” of homosexuality
The Hazing of George Desdunes
In February 2011, George Desdunes was kidnapped by freshman pledges as part of a hazing ritual. He was blindfolded, tied up, and made to consume a lethal amount of alcohol. When George’s mother stepped in to get answers, she was met with silence.
Food Science?
Cornell’s Brian Wansink was at the top of his field, renowned for translating behavioral science into practical tips for improving eating habits. He famously popularized the notion that we tend to eat more when served in large bowls. But, when skeptical researchers and journalists exposed Wansink for manipulating data, his fall from grace led to the dismantling of Cornell’s entire food psychology department, and raised questions about the state of scientific research as a whole.
USC’s Drug Peddling Dean
In 2016, a woman overdosed on meth in a Pasadena hotel room. The man who provided the drugs: Dr. Carmen Puliafito, the dean of USC’s Keck School of Medicine. As one reporter at the Los Angeles Times fought to expose the truth, he encountered a power structure that made publishing the story all but impossible.
For Profit Mini-Series
In addition to the above episodes, I also wrote, researched, and guest hosted a mini-series on For Profit schools and the ways they harm students
The Pain Funnel
For the last 30 years, a group of schools have targeted America’s most vulnerable students, saddling them with mountains of debt and a poor education, all for the sake of profit. Mike DiGiacomo fell victim to two of these schools.
Thrown to the Wolves
Ashley Pizzuti fell in love with photography from an early age, and found what felt like the perfect opportunity to start the career of her dreams. She would soon learn that her school was part of an industry designed to prey upon students like her, and that legislators were key to finding relief.
The Evidence is Clear
The future of for-profit schools, and the millions of students who have attended them hangs in the balance as a key legal protection is under threat from the courts and the Trump administration.