Education:

Columbia University, Graduate School of Journalism, New York, NY

Master of Science in Journalism, Honors, May, 2000

Yale University, New Haven, CT

Master of Divinity, summa cum laude, May, 1997

Awards and Honors:

• Winner of the Julia A. Archibald High Scholarship Prize, awarded each year to that member of the graduating class who ranks highest in scholarship
• Prince Scholar; Day Fellowship; Dean’s Recognition Award

Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL

Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, May, 1991

• Majors in Literature and Theology
• Dean’s List each year
• Forensic Team, CEDA Debate
• Varsity track and wrestling; intramural soccer and basketball

Published Writings:

• Author of Better for All the World: The Secret History of Forced Sterilization and America’s Quest for Racial Purity (Knopf, 2006; Vintage, 2007)
  • Wrote a historical, character-based narrative that described the eugenics project in the United States from 1900 to 1972; the book tells the story of the first attempt to eliminate social problems through a science of better breeding and genetic engineering
  • Investigated the ordeals of the victims of forced sterilization through interviews of survivors, their confidential medical records, and court documents
  • Received an “honorable mention” as runner up for the 2002 J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award, and was publicly recognized by The Neiman Foundation of Harvard University at an awards ceremony held at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
  • Named one of the New York Public Library’s “25 Books to Remember for 2006”
  • Named one of Booklist’s “Editor’s Choice, 2006”
  • Featured on Book TV

• Author of Fightings and Fears Within, Without: One Family’s Turbulent Journey To Find God in America (working title), a work-in-progress on the history of American evangelicalism

• Correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor, 1999 to present
  • Covering politics, sports, business, and the arts for the national news bureau; writing cultural features, profiles, and other national news items (See www.brown-bear.com)
  • Reported the 2004 election, writing “news analysis” stories and political profiles, as well as a daily humorous column at the Republican National Convention
  • Covered the aftermath of September 11, 2001, as a member of the New York-based team of correspondents; spent days reporting at Ground Zero, including the night of the event
  • Numerous invitations to speak on radio

• Free-lance Writer for Newmedia magazine, govWorks.com, Silicon Alley Reporter, and others, 1999-2001

Teaching Experience:

• Adjunct Associate Professor, Hunter College, New York, NY, 2010 to present
  • Media 373: Journalism as Literature:  Surveys the kind of journalistic writing that emphasizes creative story-telling and compelling narrative drama; considers questions of truth and reality, the relationship between craft and reported events, and the relevance of so-called literary non-fiction today
  • Media 294: Magazine Writing:  A magazine survey and hands-on writing course that emphasizes original newsgathering, accurate reporting, and clear, journalistic prose.  Students write stories – not “papers” – for an audience that includes classmates as well as the instructor, and experiment in a variety of magazine story types.  During the course of the semester, students write, edit, and publish an online magazine devoted to culture and arts at Hunter College.
  • REL 315:  The Problem of Evil:  Surveys the classic “problem of evil” from a multi-disciplinary perspective.  These include philosophy, theology, literature, and non-fiction narrative

• Adjunct Assistant Professor, Hunter College, New York, NY, summer 2001 to present
  • Media 292:  Basic News Writing
  • Media 299.50:  Journalism & Society
  • IMA 723:  Public Interest Journalism
  • REL 361.51:  Religion and Film
  • REL 333:  Christian Theology

Other Experience:

• Founder and Executive Director of The Village Quill, New York, NY, 2004 – 2009
  • Renovated a historic Tribeca loft, a five-month project done mostly solo
  • Provided affordable work space for New York City writers
  • Curated monthly artists series; organized readings for published authors
  • Taught and hosted community writing classes
  • Currently planning an online magazine covering culture, media, and politics to make www.villagequill.com a dynamic content site