I serve as Research Director and partner of Bischoff Performance Improvement Consulting, where I lead our research work and also write grants for nonprofit clients with a focus on corporate and foundation requests. I earned my bachelor's degree in Native American Studies from Indiana University and my master's degree in Museum Studies from George Washington University. I am a former fellow at the Berkeley Center for New Media, Wikimedia Foundation, Library of Congress, and Smithsonian. In curatorial practice, I have worked for the National Museum of the American Indian, Colonial Williamsburg, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture. If you have been to any of these institutions, you have seen my work!
In my other "life" I am a subject matter expert about wildfires and Wikipedia.
Access to critical information in a timely manner and a general fascination with the science behind wildfires has led me to become a lead voice in reporting on wildfires in Northern California. I reported extensively during the 2017 North Bay Fires and have since covered all major wildfires in the North Bay, as well as additional fires in Northern California, annually. My work, which has been featured on KQED Forum (I am a semi-regular guest during wildfire season), the San Francisco Chronicle, WNYC's The Takeaway, KPFA, KSVY, KSRO, the St. Helena Star, and the Washington Post, is credited with changing the face of emergency disaster reporting on natural disasters. I continue to report on natural disasters and local emergencies as an independent journalist utilizing social media as my main communication tool. I was nominated for a Red Cross of Northern California Hero for my fire work in 2017.
I have been editing Wikipedia for over 15 years. I am the former Wikipedian in Residence at the Smithsonian Institution and Library of Congress and former Susan B. Miller Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley. My efforts to encourage more women to edit Wikipedia and cultural institutions to partner with Wikimedia has been featured in Smithsonian, Slate, the Atlantic, East Bay Express, the Daily Dot, The Mary Sue, Tech Republic, Linux Magazine and on KCRW, National Public Radio, Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. I have been named an Ada Lovelace Day Hero by the Ada Initiative for my efforts.
As a freelance mainstream journalist I have contributed to to Sonoma Magazine, Sonoma Index-Tribune, Santa Rosa Press-Democrat, North Bay Woman, NorthBay Biz, Huffington Post, Wine Enthusiast, North Bay Business Journal, Nuvo Newsweekly, Sonoma Valley Sun, and the Bohemian. I am currently independent and utilize social media as my primary outlet for sharing information.
As a photographer, I shoot historic sites, auto racing, and food/beverage. My photography has been published by WAMU, California State Parks, ROAR, Washington Post, Utne Reader, NBA, Motorburn, Red Bull, Nature World News, Buzzfeed, Christian Post, KNPR, Thrillist, Frommers, Lonely Planet, Financial Observer, Hilton, PETA, Joie de Vivre Hotels, the National Park Service, Country Queer and more. I am a passionate advocate for Creative Commons and all of my photography is released under a CC license.
