Photo by Dani Fine
I'm a writer and foreign correspondent who reports from across the globe, with a particular focus on Africa.
My work, including longform articles, investigative features, travel dispatches, and profiles, has been published by National Geographic, The New York Times, The Economist, MIT Technology Review, Foreign Policy, The Atlantic, Slate, The Boston Globe, and many other outlets around the world.
In more than fifteen years as a journalist, I've chronicled a fight to stop oil exploration in Africa's oldest national park; investigated a first-of-its kind project to generate power from gas trapped in a Rwandan lake; profiled the youth movement that toppled Madagascar’s government, and explored the rise of the African megacity though an in-depth look at the past, present, and future of Dar es Salaam. Much of my work these days relates to one of two topics: climate change, the energy transition, and what it means for Africa; and East African long-distance running. I’m an annual contributor to MIT Technology Review’s Innovators Under 35, which honors some of the world’s brightest young scientists and engineers. I also teach a course on global journalism at Tufts University and work as a writer, editor, and analyst for a variety of private and non-governmental clients.
I hold a B.A. from Tufts and an M.A. from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). I’m grateful for the support I’ve received from the Alicia Patterson Foundation, the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, and the former Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards, where I was a one-time winner and two-time finalist. After several years primarily in East Africa, I now split my time between the region and my hometown, Amherst, Massachusetts—with occasional stints elsewhere. Some favorite spots include Kashmir, Tokyo, the Namib Desert, and the hills outside Bologna, Italy.