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Audio Journalism

This section features my work for Illinois Public Media in both audio and web journalism, with a focus on impactful storytelling and immersive reporting that centers underrepresented voices. I cover the "Economy" and "Social Policy" beats. Curious? Check out my stories

My most recent stories

Explore a featured selection of my writing work below. All audio stories are accompanied by digital NPR-style stories.

Illinois Newsroom •

The National Arab Orchestra debuts in Central Illinois, increasing Arab visibility - IPM Newsroom

URBANA — It’s not what you’d expect from a traditional orchestra performance when the National Arab Orchestra takes the stage. 
The audience whistles, dances and cheers in Arabic, while dancing dabke, a traditional Levantine folk dance shared across many Arab cultures. The space fills with the luring sound of Arabic music instruments like oud, the ancestor of the guitar, and the qanun or nay, an Arab flute. The beat of iqa’ and velvet voices sing in Arabic. 
The sense of community and pride for...
Illinois Newsroom •

Virtual water: Inside Illinois’ data centers, water flows quietly — and unchecked - IPM Newsroom

URBANA — The steady hum inside the National Petascale Computing Facility (NPCF) is so loud that it’s hard to hear anything else inside. But beneath this noise is a hidden current of water. 
“Today, it’s not much water,” said Mohammad Rantisi, the engineer monitoring NPCF operations. He pointed towards one of the pumps: “This is 575 gallons per minute.”
On that day, at least three pumps were moving water in quantities ranging from 179 to 400 gallons per minute. This is a relatively small load, ac...
Illinois Newsroom •

Conservative activist Charlie Kirk remembered on the University of Illinois South Quad - IPM Newsroom

URBANA – Standing in a circle with American flags in one hand and phone flashlights in the other, more than 80 people bowed their heads and prayed, mourning Charlie Kirk’s death on South Quad at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Thursday night.
Some of the attendees wore MAGA and 47 hats, some in shirts with “Jesus Saves” or “Jesus Loves You.”
Born in Arlington Heights, Charlie Kirk built a career as a conservative political activist and debater, becoming a prominent leader for Republi...
Illinois Newsroom •

Abortion laws are all over the map. A new online tool from U of I researchers will help track them - IPM Newsroom

URBANA — Ever since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, abortion laws have been literally all over the map, and difficult to track. But Robin Fretwell Wilson, a professor at the University of Illinois College of Law, is working to make it easier to track abortion laws.


Wilson presented her team’s research on April 10 during Urbana-Champaign Reproductive Justice Week in Champaign-Urbana. The goal is to create a new website designed to help people understand abortion laws across all 50 states....
Illinois Newsroom •

How Trump’s tariffs could threaten construction and housing affordability in Champaign-Urbana - IPM Newsroom

CHAMPAIGN — This spring, the lumber yard at LS Building Products in Champaign looks different: stacks of two-by-fours, vinyl siding and plywood stretch higher than usual, packed snug into every corner of the yard. 
“There’s a ton of overstock lumber in the yard right now,” said warehouse manager Gilvie Zook. “And honestly, in this yard alone, we haven’t had probably this much lumber here in five or six years.”
This is the first time they have overstocked to this level since COVID-19, he said, an...
Illinois Newsroom •

Fueling change: UIUC students vote on fossil fuel divestment this week - IPM Newsroom

URBANA — Voting season for students at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign begins this week. Elections for the Campus Student Election Commission will be held online from Feb. 25 through Feb. 27 through the One Illinois platform.
One of the questions on the ballot asks students to weigh in on the issue of campus financial investments in fossil fuel companies.
The referendum asks students: “Should the University of Illinois System remove its fossil fuels investments within 5 years?”
“It i...
Illinois Newsroom •

C-U advocates respond to Trump executive orders that take aim at trans rights, bodily autonomy - IPM Newsroom

URBANA – Local advocates for reproductive justice gathered in Urbana Saturday, Feb. 8, to address growing concerns about the erosion of bodily autonomy in the current political climate. 
Since President Trump took office, he’s signed numerous executive orders aimed at limiting the rights of transgender people and curbing access to abortion.
“In the current administration, we feel more attacks on the areas that we’re working in,” said Julie Laut, the founder of Urbana-Champaign Reproductive Justi...
Illinois Newsroom •

Accessibility blocked: U of I senior dropped disability studies minor over inaccessible bathrooms - IPM Newsroom

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign was a pioneer in campus accessibility, and remains one of the most accessible schools in the world. But issues still persist, creating barriers for some disabled students, like Alyx Bibbs, a U of I senior and a wheelchair user. 
Bibbs is majoring in recreation, sport and tourism, and for the past three years, they have been working hard towards their minor in disability studies.
But with one required class left, Bibbs said they had to drop the minor —...
Illinois Newsroom •

Some worry ‘Middle Eastern North African’ census designation will be misused if Trump wins - IPM Newsroom

The category of Middle Eastern North African, or MENA, was added to the U.S. Census earlier this year. It’s a change the MENA community had been trying to achieve since 1997 when the last major changes to race and ethnic categories in the Census were made. 
The MENA race category was proposed during the Obama presidency and was ignored by the Trump administration in 2016. Then, in March, the Biden administration announced adding MENA as a race category to the next Census. 
But with a potential T...