Social Impact

Media and Social Change

Researcher, speaker, author and founder of
Center for Scholars & Storytellers.

My background in both entertainment media and academia gives me unique insight into the intersection of social change, entertainment media and scientific research. The entertainment media that adolescents spend hours consuming represent a key opportunity to shape their world views. The work of researchers is critical to share with content creators who can apply the lessons learned to the stories that youth consume.

My passion is to bridge the work of researchers and entertainment executives in order to help storytellers access useful science that can help them create impactful content and affect social change. This is why I founded the Center for Scholars & Storytellers at UCLA. If you are interested in research that can support impactful and innovative storytelling, please visit our site to learn more.

Past and Current Topics and Events 

  • Diversity, Inclusion and Equity
    • With Women@Google: several events about Diversity in Media
    • With Women@Twitter : event called Creating Superwomen
    • At SXSW Interactive: presented on Body Image and Advertising
    • Presentations on gender include White House, HBS, the NFL and AFE
  • Character and Social and Emotional learning
    • Common Sense Media: Lead on grant (Bezos Family Foundation & the John Templeton Foundation) on connecting character development with media
    • Disney Channel and Common Sense: Host of Conversations about Andi Mack
    • Presentations include SXSW Edu, the Willows School and Character.Org
  • Implicit Bias
    • At UCLA: conducting a study to determine what kind of stories will reduce implicit race bias
  • STEAM learning
    • With Henson: held a private workshop* for writers and researchers on STEAM, implicit bias and children’s shows
    • KidScreen: Moderated a panel called Steam Research: Entertaining Kids where Creativity and Technology Intersect
    • Henson and Sprout: educational advisor on Sprout’s preschool series Dot 
  • Screens and Kids
    • Common Sense: held a private workshop* about the effects of screens on children’s brains and behavior.

*Attendees at private workshops include executives from many studios including Netflix and Disney and showrunners and producers from children’s shows as well as teen and adult programming.

Let's Collaborate

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