Features
My
work in feature writing encompasses articles about issues, people,
or businesses intended for a wide non-technical audience. Such articles
sometimes reflect a science or high-tech angle but also cover a range
of general topics, from arthritis to accounting to dog training.
Feature
writing draws most directly on my journalism experience and requires
the ability to quickly research new topics and interview subjects
to tell an interesting story.
Science & Health
"Space:
1892"
Sky & Telescope
This article contrasts the state of modern
astronomical knowledge with that of a century ago. Although old scientific
beliefs can seem quaint, they point out the dangers of arrogantly
assuming that we know all the answers--or even have all the right
questions.
"Even Kids Get Arthritis"
Twins Magazine
Twin
studies often help researchers understand the roles that heredity
and environment play in disease. This article addresses juvenile rheumatoid
arthritis, particularly in cases in which one twin contracts the disease
while his or her identical sibling does not.
"InVisioning
the Future"
NorthBay Biz
Software created by Project InVision International
helps organizations manage complex efforts with multiple milestones
and deadlines, including the Olympics. The company's programs organize
tasks, documents, data and communications to help complicated projects
run smoothly.
"MicroMed Builds Biotech Niche"
Sonoma
Biz
MicroMed is a venture start-up developing a cancer-fighting pharmaceutical
and a non-toxic alternative to alcohol disinfection. Staffed by scientists
and managers who once worked for major biomedical firms, this entrepreneurial
effort illustrates one apparently successful approach in a demanding
industry.
"Extending Our Productive Lives"
Sonoma
Business Magazine
The Buck Institute is an internationally respected
research facility dedicated to answering fundamental questions about
aging: What is it? Why does it happen? How can the aging process be
altered to help people maximize the number of healthy years they have
left?
"Start-Up for Healthy Hearts"
Sonoma Business
Magazine
Endomatrix is an ambitious start-up company planning to make
and market a dietary supplement to improve cardiac health. This article
addresses both the company's product and the larger issue of scientifically
determining whether a purported treatment is effective and safe.
Business & Education
"Damned If We Don't"
NorthBay
Biz
Inexorable population growth in the San Francisco Bay Area affects
jobs and housing in surrounding counties. In many areas homes are
unaffordable for all but the wealthiest, creating imbalances with
social and economic implications.
"Succeeding in
High-Tech Style"
Sonoma Biz
This article looks at two companies, software
developer Autodesk and pharmaceutical maker Dey, and examines the
policies and philosophies that help make them desirable employers.
The story was part of a series with the goal of identifying characteristics
that help good businesses succeed.
"Chasing Growth"
Sonoma
Biz
New studies indicate that the impacts of home building on local,
state, and national economies may be greater than previously thought.
As the benefits of new construction ripple through the economy, its
direct, indirect, and induced benefits amount to billions of dollars
and millions of jobs.
"The Business of Food Banking"
Sonoma
Business Magazine
Food banks collect donations from food processors,
distributors and supermarkets, and give them to the people who need
them most. Although rooted in non-profit charity, a successful food
bank demands the same skills as the most aggressive capitalistic enterprise.
"Secrets
of the Sonoma Business 500"
Sonoma Business Magazine
This cover feature
comprised several stories, each focusing on a particular industry,
in an attempt to distill business wisdom that might be common across
fields. I contributed two articles, interviewing regional leaders
in Building and Technology.
"Bridging the Education
Gap"
Sonoma Business Magazine
Centers of high-tech research, development
and manufacturing are often nourished by nearby academic institutions
that teach and train their employees. In Sonoma County, California,
local businesses, industries, and schools are working together to
create a mutually beneficial environment.
"AFC Mentors
Minority Business"
Sonoma Busness Magazine
Businesses sometimes view
diversity programs as more of a burden than a benefit. However, telecommunications
firm Advanced Fibre Communications has a program that seems to work
well for both the company and those it helps, including a mentoring program
to guide small businesses.
Tourism
& Agriculture
"Bugs and Bats and Owls...Oh My!"
Sonoma Biz
Integrated
pest management (IPM) is an approach to controlling agricultural pests
such as insects, rodents, weeds and disease through the use of natural
predators and native ecosystems. Although not synonymous with "organic,"
IPM implies a more harmonious approach to agriculture.
"Green
Buildings, Energy and Water"
Wine Business Monthly
This report summarizes
a university conference dedicated to the role of green building practices,
renewable energy, and water and energy conservation in the winemaking
industry. Speakers described different construction and environmental
philosophies, and examples of how they are applied.
"Revitalizing
Railroad Square"
Sonoma Business Magazine
Historic Railroad Square in
Santa Rosa, California, was once a hub for tourism, community and
commerce. Ambitious plans for a new Food and Wine Marketplace could
make it so again, combining a farmers' market with education, retail
and office facilities.
People & Profiles
"The
Power of Passionless Investing"
NorthBay Biz
Investment adviser Neil
Hennessy has enjoyed success through tough economic times by following
a disciplined, straightforward, rigorously mathematical investment
strategy that his critics call "mindless." In five years Hennessy
Funds' assets grew to $1.2 billion, making him a controversial star.
"Ledson
Wines and Construction"
Sonoma Business Magazine
Steve Ledson is a successful
builder, developer, and vintner who says the purpose of his career
and life is repaying all that others have done for him. While his
castle-like winery is a controversial landmark, his philosophy of
urban design is reshaping cities that his family helped pioneer.
"Sit.
Stay. Read."
Sonoma Business Magazine
John Van Olden learned to train
dogs as a military canine handler serving in Germany. In civilian
life, he started a successful dog training business that he now has
a novel plan to turn into a franchise. Van Olden believes that his
training methods and business plan can be taught to anyone.
"Tavalite"
Sonoma
Business Magazine
Lee Pierce turned a lucky discovery into a successful
side business, making and selling gemstones that have been treated
with a sophisticated vapor-deposition technique. Following early success
on Home Shopping Network, he is working to increase volume and find
new markets.
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