Freelance Journalist New York, NY
November 2009-Present
- Regular contributor to trueslant.com
Forbes Magazine New York, NY
Reporter, September 2006-November 2009
- Report and write feature-length stories for Forbes and Forbes Asia print editions; breaking news for Forbes.com. Authored three cover stories from 2007-2009.
- Lead researcher for Forbes’ flagship wealth rankings, Billionaires and Forbes 400. Independently value net assets of candidates in Middle East, US and Europe.
- Appear as a regular contributor to Forbes E Entertainment television series, Forbes Luxe 11 series on Travel Channel Also appeared as an expert source on news programs including CBS Early Show, ABC America This Morning, MSNBC, CNBC Arabia and CTV News Tonight
National Geographic Adventure Magazine New York, NY
Freelance Researcher, July 2006-September 2006
Outside Magazine Santa Fe, NM
Editorial Intern, November 2005-June 2006
- Worked directly with managing editor to fact-check, research and edit feature articles
- Wrote front-of-the-book features for print edition; daily news for website, outside.away.com
Merrill Lynch Dubai, UAE
Financial Research Intern, August-October 2005
- Compiled daily research reports on key industries and public and private companies in Gulf and greater Levant region, reporting directly to executive Vice President of Merrill Lynch Middle East
Wharton Global Family Alliance Boston, MA
Research Analyst, June-August 2004
- Researched business climate in Middle East for consortium of worldwide family businesses; a strategic partnership between the Wharton School and CCC Alliance, an industry leader in family business strategy
- Researched and wrote corporate report on Mideast travel etiquette
Children’s Hospital, Boston Boston, MA
Medical Research Assistant, June-September 2004
- Worked directly with head surgeon at top-ranked hospital’s Medical Acupuncture Clinic
- Researched and published articles for medical journals concerning alternative medicine’s effectiveness in pain management
Cornell Outdoor Education Ithaca, NY
Wilderness Backpacking Guide/Orientation Leader, June-August 2003
EDUCATION:
Cornell University, College of Arts and Sciences
BA Religious Studies, May 2005
- Concentration in Near East/Islam; took pre-medical curriculum
- Cumulative GPA: 3.5 GPA within major: 3.8
- Studied Arabic and modern Islam in Rabat, Morocco Spring 2004.
SKILLS, FELLOWSHIPS:
- Languages: proficient in written Modern Standard Arabic and spoken Levantine Arabic. Fluent in written and spoken French, basic proficiency in Spanish
- In-depth knowledge of Gulf economies and Shariah finance
- 2008 Media Fellow at PERC, the Property and Environmental Research Council in Bozeman, MT
- QPS, Quark, Lexis-Nexis, Factiva, Microsoft Office, Mac and Windows platforms
