About Annenberg Radio News

Staff Bios

Emily Frost

Emily Frost is passionate about public radio; she plans to further develop her radio reporting and production skills, while integrating her past experiences in online media. Frost is interested in covering arts, culture and urban affairs through long-form audio documentaries and interactive web experiences.

Julia Deng

Julia Deng is a sophomore from New York double-majoring in Broadcast and Digital Journalism and Political Science. Initially on the print journalism track, she re-declared her major after spending last fall in South Africa, where she interned at Cape Town TV News and led the production of a package exploring the Hangberg eviction crisis. This past summer, Julia worked as a news intern at NBC Bay Area. Now in her second semester at Annenberg Radio News, Julia also reports for ATVN and is on the executive board of the USC Political Student Assembly as this year’s Media Director. When she is not in the Annenberg basement, Julia can be found baking gluten-free desserts and expanding her scrapbook of The New Yorker cartoons.

Willa Seidenberg

Willa Seidenberg was a broadcast journalist for more than 20 years before she came to the University of Southern California at the beginning of 2000. She entered as a faculty advisor for Annenberg TV News, USC's television news operation. She is now faculty advisor and director of Annenberg Radio News. Seidenberg started her news career as a public radio reporter, anchor and producer, with stints at WYSO-FM, WBUR-FM and WGBH-FM. She covered the landmark Woburn Toxic Waste Trial in Boston, and she contributed stories to National Public Radio. She began writing television news in 1987 at WBZ-TV in Boston, and she later moved to KCAL-TV in Los Angeles. She is the co-author of the oral history/photo project: A Matter of Conscience: GI Resistance During the Vietnam War (published in 1992), which she produced with photographer William Short. A Matter of Conscience continues to be exhibited nationally, along with Seidenberg and Short's second oral history/photo project called Memories of the American War: Stories From Viet Nam.

Billy Higgins

Think of Billy Higgins as the Goldsmith/Tom of Annenberg Radio News. If you have a question about Adobe Audition or the radio booth mixing console, Higgins is your man. In 2003, he graduated from the USC, where he majored in Cinema and minored in Music Recording. He received his master's degree in Communication Management in summer 2010. He has been a part of the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism's Multimedia Technologies team since the end of 2005. Outside of USC, Higgins has been a part-time freelance assistant editor, production assistant, and script supervisor in Hollywood. He has also been a student intern at Lucasfilm's Industrial Light + Magic in Marin County and at Illingworth & Rodkin Acoustics in his hometown of Petaluma, CA. In addition to Annenberg Radio News, Higgins helps support Annenberg TV News, Impact, the Digital Lab and other technical operations at the Annenberg school. He also does work for USC Recreational Sports as webmaster for the USC Song Girls, Spirit Leaders and Traveler. On top of that, he is trying to create a feature film. In his free time, he sleeps.

Karla Robinson

Born in a small town outside of Sacramento, Karla grew up in a family of five, loving the outdoors and academics. When she decided to study journalism, she visited USC and knew immediately it was the school for her. Now a sophomore majoring in Print/Digital Journalism, Karla has worked for the Daily Trojan and is currently an ARN reporter. She is also loves music and is pursuing a singing career.

Megan Sweas

Megan Sweas is studying the intersection of religion and politics as a Specialized Journalism student. She previously covered political and social issues as associate editor of U.S. Catholic magazine, where she also managed the website. After graduating from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, she spent a volunteer year at Free Spirit Media, a non-profit youth media organization.

Alex Norwick

Alex Norwick is a first year graduate student at the University of Southern California. After earning his undergraduate degree in History and Classics, he is now studying broadcast journalism. In addition to working for Annenberg Radio News, Alex is a voice over artist and a proud member of the Spirit of Troy.

Rosalie Murphy

Rosalie Murphy is a sophomore studying Print and Digital Journalism and History at USC. She currently reports for ARN and writes Science & Tech stories for Neon Tommy and has interned at the Cleveland Museum of Art. An Akron, Ohio native and fan of Twitter, public transit, Springsteen and, of course, NPR, Murphy hopes to pursue a career in law, news journalism or web production.

Ellen Kaster

Ellen Kaster is a sophomore majoring in Public Relations from Leawood, Kansas. She is technology chair of her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, and is also involved in Society 53 and works for the USC Athletics office. Interesting facts: She used to play ice hockey for the USC women's club team and was Editor-in-Chief of her high school's yearbook. Her dream job is to be the Director of Public Relations for the Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Madeline Lindsay

Madeline Lindsay is a Junior Transfer. Last fall she was studying Shakespeare in London. Today she is learning how to report for the radio at USC. She enjoys the process of capturing and sharing stories through the complex process of communication. This is why she is majoring in Communication. Maddy looks forward to discovering much about herself, as well as the opportunities that lie ahead in in these times some would label a communication revolution.

Melissa Runnels

Melissa Runnels is a first-year graduate student at the Annenberg School of Communication & Journalism. She received her undergraduate degree in French & Art History from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. She has lived in the Netherlands and was a post-modern dancer in San Francisco for over a decade. She loves language and languages, movement, music, and people's stories. She hopes to use her journalism as a tool of civic engagement.

Regina Graham

Regina Graham, a Sacramento, California native, graduated from Spelman College in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. She is currently earning a Master of Arts degree in Print and Digital Journalism at the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Regina is also a Freelance Assignment Editor with CNN in Los Angeles. Her goal in life is to become a great storyteller, bringing color to black and white stories as a journalist.

Tiffany Brannon

A native of Paradise Valley, Arizona, Tiffany Marie Brannon moved to L.A. to pursue her career in television, radio and film. Tiffany graduated from Pepperdine University with degrees in English Literature, Film Studies and Studio Art before attending Pepperdine School of Law's prestigious Straus Institute, where she earned a Certificate in Dispute Resolution. Having lived in 7 different countries, she is very interested and involved with national and international politics. An accomplished singer, painter and writer, when she's not in the radio booth you can find her leading worship at church, attempting to write her first novel or slaving away as a first year master's student in broadcast journalism.

Aaron Schrank

Aaron is a first-year print journalism graduate student at Annenberg. In 2011, Aaron graduated from Pepperdine University, where he studied journalism and film. In addition to his work with campus media outlets, he's worked as a Patch.com freelancer and interned with Demand Media, Foxnews.com, and Independent Newspapers, Inc. Aaron is interested in U.S. politics, film history, indie music, world travel, food & drink and the people of Los Angeles.

Sarah Golden

Sarah Golden is a second year Master's candidate studying broadcast journalism. She hails from the sleepy town of Ashland, Ore., loves white-water kayaking and is addicted to travel. She's spent years backpacking around the world and plans to continue a soon as the opportunity arises. Sarah has a diverse background, including owning a cafe in Guatemala, living in a yoga Ashram in Australia, interning with NPR's The Kitchen Sisters and serving as mayor of a small town in Wyoming. Radio is her best friend. When she grows up, she hopes to be a producer of long-form radio documentaries.

Ariel Edwards-Levy

An L.A. native, Ariel Edwards-Levy is a senior majoring in print and digital journalism and political science. Besides reporting and producing for ARN, she has interned at NBC News' Washington Bureau and KPCC. An inveterate current events junkie, she enjoys covering breaking news and politics at all levels.

Yvette Sanchez

Yvette Sanchez is currently a senior at USC majoring in Theatre and Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. This past summer she interned at Univision, the leading Spanish Broadcasting Station in the United States, where she had the opportunity to learn more about Broadcast Journalism. Since then, her curiosity for Broadcast Journalism has grown and therefore she is grateful to have a more hands-on experience at ARN with her position as Production Associate.

Kyle Tabuena-Frolli

Kyle Tabuena-Frolli is a 3rd-year Print Journalism student. He likes his tape hot and his deadlines dreadful. He's worked in the Bay Area for KALW news, the oldest Public Radio Station west of the Mississippi; is working with Detours, the hottest new podcast in Los Angeles; and is trying to figure out how to put East San Jose on the public radio map. He loves radio but sees himself fitting in just as well at a magazine someday.

Smitha Bondade

Smitha Bondade graduated from the University of Southern California in May 2010 with a bachelor's degree in communication and a minor in cinema television. She is currently attending graduate school at the University of Southern California to pursue a master's in communication management at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Her internships have been at two news stations KABC and KTLA where she worked at the entertainment, web, and news department. She also interned with KXSC, USC's student-run radio station, where she helped out with music-related events at Ground Zero. Her goal is to continue to inform the public of the latest news, updates and alerts, be it through television or radio. Her hobbies include dancing, baking and playing tennis.

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