Awards and recognition

Leadership and excellence in journalism

• “Reader Initiative Award” from Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association for serving as part of the team writing the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s “Goodness” section. This Keystone Award honors "news companies that continue to accept the challenge of growing readership through innovative initiatives," 2022.

• NewsGuard "Unsung Hero" recognition for The Incline's credibility and transparency, 2020.

• Pittsburgh 40 Under 40, 2019. Recognized with 39 other young Pittsburghers "because of their career accomplishments, dogged volunteer work and commitment to the Pittsburgh region ... our very best neighbors."

• The Incline’s Who’s Next in Communications, 2016.

• State's "Rookie of the year," from Pennsylvania Women's Press Association, 2013.

• Second place in state's "Rookie of the year" contest, from the Pennsylvania Women's Press Association, 2012.

• Pennsylvania's Emerging Journalist Award, from the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, 2011.

Reporting and writing

• History reporting first place from The Pennsylvania Press Club for The tiny building that pays tribute to a larger-than-life civil rights leader published in Atlas Obscura, 2022.

• History reporting third place from The Pennsylvania Press Club for History Center editor's pet project is about 'connection and emotion and humor' published in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2022.

• Arts/entertainment reporting first place from The Pennsylvania Press Club for “Marisol and Warhol, reunited” published in Carnegie Magazine, 2022.

• Arts/entertainment reporting honorable mention from The National Federation of Press Women for “Marisol and Warhol, reunited” published in Carnegie Magazine, 2022.

• Arts/entertainment reporting Golden Quill nomination from The Press Club of Western Pennsylvania for “Marisol and Warhol, reunited” published in Carnegie Magazine, 2022.

• Feature reporting second place from The Pennsylvania Press Club for "How a Pittsburgh couple pulled off a socially distant wedding," published in The Incline, 2021.

• Lifestyle reporting Golden Quill nomination from The Press Club of Western Pennsylvania for "How a Pittsburgh couple pulled off a socially distant wedding," published in The Incline, 2021.

• Lifestyle reporting Golden Quill nomination from The Press Club of Western Pennsylvania for "I took Pittsburgh tap water to the Academy Awards of water. Here’s how it fared," published in The Incline, 2020.

• Medical/health reporting Golden Quill award from The Press Club of Western Pennsylvania for "Fresh Divide," a series I led at The Incline on food deserts in Pittsburgh, 2019.

• Lifestyle reporting Golden Quill award from The Press Club of Western Pennsylvania for "Eating the Turnpike: All of Pennsylvania’s 15 East-West rest stops, ranked," published in The Incline and Billy Penn, 2018.

• History reporting Golden Quill nomination from The Press Club of Western Pennsylvania for "The Barmaid Bill, forbidding Pittsburgh women from bartending, was overturned 50 years ago this month," published in The Incline, 2018.

• Hearken Champion of Curiosity Award for "biggest blockbuster story" titled "'What’s up with the monkey balls?’ The story of Pittsburgh’s weirdest tree," published in The Incline, 2018.

• Health/science reporting second place from the Pennsylvania Women's Press Association for "Western Pennsylvania hospitals constantly aware of threat of violence," published in the Tribune-Review, 2014.

• Education reporting Golden Quill nomination from The Press Club of Western Pennsylvania for "Do teachers' absences affect student learning?," an investigative story published in the Tribune-Review, 2013.

• Education reporting honorable mention from Pennsylvania Women's Press Association for "Western Pa. school districts hit Web to lure students, save money," published in the Tribune-Review, 2013.

• Spot news reporting second place Keystone Press Award from the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association for "Cornered fugitive kills Lower Burrell officer, dies himself," published in the Valley News Dispatch, 2012.

• News feature reporting second place Keystone Press Award from the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association for "Upper Burrell chopper pilot heals, ready to redeploy," published in the Valley News Dispatch, 2012.

• Newspaper feature honorable mention in the Robert L. Vann Award of Excellence Competition, from the Pittsburgh Black Media Foundation in for "Rev. Asa Roberts celebrating a half-century as pastor," published in the Valley News Dispatch, 2012.​

• Enterprise/investigative reporting Golden Quill nomination from The Press Club of Western Pennsylvania for "Broken Bridges," published in the Valley News Dispatch, 2012.

• Health/medical reporting Golden Quill award for from The Press Club of Western Pennsylvania for "Veteran, outlook rise on new legs," published in the Valley News Dispatch, 2011.

• Health/medical reporting Golden Quill nomination from The Press Club of Western Pennsylvania for "Pilot handles turbulence with grace," published in the Valley News Dispatch, 2011.

• Science/technology writing Golden Quill award from The Press Club of Western Pennsylvania for "Homeowners aim to curb energy costs with solar panels," published in the Valley News Dispatch, 2011.

• Katey Lehman Creative Writing Award in Journalism at Penn State University, 2009.

Book writing

• Winner of two National Federation of Press Women awards for "100 Things to Do in Pittsburgh Before You Die": First place for travel non-fiction in Pennsylvania and third place in the nation, 2019.

Editing

• The Golden Quill award for editing Four One Brew, a continuing beer blog at The Incline, 2018.​