About Me

I am an educator, social media strategist, content creator, researcher, and storyteller whose career has taken me across countries, industries, and classrooms.

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Born in Bulgaria and raised in South Africa, I began my professional career in journalism, marketing, media, social media, and project management before coming to the United States to pursue graduate studies. Today, I am an Assistant Professor of Instruction in Ohio University’s School of Media Arts & Studies and Director of the Social Media Certificate.

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My teaching is grounded in experiential learning. I believe students learn best when they have opportunities to apply what they are learning to real challenges, which is why much of my work connects students with nonprofit and community organizations as real-world clients. Through these partnerships, students develop strategy, create content, tell stories, work with clients, respond to feedback, and build meaningful portfolio work.

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I am also a PhD candidate in Media Arts and Studies, where my research examines social media and online giving behavior. More broadly, my interests include digital storytelling, authenticity, audience engagement, social media and social change, creator culture, and the constantly evolving relationship between people and digital media.

Across all of these areas, I am interested in one central question: How can we use media and storytelling to connect with people in ways that are meaningful, authentic, and human?