2026 Silicon Valley Pain Index
Co-authored a public-facing regional equity report for the SJSU Human Rights Institute, collaborating on a team synthesizing 300+ statistics from 250+ public records, reports, and research sources.
Read the reportThings don't have to be so complicated
Simplifying Information into Actionable Insights
I've worked across interviews, media analysis, public-interest research, and audience-focused writing, with the ability to turn complex information into clear, evidence-based findings.
Communication Studies Graduate with a Minor in Geographic Information Science from San José State University
Public-Interest InvestigationMedia & Audience AnalysisInterviewing & Source Evaluation
Selected Communications and Research
From public-interest reporting, subject-matter interviews, media theory, digital audiences, and careful source evaluation; here's what I've done so far:
Communication in action
An 8-page analysis of an interview with leadership and communication coach Karen Williams, applying listening, group, interpersonal, organizational, and public communication frameworks.
Portfolio sample available on request
Different sides of the same coin
A comparative analysis of Fox News and MSNBC coverage of the 2024 presidential debate through agenda setting, framing, gatekeeping, and media ecology.
Portfolio sample available on request
What's Your Reality?
A study of how algorithmic feeds personalize information, shape audience exposure, and influence the way people understand the world around them.
Read the paper
Analyzing AI on public movements
Compared AI-generated writing with independent research on the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street across ten iterative prompts.
See the analysisThe inner workings of social media trend spreading
An article analysis of how influencers, early adopters, and everyday audiences shape the circulation of online trends.
Portfolio sample available on request
My Process
Core tenets that I adhere to when there's a story to be told:
Write for people.
Research-based writing, editing, interviewing, media framing, and public-facing communication.
Keep asking questions.
Public-records research, literature review, source evaluation, qualitative analysis, and fact synthesis.
Get involved, get obsessed.
Project planning, stakeholder communication, volunteer coordination, safety and materials planning, and budget tracking.
Supporting Arguments With Data
GIS and data visualization are supporting tools in my broader communications practice and a useful medium to turn public records into a clearer, more holistic story.
Service
A community project grounded in planning, coordination, and care.
Building something a community can use.
Ray planned a replacement pergola with an information board and food-donation shelf for Wallenberg Community Garden and a local food pantry.
$2,200project budget
4+volunteers coordinated
End-to-endpermissions, materials, schedules, safety procedures, and stakeholder updates
Project record available on request
Research with a listener in mind.
I studied Communications at San José State University and built my work around audience, media, and public-facing research through interviews, public records, close reading, and source evaluation.
My GISci minor is a supporting tool in my work, alongside R, data storytelling, and visualization. I make information clearer, more credible, and more useful.
Interests
Things I Keep Coming Back To:
Music
I've been a music fan since middle school, but had only kept to a small circle of musicians. Then I picked up a guitar, a bass, and now I'm exploring modular synthesis. Most afternoons I can be found listening to an album for the first time, fiddling with my vinyl record shelf, or working on a song I'm trying to learn on one of my instruments.
Writing
I used to dread writing assignments in school, but now I've found how mentally liberating and therapeutic writing can be. Having a meaningful topic allows me to write for hours and have it feel like only minutes have passed.
Art
I have admired the abilities of artisans across mediums, whether it's a classical artist painting deities or an engineer who found the most satisfying way to tie an overpass into the rest of the city. I have no artistic training but feel compelled to put paint to canvas every now and again.
Video Games
My tried and true pastime is spending an evening with my friends in a voice call while we play a game together. Starting when I was 5 and got my first console, a Nintendo 64 from my neighbour, to saving money to build a PC in high school, to now getting ever closer to maxing my Old School RuneScape account.
Hiking
My favorite activity that my Boy Scout troop would do was our hikes. Being able to be at my own pace and take in the natural world around me, which is often overlooked, while also getting in some great exercise can't be beat.
Astronomy
All that humanity has ever achieved, created, or destroyed has occurred on earth, all the while we marveled at the delicate lights in the sky. As technology progressed, we were able to bring them closer to our eyes while simultaneously moving backwards in time. Space and its paradoxical nature has always left me craving as many answers as its willing to give up and I'll always enjoy a night under the stars.
Baseball
Let's go Mets.
There is so much more to say