Tracy Mueller

As managing editor of a higher education alumni magazine and news blog, I spend a lot of time thinking about story ideas. What are those brilliant topics/people/photographs/insights that will get readers excited, teach them something new or make them grateful they’re still in contact with the school?
Our editorial team goes round and round on what [...]

I’ve now been through the internship hiring process four times and have noticed the same trends keep popping up. Despite all the career training and resources offered, some students still seem totally unprepared for the interview or even the application process. And others completely shine.
So in the interest of saving everyone a little time and heartache, [...]

Arizona’s controversial immigration bill, SB1070 was just signed into law last Friday, but its social media footprint has already been firmly established. 
Search “SB1070″ on Facebook, and you’ll find 37 Pages, 89 Groups and 55 events (each with their own branding, of course) dedicated to the new law, both for and against it. The term has [...]

I was so sad to wake up this morning to the news of Dixie Carter’s death. I loved watching her on Designing Women when I was a kid–I even went through a phase where I was sure I’d be an interior designer. Her portrayal of a sophisticated, intelligent and feisty Southern woman was hilarious and [...]

I wrote about my general impressions of this year’s SXSW Interactive (hey, people are pretty cool!) and posted recaps of some of my favorite sessions. To finish off my 2010 SXSW blogging, here are my 5 big takeaways. They’re all pretty common sense, but they are themes that kept popping up, and I’m happy to [...]

This session’s description of itself best sums it up: a case study on how the California Academy of Sciences – a traditional museum in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park — transformed itself into a global online education and research presence and integral social hub for the City, using the best tools and techniques of technology, [...]

John Hargrave (Moderator), www.zug.com
Mark Malkof, www.markmalkoff.com - lived in IKEA for a week; went to all the Manhattan Starbucks in 24 hours
Jeff Rubin, editor of www.collegehumor.com
Rob Cockerham, www.cockeyed.com - specializes in pranks
Chris Wilson, cartoonist for web comic Cyanide & Happiness
I expected this panel to be kinda off the wall, but I was pleasantly surprised at how prepared [...]

Jay Rosen, NYU
Matt Thompson, NPR
Tristan Harris, Apture founder and CEO
Staci D. Kramer (Moderator), ContentNext Media /paidContent
#futureofcontext
This was one of the most intriguing, thoughtful panels I’ve ever been to. NYU journalism prof Jay Rosen wrote about how they prepared for and ran the panel, and their work really paid off in a terrific presenatation:
Definition of Context: [...]

I was a bit skeptical about this panel and really hoped it wouldn’t be some jaded, corporate strategry on manufacturing something that in reality is difficult to capture. Well, I had nothing to worry about.
YouTube’s Margaret Gould Stewart joined TED Talks Director of Film and Video Jason Wishnow and Damian Kulash, he of the OK [...]

Check the #greatinterviewsadvice hashtag on Twitter for more on this session.
University of Kansas Professor Nancy Baym led an interactive session about conducting great interviews, whether for broadcast, print or recruiting. Some of the points were pretty standard, but overall it was a helpful discussion. Some main points:

“What questions should I ask?” is not the first [...]