Norwich, England, United Kingdom
I'm a radio producer, researcher, and writer, who combines an academic background in social sciences and policy with a love for international storytelling. For 10+ years, I've worked in radio and podcasting at various networks, studios, and shows, including Freakonomics Radio, Radiolab, First Look Media, Stitcher, WNYC Studios/New York Public Radio, and BBC World Service. I especially enjoy bridging the worlds of academia and social good. As a producer, I love metabolizing a wide range of interdisciplinary material and crafting compelling narratives around complex issues. Special interests include psychology, behavioral economics, migration, sociolinguistics, theology, and medical history — but as an omnivorous nerd, I'm curious about most things, from the science of trees, the calculated risk of playing football, and the economics of altruism, to the quirky history of invented languages. As a consultant and editor, I've developed production strategy, editorial structure, and pilot episode/templates for new podcast series for First Look Media, Theos Think Tank, the Centre for Effective Altruism, and NYT-bestselling author James Clear. Before my adventures in radio, I pursued my love of storytelling and the social sciences through two master’s degrees in evidence-based social intervention and world literatures as a Daniel M. Sachs Scholar at the University of Oxford; I was also a Rhodes finalist. I researched mental health predictors among refugee children and published my findings in the social policy journal, 'Trauma, Violence, & Abuse.' My writing has been published in various outlets, including The Believer, The Behavioral Scientist, and Slate, and has won the Harper's Bazaar Short Story Competition, the Creative Future Writers' Silver Award in Creative Nonfiction, 2nd Place in the Master's Review Novel Competition, been shortlisted for the Fitzcarraldo Editions/Mahler & LeWitt Studios Essay Prize, longlisted for the Royal Society of Literature's V.S. Pritchett Short Story Prize, and nominated for the Pushcart Prize. Radio Profile: https://airmedia.org/talent/stephanie-tam * Social Media: instagram @stephanieytam * You can read more about my journey from academia into audio here (and why the humanities matter): https://english.princeton.edu/undergraduate/why-english/futures/stephanie-tam
+ Freelance writer of nonfiction articles, essays, and features, e.g. Slate, The Believer, Behavioral Scientist; working on a novel and an essay collection. + Freelance reporter for BBC World Service’s science news programmes 'Unexpected Elements' & 'Health Check' + Guest host/presenter for NüVoices podcast, celebrating and supporting women and other underrepresented voices/communities working on the subject of China (broadly defined) + Consulting editor & producer for BibleProject podcast, commissioned to produce a pilot episode for a new series exploring the Sermon on the Mount (2022) + Podcast consultant for James Clear: pitched podcast concepts, marketing, and launch strategy (2021) + Founding producer and consultant for Theos Think Tank: developed concept & produced trailer and pilot episode for new podcast show hosted by Nick Spencer (2020) + Producer/researcher/consultant for Freakonomics Radio: researched & contributed to How To Be Creative series; researched & identified stories/guests for London live tapings at Cadogan Hall and the Behavioural Exchange Conference; provided consultation for development of Freakonomics, M.D. (2019) + Researcher to NYT and WSJ-bestselling author Dan Heath for Upstream: How to Solve Problems Before They Happen (2018) + Consulting editor for the award-winning Behavioral Scientist 2022 print issue
+ Led and advised Theos team to develop, produce, & launch new podcast on motherhood, technology, and theology, ft. Chine McDonald and Maddy Pennington + Storyboarded episodes with production team and mapping out content to be gathered + Reviewed and edited episode drafts + Supervised production timeline with coordinating producer + Supervised audio editor and sound designer
Consulting editor & producer (2022) + Commissioned to develop concept, format, and produce a pilot episode for a new series exploring the Sermon on the Mount + Co-founders green-lit new podcast series based on pilot episode, concept, and format pitch Lead producer, editor & consultant (2023-2024) + Led production of five premium episodes for new Sermon on the Mount podcast series, ft. Jon Collins, Michelle Jones, and Hebrew scholar/theologian Tim Mackie exploring literary patterns in the Christian Bible + Edited and advised on select episodes and content creation across SotM podcast series + Consulted on vision, production strategy, sound design, and all things podcast-related across new SotM series
+ Developed concept & production strategy for new podcast ft. NYT-bestselling author James Clear + Designed systems and templates for idea generation, interview process, and episode production + Coordinated studio set up with professional podcasting equipment + Recruited and supervised sound designer, audio editor, and studio coordinator + Researched, pitched, produced & edited story ideas, guests, and scripts for pilot season + Advised on all aspects of podcast production and product coordination with existing brand
Supervised all aspects of production as lead producer of feature-length, research-intensive episodes from ideation phase through publication. + Wrote and fact-checked scripts + Identified and pre-interviewed potential guests + Contacted and booked experts + Conducted interviews and field reporting + Prepped host for interviews + Offered editorial feedback to host + Contributed to social media accounts and listener engagement + Mentored and trained interns and junior staff + Collaborated and advised on sound design + Worked closely with executive editor and show host on storyboards, edits, and final revisions (Promoted from Associate Producer in 2017 and Per Diem Associate Producer in 2016) + Staff Producer (September 2017-June 2018) + Staff Associate Producer (November 2016-August 2017) + Per Diem Associate Producer (May 2016-July 2016)