Gretchen Macchiarella is an assistant professor in Digital Media and Emerging Journalistic Practices at Cal State Northridge. She joined the full-time faculty after four years as the publisher and adviser for The Sundial. Her research interests center on media innovation in business and storytelling. Previously she was the managing editor for digital at the Ventura County Star. Macchiarella earned a master’s degree in Digital Journalism and Design from the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, and a bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she spent most of her time working at the newspaper.