For this episode of Popped Culture, I served as co-creator, director, producer, and editor. The goal of the series is to humanize academics by placing subject-matter experts into the pop culture conversations teens are already having online — encouraging students to explore fields they’re naturally curious about.

In this episode, I interviewed a faculty expert and shaped the conversation to make complex ideas about TikTok’s algorithm accessible, engaging, and relevant to everyday digital behavior. The focus was on translating expertise into storytelling that feels conversational, relatable, and human.