About Melanie Ruiz

Contact Melanie Ruiz

Education:

UC Berkeley

August 2011 - May 2013

Journalism

UW Madison

August 2005 - May 2008

Mathematics

UC Santa Barbara

September 1999 - May 2004

Mathematics

Published Stories:

Working Men

Mission Loc@l

This vignette for the working man came out of a gender assignment in a visual journalism class at the Graduate School of Journalism at UC Berkeley. All men are from the Mission District in San Francisco.

Read All About It...Online?

CNS News

With ongoing budget deficits, The Daily Cal is hoping students will vote to pay $2 per semester each to keep the printers running.

Rough Times for Organic Dairy Farmers

CNS News

The cost to produce organic milk and its products is rising, and farmers see little relief from declining profits. I talked with organic farmers and processors in Northern California to find out what’s needed to sustain the organic milk industry.

Suspect in Sexual Assault Pleads Not Guilt and Residents React to Arrest

Mission Loc@l

[PRINT] The defendant,32-year-old Federick Dozier, his hands cuffed behind his back, and glancing quickly at the cluster of 10 friends and family in courtroom, plead not guilty to all three charges of sexual assault. Meanwhile, residents of Bernal Dwellings, where Frederick Dozier was arrested last week, reacted this week with a mix of outrage that a suspect had been in their midst and unhappiness that their home is being associated with the attacks.

Neighborhood Courts Work Their Justice

Mission Loc@l

[PRINT] Two thieves, one “John,” a public urinator and a litterer all walk into the Centro Latino Community Center on 15th Street. Two hours later, they all leave. Nope, there is no punch line. It’s not a joke — it’s the Mission Neighborhood Court in action. The defendants had just appeared before a panel of residents, who exacted justice on those who would otherwise find themselves at the San Francisco Hall of Justice.

Retirees and Disabled on Surviving in This Economy

Mission Loc@l

[VIDEO] Hear how residents leaving the Social Security office on Valencia Street are surviving in this economy.

The Mission Remains an Oasis for the Disabled

Mission Loc@l

[PRINT] In 1999, Linda Wilson returned home after a bike ride and started to climb the stairs to her apartment door. It had not been a strenuous ride, so she figured the dizziness and nausea she experienced signaled an oncoming cold, or at worst the flu. More than 10 years later, Wilson, diagnosed with chronic imbalance or ataxia, has lived a slower lifestyle. It’s one dependent on a host of public and nonprofit services for the disabled. Most of these are within walking distance of her home on 24th and Harrison streets.

Dufty Parties with His Queens

Mission Loc@l

[MULTIMEDIA] The scene from a Drag Queen fundraiser for Bevan Dufty's San Francisco mayoral campaign in 2011, including a photo slideshow.

The Things They Carry

Mission Loc@l

[MULTIMEDIA] In this audio slideshow we hear from some homeless people in the Mission about what they carry with them.

Cleaner Air for Oakland But Nobody Wants to Pay for It

San Francisco Bay Guardian

[PRINT] Explores a raging battle over who should shoulder the overhaul of old, dirty trucks, as new, clean air regulations go into effect at the Port of Oakland and surrounding areas on January 1.

Work Experience:

Reporter

Mission Loc@l  - San Francisco CA  ( August 2011 -  )

Report, write and produce print, video, photography and mixed media pieces, from crime to arts and culture, for local news site. Produced live, online video coverage of elections using Livestream Studio, a video broadcast platform. Perform editorial management duties, including managing social media presence on Facebook and Twitter and web curation.

Research Assistant

Freelance  - San Francisco CA  ( June 2010 - August 2011 )

Conducted research for author for his upcoming book on gender issues. Analyzed data from governmental, academic and industrial sources to improve book’s scope, clarity and soundness.

Reporter

San Francisco Bay Guardian  - San Francisco CA  ( September 2009 - January 2010 )

Reported and wrote pieces focused on local politics, economics and education.

Skills:

• Software proficiency includes Final Cut Pro 7 and X, HTML5, CSS, jQuery, Photoshop and Illustrator.

• Equipment experience includes Canon’s T3i, 7D and 5D, Tascam, Sony DSR 570 and Panasonic DVX 100.