KCSB News Reporter Profiles!
At KCSB News, our team of student and community journalists have a wide variety of interests – ranging from politics, the sciences, and the arts. Emphasizing collaboration, we encourage a variety of skill sets within our team.
No journalism experience is necessary to join – only a willingness to learn, investigate, and write. At KCSB News, you’ll have the opportunity to pursue topics of your interest and learn the necessary skills to cover events, conduct interviews, and produce radio content.
Read more about our growing team of reporters below.
Ashley Rusch (she/her/hers) 
‘22, Communication Major, Internal News Director
What compelled you to join KCSB News?
I joined KCSB News as a sophomore at UCSB with a general interest in journalism, but a lack of direction about where I wanted to take my career. Upon joining the station, however, I was immediately infatuated with the radio format. Being able to uplift the voices of students, community organizers, and political experts has been an extremely rewarding experience. I am also constantly in awe of our dedicated team of reporters, who work tirelessly on a volunteer basis to inform our listeners.
What has been your favorite story you’ve covered?
Throughout my time at KCSB, I’ve had the privilege of interviewing accomplished journalists, professors, and public officials to dissect stories of local and national importance. My favorite piece, however, was when I interviewed the sister of an inmate at Lompoc Federal Penitentiary during the height of the prison’s COVID-19 outbreak. Hearing about the disturbing conditions inside the prison during the pandemic was a heartbreaking yet important topic to cover. I am grateful that my position at KCSB News gave me the opportunity and platform to shed light on the issue of health hazards within the prison system.
How does your experience at KCSB News fit into your educational/career goals?
KCSB has allowed me to expand on my journalistic skills and gain the unique experience of running a newsroom, alongside my wonderful co-workers Aubrey and Lisa. Taking on this role during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenging task, but I am proud of the work our team has done to keep the student body informed. Specifically, we’ve been able to keep up the production of a student-wide COVID-19 newsletter, which has allowed us to establish our presence as a reliable media source for the campus and community. KCSB continues to provide me with a meaningful learning experience — teaching me to adapt to maintain journalistic integrity, adapt to unforeseen circumstances, and secure my career goals in journalism.
What are some topics you hope to cover in the future?
Most immediately, I plan to continue reporting on developments with the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine distribution, especially in direct relation to UCSB and Isla Vista residents. I also want to explore more in-depth, long-form stories — like how the pandemic has affected specific industries and disrupted the lives of individual families in our community. In the future, I want to work with social justice organizations and advocates in the area to produce on-going recognition for their efforts. I also want to continue covering political issues and policy reform, especially as we transition into the new presidential administration.
What’s your favorite part about KCSB News?
My favorite part about KCSB is its emphasis on alternative and underreported stories. As a campus and community station, we bring in a myriad of reporters from different backgrounds and interests to highlight the stories that really matter. I am constantly inspired by the creativity and dedication of our reporters, who keep our news station up and running for the benefit of the community.
Aubrey Valerio (he/him/his) 
‘22, Communication & Film & Media Studies Major, External News Director
What compelled you to join KCSB News?
My interest in storytelling and representation is what drew me to KCSB News as a volunteer reporter. Journalism offered the opportunity to tell stories and keep people informed about the world around them.
How does your experience at KCSB News fit into your educational/career goals?
My work at KCSB News has taught me so much about collaboration and playing an active role in the community. One of the big responsibilities of being a student journalist has been reporting truthfully and honestly. I definitely hope to be able to bring these lessons with me through work in journalism and film.
What has been your favorite story you’ve covered?
A favorite story that I’ve covered is the impact COVID-19 had on the farmworker community and reporting on the lack of protections they were receiving. I had several interviews with spokespeople from local organizations CAUSE and MICOP. It was a great experience being able to cover a story that was developing and being able to uplift calls for change in the ways migrant farmworkers are treated.
What are some topics you hope to cover in the future?
I hope to be able to cover more stories on politics (especially on how it affects people locally and personally), the latest developments in the COVID-19 pandemic, and the works of various community organizations and UCSB researchers.
What’s your favorite part about KCSB News?
My favorite part about KCSB News is the sense of community it brings and has maintained even throughout the pandemic. It’s been such a great experience working with and learning from reporters at the station, who put in all the time and effort they can into keeping the community informed.
Lisa Osborn (she/her/hers) 
What compelled you to join KCSB News?
I joined KCSB FM in the role of News & Public Affairs Director in early 2016, after spending most of my broadcasting career as a news anchor and on-air host at commercial radio stations in Los Angeles and at a national music network. KCSB is unique – in that it’s a blend of college and community radio, where everyone is welcome to participate in learning journalism and broadcasting skills. This is truly freeform radio, and KCSB is the most uniquely creative radio station I have ever been involved with.
How does your experience at KCSB News fit into your educational/career goals?
This is a great opportunity to share what I have learned in my 20+ year broadcasting & audio production career with next-gen reporters and programmers. I enjoy working on stories with reporters and putting together training and workshops to give students and community member volunteers the tools they need to create powerful radio and audio productions. The environment at KCSB, and being in Santa Barbara, is more laid back than working in Los Angeles, where there were shorter, ongoing deadlines to present newscasts ‘on the hour, on the half and when it breaks.’
Which topics do you enjoy covering the most?
I enjoy covering local news, Isla Vista and the greater Santa Barbara area – because listeners don’t have a lot of options for ‘live and local’ radio news here. A few years ago, I started the weekly KCSB public affairs program Inside Isla Vista. It’s a platform for students and volunteers to host and contribute stories focusing on what’s happening in and around Isla Vista, our local community. I’m especially proud of the local COVID-19 coverage our KCSB News team has been doing this year – focusing on pandemic news directly related to Isla Vista and the Central Coast area. We started a daily COVID-19 newsletter for our KCSB staff and reporters that has since expanded to include all UCSB students, and a Saturday edition for the community (you can sign up for the newsletter by entering your email address at the bottom of this webpage). It’s really rewarding to hear how much the campus community appreciates receiving our news, and the new ways in which we are able to engage directly with the entire student body.
What’s your favorite part about KCSB News?
Seeing a student or volunteer go from just starting out, recording their first story and hearing themselves on the air, to gaining more confidence as they conduct interviews or anchor newscasts. Broadcasting can be scary at times – being on the air live, learning new technologies, researching stories enough to conduct interviews with thoughtful questions, making your deadlines. It’s exhilarating once you start to get the hang of it, so it’s rewarding to see this transformation and newly-found confidence in our reporters.
Alexandra Goldberg (she/her/hers) 
‘24, Communication Major, Reporter
What compelled you to join KCSB News?
I’ve always wanted to go into broadcast journalism, so I gave KCSB a shot— turns out the staff is the most encouraging and accepting team ever! The learning environment and overall positivity makes KCSB News the best station to report for.
What has been your favorite story you’ve covered?
I loved covering Congressman Salud Carbajal as he ran for re-election to the 24th Congressional seat and after his victory; I think it’s valuable to the community to hear directly from our representative and his goals for the Santa Barbara area.
How does your experience at KCSB News fit into your educational/career goals?
I hope to pursue broadcast journalism as a career path, and KCSB News is helping me learn the ins and outs of a recording studio, along with how to find compelling stories and have a good voice cadence on air.
What are some topics you hope to cover in the future?
I report on politics, current events, and I think it would be an amazing experience to pursue a long-term investigative project.
What’s your favorite part about KCSB News?
My favorite part about KCSB News is the rewarding feeling of airing your story. My amazing news directors have helped me transition into reporting with ease, and they’ve made my experience here incredible.
Pia Ramos (she/her/hers)
‘22, Communication Major, Reporter
What compelled you to join KCSB News?
I joined KCSB News with interest in a career in news broadcasting.
What has been your favorite story you’ve covered?
I don’t have a favorite story yet, but I love that I’m able to add onto my own archive of reports.
How does your experience at KCSB News fit into your educational/career goals?
Being part of KCSB allows me to build my network and accumulate various skills that push me towards the career path I plan to pursue within the entertainment industry.
What are some topics you hope to cover in the future?
I hope to cover topics of diverse social groups and social issues that represent infinite identities, eventually bringing awareness to them.
What’s your favorite part about KCSB News?
My favorite part about KCSB is the team! Everyone is very laid back, welcoming, and very helpful. Lisa, Ashley, and Aubrey do a phenomenal job in setting a very fun and professional environment for reporters.
Kali Acquaah (she/her/hers)
‘18, Sociology Major, Reporter
What compelled you to join KCSB News?
As a student at UCSB my courses inspired me deeply to articulate the world around me in a new way. It left me with a lot to say and even more questions on how to discuss the many complexities of our world. KCSB News became the vehicle for me to investigate further and direct these questions towards thought leaders with insightful answers.
What has been your favorite story you’ve covered?
A story I’ve enjoyed most has been an inside glimpse into Kamala Harris. I had the pleasure of interviewing one of the most dynamic political power couples who served on the Obama Campaign.
How does your experience at KCSB News fit into your educational/career goals?
I’ve always dreamt of being a journalist and storytelling has played a significant role in the way I was brought up. My hope is to one day broadcast the ‘positive news’ that is going on in the world. I’d like to highlight solution based stories that celebrate the very best of humanity.
What are some topics you hope to cover in the future?
I think that children are some of the most important teachers of our society, so I’d love to one day be able to focus on interviewing more of our future leaders.
What’s your favorite part about KCSB News?
My favorite part about KCSB News is how independent the station is. As a reporter you have the freedom to cover just about whatever topic fascinates you, you have the greatest array of research leaders at UCSB campus as a resource, and above that there is structure and great support to help you become the reporter that you aspire to be.
Pricila Flores (she/her/hers)
‘24, Language, Culture and Society major, Reporter
What compelled you to join KCSB News?
In high school, I was a part of my school newspaper and I found my love for journalism and writing. However, I knew that I wanted to explore other aspects of journalism and decided to join KCSB to experiment with broadcast journalism. Even though I am only a first year, I can confidently say that KCSB has shaped my future career plans.
What has been your favorite story you’ve covered?
While my reporting journey has just begun, I have been more interested in covering student life and being able to amplify the voices within UCSB’s community.
How does your experience at KCSB News fit into your educational/career goals?
Before joining KCSB, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in Journalism but KCSB has shown me my passion for broadcast journalism. Being a part of KCSB News has also allowed me to learn how to apply my prior journalism knowledge and elevate it.
What are some topics you hope to cover in the future?
In the future, I hope to cover current events and news. However, I would like to also continue engaging with other students and being able to be a voice.
What’s your favorite part about KCSB News?
My favorite part about KCSB News is the welcoming environment. It is evident that the staff members care about each other and the new members. In addition, it is so rewarding to be able to hear your voice on the air for the first time.
Robert Stark (he/him/his)
Reporter, SBCC Art/Theatre
What compelled you to join KCSB News?
I found out about the station by word of mouth and attended an orientation on campus.
What has been your favorite story you’ve covered?
My favorite story covered was on the economic impact of the pandemic.
How does your experience at KCSB News fit into your educational/career goals?
I have a background on AM radio and my experience at KCSB fits with my career goal to either work in news radio or as a journalist.
What are some topics you hope to cover in the future?
In the future I would like to cover news stories dealing with economics, electoral politics, the environment, and housing/urbanism.
What’s your favorite part about KCSB News?
My favorite part of KCSB News is both the news meetings and the interviews.
Giulia Setola (she/her/hers)
’24, Political Science Major, Reporter
During high school I wrote and edited for both my school magazine and school newspaper. I decided to try something of the same gist, but a little different. I wanted to go out of my comfort zone and display my voice itself, despite how embarrassing, and my writing. Also, coming from an international background and an international city, I want to bring a little bit of that to KCSB. Gaining an international perspective is just as an important in familiarizing yourself with domestic affairs. I yearn to accomplish that at KCSB.
What has been your favorite story you’ve covered?
I really enjoyed interviewing my friend, Wint Myint, about the Burmese military coup. I loved that it had a bit of a personal spin and it was so much fun to do my first interview with an encouraging, familiar face. It was my first interview and there was much room for improvement, but I was proud of myself for allowing the questions to flow— almost as if it was a causal conversation.
How does your experience at KCSB News fit into your educational/career goals?
In any career communications is vital, and I think KCSB helps me practice and employ that. Though my career focus isn’t journalism, this experience has been very interesting and eye-opening. Journalism is now definitely a career I am more than willing to consider for my future. However even if I don’t become a journalist, the skills I have acquired like communicating with staff at a very long distance and time difference, editing sound (something I had never done before), asking the right kind of questions, and polishing my writing will all indubitably assist me in any career path I may choose.
What are some topics you hope to cover in the future?
I wish to perfect my interview skills and create a natural flow in my future interviews. I really hope to be able to interview an important political figure. Coming from DC and having worked for the Shadow Senator there, I believe I have the right contacts to make that possible. Political interviews are some of the most scripted, and sometimes artificial, interviews made. I would be very proud of myself and my career at KCSB if one day I am able ton have a natural and fluid interview with an important political figure.
What’s your favorite part about KCSB News?
I learn along with my listeners. KCSB has taught me to be more conscientious and aware of the news around me— news that at first I wasn’t paying enough attention to. I also appreciate the support that the staff has for newcomers and new ideas. So far, not one of my ideas has been rejected. Rather than shooting down a story, news directors always do their best to strengthen it, change the angle, and offer some guidance or any contacts they have in order to improve it.
Harry Lawton (he/him/his)
Reporter
What compelled you to join KCSB News?
I have been reporting for KCSB since retiring from the French-Italian Department in the early 2000s. Fortunately the station required no knowledge of radio and no experience (although I had always had a fascination for journalism since University days.)
What has been your favorite story you’ve covered?
I have always been a film buff and in about 2006 put together a one man show previewing the main events in Santa Barbara’s annual International Film Festival (SBIFF). That show is no more, but among my favorite projects is to interview visiting directors and actors from all over the world, all eager to talk about their latest project and spread a little publicity. What form SBIFF takes in 2021 is an open question, but I’ll talk to all who want to talk to me over Zoom!
What are some topics you hope to cover in the future?
I look for stories of local, national and international interest that I am sure our listeners care about. I have recently talked to professors and a research assistant in UCSB’s Marine Science Dept. about a scheme to stop collisions between massive cargo vessels and large mammals (whales & dolphins) in the Santa Barbara Channel, and also a professor using robotic equipment to monitor a huge toxic DDT dump in the Ocean off the Palos Verdes peninsula.
I also got to talk with investigative journalist Greg Palast about the ways those in power find to limit the ability of sections of the electorate to vote in national elections.
What’s your favorite part about KCSB News?
If there is an issue we deem as important to our audience of curious and informed listeners, we will bring it to them.