Emily Vaughn is the Kettering Foundation’s podcast producer. Through her work on The Context, Vaughn will help shape and share stories that encourage informed participation in democratic life and highlight the power of citizen engagement.

Vaughn excels at transforming complex ideas into stories that inform, engage, and inspire diverse audiences. Her storytelling is rooted in a commitment to elevating powerful voices and fostering meaningful connections.

Prior to her current role she worked on several podcast projects addressing critical social issues. Vaughn reported on health and science at NPR, contributed to the NPR daily science podcast Short Wave, and led the production of a limited series for Pushkin Industries and the Berman Institute of Bioethics at Johns Hopkins called playing god?, about the complicated ethical dilemmas that arise alongside breakthrough medical technologies. The show was awarded gold in three categories at the Signal Awards. She was also a producer for The Happiness Lab, an Apple top podcast. Her work on the podcast Things That Go Boom was picked up for international broadcast by PRI’s The World. And she has contributed as a guest reporter/producer for Atlas Obscura’s podcast, which was named Best Travel Podcast by iHeartRadio.

Vaughn received her training in narrative audio at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies. Before that she managed beehives for a rooftop farm in Brooklyn, organized events for indie bookstores, produced hand-painted ceramics for a boutique pottery line, and avoided being eaten by polar bears while conducting field biology in coastal Alaska.