I'm a professional crossword constructor and Editorial Manager, Puzzles, at Andrews McMeel Universal, where I acquire and edit the Universal Crossword, a daily internationally syndicated puzzle feature; develop playable puzzle and game prototypes; and oversee a team of puzzle editors. I've been constructing crossword puzzles since middle school, when I published my first crossword in The New York Times at the age of 14 and became the then second-youngest constructor to be published under Will Shortz's editorship.
Since June of 2011, I've had more than 500 puzzles published in The New York Times and other markets, including the New York Times crossword app, the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Newsday, The Atlantic, The Orange County Register, Fireball Crosswords, Crosswords with Friends, Daily Celebrity Crossword, The Crosswords Club, the American Values Club Crossword, BuzzFeed, 10-4 Magazine, The Jerusalem Post, KC Studio, SPYSCAPE, and the Andrews McMeel Universal syndicate, as well as in books. I've also built puzzles for Crosswords LA, the Minnesota Crossword Tournament, and the Peabody Essex Museum's "PlayTime" exhibit. Over the years I've enjoyed creating many custom crosswords for clients, friends, teachers, schools, and my alma mater, Stanford University.
I try to attend as many in-person puzzle tournaments and conventions as possible, including the Annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, where I was the youngest entrant for two years, served as a judge, and became the youngest contestant ever to win the C Division championship; Boswords, where I won the in-person individuals championship in 2022; Crosswords LA; the Bay Area Crossword Puzzle Tournament, where I was the four-time Junior Division winner; the Silicon Valley Puzzle Fest; Lollapuzzoola; Marbles: The Brain Store's 5th Annual Crossword Tournament, where I was a judge; the Second National Brain Game Challenge; and Crossword Tournament From Your Couch. I was also a member of the National Puzzlers' League and attended its annual conventions until the pandemic began.