Joanna Strogatz

Jo Strogatz once wrote an entire thesis about dogs who howl to music. They loved Lady Gaga.

While in college, Joanna jokingly posed the question to her psychology professor, "Why do dogs howl at music?" adding, “I bet dogs would hate heavy metal.”

He replied, earnestly, “Well, I’m actually doing a study about musical dogs, if you’d like to help out.”

And so, Jo spent the next few years meticulously analyzing dog howls in search of answers about the evolution of vocal control. She loved research, but eventually realized she craved communication in a different medium: sound.

That led her to the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies, where she earned a Graduate Certificate in Radio & Podcasting. Her final piece about friendship won the Grand Prize in NPR’s Podcast Challenge.

These days, Jo lives in Brooklyn and can usually be found crafting, writing music, and still petting every dog she passes on the street.