Pamela Mays McDonald contributes to The Huffington Post on a variety of political and cultural topics. She was Editor-in-Chief of OaklandSeen.com, an online journal and radio program with a local viewpoint. An award-winning cultural ambassador and arts advocate with a distinguished career in the museum field, she also coordinates social media and strategic communications for political candidates. She is a member of the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee and a Senate appointee to the California State Democratic Central Committee. Creativity and innovation, gun safety, education vs. incarceration and affordable health care are her key issues. Her 2012 HuffPost article, "Your Money or Your Life: Cancer Patient Races Against Health Insurance Cap," documented Kenya Wheeler's struggle with the health care system. She received a BS from Pomona College, an MS and PhD candidacy from Georgetown University, National Science Foundation and Smithsonian Fellowships and a Fulbright Award.