Megan Chao is an award-winning documentary producer, picture editor, and development executive based in Los Angeles. For nearly 20 years, she has successfully managed creative teams and delivered a diverse slate of programming to broadcast networks and streaming platforms.

Chao is currently producing and directing seasons 6 and 7 of the award-winning PBS SoCal documentary series, Earth Focus, which explores the unique intersection between urban habitats and nature. She is also producing Eden, an innovative documentary series about a worldwide interdisciplinary team tackling sustainability initiatives.

Chao was supervising producer and editor for Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story for Netflix, a 16-year journey following a young woman’s trajectory through the juvenile justice system in Tennessee. Chao was supervising producer and editor on The Earliest Americans, Hunt for Dark Matter, and Saint Patrick’s Greatest Gift for CuriosityStream. She was producer and editor on Sentencing Children, a seven-part documentary series for PBS Independent Lens, and Chasing Speed for Velocity.

Chao has been a faculty member at USC Annenberg since 2010, where she teaches documentary production. She is faculty adviser, series producer, and online editor for the award-winning documentary series, Impact, which broadcasts weekly on Spectrum News 1 and is distributed nationally through Spectrum Networks. She is also chair of the Asian Pacific Islander Faculty and Staff Association (APIFSA).

Chao currently serves on the Board of Governors for the Television Academy representing documentary programming. She is co-chair of the Activities Committee and serves on the Awards and Bylaws committees and the AI Task Force. She is also co-chair of the Documentary and Nonfiction Committee for the Producers Guild of America.

She has a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from USC Annenberg and bachelor’s degrees in biology and nonfiction creative writing from the University of California at Riverside.