Science Writing Class of 2010

Class of 2010

Marissa Cevallos

B.S. (astrophysics) California Institute of Technology

I loved Monday mornings.

Around 10 a.m., white delivery carts with reams of inky newspaper would roll across campus, placing the labors of my Sunday night newsroom on three-tiered stands. The joy of watching my friends, professors, and the cooking staff flip through the pages was unbeatable—even by the quantum mechanics equations that were supposed to thrill me. I came to Caltech to follow in the hallowed footsteps of my physics idols, but I didn't expect it would be with a pen, notepad, and voice recorder. There were too many untold stories and fascinating people to sit down and study astrophysics for four years straight.

Now that I can write whenever I want, I love every day of the week.

Sandra M. Chung

S.B. (brain and cognitive science, biology) MIT

M.S.P.H. (environmental sciences and engineering) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

I grew up believing I would heal sick people with my knowledge of science. I was a quiet, serious premedical student, but I became an animated joker whenever I had a chance to explain something to classmates and strangers. When I landed gigs teaching high school and undergraduate science courses, my time in the classroom and with students quickly supplanted my time in the lab. Through teaching I shed all remaining traces of shyness and developed a happy addiction to the "aha," the precious look on a student's face when he grasps another small piece of the fabric of the universe. My own "aha" moment happened when my mother called me for medical advice. Why didn't she call my brother, the doctor? "You explain it so I can understand," she said.

Gwyneth Dickey

B.S. (neurobiology and physiology) and B.A. (music performance) University of Maryland at College Park

M.A. (kinesiology) University of Maryland at College Park

"Gwyneth, you wright so well."

Despite the ironic misspelling, something went 'click' when I read the message from my neuroscience professor. In that instant, I realized I wanted to write about science, not do the research myself. I had spent years trying to combine my interests in music, brain science, and child development into a fulfilling career. But I was more interested in showing kids their world through music teaching than studying how music shaped their brains.

That simple e-mail opened my eyes. I no longer had to strain to explore the world through the microscope of science academia. I could peer through the binoculars and telescopes of science journalism and see so much more. Now I embark on a new career path, one that will lead me to the far reaches of our universe.

Tia Ghose

B.S. (mechanical engineering) University of Texas at Austin

B.A. (Plan II) University of Texas at Austin

M.S. (bioengineering) University of Washington

"Maybe you should stick to theory," my undergraduate advisor suggested as he scanned my thesis. I had flailed at the microscope and the metal polisher for months, so he was surprised by how clearly I'd described the metal's behavior.

I took his advice and modeled bacteria. But while I loved the mystery, I was less enthralled with the drudgery of debugging computer code and my tiny scientific domain. I was mastering Escherichia coli but missing the world. So I slipped out of the lab and started writing about it.

My advisor saw my omnivorous curiosity and my writing skill, but he couldn't fit those pieces together. Science writing has done that. I can learn how metals crystallize or why bacteria stick, without sticking to any one thing.

Olga Kuchment

B.S. (chemistry) University of Kansas

Ph.D. (chemistry) University of California, Berkeley

Growing up, I read fiction and wandered the forests of Voronezh, Russia, and the plains of Wichita, Kansas. These landscapes fueled my imagination. I became a scientist to explore the world and see things no one had seen.

I discovered, through research, that experimentation and imagination are powerfully linked. Chemistry, which grew out of alchemy, seemed akin to magic. I thought of the proteins I studied as Calvino's invisible cities—crowded, ancient, unique.

But I wanted to share these adventures and to travel more widely both inside and outside of science. While brainstorming possible careers, I took a class on nature reporting. I wrote about Point Reyes and the people who live there. Their stories hooked me. Becoming a science writer allows me to be part scientist, part explorer, and part magician.

Adam Mann

B.A. (astrophysics) University of California, Berkeley

When I was an undergraduate studying astrophysics, I had trouble admitting to my creative side. After all, scientists are logical, analytical people who enjoy the thrill of pure research. I was not one of those scientists. In the lab I was a passive participant, my mind constantly wandered, and I soon realized that I needed something more...creative.

There's that word again. The one I wasn't supposed to admit to. But I knew it was inside of me and, after spending several years traveling, teaching, and experiencing the world outside of science, I was ready to own it. With science writing I can be an actor and not just an observer. I can engage in a fascinating world of information and simultaneously share what I learn with others.

Jane Palmer

B.S. (cognitive science) University of Sheffield, U.K.

Ph.D. (computational molecular biology) University of Sheffield, U.K.

My Indiana Jones tendencies bewitched me into science. Entranced by the physical world, I wanted to dig beneath the surface and uncover its endless mysteries. In academia, I burrowed into computer science, psychology, biology, and environmental science; outside, I rock-climbed across the continents. Eventually, a more traditional career path ensnared me, but the narrow focus and mundanities of research stifled my free spirit.

And then, science writing liberated me.

When I write about science, I still get to hypothesize and explore. But it can be about Saturn one day, stem cell research the next, and water pollution the day after that. Better yet, as a writer, I polish my treasures for all to see.

With words as my tools, the adventure is only just beginning.

Daniel Strain

B.S. (ecology and evolutionary biology) University of California,

Santa Cruz

My dreams of becoming Indiana Jones ended in a dodgeball game. I was eleven and skinny, and I got a black eye. I was not cut out for a life of evading tanks and cracking whips.

My new dreams started on a hike. I was sixteen, still skinny, and standing fifteen feet from a mountain goat. His coat was as coarse as steel wool, and he was big. I realized that when Dr. Jones dropped the sandbag, his moment of discovery was the real adventure. I followed it through ecological research and veterinary medicine. The more I learned, the more selfish I felt for keeping the mountain goat to myself. The sight of him on the shale wasn't just for me. I now want to share it with all the scrawny action heroes out there.

Janelle Weaver

B.A. (psychology/neuroscience) Dartmouth College

Ph.D. (psychology/neuroscience) Stanford University

Like a bloodhound tracking an intriguing scent, I've always sniffed out scientific knowledge. I studied among the granite mountains of New Hampshire before gigantic magnets attracted me to Stanford, where I glimpsed nerve impulses dancing within human brains. Once life as a narrowly focused researcher set in, I yearned to experience more. I evaluated the latest neuroscience findings as an editor at PLoS Biology, but after rejecting 1,400 manuscripts and fielding fuming phone calls, I sought a profession that involved more positive interactions with scientists. I returned to Stanford as a writer in training, and was delighted to find that scientists graciously impart their wisdom away from the pressures of peer review. Now, on the inviting shores of Santa Cruz, I begin a lifelong quest, one that will perpetually put my nose to the test.

Jennifer Welsh

B.S. (biological sciences) University of Notre Dame

If I won the lottery, I would go to medical school—not to be a doctor, just to learn. Then, I would head to space camp.

I wanted to be an astrophysicist in high school. While in college, I studied cancer in the lab and discovered a passion for infectious disease.

With my degree in hand, I shied away from committing to a graduate program. Instead, I tested my luck at a startup company in the biotech world. I spent three years developing antiviral drugs.

I realized I wanted to be a science writer when I spent more time perusing science websites than doing my job. I wanted to talk about more than viruses and toxicity. Having the freedom to learn and write about any science field feels almost as good as winning the lottery.