Articles About Us
"The number of good science writers has grown dramatically, thanks to programs such as the Knight Fellowship at MIT and the science writing program at the University of California, Santa Cruz."
—Nieman Reports, Fall 2002
The following links and pdf downloads offer various perspectives on the Science Communication Program—and the field of science writing in general—from our lecturers, former students, and independent journalists.
"Nut grafs (or graphs): How five sentences can help a writer focus" by Emily Sohn '00, Nieman Storyboard
"Erika Check Hayden: Paving the way for more inclusive science storytelling" by Alex Dong and Angelica Lorenzo, Yale Scientific Review, Oct. 27, 2022
"What to do when a source asks to see your unpublished copy" by Katherine J. Wu, The Open Notebook, June 30, 2020
"More inclusive science journalism is better science journalism" by Erika Check Hayden, Undark, Oct. 24, 2019
"When science reporting takes an emotional toll" by Wudan Yan, The Open Notebook, Oct. 10, 2017
"New UC Santa Cruz Science Communication director sees groundswell of support for field" by Nicholas Ibarra, Santa Cruz Sentinel, July 25, 2017
"Trading the Pipette for the Pen: Transitioning from Science to Science Writing" by Julia Rosen, The Open Notebook, June 16, 2015
"Science communication: A career where PhDs can make a difference" by director emeritus Robert Irion, Molecular Biology of the Cell, February 15, 2015
"A day in the life of Erika Check Hayden," The Open Notebook, Jan. 7, 2014
"Public relations: For your information" by Chris Woolston '95, Nature, April 30, 2014)
"The faith to follow her heart" by Peggy Townsend, UCSC news site, June 4, 2013
"From page to screen" (pdf file) by Kendall Powell '02, Nature, February 14, 2013
"30 Grads in 30 Days: Lizzie Buchen" interview on UCSC's news site, June 2009
"Found in Translation" by Camille Mojica Rey '97, Science Careers, January 23, 2009
"Physicists as Journalists" (pdf file) by director emeritus Robert Irion, Interactions (American Association of Physics Teachers), September/October 2007
Special report on careers in science journalism (pdf file) by Virginia Gewin, Nature, November 18, 2004
"Training Scientists to be Journalists" (pdf file) by program founder John Wilkes, EMBO Reports, Fall 2002
"From the Lab to the Newsroom" by Tim Stephens '90, UC Santa Cruz Review, summer 1999
