SciCom Alumni by Graduating Class

The SciCom Class of 2023, now working in the field. Front (l-r): Shannon Banks, Anna Marie Yanny, Roxanne Hoorn (holding live banana slug mascot), Isabel Swafford. Rear (l-r): Kate Hull, Elissa Welle, Elise Overgaard, Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Sean Cummings. Photo: Emily Harwitz '21

More than 400 graduates have completed the SciCom program since its founding in 1981. These are the diverse career trajectories of most of our alumni. 

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Class of 2023

Sean Cummings  B.A., environmental humanities, Whitman College; internships: Stanford News Service, Science.
WEB SITE: sean-cummings.com

Kate Hull  B.A., neuroscience, Oberlin College; summer-fall reporting fellowship: Insider health desk.
WEB SITE: katehull.mypixieset.com

Roxanne Hoorn  B.A., biology and philosophy, Eckerd College; one-year reporting fellowship: Atlas Obscura.
WEB SITE: roxannehoorn.com

Luis Melecio-Zambrano  A.A., biology, Northwest Florida State College; B.S., chemistry, Stetson University; M.S., chemistry, Cornell University; internship: Science News; first job: two-year California Local News Fellowship, San Jose Mercury News.
WEB SITE: luismelecio-zambrano.mypixieset.com

Elise Overgaard  B.S., human physiology, Boston University; Ph.D., biomolecular science, Boise State University; internship: Stanford Linear Accelerator Center; first job: freelancing from Boise, ID. 
WEB SITE: emoverga.wixsite.com/elise-overgaard

Isabel Swafford  B.S., astrophysics (minor in English), California Institute of Technology; summer-fall internship: social media team, NASA Ames Research Center.
WEB SITE: isabelswafford.godaddysites.com

Elissa Welle  B.S., biological engineering, Cornell University; Ph.D., biomedical engineering, University of Michigan; internship: Reuters health and pharma desk (New York); first job: science reporter, Spectrum (New York).
WEB SITE: elissawelle.com

Anna Marie Yanny  B.S., behavioral neuroscience, Western Washington University; internship: Stanford University School of Medicine; first job: freelancing from SF Bay Area (KQED radio, Stanford Medicine).
WEB SITE: annamarieyanny.mypixieset.com

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Class of 2022

Jude Coleman  B.S., biology, Northern Arizona University; internship: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; first job: freelancing (Science News, National Geographic) from Bend, OR.
WEB SITE: judecoleman.com

Elyse DeFranco  B.S., conservation & resource studies, University of California, Berkeley; M.S., ecology & environmental science, University of Maine; first job: science writer, Desert Research Institute.
WEB SITE: elysedefranco.wixsite.com/elysedefranco

Guananí Gómez-Van Cortright  B.A., biology, Reed College; one-year editorial fellowship: Bay Nature, Berkeley, CA; first job: freelancing from San Francisco.
WEB SITE: guananigomezvancortright.com

Megan Kalomiris  B.S., biology, California State University, Fresno; internships: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, NASA Ames Research Center (multimedia and social media); first job: social media specialist, NASA Headquarters.
WEB SITE: megan-kalomiris.com

Brittney Miller  B.S., biology and journalism, University of Florida; first job: 2022-24 Report for America Corps  member, The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, IA. 
WEB SITE: brittneyjmiller.com

Emily Moskal  B.A., biology: ecology, evolution and behavior, University of Texas, Austin; first job: science writer, Stanford University School of Medicine.
WEB SITE: emilymoskal.com

Brian Phan  B.S., biology, California State University, Monterey Bay; internship: Monterey Herald. Now freelancing from Marina, CA, and boat captaining.
WEB SITE: brianqphan.com

McKenzie Prillaman  B.A., neuroscience, University of Virginia; internships: Nature, Science News; first job: freelancing (Nature, Science News) from Washington D.C.
WEB SITE: meprillaman.com

Zack Savitsky  B.S., public relations; minor: physics, University of Florida; internships: Science, Quanta; first job: freelance writer (Science, Quanta) and science communication fellow, MIP.labor, Berlin, Germany.
WEB SITE: zacksavitsky.com

Graycen Wheeler  B.S., biochemistry, University of Oklahoma; Ph.D., biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder; first job: 2022-24 Report for America Corps member, KOSU public radio, Oklahoma City, OK.
WEB SITE: graycenwheeler.com

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Class of 2021

Isabella Backman  B.S., biology, Saint Michael's College; internship: Yale School of Medicine; first job: associate editor, Yale School of Medicine.
WEB SITE: isabellabackman.com

Carolina Cuellar  B.S., molecular, cellular, and developmental biology, University of California, Santa Cruz; first job: 2021-23 Report for America Corps member, Texas Public Radio.
WEB SITE: carolinacuellarcolmenares.com

Allison Gasparini  B.A., physics, Syracuse University; internships: NASA Ames Research Center, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; first job: freelancing from Santa Cruz (Science News, Forbes, Physics); now communications specialist, Center for Statistics and Machine Learning, Princeton University.
WEB SITE: allisongasparini.com

Cypress Hansen  B.S., marine science, Eckerd College; internships: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, American Geophysical Union; first job: science communications manager, San Diego Natural History Museum.
WEB SITE: cypresswritesscience.com

Emily Harwitz  B.A., chemistry, B.A., Chinese studies, Carnegie Mellon University; internship: Chemical & Engineering News. Currently freelancing and host, "I'll Go if You Go" podcast, focusing on conversations with Black, Indigenous, and people of color who explore and work in the outdoors. 
WEB SITE: emilyharwitz.com

Tess Joosse  B.A., biology, Oberlin College; internships: Scientific American, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Science; first job: freelancing from Madison, WI (Science, Scientific American, APS News) and science editor and writer, Alliance of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Science Societies.
WEB SITE: tessjoosse.com

Freda Kreier  
B.S., molecular biology, Colorado College; internships: UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, Science News, Nature; first job: freelancing from Washington D.C. (Nature, Science News).
WEB SITE: fredakreier.com

Stephanie Melchor  
B.S., microbiology, Brigham Young University; Ph.D., experimental pathology, University of Virginia; internship: The Scientist; first job: web producer, Quanta (New York); now freelancing (Scientific American) from San Jose, CA.
WEB SITE: stephaniemelchor.com

Nikk Ogasa  
B.S., earth science, University of California, Santa Cruz; M.S., geology, McGill University; internships: Science News, Scientific American; first job: physical sciences staff writer, Science News.
WEB SITE: nikkogasa.com

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Class of 2020

Amanda Heidt  B.S., marine biology, University of California, Santa Cruz; M.S., marine science, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories; internship: The Scientist; first job: assistant editor, The Scientist; now freelancing from Moab, Utah.
WEB SITE: amandaheidt.com

Jesse Kathan  B.S., wildlife biology, University of California, Davis; internship: San Jose Mercury News; freelance science and environmental journalist; now reporting on a two-year California Local News Fellowship, Santa Cruz Local.
WEB SITE: jessekathan.com

Jack J. Lee  B.S., biology, California Institute of Technology; Ph.D., molecular biology, Princeton University; internships: Science News, American Geophysical Union; communications fellow, National Cancer Institute; now data reporter, weather and climate desk, San Francisco Chronicle.
WEB SITE: jackjleescience.com

Erin Malsbury  B.S., ecology, and B.A., anthropology, University of Georgia; internship: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History; contract writer, Good Times (Santa Cruz); now a freelance science and environment writer and photojournalist.
WEB SITE: erinmalsbury.com

Jerimiah Oetting  B.S., ecology, evolution & behavior, University of Minnesota–Twin Cities; internships: Princeton University Office of Research, Point Reyes National Seashore; first job: news reporter and editor, KAZU public radio; currently news director, KAZU, based in Santa Cruz.
WEB SITE: jerimiahoetting.com

Ashleigh Papp  B.S., animal science and biology, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; internship: U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute. First job: communications specialist, U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute and Lawrence Berkeley Lab, based in New York.
WEB SITE: ashleighpapp.com

Ariana Remmel  
B.S., biochemistry and molecular biology, Reed College; M.S., chemistry, University of California, San Diego; internships: Chemical & Engineering News, Nature; freelance writer and multimedia journalist; assistant editor, physical sciences, Chemical & Engineering News; now a freelance journalist and contributor, BirdNote podcast, based in Little Rock, AR.
WEB SITE: arianaremmel.com

Lara Streiff  
B.S., environmental systems, University of California, San Diego; internships: Stanford University News Service, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; first job: digital communications strategist, NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, CA.
WEB SITE: larastreiff.com

Jonathan Wosen  
B.A., biology, Williams College; Ph.D., immunology, Stanford University; first job: biotechnology reporter, San Diego Union-Tribune; current job: West Coast biotech and life sciences reporter, STAT.
WEB SITE: jonathanwosen.com

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Class of 2019

Sofie Bates  B.S., genetics and genomics, University of California, Davis; internships: Inside Science News Service video team, Science News, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (Greenbelt, MD); first job: senior science writer, earth science team, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
WEB SITE: sofiebates.com

Bailey Bedford  B.S. physics, University of Oklahoma; M.S. physics, Pennsylvania State University; internships:
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Batavia, IL), Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (Washington DC); first job: science communicator, Joint Quantum Institute, College Park (Baltimore, MD).
WEB SITE: baileybedford.com

Katie Brown  B.A., environmental studies, California State University, Monterey Bay; internships: National Park Service (Washington, DC), Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting (Washington, DC); first job: Report for America fellow, climate and energy reporter, Pine Tree Watch (Augusta, ME); now a freelance environmental journalist, based in Portland, ME.
WEB SITE: katierosebrown.com

Erika K. Carlson  B.A., physics, Pomona College; M.S., astronomy, University of Wisconsin–Madison; internship: Quanta (New York, NY); jobs: space news contributor, Discover and Astronomy magazines; corresponding editor, Physics; currently a science writer for the American Physical Society, based in New York.
WEB SITE: erikak.ca

Erin I. Garcia de Jesus  B.S., microbiology, New Mexico State University; Ph.D., microbiology, University of Washington; internships: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, American Geophysical Union, Science News (Washington DC); first job: staff reporter, Science News, based in Philadelphia.
WEB SITE: eringarciadejesus.com

Tom S. Garlinghouse  B.A. and Ph.D., archaeology, University of California, Davis; internship: Princeton University Office of Research; first job: contract science writer, Princeton University; now freelancing from Santa Cruz.
WEB SITE: tsgarlin.wixsite.com/garlinghouse

Hannah Hagemann  
B.S., earth science, environmental geology concentration, University of California, Santa Cruz; one-year fellowship: NPR Kroc Fellowship (Washington, DC); first job: environment reporter, Santa Cruz Sentinel; now weather science editor, San Francisco Chronicle.
WEB SITE: hhagemann.com

Rodrigo Pérez Ortega  
B.S., basic biomedical research, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; internships: Inside Science News Service, ScienceQuanta (from Washington, DC); outreach officer, International Ocean Discovery Program (Gulf of California); first job: staff writer focusing on diversity in science for Science, based in Mexico City. Co-chair, Diversity Committee, and board member, National Association of Science Writers.
WEB SITE: rodrigoperezortega.com

Priyanka Runwal  
B.S., environmental science, University of East Anglia, U.K., M.S., biodiversity, University of Oxford, U.K.; internships: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Audubon, STAT; science resident, National Geographic News; current job: physical sciences reporter, Chemical & Engineering News.
WEB SITE: muckrack.com/priyanka_runwal

Helen Santoro  
B.A., neuroscience, Hamilton College; internship: High Country News (Paonia, CO); fellow, High Country News; first job: science writer, Alzforum, and freelancing from Gunnison, CO.
WEB SITE: helensantoro.com

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Class of 2018

Alex Fox  B.A., liberal arts, Sarah Lawrence College; postbaccalaureate certificate (ecology) Columbia University; internships: Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and Science (Washington, DC); outreach ambassador, GEOTRACES expedition (Seattle-Tahiti), fall 2018; first job: speed desk editor, The Hill/Changing America (Washington, DC); now a freelance journalist and contributor, Smithsonian, based in Berkeley.
WEB SITE: www.alexfoxscience.com

Kimberly Hickok  B.S., marine biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston; M.S., biology, Southeastern Louisiana University; internship: Live Science (New York); first job: reference editor, Live Science and Space.com; now freelancing from Los Gatos, CA.
WEB SITE: www.kimberlyhickok.com

Anna Katrina Hunter  B.A., environmental studies, University of California, Santa Cruz; internship: Purdue University news office; first job: pesticide safety writer, University of California Integrated Pest Management; current job: science programs manager, The Organic Center, based in Santa Cruz.
WEB SITE: www.annakatrinahunter.com

Nicoletta Lanese  B.S., psychology, and B.F.A., dance, University of Florida; internships: UC San Francisco news office, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (Japan), The Scientist (NYC); first job: health and medical reporter, Live Science (New York).
WEB SITE: www.nicolettalanese.com

Jennifer Leman  B.A., geosciences, museums concentration, Smith College; internships: Inside Science News Service, Science News, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (Washington, DC); Scientific American (New York); first job: news editor, Popular Mechanics (Easton, PA); senior editor, Hearst Magazines Enthusiast Group; curent job: senior features editor, Popular Mechanics, Runner's World and Bicycling.
WEB SITE: www.jenniferleman.com

Kimber L. Price  B.S., cytology, M.S., clinical research, and Ph.D., neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina; internship: Stanford University School of Medicine; now freelancing from South Carolina.
WEB SITE: www.kimberprice.com

Jeremy Rehm  B.S., biology, Brigham Young University; M.S., ecology and evolutionary biology, Brown University; internships: Nature, Science News (Washington, DC), Associated Press (New York); first job: space writer, Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD).
WEB SITE: www.jeremyrehm.com

Annie Roth  B.S., marine biology, University of California, Santa Cruz; internship: National Geographic; first and current job: contributor, National Geographic, and freelancing from Santa Cruz for The New York Times. Recipient, 2019 International Wildlife Film Festival Filmmaker LABS Fellowship and Jackson Wild Media Fellowship.
WEB SITE: www.rothreporting.com

Laura G. Shields  B.S., chemistry, University of Virginia; M.S. and Ph.D., chemistry, University of California, San Diego; fellowship: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; multimedia internship: KQED "Deep Look," San Francisco; first job: associate editor, KiwiCo (Mountain View, CA).
WEB SITE: www.lauragshields.com

Vicky Stein  B.A., biology, Dartmouth College; internship: UC San Francisco news office; one-year fellowship: PBS NewsHour (Washington, DC). Recipient of a 2018 Peabody Award. Now a freelance journalist and contributor, Live Science and Space.com, based in San Francisco.
WEB SITE: vickystein.media  

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Class of 2017

Devika G. Bansal  B.Tech, biosciences and bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur; Ph.D., molecular neuroscience, National University of Singapore; internship and first job: UC San Francisco news office; current job: program manager, content development and strategy, Applied Materials, Santa Clara, CA.
WEB SITE: www.dgbansal.com

Sukee Bennett  B.A., ecology and evolutionary biology, University of Colorado Boulder; internship: UC San Francisco digital communications (digital storytelling); first job: multimedia specialist, School of Journalism, Northeastern University (Boston); digital editor, NOVA; current job: manager of audience development, Edutopia, based in Boulder, CO.
WEB SITE: www.sukee.net

Teresa L. Carey  B.S., environmental science, University of Michigan; M.A., fine arts, Ohio University; reporting fellowship: PBS NewsHour science desk; jobs: science writer, National Human Genome Research Institute (Bethesda, MD); reporter, Freethink (Washington, DC); currently senior producer, multimedia, for Fierce Biotech. Recipient, 2019 National Geographic Early Career Fellowship.
WEB SITE: teresacarey.com

Ula Chrobak  B.S., environmental science (soils and biogeochemistry track), University of California, Davis; internship: Climbing Magazine and University of Colorado Boulder news office; six-month editorial fellowship: Outside (Santa Fe, NM); temporary associate editor, the Coloradan, University of Colorado Boulder alumni magazine; environment contributor for Popular Science. Currently freelancing from Reno, NV.
WEB SITE: www.ulachrobak.com

Sarah Derouin  B.S., geology, St. Norbert College; M.S., geology, Fort Hays State University; Ph.D., geology, University of Cincinnati; internship: EARTH Magazine; jobs: contract writer/editor, EARTH Magazine; freelance writer and assistant producer, Big Picture Science radio; public relations specialist, University of Michigan School of Information; now freelancing from Ypsilanti, MI.
WEB SITE: www.sarahderouin.com

Emma Hiolski  B.S., marine biology, biochemistry, Eckerd College; Ph.D., microbiology & environmental toxicology, University of California, Santa Cruz; internship: Chemical & Engineering News (Washington D.C.); multimedia intern, KQED "Deep Look" (San Francisco); now freelancing from Oak Park, IL.
WEB SITE: www.emmahiolski.com

Sarah E. McQuate  B.S., chemistry, University of Puget Sound; Ph.D., biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder; internship: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (Richland, WA); first job: engineering writer, University of Washington news office (Seattle).
WEB SITE: www.sarahmcquate.com

Yasemin Saplakoglu  B.S., biomedical engineering, University of Connecticut; internship: Princeton University Office of Research; first job: science and health reporter, Live Science; now biology writer, Quanta.
WEB SITE: www.yaseminsaplakoglu.com

Aylin Woodward  B.A., biological anthropology, Dartmouth College; internship: New Scientist (Boston); previous job: senior science reporter, Business Insider (New York); current job: science and innovation reporter, The Wall Street Journal.
WEB SITE: www.aylinwoodward.com

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Class of 2016

Bethany Augliere  B.S., wildlife science, Virginia Tech; M.S., marine biology, Florida Atlantic University; internship: EARTH Magazine; first job: researcher, Schoolyard Films; now freelance writer and wildlife photographer, based in Delray Beach, Florida.
WEB SITE: http://www.bethanyaugliere.com

Brendan Bane  B.S., ecology and evolutionary biology, UC Santa Cruz; internship: American Geophysical Union (AGU); jobs: contract writer, AGU / Geological Society of America; community relations manager, Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History; current job: science writer, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (Richland, WA).
WEB SITE: http://brendanbane.wordpress.com

Emily Benson  B.A., behavioral science, Colgate University; M.S., biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks; internship: New Scientist (Boston); editorial fellowship: High Country News, Paonia, CO; first job: assistant editor, High Country News, based in Moscow, ID; current job: associate editor, High Country News, based in Moscow, ID.
WEB SITE: http://www.erbenson.com

Laurel Hamers  B.A., biology, Williams College; internship and first job: general assignment reporter, Science News; next job: science writer for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus; currently senior writer/editor, science and research communications, University of Oregon, Eugene.
WEB SITE: http://laurelhamers.com

Natalie Jacewicz  B.A., biology, Harvard College; internship: National Public Radio; Furman scholar, NYU Law School; now legal fellow, Institute for Policy Integrity (NYU).
WEB SITE: http://nataliejacewicz.com

Amy McDermott  B.S., biology, UC Santa Cruz; M.A., conservation biology, Columbia University; internships: Science News, Grist (Seattle); first job: science writer, Oceana (Washington D.C.); current job: associate editor, Front Matter, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
WEB SITE: http://www.amygmcdermott.com

Erin E.A. Ross  B.A., biology, Clark University; internships: National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Public Radio, Nature; first job: science reporter, Axios (Washington D.C.); writer/researcher, science and environment, Oregon Public Broadcasting; now freelancing from Portland, OR.
WEB SITE: http://www.erineaross.com

Ramin Skibba  B.S., physics, B.A., philosophy, University of Notre Dame; Ph.D., physics & astronomy, University of Pittsburgh; internship: Nature; freelance journalist (New Scientist, Hakai, Nature); current job: space reporter, WIRED, based in Oakland.
WEB SITE: http://raminskibba.net

Alison Takemura  
B.S., biochemistry and cell biology, Rice University; Ph.D., microbiology, MIT; internship: The Scientist; first job: communication lab coordinator, MIT; second job: science communications specialist, U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute; current job: investigative journalist, Canary Media, from Golden, CO.
WEB SITE: http://www.alisonftakemura.info

Lindzi Wessel
  B.S., psychology, and M.S., neuroscience, UC Davis; internships: STAT/Boston Globe, Science; first job: researcher/reporter, Annual Reviews Magazine, Palo Alto, CA; currently freelancing from San Francisco and Santiago, Chile.
WEB SITE: http://lindziwessel.com

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Class of 2015

Chris Cesare  B.S., physics, UCLA; Ph.D., physics, University of New Mexico; internship: Nature; first job: director of communications and outreach, Joint Quantum Institute, University of Maryland/NIST.
WEB SITE: http://www.chriscesare.com

Leigh Cooper  B.A., biology and environmental studies, Saint Olaf College; Ph.D., ecology and evolutionary biology, University of Colorado, Boulder; internship: American Geophysical Union; first job: science writer, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences; current job: manager, strategic content development and science writer, University of Idaho (Moscow, ID).
WEB SITE: http://www.leighacooper.com

Kerry Klein  B.S., earth and planetary sciences, McGill University; internship: KQED public radio, Central Valley bureau, Fresno, CA; first and current job: health and environment reporter, KVPR public radio, Fresno. Winner of a 2017 Award for Excellence in Health Care Journalism for "Struggling for Care," an in-depth series on Valley Public Radio.
WEB SITE: http://www.kerryklein.com

Lisa Marie Potter  B.A., Earth science and Spanish, and M.S., biology, San Francisco State University; internships: UC San Francisco news office, KQED Science; first job: contract writer, Monterey Bay Aquarium; current job: science writer, University of Utah news office.
WEB SITE: http://www.lisamariepotter.com

Nala Rogers  B.A., biology, University of Utah; internships: Nature MedicineScience; first job: science writer, The Wildlife Society; current job: science writer and editor, Inside Science News Service (College Park, MD).
WEB SITE: http://nalarogers.com

Rex Sanders  B.S., systems ecology, UC Riverside; internship: U.S. National Park Service, Point Reyes National Seashore; science communicator, U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Santa Cruz; now retired.
WEB SITE: http://rexsanders.weebly.com

Kim Smuga-Otto  B.A., bacteriology, University of Wisconsin, Madison; internship: Stanford University School of Medicine; currently freelancing from Santa Cruz and co-host of "Words to Write By" podcast.
WEB SITE: http://kim.smuga-otto.com

James Urton  B.A., biology, Augustana College; Ph.D., molecular and cellular biology, University of Washington; first and current job: science writer, University of Washington news office, Seattle.
WEB SITE: http://www.jamesurton.com

Nicholas Weiler  B.A., neurobiology and behavior, Columbia University; Ph.D., neurosciences, Stanford University; internship and first job: UC San Francisco news office; current job: communications manager, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University.
WEB SITE: http://www.nicholasweiler.com

Leslie Willoughby  B.S. and M.S., natural resources, The Ohio State University; internships: Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment and U.S. National Park Service, Point Reyes National Seashore; current job: science writer for the Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution of Science, Stanford University, and freelancing.
WEB SITE: http://www.willoughbywriter.com

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Class of 2014

Nsikan Akpan  B.A., biology, Bard College; Ph.D., pathobiology and molecular medicine, Columbia University; internships: Science News, NPR; jobs: science producer, PBS NewsHour, Washington, D.C. Recipient of a 2018 Peabody Award; science editor, National Geographic; now health and science editor, WNYC/New York Public Radio.
WEB SITE: http://nsikanakpan.com

Becky Bach  B.A., biology and government, Wesleyan University; M.S., ecology, UC Davis; internship and first job: digital media specialist, Stanford University School of Medicine; associate account director, Real Chemistry; currently vice president, MSL Communications, including media relations and biotech writing for Gilead.
WEB SITE: http://beckybach.org

Julia Calderone  B.S., neuroscience, UC Santa Cruz; internship: Scientific American; jobs: science writer, Tech Insider, New York; health reporter, Consumer Reports; current job: senior staff editor, Well, The New York Times. Recipient of the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for her work on COVID-19 data journalism on a team at The New York Times.
WEB SITE: http://juliacalderone.com

Matt Davenport  B.S., physics, Michigan Technological University; Ph.D., physics, UC Irvine; internship and first job: associate editor, Chemical & Engineering News (Washington, D.C.); current job: strategic science storyteller, Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI).
WEB SITE: http://mrmattdavenport.com

Cat Ferguson  B.S., neuroscience, Northeastern University; internship and first job: Retraction Watch, New York; next jobs: science reporter, BuzzFeed; investigative health journalist, The San Jose Mercury News; now an investigative journalist for Technology Review, based in Oakland, CA.

Jyoti Madhusoodanan  B.S., biochemistry, Gujarat University; M.S., biochemistry, Majaraja Sayajirao University of Baroda; Ph.D., biomedical sciences, State University of New York, Buffalo; internship: The Scientist; first job: science writer, UC San Francisco; currently freelancing from Portland, OR; recipient, 2020-21 reporting fellowship, MIT Knight Science Journalism Program.
WEB SITE: http://smjyoti.com

Cynthia McKelvey  B.A., biology, Oberlin College; internship and first job: science writer, Multiple Sclerosis Discovery Forum; second job: creative copywriter, Linus; current job: group copy supervisor, Moon Rabbit (Emeryville, CA).
WEB SITE: http://cynthiamckelvey.com

Molly Sharlach  B.S., biology and Russian, Williams College; Ph.D., microbiology, UC Berkeley; internships: Princeton University research magazine, The Scientist; first job: science writer, Rita Allen Foundation, Princeton, NJ; current job: science writer, Princeton University School of Engineering.
WEB SITE: http://mollysharlach.net

Nicholas St. Fleur  B.S., biology (minor: communication), Cornell University; internships: NPR, Scientific American;  first job: science writer, The Atlantic; second job: contributor, The New York Times; 2020-21 Knight-Wallace reporting fellow, covering the intersection of race, science and health for STAT; current job: science reporter and associate editorial director of events, STAT. Recipient of the 2021 Evert Clark/Seth Payne Award for the top U.S. science journalist under age 30.
WEB SITE: http://www.nicholasstfleur.com

Patricia Waldron  B.S., biology, Grinnell College; M.S.., microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; internship: Inside Science News Service; first job: science writer, Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, Cornell University; now freelancing from Ithaca, NY.
WEB SITE: http://patriciawaldron.com

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Class of 2013

Liz Devitt  B.A., zoology, University of Vermont; D.V.M., Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine; internship: Nature Medicine; editor, UC Santa Cruz research magazine; first job: technical communications specialist, Purina, St. Louis, MO; currently freelancing from Boston.
WEB SITE: http://www.lizdevitt.com

Ryder Diaz  B.A., metropolitan studies, gender and sexuality studies, New York University; M.S., population biology, UC Davis; internships: KQED radio (Kaiser Family Foundation health reporting intern), California Academy of Sciences; first job: exhibit developer, California Academy of Sciences; current job: curator of natural sciences, Oakland Museum of California.
WEB SITE: http://www.ryderdiaz.com

Paul Gabrielsen  B.A., geology, Brigham Young University; M.S., hydrology, New Mexico Tech; internship: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; first job: science writer, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (Washington, D.C.); current job: senior science writer, University of Utah news office.
WEB SITE: http://paulgabrielsen.wordpress.com

Chris Palmer  B.S., psychology and biology, Northern Arizona University; Ph.D., neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin; internships: The Scientist, National Cancer Institute; first job: communications editor, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (Bethesda, MD); current job: associate director of advancement communications, Oregon State University College of Engineering (Corvallis, OR).
WEB SITE: http://chrispalmer.squarespace.com

Laura Poppick  B.S., geology, Bates College; internship: Live Science (New York); first job: science educator, Portland Children's Museum, and contributing writer, Live Science; currently freelancing from Portland, ME.
WEB SITE: http://laurapoppick.com

Kelly Servick  B.A., cognitive science and comparative literature, University of Georgia; internship: Science; first and current job: biomedical reporter, Science (Washington, D.C.); recipient, MIT Knight Science Journalism Fellowship, 2022-23.
WEB SITE: http://kellyservick.com

Rina Shaikh-Lesko  B.S., biology, UC Riverside; M.P.H., epidemiology and biostatistics, San Diego State University; internships: California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, The Scientist; temporary job: science writer, Joint Genome Institute (Walnut Creek, CA); currently freelancing from San Jose.
WEB SITE: http://rinashaikhlesko.com

Jessica Shugart  B.S., molecular and cell biology, UC San Diego; Ph.D., immunology, UC Berkeley; internship: Science News (Washington, D.C.); first and current job: science writer, Alzheimer Research Forum, from Chico, CA.
WEB SITE: http://www.jessicashugart.com

Thomas Sumner  B.S., physics, UC Santa Cruz; internships: American Geophysical Union, Science (Washington, D.C.); first job: Earth sciences reporter, Science News (Washington, D.C.); current job: senior staff writer, The Simons Foundation (New York).
WEB SITE: https://thomassumner.com

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Class of 2012

Maris Fessenden  B.S., interdisciplinary studies (biology and writing), Cornell University; internship: Scientific American; first job: freelancing from Bozeman, MT; current job: communications manager, Adventure Scientists, Bozeman, MT.
WEB SITE: http://marissafessenden.com

Daniela Hernandez B.A., biology, Amherst College; Ph.D., neurobiology and behavior, Columbia University; internship: Minneapolis Star-Tribune (Kaiser Family Foundation health reporting intern); jobs: community reporter, WIRED; reporter, Kaiser Health News (San Francisco); science and tech reporter, Silicon Valley bureau, Fusion; current job: digital science editor, The Wall Street Journal.

Sarah Jane Keller  B.A., biology, University of Montana; M.S., earth and planetary sciences, University of New Mexico; internships: Los Alamos National Laboratory, Conservation magazine, High Country News (Paonia, CO); current job: freelance journalist (High Country News, Center for Public Integrity), Bozeman, MT.
WEB SITE: http://www.sjanekeller.com 

Tanya Lewis  Sc.B., biomedical engineering, Brown University; internships: Wired.com, Science News; jobs: science writer, LiveScience.com; science reporter, Business Insider; science reporter, The Scientist; associate editor, Scientific American MIND; current job: senior editor, health and medicine, Scientific American (New York).
WEB SITE: http://tanyaalewis.com

Erin Loury  B.S., biology, University of California, Davis; M.S., marine science, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories; internship: Los Angeles Times (Kaiser Family Foundation health reporting intern); current job: communications director, FISHBIO (Santa Cruz/Laos).
WEB SITE: http://erinloury.com

Beth Marie Mole  B.S., biology and ethnomusicology, College of William and Mary; Ph.D., microbiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; internships: The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Scientist, and Nature; first job: chemistry, environment, and policy reporter, Science News; current job: senior health reporter, Ars Technica (Washington, DC).

Meghan D. Rosen  B.S., biology, Northern Arizona University; Ph.D., biochemistry and molecular biology, University of California, Davis; internships: Science News, National Cancer Institute; first job: general assignment reporter, Science News; current job: media relations manager, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (Chevy Chase, MD).

Helen H. Shen  B.S., biology, Stanford University; Ph.D., neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco; internships: Boston Globe (Kaiser Family Foundation health reporting intern), Nature; first job: locum editor and reporter, Nature; currently freelancing from San Jose for Nature and Kaiser Health News.

Stephen Tung  B.S., mechanical engineering, Cornell University; internships: Joint Genome Institute (Walnut Creek, CA), San Francisco Exploratorium; first job: multimedia exhibit designer, San Francisco Exploratorium; currently freelancing from San Francisco.

Amy E. West  B.S., marine biology, University of the Virgin Islands; M.S., marine science, University of Otago, New Zealand; internships: Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy (video production), Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology; jobs: contract writer, Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch; multimedia producer, U.S. Geological Survey; currently communications and project director, Seafood Alliance for Legality & Traceability, based in San Luis Obispo, CA.
WEB SITE: www.amyewest.com

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Class of 2011

Nadia Drake  A.B., biology, psychology, dance, and Ph.D., genetics and development, Cornell University; internship: Science News; jobs: astronomy reporter, Science News; science reporter, WIRED; current job: contributing writer, National Geographic, and freelance, based in Charlottesville, VA.

Melissae Fellet  B.S., microbiology and biochemistry, University of Florida; Ph.D., chemistry, Washington University, St. Louis; internship: New Scientist (San Francisco); freelancing for Chemical & Engineering News, Chemistry World, Ars Technica, KQED QUEST, and others from Missoula, MT; media relations writer, Sandia National Laboratories; communications professional, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; now senior editor, C&EN BrandLab at Chemical & Engineering News.
WEB SITE: http://www.melissaefellet.com/ 

Donna Hesterman  B.A., history, University of Florida; Master of Natural Resources, wildlife science, Auburn University; internship: Scripps Institution of Oceanography news office; first job: science writer, University of Florida news office; now a high school mathematics teacher.

Jane Lee  B.A., integrative biology and English, UC Berkeley; M.A., marine biology, UCLA; internships: San Jose Mercury News (Kaiser Family Foundation health reporting intern), San Francisco Exploratorium, Science; first job: science writer and editor, National Geographic; current job: media relations specialist, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Pasadena, CA).
WEB SITE: http://www.janejaelee.com 

Catherine Meyers  B.S., engineering, Harvey Mudd College; internship and first job: science writer, American Institute of Physics, College Park, MD.

Sandeep Ravindran  B.S., genetics and development, Cornell University; Ph.D., microbiology and immunology, Stanford University; internship: Science News; first job: science writer, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C.; now freelancing from Washingon D.C. Treasurer, National Association of Science Writers.
WEB SITE: http://sandeepr.com

Susan Young Rojahn  B.S., molecular biology, University of Texas at Austin; Ph.D., molecular biology, UC Berkeley; internships: Stanford Medical School news office, Nature; first job: biology reporter, Technology Review, Cambridge, MA; current job: science writer, Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Women's Health, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston.

Keith Rozendal  B.S., psychology, Rice University; Ph.D., social psychology, UC Santa Barbara; internships: SETI Institute "Big Picture Science" radio program, Vancouver Sun; master's degree in documentary journalism, University of British Columbia; current job: broadcast advisor, KZSC-FM, Santa Cruz.

Danielle Venton  B.S., biology, Humboldt State University; internships: Wired.com, Wired, High Country News; first job: reporter/producer, KRCB radio, Rohnert Park, CA; current job: editor and reporter, KQED Science (San Francisco, CA).
WEB SITE: http://www.danielleventon.com

Sascha Zubryd  B.S., psychology, UC Davis; internships: Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, San Francisco Exploratorium; currently freelancing from San Jose.

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Class of 2010

Marissa Cevallos  B.S., astrophysics, California Institute of Technology; internships: Orlando Sentinel (Kaiser Family Foundation health reporting internship), Science News; jobs: health writer, Los Angeles Times; video producer, Catholic Charities West Virginia; now with the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia, Nashville, Tennessee.

Sandra Chung  S.B., brain and cognitive science and biology, MIT; M.S.P.H., environmental sciences and engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; internship: Idaho National Laboratory; second internship and first job: online community manager, National Ecological Observatory Network, Boulder, Colorado; current job: software and data engineer, MoveOn.org.
WEB SITE: http://sandrachung.com/

Tia Ghose  B.S., mechanical engineering, and B.A., Plan II, University of Texas at Austin; M.S., bioengineering, University of Washington; internships: The Scientist, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (Kaiser Family Foundation health reporting internship); first job: homeland security researcher, Center for Investigative Reporting, Berkeley; current job: current job: assistant managing editor, Live Science.

Olga Kuchment  B.S., chemistry, University of Kansas; Ph.D., chemistry, UC Berkeley; internships: International Centre for Theoretical Physics (Trieste, Italy); University of Kansas news office; current job: science writer, Texas A&M AgriLife, College Station, TX. 

Adam Mann  B.S., astrophysics, UC Berkeley; internships: California magazine (UC Berkeley); Nature; first job: space and physics reporter, WIRED, San Francisco; currently freelancing from Oakland, CA.

Jane Palmer  B.S., cognitive science, and Ph.D., computational molecular biology, University of Sheffield, U.K.; internship and first job: science news writer/communications coordinator, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder; current job: freelance science writer and podcast producer, Boulder.

Daniel Strain  B.S., ecology and evolutionary biology, UC Santa Cruz; internships: U.S. National Park Service, Point Reyes (multimedia), Science NewsScience; first job: science and environment writer, Maryland Sea Grant / Chesapeake Quarterly; current job: science writer, University of Colorado news office.

Janelle Weaver  B.A., psychology and neuroscience, Dartmouth College; Ph.D., psychology and neuroscience, Stanford University; internship: National Institute of General Medical Sciences, Bethesda; now freelancing from Glenwood Springs, Colorado.
WEB SITE: http://www.janelleweaver.com/

Jennifer Welsh  B.S., biological sciences, University of Notre Dame; internships: The Scientist, DiscoverMagazine.com, LiveScience.com (New York); jobs: science reporter, LiveScience.com; senior editor, science, Business Insider; editor-in-chief, WonderHowTo; currently senior technical writer, Huge.
FACEBOOK FAN PAGE: http://facebook.com/jennifercwelsh

Gwyneth Dickey Zakaib  B.S., neurobiology and physiology, B.A., music performance, and M.A., kinesiology, University of Maryland, College Park; internships: Science News, Nature; first job: science writer, Alzheimer Research Forum; currently an elementary school teacher.

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Class of 2009

Cassandra Brooks  B.S., biology, Bates College; M.S., marine science, Moss Landing Marine Labs/California State University; Ph.D., environmental policy, Stanford University. Internships: Children's Hospital Boston; U.S. National Park Service, Point Reyes; Seattle Times (Kaiser Family Foundation health reporting intern); jobs: news director, The Last Ocean (Ross Sea, Antarctica) and contractor with U.S. National Park Service, Antarctic Ocean Alliance, and SACNAS. Now assistant professor, environmental studies, University of Colorado Boulder.

Lizzie Buchen  B.A., psychology and biology, Tufts University; M.S., neuroscience, UC San Francisco; internships: Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, Discover, Nature; first job: freelancing for Nature, New Scientist, and others; next job: policy analyst and communications coordinator, Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, San Francisco; current job: legislative advocate for California ACLU on police practices.
WEB SITE: http://www.lizziebuchen.com/

Lisa Grossman  B.A., astronomy, Cornell University; internships: New Scientist (Boston); Science News; jobs: science reporter, Wired.com (Seattle); space and physics reporter, New Scientist (Boston); physical sciences news editor, New Scientist; current job: astronomy reporter, Science News, based in Boston.

Hadley Leggett  B.A., biochemistry and Spanish, Rice University; M.D., UC San Francisco; internship: Wired.com; currently raising her family in Seattle.

Stephanie Pappas  B.A., psychology, University of South Carolina; internship: Stanford Medical School; first job: senior reporter, LiveScience.com; now contributor, Live Science, and freelancing from Denver.

Emmanuel Romero  B.S., biology, San Francisco State University; internships: California Institute for Regenerative Medicine; Children's Hospital Boston; Cleveland Plain Dealer (Kaiser Family Foundation health reporting internship); science writer, QB3 (California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences), San Francisco; first job: health writer, Brafton news content marketing; now working as a senior lab technician and screenwriter.

Kayvon Sharghi  B.S., biochemistry, California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo; certificate, editing, University of Washington; internships: National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, East Lansing, MI (multimedia); National Science Foundation (videography); video producer in Earth sciences, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (Greenbelt, MD) and editor of NASA Visualization Explorer; current job: social media lead, NASA Ames Research Center (Mountain View, CA).

Michael Torrice  S.B., chemistry, MIT; Ph.D., chemistry, Caltech; internship: Science; current job: executive editor, physical sciences, Chemical & Engineering News, from Pasadena.

Michael Wall  B.S., ecology and evolutionary biology, and B.A., history, University of Arizona; Ph.D., evolutionary biology, University of Sydney; internship: Idaho National Laboratory; current job: senior reporter, Space.com, from San Francisco. Author of Out There: A Scientific Guide to Alien Life, Antimatter, and Human Space Travel (for the Cosmically Curious) (Grand Central Publishing, 2018).

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Class of 2008

Massie Santos Ballon  B.A., molecular biology and biochemistry, Wesleyan University; science columnist, Philippine Daily Inquirer; internship: 23andMe (Mountain View, CA); first job: reporter for Cleantech.com in San Francisco; current job: science writer, Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (Berkeley, CA).

John C. Cannon  B.S., biology, The Ohio State University; internships: Los Alamos National Laboratory news office, U.S. National Park Service Point Reyes National Seashore; first job: freelance writer and radio reporter in Pacific Grove, CA; now science and environment reporter, Mongabay, based in Gaza City.

Amber Dance  B.S., biology, Brown University; Ph.D., biology, UC San Diego; internships: Los Angeles Times (AAAS Mass Media Fellow) and Nature. Part-time job: ALS reporter for the Alzheimer Research Forum. Now freelancing from southern California for Nature, PNAS Front Matter, and others. Winner of the 2010 Evert Clark/Seth Payne Award from the National Press Foundation for science journalists under age 30.
WEB SITE: http://www.amberldance.com

Erin Digitale  B.Sc., biochemistry, University of British Columbia; Ph.D., nutrition, UC Davis; internships: The Oregonian (AAAS Mass Media Fellow) and Stanford University School of Medicine news office; first and current job: pediatrics writer for Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. Recipient of a Silver Award in the 2010 CASE Circle of Excellence for this feature story in Stanford Medicine Magazine.

Roberta Kwok  B.S., biological sciences, Stanford; M.F.A., creative writing, Indiana University; internships: Idaho National Laboratory, Nature. First job: writer for Conservation magazine; now freelancing from Seattle. Winner of 2010 Walter Sullivan Award for feature writing from the American Geophysical Union for a story in Nature and a 2016 silver AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Award in the children's science news category for a Science News for Students feature about electric eels. Recipient, 2020-21 reporting fellowship, MIT Knight Science Journalism Program.
WEB SITE: http://www.robertakwok.com

Jane Liaw  B.S., Earth systems, Stanford; M.P.H., environmental health sciences, UC Berkeley; internship: Sacramento Bee (Kaiser Family Foundation health reporting intern); now working at UC Berkeley School of Public Health and freelancing.

Alissa Poh  B.S., biochemistry, University of Bristol, U.K.; M.S., pharmacology, Dartmouth; internships: Children's Hospital Boston, assistant editor at Cambridge Healthtech Institute, publisher of PharmaWeek; jobs: science writer, Lung Genomics Research Consortium; science writer, University of Kansas Medical Center; now contributor to Cancer Discovery from Pennington, NJ.
WEB SITE: https://alissapoh.com

Madolyn Bowman Rogers  B.S., Spanish, University of Wisconsin, Madison; B.S., biology, University of South Florida; Ph.D., developmental biology, Stanford; internship: U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (Walnut Creek, CA); first and current job: science writer, Alzheimer Research Forum, based in Madison, WI.

Hayley Rutger  B.S., biology, Stetson University; internships: National Geographic Mission Programs and Zoogoer, U.S. National Zoo (Washington, D.C.); first and current job: public relations manager, Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL.

Rachel Tompa  B.A. biology, University of Chicago; Ph.D., molecular biology, UC San Francisco; internship: UC Berkeley news office; jobs: engineering writer, University of Washington; senior science writer, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle; senior writer, Allen Institute, Seattle, WA.
WEB SITE: http://www.racheltompa.com

María José Viñas  Licenciatura, veterinary medicine, Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona; Licenciatura, journalism, Universidad Pompeu Fabra, Spain; internships: Sea Studios, Monterey, CA, and The Chronicle of Higher Education; jobs: public information coordinator, American Geophysical Union; earth sciences writer and outreach coordinator, cryospheric sciences branch, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; currently Spanish communications lead for science, NASA.
WEB SITE: http://www.mjvinas.com

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Class of 2007

Ewen Callaway  B.A., biology, Colorado College; M.S., microbiology, University of Washington; internships: Nature, Science News; first job: biomedical reporter, New Scientist, Boston; current job: news and features reporter, Nature, London, and freelance contributor to BBC Future. Recipient of awards from the U.K. Medical Journalists' Association and Guild of Health Writers for his 2011 Nature article, Fighting for a Cause.

Rachel Courtland  B.A., physics, University of Pennsylvania; M.S., physics, Emory University; internships: Idaho National Laboratory, Nature; jobs: space reporter, New Scientist, Boston; associate editor, IEEE Spectrum; features editor for Nature; currently commissioning editor, MIT Technology Review, based in New York.

Alla Katsnelson  A.B., biology, psychology, and linguistics, Cornell University; Ph.D., neurophysiology, University of Oxford, U.K.; jobs: news editor, The Scientist; biomedical reporter, Nature; currently freelancing from Northampton, MA.
WEB SITE: https://allakatsnelson.com

Brian Lee  B.S., gerontology, University of Southern California; M.A., molecular, cellular and developmental biology, UC Santa Barbara; internship: Stanford University Medical Center; first job: writer and researcher for Threshold Enterprises / Planetary Formulas, Scotts Valley, CA; currently Senior Bioinformatics Writing & QA Specialist, UCSC Genome Browser, UCSC.

Clara Moskowitz
B.A., astronomy and physics, Wesleyan University; internships: American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) and Discover; jobs: senior writer for Space.com and LiveScience.com, New York; assistant managing editor, Space.com; currently senior editor, physics and astronomy, Scientific American (New York).

Megha Satyanarayana  B.S., biology, Tufts University; Ph.D., molecular biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; internship: health reporter, Charlotte Observer (North Carolina); health reporting fellowship through the Kaiser Family Foundation at the Biloxi Sun Herald (Mississippi); health reporter, Detroit Free Press; 2013-14 Knight-Wallace Fellow, University of Michigan; science and technology reporter, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; news editor, STAT (Boston, MA); science reporter, Chemical & Engineering News; now chief opinion editor, Scientific American.

Brittany Steff  B.S., ecology, evolutionary and population biology, Purdue University; internship: Discover magazine's online site; jobs: science writer for SeaWeb/COMPASS, an ocean-science and marine conservation consortium; web editor for FONZ/Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C.; freelance writer and zoo/aquarium consultant; currently science writer, Purdue University.
WEB SITE: https://www.speciesrichness.com/

Sarah Williams  B.A., biology, Johns Hopkins University; internships: Yale University School of Medicine; Science News; first job: assistant editor, HHMI Bulletin, quarterly magazine of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute; currently freelancing from San Antonio, Texas.

Marcus Woo  B.A., physics, Cornell University; M.S., astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park; AAAS Mass Media Fellowship, WOSU-AM, Columbus, Ohio; internship and first job: writer for Engineering & Science, Caltech's quarterly research magazine; next jobs: science writer, Caltech news office; science reporter, WIRED; currently freelancing from San Jose.

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Class of 2006

Juhi Yajnik Kunde  B.S., biochemistry and cell biology, UC San Diego; M.A., molecular, cellular and developmental biology, University of Texas at Austin; internship: The Scientist; freelance writer for the Baltimore Examiner, biotech industry, and nonprofits; jobs: writer/editor for the Prevent Cancer Foundation in Alexandria, VA; science writer for Spectrum Science Communications in Washington, D.C.; now freelance writer/editor for cancer-related nonprofits and stay-at-home mom.

Aria Pearson  B.A., integrative biology, UC Berkeley; internships: Wired and New Scientist (San Francisco bureau).

Julie Rehmeyer  B.S., mathematics, Wellesley College; M.S., mathematics, MIT; internships: New Scientist, California (UC Berkeley), and Science News. Freelance writer for Science News, Science, Technology Review, New Scientist, and others; math columnist for Science News and Wired. Published in The Best Writing on Mathematics 2010. Author of Through the Shadowlands: A Science Writer's Odyssey into an Illness Science Doesn't Understand.

Aditi Risbud Bartl  B.S., materials science and engineering, UC Davis; Ph.D., materials science, UC Santa Barbara; internship: Stanford Medical Center; jobs: science communications and PR executive, Weber Shandwick; communications manager, Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; engineering writer, University of Utah; science communications officer, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation; executive director of communications and strategic priorities, UC Davis College of Engineering; now director of IT Strategic Communications, Stanford University.

Emily Saarman  B.S., aquatic biology, Brown University; internships: Santa Cruz Sentinel, Discover; first and current job: science writer and policy coordinator, Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO) in Santa Cruz.

Chandra Shekhar  B. Tech., electronics, REC Calicut, India; M.E., computer science, IISc, Bangalore; Ph.D. computer vision, University of Southern California; internship: The Scientist. Currently freelancing for The Scientist, Los Angeles Times, Cell Chemistry & Biology, and other publications from Princeton, N.J.
WEB SITE: http://www.ScienceAndProse.com

Erik Vance  B.S., biology, Principia College; internships: California magazine (UC Berkeley), The Chronicle of Higher Education. Freelanced from Mexico City for Nature, The New York Times, National Geographic, Harper's, and Discover. Winner of the 2015 NASW Science and Society Award for science reporting for this article in Discover. Current job: staff editor, Parenting section, The New York Times (from Boulder, CO).
WEB SITE: http://erikvance.com

Krista Zala  B.Sc., biology, University of Victoria, Canada; internships: Stanford Linear Accelerator Center and European news office of Science (Cambridge, U.K.); jobs: freelance for Nature, The Economist, and others; science writer and editor for the Pacific Forestry Centre, Natural Resources Canada, Victoria; science writer at Ocean Networks Canada for the VENUS and NEPTUNE Canada cabled undersea observatories; freelancing for The Economist and the Santa Fe Institute.
WEB SITE: http://zalamode.com

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Class of 2005

Susan Brown  B.A., music, DePauw University; Ph.D., neuroscience, University of Maryland; internship: San Diego Union-Tribune; jobs: freelance journalist for Nature, National Geographic News, Cosmos, New Scientist, and others; reporter, Chronicle of Higher Education; current job: associate director of science communications, Division of Physical Sciences, UC San Diego.

Raven Hanna  B.A., biochemistry, UC Santa Cruz; Ph.D., molecular biophysics and biochemistry, Yale University; postdoctoral work, UC Berkeley; internships: Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, NASA Astrobiology Institute, Emergent Matter Project; first and current job: started business to communicate science through unusual means, based in Hawaii.
WEB SITE: http://www.madewithmolecules.com  

Hannah Hickey  B.S., physics, McMaster University; M.S., physical oceanography, University of Victoria; internship: Idaho National Laboratory; first and current job: engineering writer in the University of Washington news office.

Elise Kleeman  B.S., geology, California Institute of Technology; internship: Discover; jobs: science writer for Pasadena Star News; freelance writer for NewScientist.com and others; completed Ph.D. in neuroscience at UC Irvine; now scientific programs manager, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University.

Jessica Marshall  B.S.E., Princeton University; M.S. and Ph.D., UC Berkeley, all in chemical engineering; internships: ScienceNOW, New Scientist (San Francisco); jobs: lecturer in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Minnesota; environment reporter, Discovery News; freelance for Nature, Food and Environment Reporting Network, PNAS, Twin Cities Public Television, and other clients; now executive editor, life sciences, Chemical & Engineering News (from Seattle).
WEB SITE: http://www.jmarshall.us

Hugh Powell  B.A., biology, Huntingdon College; M.S., avian ecology, University of Montana, Missoula; internship and first job: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Spent time freelancing, including expanding the blogosphere at The Gist and his own site, surf.bird.scribble; camped out with penguins and wrote about the International Polar Year. Current job: science editor at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Andreas von Bubnoff  M.S. and Ph.D., developmental biology, University of Freiburg, Germany; internships: Chicago Tribune (AAAS Mass Media Fellow) and Nature. Jobs: senior science writer, IAVI Report, New York, and freelancing. Now freelancing from Brooklyn, NY. His story "Numbers Can Lie" appeared in The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2008. Freelance work: Los Angeles Times, Prevention, Science News, Nature, and elsewhere. Winner of the 2016 Grimme Online Award, Germany, for this multimedia project.
WEB SITE: http://andreasvonbubnoff.com

Matthew Wright  B.S., biology, University of New Mexico; M.S., integrative biology, Arizona State University; internship: Stanford Medical Center; jobs: science writer, Carnegie Institution of Washington; science outreach specialist, COMPASS/SeaWeb; communications manager, U.S. office, Integrated Ocean Drilling Program; science writer, University of Maryland; now deputy director, Science Press Package.

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Class of 2004

Davide Castelvecchi  Laurea, mathematics, University of Rome; Ph.D., mathematics, Stanford University; internships: Fermilab, Physical Review Focus; jobs: web editor, American Institute of Physics; freelance writer for Sky & Telescope, New Scientist, and Are We Alone?; physics writer, Science News; physics editor, Scientific American; current job: physical sciences reporter, Nature (London).
WEB SITE: http://sciencewriter.org

Quinn Eastman  B.S., chemistry, MIT; Ph.D. biochemistry, Yale; internship: Bakersfield Californian; first job: reporter, North County Times (Escondido, CA); current job: science writer, Emory University School of Medicine, Georgia.

Anna Gosline  B.Sc. Zoology, University of Toronto; internships: Public Library of Science (PLoS), New Scientist (London). Freelance clients included New Scientist, Los Angeles Times, Scientific American, Scientific American MIND. Cofounder of the girl nerd science website Inkling Magazine. Now director of policy and research for the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation after completing an MPH at Harvard in 2010.

Mason Inman  B.S., physics, UC Santa Barbara; internships: PLoS Biology, European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, and Science (Cambridge, U.K); first job: freelancing from Cambridge, MA, for Science, New Scientist, and others; received a 2008-09 Middlebury Fellowship in Environmental Journalism to report on monsoon floods in Bangladesh; freelancer and blogger on climate and energy for the Huffington Post and National Geographic News; currently researcher and analyst for Global Energy Monitor, based in Austin, Texas.
WEB SITE: http://failinggracefully.com/

Esther Landhuis  B.S., biological sciences, Stanford University, Ph.D., immunology, Harvard University; internship: San Jose Mercury News; most recent job: science reporter for the Alzheimer Research Forum. Now freelancing from Pleasanton (SF Bay Area) while raising two tweens.
WEB SITE: http://www.estherlandhuis.com

Regina Nuzzo  B.S., industrial engineering, University of South Florida; Ph.D., statistics, Stanford University; postdoc, music cognition, McGill University; internship: Idaho National Laboratory; first job: science writer, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences; now a professor of mathematics and statistics at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., and freelancing for Nature, the Los Angeles Times, and elsewhere.

Czerne M. Reid  B.Sc., chemistry, Univ. of the West Indies; M.Sc., Ph.D. environmental chemistry, Emory University; internship: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; jobs: Kaiser Media Fellow and reporter at The State (Columbia, SC); assistant news director, University of Florida Health Science Center; current job: senior lecturer and program director, University of Florida College of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and affiliate faculty, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications, Department of Journalism. Co-chair, NASW Education Committee. Elected a AAAS Fellow for "distinguished contributions to the communication of science, especially through sustained leadership of programs to develop future generations of science writers."

Megan Mansell Williams  B.S., marine biology, UC Santa Cruz; internships: ScienceNOW, California Wild, and Discover; freelance writer in New York and San Francisco; first job: assistant editor for Forefront, UC Berkeley College of Engineering; current job: head of communications, swissnex San Francisco.

Shawne Workman  B.S., human biology, Stanford University; M.S., neurobiology and behavior, UC Irvine; internship: Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC); jobs: marketing publications manager for a scientific equipment company; editor of SLAC Today (daily online news at SLAC); currently freelance science and technical writer.

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Class of 2003

Rachel Ehrenberg  B.A., botany and political science, University of Vermont; M.A., evolutionary biology, University of Michigan; internship: Dallas Morning News; job: science writer, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; staff writer, Science News; Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT, 2013-14; now freelancing from Boston.

Helen Fields  B.A., biology, Carleton College; M.S., biological sciences, Stanford University; internship: U.S. News & World Report; jobs: reporter, U.S. News & World Report; departments editor/writer, National Geographic; freelancing from Washington, D.C.; now senior science writer, Palladian Partners.
WEB SITE: http://heyhelen.com

Jyllian Kemsley  B.A., chemistry, Amherst College; Ph.D., chemistry, Stanford University; internship: Chemical & Engineering News; first job: freelancing for the Forbes/Wolfe Nanotech Report (contributing editor) and the Santa Cruz Sentinel; science reporter and now executive editor, policy and content partnerships, Chemical & Engineering News (from SF Bay Area).

Greta Lorge  B.A. human biology, Stanford University; M.S. neuroscience, University of Michigan; internships: California Wild, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, WIRED; jobs: assistant research editor, WIRED; associate editor, Stanford Magazine; senior editor, MAKE Magazine; now science writer, biosciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Elisabeth Nadin  B.S. geology & geological oceanography, University of Rhode Island; Ph.D., geology, Caltech; internships: Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Monterey County Herald, EarthScope education & outreach; first jobs: science writer at Caltech's magazine Engineering & Science and senior science writer for Caltech Media Relations. Now associate professor of geology, University of Alaska, Fairbanks.
WEB SITE: http://uaf.academia.edu/ElisabethNadin

Kate Ramsayer  B.A. biology, Williams College; internships: Stanford University Medical Center, Science News; jobs: environment and business reporter, The Daily Astorian (Oregon); environment reporter, The Bend Bulletin; science writer, American Geophysical Union, Washington, D.C.; current job: science writer, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland.

Susanne Rust  B.S., anthropology, Barnard College; M.S., physical anthropology, University of Wisconsin, Madison; internship and first job: science reporter, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Winner of several major national awards for "Chemical Fallout," an investigative series, including the 2008 John B. Oakes Award for Distinguished Environmental Journalism from Columbia University. Next job: Environment reporter, Center for Investigative Reporting, Berkeley; then on the faculty at Columbia University's Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism. Currently investigative environmental reporter, The Los Angeles Times.

Emily Singer  B.A., biology, UC Santa Cruz; M.A., neuroscience, UC San Diego; internships: Los Angeles TimesNew Scientist; jobs: freelancing for Los Angeles TimesNew Scientist, and Nature; senior editor, biomedicine, Technology Review; news editor, Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative; life sciences editor, Quanta Magazine; currently editor, Simons Collaboration on the Global Brain, Simons Foundation, New York.

Nicole Stricker  B.A., biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder; Ph.D., neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; AAAS Mass Media Fellowship: Dallas Morning News; internship: Idaho National Laboratory; jobs: education reporter, then science and medicine reporter, Idaho Falls Post Register; education reporter, Salt Lake City Tribune; currently science writer, Idaho National Laboratory.

Shawna Williams  B.A., biochemistry, Colorado College; internships: CERN, Stanford University Medical Center; jobs: public affairs officer, Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, Cornell University; science writer/managing editor, Genetics and Public Policy Center, Johns Hopkins University; instructor and editor, West China School of Medicine; science writer, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Graduate University. Now communications manager, Johns Hopkins Medicine.

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Class of 2002

Daniel Bachtold  M.S. and Ph.D., zoology, University of Zurich, Switzerland; internships: ZDF television, Spektrum der Wissenschaft (German edition of Scientific American), Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford, European news office of Science; first and current job: science writer/editor for Tages-Anzeiger, daily newspaper in Zurich.

Genevieve Bookwalter  B.S., biology, and B.A., rhetoric, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; internships: The Californian (Salinas, CA) and fellow with the Institutes for Journalism and Natural Resources; jobs: environment writer, the Union Democrat (Sonora, CA); staff writer, Santa Cruz Sentinel; associate editor, Patch.com, and contributing writer, HealthyCal.org; suburban reporter and editor, Chicago Tribune; currently freelance journalist, based near Chicago.

Sean Griffing  B.A. biology, Oberlin College; internship: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; freelance, Earth and Sky radio. Went on to earn a Ph.D. in population biology from Emory University, then joined Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, as a researcher focusing on the origin and spread of drug-resistant malaria. Currently Lieutenant in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service, Decatur, GA.

Linley Erin Hall  B.S., chemistry, Harvey Mudd College; internship: Stanford Medical Center news office; jobs: science writer, Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering, Arizona State University; freelance writer and editor in Berkeley; current job: editor at Annual Reviews, academic publisher in Palo Alto, CA. Author of Who's Afraid of Marie Curie? The Challenges Facing Women and Science in Technology.
WEB SITE: http://www.linleyerinhall.com

Christian Heuss  Dipl. Biol., biochemistry and molecular biology, University of Basel; Dr. sc. nat./PhD, neurosciences, University of Zurich; internships: ScienceNOW, Swiss Radio DRS, Swiss Television, Sonntags-Zeitung. Jobs: science correspondent for Swiss Radio DRS and freelance work for Swiss and German print media; now communications director for the Swiss Tropical Public Health Institute in Basel. Member of the board of the Swiss Association for Science Journalism.

Kendall Morgan  B.A., biology, Earlham College; Ph.D., biology, University of Oregon; internships: Idaho National Laboratory and Science News; jobs: freelance writer for Stanford School of Medicine Strategic Plan, ScienceNOW and Cell Press; science writer for Duke University Medical Center news office; science writer/editor for Duke's Pratt School of Engineering; currently assistant director of communications, Duke's Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy.

Kendall Powell  B.S., biology, College of William and Mary, M.S., biomedical sciences, UC San Diego; internship: Nature and its "Science Update" website; first and current job: freelance science journalist in Colorado covering biomedical and environmental science and research culture for Nature, Nature Biotechnology, Nature Medicine, Los Angeles Times, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Public Library of Science, and Journal of Cell Biology. Treasurer, National Association of Science Writers.

Kristin (Cobb) Sainani  B.A., biology and philosophy, Dartmouth; M.S., statistics, Stanford University; Ph.D., epidemiology, Stanford; internship: Science News; current job: clinical assistant professor at Stanford (writing, statistics); freelance writer.

Desiree Scorcia  B.S., physics, Boston College; internships: Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, American Physical Society; jobs: the Boothbay Register, business, education, science, and waterfront beat; science editor for Kaplan Test Prep in New York; current job: high school physics teacher in Maine.

Cameron Walker  B.S., bioresource sciences, UC Berkeley; internships: Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program, California Wild; current job: freelancing for The Last Word on NothingHigh Country News, and Sunset.
WEB SITE: http://www.cameronwalker.net

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Class of 2001

Louisa Dalton  B.S., biochemistry, Brigham Young University; internship: Idaho National Laboratory; first job: science and technology reporter, Chemical & Engineering News; now freelancing from Virginia.

Katie Greene  B.Sc., individual program of study, Harvey Mudd College; M.S., physical oceanography, University of Washington; internships: Popular Science, Science, Earth and Sky radio.

Erica Klarreich  B.A., mathematics, Brooklyn College; Ph.D., mathematics, State University of New York at Stony Brook; internship: Nature; jobs: journalist in residence, Mathematical Sciences Research Institute, Berkeley; mathematics correspondent, Science News; currently mathematics freelance writer, SF Bay Area, and writer for the Simons Foundation. Published in The Best Writing on Mathematics 2010 and The Best Writing on Mathematics 2011.
WEB SITE: http://ericaklarreich.com

Betsy Mason  B.A., geology, Princeton University; M.S., geology, Stanford University; internships: The Dallas Morning News, California Wild, New Scientist (S.F. bureau), Nature; jobs: freelance writer for New Scientist, Discover, Nature, ScienceNOW, The Scientist, Stanford News Service; science writer for the Contra Costa Times, where she received the 2007 David Perlman Award from the American Geophysical Union for excellence in news reporting; science editor, WIRED; 2015-16 Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT. Now freelancing from Oakland, CA. Coauthor with Greg Miller '01 of All Over the Map: A Cartographic Odyssey (National Geographic Books, 2018).

Greg Miller  B.S., zoology, Duke; Ph.D., neuroscience, Stanford University; internship: New Scientist, London; jobs: editor, ScienceNOW; staff writer and neuroscience reporter, Science; senior writer, WIRED; now freelancing from Portland, Oregon. Coauthor with Betsy Mason '01 of All Over the Map: A Cartographic Odyssey (National Geographic Books, 2018).

Katharine Miller  B.A., archeology, Harvard University; J.D., Stanford University; internship: Sage KE (Science website on the science of aging); first job: freelancing; clients included the Exploratorium magazine, Lucile Packard Children's Foundation magazine, and the Zea Mays Data Base (ZMDB) project; current job: managing editor, Biomedical Computation Review at Stanford.

Solana Pyne  B.S., biology, and B.A., literature/creative writing, UC San Diego; internships: Newsday, Discover, The Village Voice; jobs: environmental reporter for the Cambodia Daily, based in Phnom Penh; reporter for NY1 News television in New York; associate producer, NOVA; director of video and strategy for the foreign news website GlobalPost, based in New York (after postings in Morocco and Rio de Janeiro); senior producer and executive producer, video, Quartz; currently director, enterprise video, The New York Times.

Ben Shouse  B.A., biology, Brown University; M.S., ecology, UC Davis; internships: European news office of Science, and The Nation; freelancer for Science, The Scientist, and Santa Cruz Sentinel; jobs: environmental reporter, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, South Dakota; natural resources and environment editor/analyst for the U.S. Government Accountability Office; currently in writing and outreach for ocean science, Pew Charitable Trusts, Washington, D.C.

Aparna Sreenivasan  B.S., microbiology and molecular genetics, UCLA; Ph.D., molecular cellular and developmental biology, UC Santa Cruz; postdoctoral fellow, microbiology and immunology, UC San Francisco; first job: scientific analyst at a San Francisco law firm; current job: associate professor of genetic and molecular biology, California State University, Monterey Bay.

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Class of 2000

Anil Ananthaswamy  B.Tech, electronics, IIT-Madras, India; M.S.E.E., University of Washington; internship: New Scientist; freelance and San Francisco correspondent for New Scientist; staff writer, then physical sciences news editor, then deputy news editor for New Scientist in London; currently on retainer at New Scientist and freelancing. Author of The Edge of Physics (Houghton Mifflin, 2010), named the top physics book of 2010 by Physics World, U.K., and The Man Who Wasn't There (Dutton, Penguin Random House, 2015) Delivered this TED talk in India. MIT Knight Science Journalism Fellowship, 2019-20.

Gina Kirchweger  Ph.D., molecular biology, University of Vienna, Austria; internships: Universum Magazin, Vienna; P.M. magazine, Munich; freelance writer for overseas publications; jobs: director of scientific communications, Salk Institute for Biological Studies; head of science communications, Stowers Institute for Medical Research; currently communications officer, La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, La Jolla, CA.

Reto Kohler  B.A., Ph.D., biology, University of Fribourg (Switzerland); internship: The Californian (Salinas, CA) and Facts (Switzerland's leading weekly newsmagazine); worked for Tages-Anzeiger, Switzerland's second largest daily newspaper. Wrote a widely reviewed and controversial biography about Walter Stuerm, Switzerland's best known criminal and jail activist; freelance science and people writer for Swiss publications. Current job: science editor for BLICK, Switzerland's largest newspaper.

Maggie McKee  B.A., physics, Grinnell College; internships: Harvard Medical School and California Wild; jobs: fact checker at Health; associate editor at Astronomy; reporter and editor, NewScientistSpace.com; now freelancing from Boston.
WEB SITE: www.maggieqmckee.com

Jessa Netting  B.S., zoology, UC Davis; M.S., entomology, University of Arizona; internships: Popular Science, NPR's Science Friday, Scientific American, and Nature; jobs: biology reporter, Science News; associate editor, Discover; science and online editor, McGraw-Hill/AccessScience; science writer, City College of New York; news editor, SFARI.org; currently managing editor, WebMD/Medscape, New York.

Becky Oskin  B.S., geology, Washington State University; M.S., geology, Caltech; internships: Discovery Online News, Idaho National Laboratory; jobs: city-science-medical reporter, Pasadena Star-News; public relations specialist, Duke University Medical Center; health and science editor, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; freelance journalist; science writer for OurAmazingPlanet.com; science writer at University of California, Davis; ow communications director, UC Davis Public Scholarship and Engagement.

Caroline Seydel  B.S., genetic engineering, Cedar Crest College (Allentown, Pa.); M.S., genetics, Stanford University; internship: Popular Science; currently freelancing, based in Redondo Beach, CA. Clients: ScienceNOW, Popular Science, New Scientist, and Mercury.

Emily Sohn  B.A., environmental and evolutionary biology, Dartmouth College; internships: The Dallas Morning News, U.S. News and World Report; jobs: Classroom Connect Quest Channel, an interactive, educational webcast adventure; freelancing, based in Minneapolis, writing books for kids and articles for The Los Angeles Times, Science News, Health, Smithsonian, Outside, New Scientist, Backpacker, Science News for Kids, and others. Contributing writer, covering environment, adventure, history and more for Discovery News.
WEB SITE: http://www.tidepoolsinc.com

Catherine Zandonella  B.S., pharmacology, UC Santa Barbara; M.P.H., environmental health, UC Berkeley; internships: New Scientist (San Francisco bureau); Newsday; jobs: UC Berkeley news office; contributing correspondent, New Scientist; freelance for New Scientist and Nature; now science writer for Princeton University's Office of the Dean for Research. Science editor of National Geographic's The Green Guide and author of The Green Guide for Families (2010).
WEB SITE: http://www.catzan.org

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Class of 1999

Robert Adler  B.S., physics and mathematics, University of New Mexico; Ph.D., psychology, UC Berkeley; internships: NASA Ames, California Wild, New Scientist (London). Currently freelancing and writing books. His 1988 book, Sharing the Children: How to Resolve Custody Problems and Get On With Your Life, was reprinted by Author House. Other books: Science Firsts: From the Creation of Science to the Science of Creation (Wiley & Sons, 2002); Medical Firsts: From Hippocrates to the Human Genome (Wiley & Sons, 2004).

Oliver Baker  A.B. and Ph.D., biophysics, UC Berkeley; internships: ScienceNOW, Science News; first job: freelancer for national magazines and academic/corporate clients; current job: science writer, National Psoriasis Foundation, Portland, OR.
WEB SITE: http://www.oliverbaker.com

Marina Chicurel  B.S., basic biomedical research, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico; Ph.D., neurobiology, Harvard University; postdoctoral researcher, cell biology, Harvard; freelance writer and consultant for Science, Nature, the Hereditary Disease Foundation, and Affymetrix; current job: associate director for science, Hereditary Disease Foundation.

Adrian Cho  B.A., physics, University of Chicago; Ph.D., physics, Cornell University; internships: Idaho National Laboratory, Science; contributor, New Scientist and Science; current job: staff writer, Science, based in Michigan.

Krista Conger  B.A., biochemistry, UC Berkeley; Ph.D., cancer biology, Stanford University; internship and first job: science writer for Stanford University Medical Center; second job: researcher, Health; currently senior science writer at Stanford Medical Center, based in Montana.

Liese Greensfelder  B.A., plant science, UC Davis; M.S., horticulture/pomology, UC Davis; internship: California Academy of Sciences/California Wild; jobs: public information officer at UC San Francisco, UC Berkeley, UC Davis; editor and graphic designer for Tree Rings, the journal of the Yuba Watershed Institute; co-editor of the 2010 book The Nature of This Place. Currently freelance editor and writer based on the San Juan Ridge, northern California.

Beate Kittl  M.S., biology, University of Basel, Switzerland; internship: Discover; jobs: Facts, a former Swiss news magazine; freelance nature and environment reporter in Bali, Indonesia, Latin America and Switzerland for major Swiss and German newspapers; science editor at the Swiss News Agency; currently doing media relations and public outreach for the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research.

Bryn Nelson  B.A., biology, Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn.; Ph.D., microbiology, University of Washington; internship: health and science reporter for the Long Island-based daily Newsday; first job: staff writer, Newsday; currently freelancing from Seattle.

Mark Schrope  B.S., biology, Wake Forest University; M.S., oceanography, Florida State University; internships: Popular Science, New Scientist; jobs: freelance writer for Nature, New Scientist, Discovery.com and others; science writer for the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution in Ft. Pierce, Florida. Currently freelancing from Florida for Popular Science, Nature, Outside, New York Times, and others.
WEB SITE: http://www.markschrope.com

Kathleen Wong  B.A., biology and English/American literature, UC Santa Cruz; internship: U.S. News and World Report; jobs: science reporter, Monterey County Herald; senior editor, California Wild (California Academy of Sciences); freelancing from the SF Bay Area; currently science writer for the University of California Natural Reserves System, Oakland. Coauthor of Natural History of San Francisco Bay, nominated for a 2012 Northern California Book Award in general nonfiction.
WEB SITE: http://www.nasw.org/users/Katwong/

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Class of 1998

Christie Aschwanden  B.A., biology, University of Colorado, Boulder; internship: KGNU radio, Boulder; first and current job: national freelance writer. Clients include Health, Science online, HMS Beagle, High Country News, Washington Post, The New York Times, Runner's World, Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Science writer for FiveThirtyEight.
WEB SITE: http://www.christieaschwanden.com/

Mary Beckman  B.S., biology, UC Irvine; Ph.D., molecular biology, University of Colorado at Boulder; internships: The Exploratorium, San Francisco; Idaho National Laboratory (INL); jobs, science writer at INL; freelancing from Idaho; senior science writer at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington.
WEB SITE: http://nasw.org/users/mbeckman/

Brandon Brown  B.A., physics, Rice University; Ph.D., physics, Oregon State University; internship: Archipelago Productions, Monterey; currently professor of physics and director of external affairs for arts and sciences at University of San Francisco; conducts biophysics research on the electric sense of sharks, skates, and rays.

Lila Guterman  A.B., chemistry, Harvard University; M.S., chemistry, Caltech; internship, New Scientist (London); jobs: freelance writer; assistant editor, Modern Drug Discovery; senior reporter, The Chronicle of Higher Education; senior writer, Palladian Partners, Inc.; senior editor, Chemical & Engineering News; deputy managing editor, news, Science News; associate director, content development, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI); current job: deputy news editor, ScienceWinner, 2002 Evert Clark/Seth Payne award for young science journalists. Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT, 2006-07.

Michael Hagmann  Dipl., biochemistry, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology; Ph.D., molecular biology, University of Zurich; internship: Discover; jobs: staff writer, Science; science writer, Sonntagszeitung, Switzerland's leading weekly newspaper; current job: head of Corporate Communications at Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology.

Laura Helmuth  B.S., biological psychology, Eckerd College; Ph.D., cognitive neuroscience, UC Berkeley; internships: Idaho National Laboratory, Science News and Science; jobs: editor for ScienceNOW and writer for Science; associate news editor at Science; senior science editor at Smithsonian; science and health editor at Slate; health, science and environment editor, The Washington Post; current job: editor-in-chief, Scientific American. President of the National Association of Science Writers, 2016-18.

Karin Jegalian  B.S., biochemistry, UCLA; Ph.D., biology, MIT; internship: Dallas Morning News; jobs: Human Genome Project, National Institutes of Health, and freelancing for newspapers and magazines; associate editor, American Scientist; currently a freelance writer and consultant outside Washington, D.C.

Mitch Leslie  B.S., biology, University of Utah; M.A., zoology, University of Texas; first job: writer, Stanford University Medical Center; current job: freelance and contributing writer, Science.

Evelyn Strauss  B.S., chemistry, UC Berkeley; Ph.D., biochemistry, UC San Francisco; postdoctoral fellow, Stanford University; internship: Science News; jobs: freelance writer, Scientific AmericanHealth, WebMD, Stanford MedicineSalon.com; contributing correspondent, Science; senior news editor, Science of Aging Knowledge Environment; executive director, Scientists Without Borders. Now executive editor of the MS Discovery Forum, a website for multiple sclerosis researchers; SciCom lecturer (profile/essay writing).

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Class of 1997

Alison Davis  B.S., biochemistry, Virginia Tech; Ph.D., pharmacology, Georgetown University; postdoc, developmental biology, Stanford University; internships: Palo Alto Weekly, NASA Ames; jobs: science writer, NASA; staff science writer, National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS); now a freelance science/policy/speechwriter. Clients include NIH, FDA, Presidential Commission on Bioethical Issues, Darwin Awards. Author of Always There: The Remarkable Life of Ruth Lillian Kirschstein, M.D. (NIH, 2011).

Jessica Gorman  B.A., chemical physics, Swarthmore College; internship: The Californian (Salinas, CA); jobs: reporter, Discover; chemistry and materials science writer, Science News; 2003-04 Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT; current job: executive editor, Cancer Today, Philadelphia.

Mari Jensen  B.S., biology, Cornell University; M.S., ecology and evolutionary biology, and M.S., renewable natural resources studies, both at University of Arizona; internships: Dallas Morning News, Science News; jobs: newspaper/magazine freelancing; Metcalf Institute Environmental Reporting Fellow; reporter, Tucson Citizen; MBL Science Journalism Fellow; currently science writer/editor for the University of Arizona's College of Science.

Jonathan Knight  B.A., biology, Oberlin College; Ph.D., molecular biology, UC Berkeley; internship, New Scientist, London; jobs: West coast correspondent for New Scientist (San Francisco bureau); contributing correspondent for Nature; currently teaching at San Francisco State University and freelancing.

Dana Mackenzie  B.A., mathematics, Swarthmore College; Ph.D., mathematics, Princeton University; internship: American Scientist; jobs: freelance writer for Discover, Science, New Scientist, National Academy of Sciences, American Mathematical Society. Co-author of The Book of Why (Basic Books, 2018), chosen as one of the Best Science Books of 2018 by Science Friday. Author of The Universe in Zero Words (Princeton Univ. Press, 2012), now re-issued in the U.K as The Story of Mathematics in 24 Equations (Modern Books, 2018) and published in Italy as l'Universo senza parole, where it was a finalist for the 2017 Premio Asimov; The Big Splat, or How Our Moon Came to Be (Wiley, 2003), a Booklist Editor's Choice for 2003; The Book of Why (Basic Books, 2018) with Judea Pearl, named to Science Friday's list of the best science books of 2018; and many other books.
WEBSITE: http://danamackenzie.com

Camille Mojica Rey  B.A., biology, University of Texas, Austin; Ph.D., integrative biology, UC Berkeley; internship: San Jose Mercury News; jobs: health and science writer, Monterey County Herald; health editor for Latina magazine, New York; staff writer, San Jose Mercury News; public information officer, UC San Francisco. Currently freelancing (print and online) and consulting on science-themed media relations from Saratoga, CA.

Tracy Washburn  B.A., biology, Indiana University at South Bend; Ph.D., biology, University of Notre Dame; postdoctoral fellowships, The Salk Institute and UC Berkeley; internship: Archipelago Productions (educational multimedia); jobs: content director for biology distance learning courses at Archipelago Productions; content director for Sumanas, Inc., a similar company in Pasadena.

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Class of 1996

Amy Adams  B.A., biology, Whitman College; M.S., genetics and development, Cornell University; internship: Monterey Bay Aquarium; jobs: freelance and marketing communications writer, Clontech; department editor, Genetic Health; science writer, Stanford Medical School; communications manager, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine; director of science communication, Stanford University. Author of one book: The Human Muscular System; current job: Director of Long Range Vision Communications at Stanford University.

Mitzi Baker  B.S., biology and psychology, Johns Hopkins University; internships: Stanford University Medical Center, Health; jobs: Health; public information officer, UC Davis; AIDS writer, UC San Francisco; marketing communications writer for a biotech company; freelance projects ranging from 8th-grade-level encyclopedia articles to medical education. Most recent job: science writer, Stanford University Medical Center. Currently freelancing from the SF Bay Area.

Kevin Boyd  B.S., microbiology, UC Santa Barbara; internships: National Public Radio science desk, KQED-FM in San Francisco; jobs: freelancing; science writer at UC San Francisco; exhibits writer at the American Museum of Natural History in New York; current job: manager of editorial, The Exploratorium, San Francisco.

Cassie Ferguson  B.A., biology and art, UC Santa Cruz; internships; NASA Ames and Harvard University News Office; jobs: science writer, Harvard Medical School; science writer and web developer, Harvard University news office; senior science writer, UC San Diego; senior writer, Caltech. Now freelancing and raising a family in Santa Fe.

Beth Martin  B.S., biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; internship: Sea Studios, science films, Monterey; first job: freelance; second job: communications manager at the California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3); currently writing articles about electronics design for a high-tech company in the SF Bay Area.

Barbra A. Rodriguez  B.A., biology and education, University of Missouri-Columbia; M.S., cell and molecular biology, Washington University, St. Louis; internships: The Dallas Morning News, The Kansas City Star; jobs: medical writer, Washington University and communications director, Siteman Cancer Center; media relations, University of Texas at Austin, for natural sciences college (director), engineering school, and Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center; freelance writer (full-time since April 2016) in life sciences, engineering, and sustainability.
WEB SITE: http://www.linkedin.com/in/vitalwordplay

Erik Stokstad  B.A., geology, Carleton College; M.S., geology, UC Riverside; internships: New Scientist, London, and Science; first job, editor, ScienceNOW; current job: staff writer, Science, based in London.

Gretchen Vogel  B.S., biochemistry, Iowa State University; internship: Science (Washington, D.C.); first job: staff writer at Science; currently European correspondent for Science, based in Berlin.

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Class of 1995

Lou Bergeron ('95) B.S. geology, University of Illinois; M.S. earth sciences, UC Santa Cruz; jobs: freelance for New Scientist, ScienceNOW, Consumer Health Interactive, and others; editor for PC World; writer for SWARA, the magazine of the East African Wild Life Society; consulting geologist; science writer for Stanford University School of Medicine and Stanford News Service. Currently freelancing from San Francisco.

Alice Cascorbi
  B.A., biology, Carleton College; M.S., conservation biology, University of Minnesota; internships: Monterey Bay Aquarium, Sea Studios; freelance credits: Exploring magazine, ABCNews.com, Encarta online encyclopedia; jobs: exhibits writer, Chicago Academy of Sciences; writer, Monterey Bay Aquarium. Currently living in Portland, Oregon; freelancing and working in outreach for the Audubon Society of Portland.

Kenneth Chang  B.A., physics, Princeton University; M.S., physics, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana; internship: (two-year Times-Mirror Metpro), first year: Los Angeles Times; second year: Greenwich Time (CT). Freelancing and a temporary job at The Star-Ledger (Newark, N.J.) led to a stint at ABCNEWS.com and then his current job: science reporter, The New York Times.

Phil Cohen  B.S., biology, MIT; Ph.D., molecular biology, UC Berkeley; internship: New Scientist; jobs: U.S. correspondent and then San Francisco bureau chief, New Scientist; senior science writer, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), New York; now working in New York's investment banking industry.

Pamela Donegan  B.S., biology, College of William and Mary; M.A., vertebrate physiology and behavior, San Francisco State University; internship: Harvard Health Letter; jobs: managing editor of Catnip Newsletter from Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine; freelance medical writer for Hippocrates; writer for HealthNews, consumer health newsletter from the Massachusetts Medical Society; currently catalog librarian for the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe.

Bonnie Wallace  B.S., literature, Caltech; first job: senior exhibit writer/editor, California Science Center, Los Angeles. Exhibits written: Creative World (1998), Magic: The Science of Illusion (2000), and Air and Space Gallery (2002). Currently a freelance exhibit writer in St. Louis.

Christopher Woolston  B.S., fisheries and wildlife, Montana State University; M.S., biology, Montana State University; internship: Billings Gazette; jobs: Washington University School of Medicine; Hippocrates; currently contributing editor for Consumer Health Interactive and freelance writer for Prevention, Via, babycenter.com, health.com, and others. Columnist: The Healthy Skeptic for The Los Angeles Times. Coauthor of Generation Extra Large: Rescuing Our Children From the Epidemic of Obesity (Basic Books, 2005).

Corinna Wu  B.A., chemistry, Swarthmore College; M.S., materials science and engineering, Stanford University; internship: Science News; jobs: reporter/researcher, U.S. News and World Report; chemistry and materials science writer, Science News; producer for AAAS radio program Science Update; Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT; freelance writer/radio producer and contributing editor, Prism magazine; now senior news editor, physical sciences, Chemical & Engineering News, based in Oakland.

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Class of 1994

Sue Goetinck Ambrose  B.A. biology, University of Pennsylvania; Ph.D., molecular genetics, Washington University in St. Louis; internship: The Dallas Morning News; first and current job: staff writer, The Dallas Morning News.

Eva Emerson  B.A., biology, UC Santa Cruz; internships: The Californian (Salinas, CA), UPI science desk (Washington D.C.); jobs: science content coordinator, The Magic School Bus; writer/reporter, The Honolulu Weekly; writer and publications coordinator, California Science Center; senior science writer, University of Southern California; editor-in-chief, Science News; now editor-in-chief, Annual Reviews magazine, Palo Alto, CA.

Sheila Foster  B.A., biology, UC Santa Cruz; jobs: science writer at Sea Studios, Monterey, CA; editor/photographer/journalist for the Broome Advertiser, Australia; public information officer, Australian Institute of Marine Science; distance-learning content director for Archipelago Productions, Monterey; writer, Stanford Medical Center News Office; publicity director for the TV series "The Shape of Life." Now working in development for the organic food movement and running a bakery in Ashland, OR.

Alisa Zapp Machalek  B.S., biochemistry, Michigan State University; M.S., biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison; first job: science writer for the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, a division of NIH that supports basic biomedical research. Her NIGMS booklet, Inside the Cell, has won awards from the Society for Technical Communication. Current job: lead writer/editor, Science Communications and Outreach Branch, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS).

Sonja Shin  B.S., science journalism, Northwestern University; interned at NASA Ames public affairs, on the Discovery Channel's The Next Step, and KRON-TV; jobs: produced and researched medical reports for NBC Network News; reported medical news on air for KPLR-TV (WB), St. Louis; general assignment reporter at KIRO-TV (CBS), Seattle; video producer and freelance technology reporter in S.F. Bay Area. Now reporting science and medical news for public television, St. Louis.
WEB SITE: http://sonjashin.com

Nik Walter  Dipl. (M.S.), zoology, Ph.D., molecular biology, University of Zurich, Switzerland; internship: Exploratorium, San Francisco; freelance science writer for German and Swiss newspapers and magazines; first job: science writer, SonntagsZeitung (Zurich, Switzerland); current job, science and technology editor, SonntagsZeitung.

Heather Rock Woods  B.A., biology, UC Berkeley; internship: The Oakland Tribune; jobs: reporter for an Oakland Tribune sister paper; reporter at The Palo Alto Weekly; science writer at Stanford Medical Center News Bureau; science writer at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center; currently freelancing in the SF Bay Area.

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Class of 1993

Miyoko Chu  B.A., biology, Yale University; Ph.D., integrative biology, UC Berkeley; internship, The Oakland Tribune; first job: science editor, Cornell Lab of Ornithology; now director of communications there. Author of Songbird Journeys (Walker & Company, 2006) and Birdscapes (Chronicle Books, 2008).

Karen Fox  B.A., M.A., physics and English, Amherst College; internship: Santa Cruz Sentinel; jobs: Science; Science Report Radio; freelance science writer and web diva; current job: solar physics writer, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Author of The Chain Reaction: Profiles in Nuclear Science (Grolier, 1998); The Big Bang: What It Is, Where It Came From, and How It Works (John Wiley, 2002); Einstein: A to Z (co-authored with Aries Keck) (John Wiley, 2004); and Older Than the Stars (Charlesbridge, 2010).
WEB SITE: http://www.karenceliafox.com/

Rusten Hogness  M.A., history of science, Johns Hopkins; current job: freelance writer/producer for public radio; projects: California Bird Talk (radio series on bird communication), GleaningStories (radio and Web series on gleaning and sustainable agriculture).
WEB SITE: http://www.calbirdtalk.org

Cynthia Mills  B.A., economics; M.A., zoology; D.V.M., all at UC Davis; internships: UC San Francisco Treatment Research Group; assistant editor for Pacific Discovery (later California Wild), San Francisco. Freelancing in the Pacific Northwest, with day job as an emergency room veterinarian. Her essay "Breeding Discontent," originally published in The Sciences, was collected in The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2001. Author of The Theory of Evolution: What It Is, Where It Came From, and Why It Works (Wiley, 2004).

Larry O’Hanlon  B.A., earth science, UC Santa Cruz; internship: Davis Enterprise; jobs: science & environment reporter for the Tahoe Daily Tribune; the Santa Cruz Sentinel, The Californian (Salinas, CA), and the Lahontan Valley News; correspondent and editor for Earth channel, Discovery.com; science writer, W. M. Keck Observatory, Hawaii. Now blogosphere manager and social media specialist for American Geophysical Union and science writer for Discovery News.

Lisa Strong  B.A. environmental biology/environmental studies, UC Santa Barbara; internship: ZooGoer; first job: freelance writer/photographer; writer/producer, Strong Mountain Productions, producing nature, science and history videos for museum exhibits, multimedia and the Web; media lab coordinator for SciCom; current job: photographer and multimedia producer, The Exploratorium, San Francisco.
WEB SITE: http://www.strongmountain.com

Alexandra Witze  B.S., geology, MIT; internship: The Dallas Morning News; jobs: freelance writer; associate editor at Earth (now defunct); science writer for The Dallas Morning News; chief of U.S. correspondents at Nature (Washington, D.C.); now contributing editor, Science News, and contributor, Nature, based in Boulder, CO. Co-winner of the National Association of Science Writers' 2004 Science-in-Society award; winner of the 2015 Kavli Science Journalism Award; winner of journalism awards from the American Astronomical Society, the Association of British Science Writers, the American Institute of Physics, the American Meteorological Society, and multiple awards from the American Geophysical Union, including the 2019 Robert C. Cowen Award for Sustained Achievement in Science Journalism.

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Class of 1992

Sherri Willard Argyres  B.S, microbiology, Oregon State University; M.A., microbiology and molecular genetics, Harvard; internship: Associated Press; jobs: communications coordinator, Office of the Dean of Students, University of Oregon; assistant director, Office of Student Retention Programs, University of Oregon; current job, head advisor and program coordinator, College of Agricultural Sciences, Oregon State University.

Bob Holmes  B.A., zoology, University of Alberta; Ph.D., ecology, University of Arizona; internship: U.S. News and World Report. Currently a correspondent for New Scientist and freelancing from Edmonton, Alberta.

Gary Kliewer  B.A., environmental studies, UC Santa Cruz; internship: AAAS radio, Washington, D.C.; jobs: public affairs, UC Santa Cruz; publisher, Coast Gardens Magazine; public information officer, Los Alamos National Laboratory. After serving as editor of publications for Southern Oregon University, in Ashland, he launched Caveat Press, publishing consumer health-care books.

Traci Watson  B.A., biology and English, Amherst College; internships: Nature, Science; jobs: science writer, U.S. News & World Report; NASA and environmental reporter, USA Today; currently senior editor, News and Research Highlights, Nature.

Elizabeth Wilson  B.S., physics, and B.A., chemistry, UC Santa Barbara; internship: Alameda news group; jobs: science writer, Pasadena Star-News; senior editor, West Coast, Chemical & Engineering News. Now a freelance editor and writer, based in Berkeley.
 
Mike Wooldridge  B.A., genetics, UC Berkeley; internship: Discover; first job: science writer, Lawrence Berkeley Lab; current day job: Web developer at a domain name registration company; current night job: computer book author (has written twelve books on Web and imaging software). In the mid-90s, served as editor of the Black Rock Gazette, the daily newspaper of Burning Man.

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Class of 1991

Melissa Lutz Blouin  B.A., chemistry, Oberlin College; internship: ZooGoer, Friends of the National Zoo; first job: health reporter and later lifestyles editor for the Northwest Arkansas Times; science and research communications manager, University of Arkansas and founder and editor of Research Frontiers; currently director of news and media relations, University of California, Davis. Winner of science writing awards from the Council for the Support and Advancement of Education and president of the University Research Magazine Association.

Rosie Mestel  B.A., genetics, Queen Mary College, University of London; Ph.D., genetics, UC Davis; internship: The Dallas Morning News; jobs: reporter, Discover; West coast correspondent, New Scientist; health and science reporter and editor, Los Angeles Times; chief magazine editor, Nature, London; currently executive editor, Knowable Magazine, Palo Alto.

Karen F. Schmidt  B.S., chemistry, San José State University; internships: U.S. News and World Report, Science News; first job: chemistry reporter, Science News. Taught environmental journalism as a Fulbright Scholar in Romania. Freelanced for U.S. News and World Report, New Scientist, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Science, Earth, National Wildlife. Current job: Middle school science teacher in San Jose, CA.

Richard Stone  B.S., biology, Cornell University; internships: Washington Post, Science; jobs: Washington-based reporter and then Asia News Editor, Science, based in Beijing, China; International News Editor, Science, based in Washington, D.C. Author of Mammoth: The Resurrection of an Ice Age Giant (Perseus, 2001). Winner of the 2003 American Institute of Biological Sciences award for an article in Science on a fatal disease spreading in Siberia. Currently: Senior Science Editor, Tangled Bank Studios, Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Debra Wirkman
  B.A., chemistry, UC Santa Cruz; internship: Sea Studios, video production company in Monterey, CA; first job: science writer at Sea Studios; second job: content director of general chemistry distance learning course for Archipelago Productions/Harcourt e-Learning, also in Monterey.

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Class of 1990

Robert Coontz  B.A., mathematics, Swarthmore College; M.S., hydrology, Stanford University; internship and first job: an environmental newsletter in Scotland; other jobs: senior editor, The Sciences (former magazine of the New York Academy of Sciences); adjunct journalism professor, New York University; senior editor, Earth; freelance for New Scientist, American Scientist, IEEE Spectrum and others; member, board of advisors, Muse; deputy news editor, physical sciences, Science; now retired.

Mary K. Miller  B.A., biology, UC Santa Cruz; internship: ZooGoer (National Zoo); first job: science writer for The Exploratorium in San Francisco; writer/producer for Live@Exploratorium, SciCom lecturer (web media). Coauthor of Watching Weather (Henry Holt) and contributor to A Field Guide for Science Writers (NASW). Currently freelancing from the Bay Area.

Noreen Parks  B.A., social studies education, and M.S., history, University of Illinois; B.A., biology, UC Santa Cruz; jobs: project coordinator/manuscript editor for the award-winning Atlas of Hawaii; public information officer, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute; communications coordinator, Marine Conservation Biology Institute; currently freelancing from Port Townsend, Washington.

Joseph Rojas-Burke  B.A., biology, Columbia University; internship: Newsday (Long Island, NY); jobs: news editor, Journal of Nuclear Medicine; health and science reporter, Eugene Register-Guard; science writer, The Oregonian (Portland, OR); contributing writer, Consumer Reports publications; associate editor, Oregon Business Magazine; now a senior science writer at the University of Utah.
WEB SITE: joerojasburke.com

Rosanne Spector  B.S., government, Oberlin College; M.S., plant pathology, UC Berkeley; internship: Time (AAAS Mass Media Fellow); jobs: reporter, Peninsula Times Tribune (Palo Alto, CA); reporter, Valley Times (Pleasanton, CA); currently editor of Stanford Medicine Magazine and freelance writer for Muse.

Tim Stephens  B.A., botany, UC Santa Barbara; M.S., plant pathology, Cornell University; internship and first job: Journal of NIH Research, Washington, D.C.; writer and editor of medical publications at Miller Freeman, Inc., San Francisco; currently science writer in the UC Santa Cruz news office.

Peter Weiss  B.S., electrical engineering, San José State University; internship: Science News; jobs: Valley Times (Pleasanton, CA); physics and technology writer, Science News; public information manager, American Geophysical Union (Washington, DC); news editor, Eos; currently freelancing from Washington D.C. Winner of American Astronomical Society prize for Popular Writing on Solar Physics (2000).

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Class of 1989

Julie Corliss  B.A., biology, Oberlin College; internship: National Cancer Institute; jobs: research reporter, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture; public affairs specialist, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics; medical writer for HealthNews, consumer health newsletter from the Massachusetts Medical Society; currently senior medical editor for Special Health Reports, published by Harvard Health Publications.

Blake Edgar  B.A., zoology and anthropology, UC Berkeley; internship: Pacific Discovery (California Academy of Sciences); first job: assistant then associate editor, Pacific Discovery; Science Writing Fellow at MBL, Woods Hole, MA; coauthor of The Dawn of Human Culture (John Wiley, '02), From Lucy to Language (Simon & Schuster, '96), and Ancestors (Villard '94). Current job: senior science editor, University of California Press, acquiring books about biology, anthropology, and wine.

Stephen Hart B.A., zoology; teaching certificate, biology; MAT, biology, all at the University of Washington; internships: KUSP, Science News; freelance writer for about 20 years, specializing in science, medicine and technology.
WEB SITES: Olympic Natural History: https://onh.eugraph.com . The Animal Communication Project, including the full text of the 1996 book The Language of Animals: https://acp.eugraph.com .

Aline McKenzie  B.S., chemistry, MIT; M.A., neuroscience, UC San Francisco; internships: the Lompoc (CA) Record and Science News; jobs: (Vallejo, CA) Times-Herald; staff reporter, Dallas Morning News; The Science Place in Dallas; current job: senior writer in the news office at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

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Class of 1988

David Egerter  A.B., human biology, Stanford University; Ph.D., parasitology, UC Berkeley; internship: Medical World News; first job: assistant editor and then executive editor, Diagnostic Imaging (Miller Freeman, San Francisco); editor, MR magazine; publisher, Healthcare Education Products; senior editor, Prohealth; scientific services supervisor, Grey Healthcare West; senior vice president, Scientific Direction, ApotheCom Associates, LLC; currently principal, MedComm Strategic Consulting (pharma/biotech consultant in Oakland); editor, inquiry@UC Santa Cruz Research Magazine.

Faye Flam  B.S., geophysics, Caltech; internships: The Economist (London), Science News; jobs: news office, National Institute of Standards and Technology; Washington, D.C., bureau chief, ChemWeek; staff writer, Science; science writer, Philadelphia Inquirer; author of evolution blog and column, "Planet of the Apes." Author of The Score: How the Quest for Sex Has Shaped the Modern Man (Penguin, 2008). Currently: opinion columnist, Bloomberg News Service, and host, "Follow the Science" podcast.
WEB SITE: http://www.fayeflam.com

Melissa Hendricks Joyce B.A., biology, Wesleyan; internships: Science News, Psychology Today, Science Update (AAAS radio program); first job: senior science writer, Johns Hopkins Magazine; earned a gold medal from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) for a feature about an aggression gene. Now freelancing for AARP Magazine, Ladies' Home Journal, and others, and associate director of the M.A. & Graduate Certificate in Science Writing program at Johns Hopkins University.

Robert Irion  B.S., earth and planetary sciences, MIT; internship: Chicago Tribune (AAAS Mass Media Fellow); jobs: science writer at UC Santa Cruz; freelance magazine journalist and book author in physical sciences; SciCom lecturer and director, 2006-16; now director emeritus and program advisor. (See faculty list for longer bio.)

Pat Janowski  B.S., physics, UC San Diego; internship: IEEE Spectrum; jobs: Physics Today; freelance for Science, OMNI, the National Research Council, the Institutes of Medicine; the Association of Science-Technology Centers; freelance for The Sciences, Oregon Health and Science University, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, The Oregonian; American Foundation for AIDS Research; freelance for Yale University, Scientific American, Discover, and corporate clients.

Mary-Russell Roberson  B.A., geology, Carleton College; internship and first job: ZooGoer magazine; other jobs: North Carolina Alternative Energy Corporation; freelancing, with part-time work at the Museum of Life and Science on curricula and museum programming. Coauthor of Exploring the Geology of the Carolinas: A Field Guide to Favorite Places from Chimney Rock to Charleston (UNC Press, 2007).

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Class of 1987

Marcia Barinaga  A.B., biochemistry and environmental studies, Bowdoin College; Ph.D., molecular biology, UC San Diego; postdoctoral fellow, Stanford; internship: Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch (AAAS Mass Media Fellow); jobs: West Coast correspondent for Nature; contributing correspondent for Science. Currently ranching in northern California.

Robin Meadows  B.A., biology, Reed College; M.S., biology, UC San Diego; internship: UC Davis Aquaculture and Fisheries Program; job: freelancing from the SF Bay Area; credits include California Agriculture, Conservation, Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, PLoS Biology, and Smithsonian ZooGoer; board member, Northern California Science Writers Association; blog: What's That Crop?, a field guide to California agriculture.
WEB SITE: http://nasw.org/users/rmeadows

Christopher Vaughan  B.A., biophysics, UC Berkeley; internships: BioScience, National Institute of Mental Health, Science News; jobs: general sciences editor, Science News; West coast correspondent, New Scientist; editor, Cambridge University Press, based at Stanford; currently communications officer, Stanford Institutes of Medicine. Coauthored books: The Promise of Sleep (Delacorte Press, 1999); The Gift of Health: How the Environment in the Womb Can Affect Lifelong Health (Harper/Collins, 2001); Play (Avery, 2009).

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Class of 1986

Christine Bartels  B.Sc., biological and chemical sciences, University of Tuebingen, Germany; M.S., biochemistry and biophysics, Oregon State University; Ph.D., linguistics, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; internship: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory; jobs: DNA workshop coordinator, Cold Spring Harbor; executive editor, Springer-Verlag New York; commissioning editor, Cambridge University Press; linguistic analyst, InGenuity Systems; current job, International Quality Analyst, Google; freelance editor for scholarly presses.

Peg Herring  B.A., environmental science and biology, University of Virginia; M.S., journalism and literary non-fiction, University of Oregon; internship at UC Natural Reserve System; first job: freelance science writer and illustrator for agency and academic research. Coauthored two books: At the Crossroads of Science, Management, and Policy (Island Press 1999) and Forest of Time (OSU Press 2007). Currently assistant professor at Oregon State University and editor of the research magazine, Oregon's Agricultural Progress.

Patricia Long  B.A., psychology and social work; M.S., nutrition, Pennsylvania State University; internship, Psychology Today; first trade book, The Nutritional Ages of Women, Macmillan; jobs: freelance and then staff writer, Health; editorial director of Thrive, an online health and lifestyle magazine; current job: project manager, VA Hepatitis C and HIV web sites, UC San Francisco.

Robert Stayton  B.A. physics, University of Colorado; M.S. physics, UC Santa Cruz; formerly taught physics, energy, and solar energy at Cabrillo College and UC Santa Cruz. Currently a consultant in computer-based publishing for businesses. Author of Power Shift: From Fossil Energy to Dynamic Solar Power (2015), a book on solar energy written for the general public, winner of a Gold Medal in the Global Ebook Awards program.

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Class of 1985

Lisa Davis  B.S., biology, UC Santa Cruz; internships: Psychology Today, Science News; jobs: biology reporter, Science News; writer, editor, and then articles editor, Health (San Francisco); deputy executive editor, Prevention (New York); deputy editor, Reader's Digest. Freelance credits: Los Angeles Times, Discover, More, Real Simple, and O, the Oprah magazine.

Jennie Dusheck  B.A., zoology, UC Berkeley; M.A., zoology, UC Davis; internship: Science News; first jobs: writer for a college-level textbook and editor, IMS News and Science Notes (five awards). Freelance work: features for Pacific Discovery, Science, Nature, and Natural History; book reviews for the San Francisco Chronicle; coauthored three editions of a college-level introductory biology text, Asking About Life (2005).

Roberta Friedman  B.A., neuroscience, and Ph.D., pharmacology, Vanderbilt University; internships: NASA Ames, Stanford University news office; jobs included contributing editor for BioWorld and BioCentury; contributor to WebMD, CBS Healthwatch, Reuters, BioMedNet, and Doctor's Guide to the Internet. Magazine articles in Natural History and California Wild. Employed by The ALS Association to write on Lou Gehrig's disease, then freelanced for medical education clients. Roberta passed away in March 2013 after a long illness.

Carol Howard  B.A., psychology, University of Minnesota; M.A., biology, UCSC; internship: Psychology Today; first job: deputy director of UCSC SciCom Program and editor of Science Notes. Author of Dolphin Chronicles (Bantam, 1996). Science writer and communications coordinator for the Johns Hopkins University Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing. Carol passed away in 2019 from Alzheimer's disease.

Anne Oplinger  B.A., biology and English literature, Hamilton College; internships: Friends of the Earth, National Wildlife Federation; jobs: writer, National Institutes of General Medical Sciences; science writer, news office, University of Virginia, part-time while completing a Ph.D. in medical ethics. Now on the media relations team (infectious diseases and biodefense) at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Sarah Rabkin  A.B., biology, Harvard University; internship: Science '84; jobs: writing lecturer, UC Santa Cruz; freelance writing and editing for Health, Hippocrates, San Jose Mercury News, and the Edell Health Letter; most recent job: lecturer in environmental studies, UC Santa Cruz, and writing coach (Juniper Editing); all along, freelance instructor for the Yosemite Association and outdoor education schools. Author of What I Learned at Bug Camp: Essays on Finding a Home in the World (Juniper Lake Press, 2011).
WEB SITE: http://sarahrabkin.com

George Wuerthner  B.A., environmental studies, Montana State University; M.S., range management, University of Montana; freelance writer on wilderness areas, photographer, natural history guide, field ecology instructor, photo workshop instructor and biological consultant in Eugene, Oregon. Author of nearly 40 published books (latest: Protecting the Wild) plus hundreds of articles. Co-editor of Energy: Overdevelopment and the Delusion of Endless Growth (Watershed Media, 2013), winner of a Gold Medal from Independent Publisher.

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Class of 1984

Laurie K. Doepel  B.A., sociology, UC Santa Cruz; second-degree candidate, biology, University of Colorado, Boulder; internship: NIH Office of Communications; continued at NIH, first as science writer/editor for NIH Clinical Center, then as science writer/media liaison for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), then as media coordinator and senior advisor for research communications at NIAID; currently Senior Advisor for Science Communications, NIAID Office of the Director.

Ava Ferguson  B.A., biology, UC Santa Cruz; M.A., education, San Francisco State University; internship: CNN (Washington, D.C. bureau); first job: researcher (later promoted to associate producer), Science and Technology Unit, CNN, Atlanta; then freelanced in Santa Cruz, specializing in producing science educational materials; then a senior exhibit developer, Monterey Bay Aquarium; director of visitor research for the Aquarium; now retired.

Barbara Masters  B.A., biology, UC Berkeley; M.A., biochemistry, University of Colorado; internship: FM radio station in Colorado (AAAS Mass Media Fellow); first job: policy writer (medicine, science and technology) for U.S. Senator Alan Cranston (D-CA). Now vice president of a consortium of hospitals in northern California.

Daniela Minerva  B.A., philosophy, University of Bologna (Fulbright Scholar); editor in chief and deputy director: Sapere (Italy’s largest popular science magazine, based in Rome); editor in chief: Health and Medicine; cofounder of the Women in Science Association in Italy; currently Director of Salute.eu (printed and online health and medicine content hub for Repubblica, La Stampa. I1 Secolo XIX and the 10 GNN media outlet); author of several books.

Christine Mlot  B.S., bacteriology and French, University of Wisconsin, Madison; internship: Science News; jobs: Environment magazine; BioScience features editor; Science News life sciences writer; UW-Madison writing instructor; Nature Conservancy contributing editor; freelance writer/editor (Science/ScienceNOW, Natural History, National Wildlife, US Congress Office of Technology Assessment, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, World Resources Institute); currently freelance writer, editor, and writing coach.

Leslie Sweeney  B.A., geology, Mount Holyoke College; internship: UC Santa Cruz campus publications; freelancing ever since, mixed with part-time writing, editing and web jobs at UCSC and elsewhere.

Karen Watson  B.A., biology, UC San Diego; M.A.T., Johns Hopkins University; internship and first job: Alameda Times-Star; other jobs: science writer, UC Davis; director of news and research communications, UC Davis; executive science producer/editor, Discovery Channel Online; interactive executive producer, Discovery.com; new media project development officer, Corporation for Public Broadcasting; inner-city high school science teacher in Baltimore; now a freelance journalist, based in Baltimore.

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Class of 1983

Jan Ambrosini  B.A., biology and environmental studies, UC Santa Cruz; internship: Not Man Apart (newsletter of Friends of the Earth); jobs: publications coordinator, Agroecology Program, UC Santa Cruz; freelance editor for Addison-Wesley Publishing Company; associate director, Engineering Public Affairs, UC Berkeley; currently UC Berkeley communications director for the California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3) and freelance editor for nonprofit and university clients.

Lisa Bain  B.A., biology, UC Santa Cruz; M.A., immunology, UC Berkeley School of Public Health; internship: Milwaukee Journal (AAAS Mass Media Fellow); jobs: associate editor, UCSF Magazine; science writer, University of Pennsylvania Health System; research project manager, The Deafness & Family Communication Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; current job: grant writer and scientific editor at University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Author of three books about parenting children with special needs.

Eileen Campbell  B.S., zoology, UC Davis; master's work in marine biology, San Francisco State University; internship: Pacific Discovery (California Academy of Sciences); jobs: writer and exhibit developer, Monterey Bay Aquarium; interpretive coordinator for new exhibits at the San Francisco Zoo; currently senior science writer, San Francisco Exploratorium. Principal of Farallon Media, which provides writing, exhibit planning, video and web production.

Leslie Fink  B.A., biology, James Madison University; internship: National Cancer Institute; jobs: National Institute for Child Health and Human Development; Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH); Chief of Communications, Human Genome Project (NIH); Chief of Communications, Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH); then Head, Media Relations and Public Information, Office of Legislative and Public Affairs, National Science Foundation; now retired.

John Gustafson  B.S., astronomy, University of Arizona; M.A., astronomy and astrophysics, UC Santa Cruz; internship: Caltech public information office; jobs: public information writer, Lick Observatory; writer for the Keck Ten-Meter Telescope (Caltech and UC); director of public affairs, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); currently chief of staff for Experimental Physics Science Directorate at LANL.

Sarah Steinberg Gustafson  B.A., biology, UC Santa Cruz; internship: Science News; first job: public information writer and editor for the UC Natural Reserve System. Now based in Los Alamos; environmental and outdoors educator for elementary and middle schools and former director of Nature Odyssey program at Pajarito Enviromental Education Center.

Laura Tangley  B.A., politics, University of Virginia; internship: Science News; editor, Science Notes; jobs: features editor, BioScience; MIT Knight Science Journalism Fellow; wrote two books on tropical forests (for Chelsea House and Beacon Press); associate editor, Earthwatch magazine, Boston; senior writer, Conservation International; senior editor, U.S. News and World Report. Currently senior editor, National Wildlife.

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Class of 1982

Martha Brown  B.A., biology and sociology, UC Santa Cruz; internship: Southwest Fisheries Service (San Diego); jobs: writer/editor for Mussel Watch Project, California Department of Fish and Game; editor, Environmental Field Program, UC Santa Cruz; senior editor, Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems, UC Santa Cruz; freelance writer and editor for natural history publications and organizations; now retired. Ongoing field researcher for U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Midway Atoll.

Helen Gibbons  B.A., Earth science/natural history, UC Santa Cruz; internship: Aquaculture Program, UC Davis; jobs: editor, UCSC Environmental Field Program; geology instructor, Yosemite National Park; copy editor, Regis McKenna Public Relations, Palo Alto, CA; technical editor, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA; since 1995, outreach coordinator, writer, and editor, USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Geology Center, Menlo Park and Santa Cruz.

Amanda Iles  B.A., biology, UC San Diego; internship: California Sea Grant Program, Scripps Institution of Oceanography; jobs: life sciences editor and reporter, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; writer, Regis McKenna public relations (Palo Alto, CA); now living in Ashland, OR, and working as a freelance marketing writer and communication consultant for (mostly) high-technology companies.

Lynn Meyerson Parker  B.A., computer science and American studies, UC Santa Cruz; internships: San Jose Mercury News, KUSP public radio; jobs: Ashland (OR) Daily Tidings; Register-Pajaronian (Watsonville, CA); Regis McKenna Public Relations, Palo Alto; since 1994, owner of integrated branding consulting firm with 10 employees in Seattle. Author of three books on branding and monthly columnist for the Puget Sound Business Journal. Speaker at TEDx Puget Sound, 2011.

Robert Pollie  B.A., biology, UC Santa Cruz; internships: Science News and “Report on Science” (AAAS syndicated radio program); longtime job: freelance speechwriter for Silicon Valley executives; currently producing and reporting news and features on science for public radio; based in Santa Cruz.

Douglas Smith  B.S., chemistry, Waynesburg College; first job: writer and editor for a small chemical engineering firm in North Hollywood, CA; second job: writer, Engineering & Science, Caltech's research magazine. Currently editor of Engineering & Science. Recipient of Caltech Honorary Alumni Award, 2012.

Prior years

Before the Science Communication program was formally established at the graduate level in 1981, some UC Santa Cruz undergraduate students completed science communication coursework. These pioneering students are listed below. 

Kim Fulton-Bennett B.S., earth science and environmental studies, UC Santa Cruz '80; internship: Scripps Institution of Oceanography, resulting in publication of a book documenting a new method of studying coastal erosion using historical records, which was eventually published by California Sea Grant. Currently public information specialist, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, Calif.

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