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Science Writing

I have written articles on a multitude of topics, including COVID-19, sustainability and muons

Grey Cat

What is health-monitoring cat litter, and how does it help detect when your cat is sick?

C&EN

Chemistry gives the classic adsorbent material a colorimetric twist and could provide information about your pet’s health | A version of this story appeared in Volume 100, Issue 24

Image by Ricardo Gomez Angel

Meet the AI-Controlled Drone That Flies Faster Than Human Pilots

Discover

Scientists created an algorithm that helped the drone find the fastest path for navigating an indoor racetrack — outstripping the times of two professional drone pilots.

Image by Haley Owens

Is It Time to Rethink Food Coloring?

Discover

The FDA says they’re safe in moderation. But some experts say their guidelines are outdated and need changes to account for the possibility that dyes affect children's brains and behavior.

Image by Joseph Watson

We Still Don’t Know What’s Killing the Birds

Discover

Is it a disease? A toxin? A parasite? Ecologists and wildlife health experts are working to solve the mystery of why so many songbirds in the Eastern and Midwestern U.S. are sick and dying.

Image by Kevin McCutcheon

Are Cooking Fumes Bad for Your Health?

Discover

Cooking in the kitchen affects indoor air quality in complex ways. The best way to stay safe is simple: Use good ventilation

Image by Iswanto Arif

7 New Animals Discovered in 2021 So Far

Discover

The world’s tiniest lizard, a new type of octopus, an ant named with the help of a rock musician, and more amazing creatures.

Image by Vincent Erhart

Construction crews start lowering equipment a mile underground for excavation for DUNE

Fermilab

How do you build a ship in a bottle? Everything necessary to construct the enormous Fermilab-hosted international Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment must fit down a narrow, mile-deep shaft cut through solid rock. 

Image by Greg Rosenke

Rock transportation system is ready for excavation of DUNE caverns

Fermilab

Fermilab contractors have successfully commissioned a system that will move 800,000 tons of rock to create space for the international Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment’s detectors in South Dakota. 

Image by Nikola Jovanovic

Where science meets the sacred

Symmetry Magazine

Sanford Underground Research Facility is making an effort to build bridges with Native American communities and operate with respect for the sacred land it is built on.

Image by Erwan Martin

Testing wraps up for first Fermilab-designed cryomodule for PIP-II accelerator

Fermilab

A Fermilab team has completed tests for a crucial superconducting segment for the PIP-II particle accelerator, the future heart of the Fermilab accelerator chain.

Image by Casey Horner

New metamaterials for studying the oldest light in the universe

Fermilab

A Fermilab scientist and his team have developed a new way to make antireflective lenses, enabling big discoveries about the cosmic microwave background radiation and the fabric of the universe.

micheile-henderson-f030K9IzpcM-unsplash.

Funding for All: The Inside Scoop on Grants and Fellowships

ScienceWriters 2020 Event Coverage

Wherever you are in your science journalism career, fellowships and grants can give you the resources to pursue a passion project. But what does it take to get them? 

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To Stop Coronavirus’ Spread, We’ll Need New Testing Technology

Discover

Experts say communities must massively scale up COVID-19 testing, with quicker turnaround times. New test innovations in the works promise to do just that.

Image by Bruno Nascimento

Mental Health, Well-Being and Research

University of Michigan Chemistry

with Taylor Soucy

Jen Heemstra, Associate Professor at Emory University, visited the University of Michigan in January to talk a bit about her research designing DNA biosensors and a lot about her perspectives on failure, self-care, and how being an academic is a little like being an athlete

Image by Marjan Blan | @marjanblan

Comic-book science and science comic books

C&EN

Not only are comic-book characters a great tool for science education—so is the medium itself | A version of this story appeared in Volume 100, Issue 16

Grapefruit

Interfering grapefruit and low-stress tomatoes

C&EN

Newscripts January 30, 2022 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 100, Issue 4

Gymnast

The Brain Science Behind the "Twisties”

Discover

Elite athletes train their brains and bodies to be in perfect sync, but sometimes mixed signals can spell disaster.

Image by Andres Herrera

The Secret Cleaning Power of Bacteria

Discover

Microbes are really good at eating a range of substances, so humans are putting them to work cleaning up our messes — and our art.

Image by Michael Maasen

DUNE prototype detector ArgonCube crosses the globe

Fermilab

The first module of the prototype pixel-based neutrino catcher developed for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment is on its way to Fermilab from the University of Bern.

Image by The Creative Exchange

A strong force for inclusion

Symmetry Magazine

Elena Long’s search for community as a trans scientist put her at the forefront of LGBT+ advocacy in physics.

Image by Mark kassinos

ICARUS gets ready to fly

Fermilab

The ICARUS detector, part of Fermilab’s Short-Baseline Neutrino Program, will officially start its hunt for elusive sterile neutrinos this fall. The international collaboration led by Nobel laureate Carlo Rubbia successfully brought the detector online and is now collecting test data and making final improvements.

Image by Clément M.

On the marvels of physics

Symmetry Magazine

Theoretical physicist Clifford Johnson answers my questions about his work in science and outreach, including advising on movies like Avengers: Endgame.

Image by George Prentzas

The mystery of the muon’s magnetism

Symmetry Magazine

A super-precise experiment at Fermilab is carefully analyzing every detail of the muon’s magnetic moment.

Image by Ed Robertson

One minute with Arden Warner, accelerator physicist

Fermilab

Arden Warner loves solving problems. He’s also chair of the Fermilab Summer Internships in Science and Technology committee, where he champions mentoring young scientists and working towards a more inclusive culture in science.

Image by Annie Spratt

One minute with Maxine Hronek, DUNE collaboration coordinator

Fermilab

A veteran administrator with a love of flowers and true crime, Maxine Hronek draws on three decades of Fermilab experience to keep the international Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment running smoothly behind the scenes.

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Questing for Cures From a Boiling River

NASW Student Newsroom

The Peruvian Amazon is home to a multitude of bacteria that thrive on extreme heat—and may lead to new drugs. 

Winner, 2020 Student Summer Writing Award

Image by Merch HÜSEY

We Need to Talk About Plastic Lab Waste

Bioeconomy.XYZ

Achieving true sustainability for lab waste will require more comprehensive solutions than adding a few recycling bins.

Image by hannah grace

Career Ladder:
Kat Day

C&EN

Communication skills and attention to detail assisted this chemist turned teacher turned writer and editor through multiple career transformations | A version of this story appeared in Volume 100, Issue 9

Image by Nick Fewings

Glow Worm

Discover

Imaging Techniques Show an Earthworm's Natural Parasites in a New Light

Image by Matt Houghton

The Secret to Brilliant Auroras? ‘Surfing’ Electrons

Discover

New research sheds light on the complex physics behind the Northern lights.

Image by NASA

Turns Out, Venus (Almost) Has Tectonic Plates

Discover

A new look at old images of Earth’s strange sister shows hints that the planet’s crust was more mobile more recently than previously thought.

Image by Cole Keister

Can Solar Farms Help Save Bees?

Discover

Pairing solar farms with pollinator-friendly plants could be a win for both green energy and biodiversity.

Image by Viviana Rishe

FAPA gains new leadership, new momentum

Fermilab

Fermilab’s laboratory resource group for Asian and Pacific Islander employees and allies has a new co-leader, new executive sponsor and new plans for building community and raising awareness of issues faced by the Asian and Pacific Islander community.

Image by Aditya Chinchure

Argonaut project launches design effort for super-cold robotics

Fermilab

Fermilab scientists are developing one of the most cold-tolerant robots ever made so they can monitor the interiors of particle detectors. The project has already garnered some interest from engineers at other research institutions, including NASA.

Image by Dayne Topkin

The beginner's guide to a career in science writing

Cell Mentor

with Brittany Trang

Answers to five common questions about how to become a science writer.  

Image by Max Shilov

A Fermilab family legacy

Symmetry Magazine

Steve Tammes’ love of physics began with his grandfather’s tales about Fermilab.

Image by Matt Briney

The critical role of chemistry in D&D poisons

Chemistry World

Not everything in Dungeons and Dragons is fantasy.

Image by Dylan Ferreira

Meet Four Ph.D. Students Who Passed Their Candidacy Exams in Quarantine

ACS Graduate and Postdoctoral Chemist

The candidacy exam experience in quarantine was close to normal, but the pandemic also made it unique. Read about four Ph.D. students who passed.

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Grad Students Weigh In on Returning to Lab After Quarantine

ACS Graduate and Postdoctoral Chemist

Clear Communication, Managing Expectations, and Other Keys to Safe Research During a Pandemic

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Why Aren't Academic Sustainable Lab Programs Gaining More Traction?

Lab Manager

Many universities are starting programs to help labs become more sustainable—but achieving widespread participation is no easy feat.

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