Steve Nadis (‘98) was awarded the 2020 David N. Schramm Award from the American Astronomical Society for his Discover Magazine article “Ripple Effect,” about the burgeoning field of gravitational wave astronomy. The Schramm Award, which comes with a $1,500 prize, recognizes distinguished writing on high-energy astrophysics.
“I’ve written about astrophysics for many years — long enough to have interviewed David Schramm in the past,” Nadis told AAS. “I am grateful for having learned so much about the universe in the course of my writings and am especially honored to win an award in David’s name.”
Nadis will be honored in a ceremony at the next meeting of the AAS’s High-Energy Astrophysics Division. In the meanwhile, his astrophysics coverage hasn’t missed a beat: In May, he published a feature in Quanta about a new mathematical proof of the instability of a certain kind of space-time.
After a temporary leave to work on an upcoming book, Jason Dearen (’19) has rejoined the Associated Press on the investigative team. In May, he garnered national attention with a series of high-profile stories about the Trump Administration’s suppression of Covid-19 guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dearen also discussed the reporting in appearances on MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show.”
Meera Subramanian (’17) became the 15th president of the Society of Environmental Journalists, succeeding Bloomberg’s Bobby Magill. “I look forward to the year ahead as a time to give back at this critical juncture,” Subramanian wrote in her inaugural president’s report. “I take on this role committed to doing my best to foster this thriving organization as it enhances existing programs, expands new ones, creates new partnerships and reaches out so more journalists from diverse backgrounds can benefit from them.”
Subramanian is currently finishing up her year at Princeton University as the Currie C. and Thomas A. Barron Visiting Professor in the Environment & the Humanities. She recently spoke with author Elizabeth Rush as part of the Together Apart series for Orion magazine, where she is a contributing editor. And last winter she wrote an essay for Orion about what might unite the left and right on the issue of climate change. Subramanian has another essay forthcoming in “House on Fire,” an anthology on climate change being published by Catapult.
“Overheard at National Geographic,” of which Ibby Caputo (‘15) is Senior Editor and Interim Executive Producer, won a Webby award this year for Best Science and Education podcast. The show will launch its third season on June 16, and recently released “Virus Hunters” as a special bonus episode ahead of the season premiere.
Here’s what other alumni are writing, a compendium from Federico Kukso (’16):
Amina Khan (‘19): “Engineer? Cancer expert? Physicist? They’re coronavirus researchers now,” The Los Angeles Times.
Eva Wolfangel (‘20): “What I Learned About Reality in VR,” Immerse.
Valeria Román (‘05): “‘In Antarctica we are safer than in the rest of the world that is in a pandemic’,” Infobae (in Spanish.)
Jason Dearen (‘19): “Trump administration buries detailed CDC advice on reopening,” The Associated Press.
Anja Krieger (‘16): “Plastics in times of the coronavirus,” Plastisphere.
Giovana Girardi (‘15): “Deforestation alerts in the Amazon in 10 months already account for 92% of losses in the previous year,” Estadao (in Portuguese).
Pakinam Amer (‘19): “Coronavirus conversations: Science communication during a pandemic,” Nature.
Federico Kukso (’16): “The great hope: smallpox, mumps, and coronavirus? The story of how vaccines saved humanity” La Nación (in Spanish).
Teresa Carr (‘18): “Where Psychologists Should Fear to Tread on Covid-19, They Don’t,” Undark.
Zack Colman (‘16): “FEMA guide expects hurricane response ‘adaptations’ amid Covid-19,” POLITICO Pro.
Pablo Correa (‘13): “Patarroyo’s blunders during the coronavirus pandemic,” El Espectador (in Spanish).
Eli Kintisch (‘12): “Why did nearly a million king penguins vanish without a trace?” Science.
Sasha Chapman (‘16): “Waiting for a Queen to Fly,” Cottage Life.
Dan Falk (‘12): “A Conversation With Paolo Giordano,” Undark.
Mićo Tatalović (‘18): “Inside Bristol’s ‘Uncover’ Covid-19 vaccine team,” Research Professional News.
Venkatesh Hariharan (‘99): “Need to strike right balance between public health and individual’s right to privacy,” The Indian Express.
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