Our People — SciLine

Our People

SciLine is led by a director with decades of experience in field and laboratory research, science journalism, and public affairs, and is staffed by experienced writers, editors, and communicators. A volunteer Advisory Board, consisting of scientists, general assignment and science reporters, and communications professionals regularly advises SciLine on strategy, development, and operations issues and to help ensure accuracy, quality, and impartiality.

Director

Rick has more than three decades of experience in journalism and public affairs, including 15 years as a science reporter at the Washington Post and more than a decade leading strategic communications and media relations activities around issues of science and technology in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. While at The Post, Rick wrote more than 1,000 news and feature articles about advances in science and technology and their economic, societal, and ethical implications. His awards include the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing’s Victor Cohn Prize for Excellence in Medical Science Reporting and the National Association of Science Writers’ Science and Society Award.

Rick earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Cornell University and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley, and holds a license in medical technology with the American Society for Clinical Pathology. He lives in Takoma Park, Maryland, with his wife Natalie Angier, the New York Times science writer and author.

Local Media Outreach Manager

During her ten years (and counting!) in science communications, Sara has worked in nonprofit, agency, and academic settings. Before joining SciLine, she led communications strategy and operations for two research and advocacy projects at The Pew Charitable Trusts. At Pew, she honed her ability to develop clear explanations of complex topics, like the regulation of compounded drugs, dietary supplements, and stem cell therapies. She has also worked at the mission-driven communications firm Burness, and the Genetics and Public Policy Center at Johns Hopkins University.

Before becoming a communications professional, Sara was a wannabe-scientist who spent summers conducting research on, respectively, the effects of mosquito-control pesticides on monarch butterfly caterpillars, and telomere dynamics in wild Savannah sparrows. She also held a yearlong postbaccalaureate research fellowship at the National Cancer Institute, where she received training in molecular biology techniques and fruit fly genetics. She attended Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, where she earned a B.A. in biology with a minor in Mandarin Chinese.

Marketing & Data Analytics Manager

Josh is a communications, marketing, and data analytics professional with experience in the private sector, nonprofit space, and on Capitol Hill. Before joining SciLine, Josh worked as the program associate for the Outreach, Engagement & Communications Systems team at AAAS’s Science & Technology Policy Fellowships. There he managed event planning and logistics and conducted ROI analyses on the program’s outreach activities. Previous to his time at AAAS, Josh served as marketing manager at a startup, BluShark Digital, where he worked on search engine optimization for legal and professional clients across the United States and Canada. While at university, Josh worked for his hometown congressman, Jared Huffman, on international relations, transportation, and environmental issues as well as fulfilling administrative duties.

Josh received his M.S. in applied data science from Syracuse University, where he is currently pursuing a second M.S. in information management. He received his B.A. in political science from American University, with a focus on science and technology policy.

Associate Director, Science

Meredith is a physical scientist with expertise in observational astrophysics and extensive science policy experience in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining SciLine, Meredith served for five years at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, most recently as its acting lead for science. There she worked with the public and private sectors to expand opportunities and improve learning outcomes in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education as well as to support and strengthen the research and development enterprise in space science, materials science, and forensic science. Meredith also served as an AIP congressional fellow with the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, covering science and space policy legislative issues.

Before her arrival in Washington, D.C., Meredith was a postdoctoral research associate studying star formation at the University of Virginia. She received her Ph.D. in astrophysics from the University of Colorado, her M.S. in physics from North Carolina State University, and a B.S. in chemistry from Duke University.

Program Associate, Budget & Administration

Lane is an accounting and program management professional leading the budget and administration side of SciLine. With nearly a decade of experience working within nonprofit organizations, Lane is here to keep SciLine running smoothly and efficiently. Before joining SciLine, Lane managed accounts receivable at the American Physical Therapy Association, as well as full-cycle accounting for the Physical Therapy Political Action Committee. While working in the nonprofit field, Lane has also worked on program administration, organizational change management, and event planning.

Lane has B.A.s in cultural anthropology and studio art from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Lane’s focus in anthropology was on fundamentalism and its impact on communities. After wrapping up a thesis in anthropology, Lane went on to complete a degree in studio art, focusing primarily on art influenced by scientific illustration, with a few extended forays into ceramics and hand-binding books.

Managing Editor

Karl brings to SciLine extensive experience in public policy, editing, and the technology of publishing. Over the last decade, he has had a particular focus on health care and health policy. Before joining SciLine, Karl was the communications director at the Alliance for Health Policy, a nonpartisan organization that seeks to help policymakers and journalists gain a greater understanding of health policy issues. Prior to that, he was the health editor at RealClear Media Group, where he managed the launch of the RealClearHealth website and the Morning Scan daily email newsletter. Karl was also a senior web editor at Kaiser Health News, where he managed the redesign and re-engineering of its website and the publication of its first blog. Karl also served as new media strategy editor at National Journal and as assistant managing editor for newsroom operations at washingtonpost.com.

Karl has a B.A. in political science from the College of Wooster and did graduate-level studies in political science at Duke University.

Associate Director, News & Operations

Becky is a speechwriter and public affairs strategist with more than a decade of experience in the science, health, and environment space. Over four years in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, she was a lead writer on climate policy and the environment and energy press lead for President Obama’s Science Advisor. Becky also served for four years at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), where she was director of speechwriting and played leading crisis-communications roles during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. Most recently, Becky was chief speechwriter at Children’s National Health System, where she shaped executive messaging on health care policy during a critical legislative period.

Becky has a B.A. in environmental policy, an M.A. in earth & environmental science, and an M.S. in journalism, all from Columbia University. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband, Nick, an ob/gyn surgeon.

Program Associate, Science Communications

Elena is a writer and editor focused on science. While reporting for science publications, she has loved learning about everything from physics-based ocean current models to what goes on in our brains during sleep. She has also covered general news for local newspapers and magazines, and applied her arts background by producing videos to explain science in the news and taking photos to accompany her reporting.

Elena was Editor-in-Chief of the Brown Daily Herald at Brown University, where she earned a degree in Science, Technology and Society with an emphasis on neuroscience. Her work has been published by NPR, Quanta Magazine, Nautilus, and PBS NOVA, among other national and local outlets.

Senior Program Associate, Science

Sara is a biologist with a background in synthetic biology and microbiology who is excited about scientific storytelling. She’s bounced around the country designing antimicrobial peptides, studying a flu-like disease called Q fever, and tackling HIV replication. Before landing at SciLine, she earned an M.S. in Biophysics & Structural Biology from the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied how bacteria organize their insides. While elbow deep in bacterial cultures, Sara wrote about research and her experiences as a graduate student for STAT News, Pitt Med Magazine, and Scientific American.

Scientific Outreach Manager

Mohamed is a biologist with a background in evolutionary ecology and plant genetics, and a deep commitment to science outreach and education. For three years before joining SciLine, Mohamed was the science outreach and education coordinator at the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences at the University of Minnesota, where he oversaw the formation of the Plant Education Group (UMN PlantEd), an interdisciplinary research and outreach group focused on plant sciences. At UMN, he also led the Minnesota Youth Institute, a program partnered with the World Food Prize that challenges high school students to research solutions to global hunger issues. He enjoys innovating novel approaches to science education and communication and, while in graduate school, created and launched Market Science, an outreach initiative through which graduate students host hands-on booths at local farmers markets to share their scientific expertise with market-goers.

Mohamed earned his Ph.D. in plant biological sciences from the University of Minnesota, and an M.S. in molecular biology and B.S. in microbiology from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.

Science Editor, National Geographic

Nsikan Akpan is a science editor at National Geographic. He was previously the digital science producer for PBS “NewsHour,” where he co-created the award-winning digital series “ScienceScope.” He was elected to the board of the National Association of Science Writers in September 2016. His work has also appeared in NPR, Science, Science News, Scientific American, Newsweek, and elsewhere. He holds a doctorate in pathobiology from Columbia University and is an alum of the science communication program at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Director of Science Outreach, COMPASS Science Communication

Nancy Baron leads communication workshops around the world for scientists in academia, government, and non-governmental organizations for COMPASS, a nonprofit organization. She guides scientists on how to engage in society’s conversations and to make their research more relevant to journalists, policy makers, and the public. Her practical communications book, Escape from the Ivory Tower: A guide to making your science matter, is widely used by environmental scientists. Nancy received the 2013 Peter Benchley Ocean Award for Excellence in the Media for her work at the intersection of science and journalism.

Co-founder & CEO, World Science Festival

Tracy Day serves as CEO of the World Science Foundation, overseeing the creative and programmatic offerings of the World Science Festival and producing original theatrical, musical, and multimedia works at the intersection of science and art.  She is a four-time National News Emmy award-winning journalist and has produced live and documentary programming for the nation’s preeminent television news divisions for over two decades.  

Professor of Climatology, University of Vermont; Vermont State Climatologist

Lesley-Ann Dupigny-Giroux is a professor of climatology in the Department of Geography at the University of Vermont. Her work spans a number of climate hazards and severe weather, with a special focus on flooding and droughts. As the state climatologist for Vermont, she engages directly with community groups, K-12 schools, state legislators, federal and state agencies, and national climate organizations. She is the president of the American Association of State Climatologists and was inducted as a fellow of the American Meteorological Society in January 2020.

Senior Editor, CNN Health

Maggie Fox’s passion is writing what’s true about medicine and science. She is a journalist with more than 35 years’ experience in reporting from around the world and has been focused on health and science for more than 20 of those years, focusing on simple, straightforward explanatory journalism and telling stories. For Maggie, it’s all about the people, and it’s all about making it clear. She is a senior editor at CNN Health, the former senior writer for NBC News, former global health and science editor for Reuters, and former health care and technology editor for National Journal.

Ford Foundation Professor of Physics and Affiliate Professor of Mathematics, Brown University

Sylvester James “Jim” Gates Jr. is an award-winning American theoretical physicist. He is a Ford Foundation Professor of Physics at Brown University and College Park Professor Emeritus at the University of Maryland. He has authored over 200 scientific publications and has been featured in several popular physics documentaries, including: “The Elegant Universe,” “Fabric of the Cosmos,” and “The Hunt for the Higgs.” Jim co-wrote Superspace, the first comprehensive book about supersymmetry, and was the first African American to hold an endowed chair in physics at a major U.S. research university.

Former Commissioner, U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Margaret “Peggy” Hamburg is an internationally recognized leader in public health and medicine. She has devoted most of her career to public service, including such significant roles as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, assistant secretary for planning and evaluation at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, health commissioner for New York City, and assistant director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Dr. Hamburg is past-president and former board chairman of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Editor-in-Chief, Scientific American

Laura Helmuth is the editor-in-chief of Scientific American and a past president of the National Association of Science Writers. She has previously worked as an editor for The Washington Post, National Geographic, Slate, Smithsonian, and Science magazines. She has a Ph.D. in cognitive neuroscience from the University of California, Berkeley.

Documentary Writer/Producer, Idaho Public Television

Bill Manny a writer/producer for Idaho Public Television’s documentary series, “Idaho Experience.” He has worked as a reporter, editor, and columnist in Oregon, Idaho, and Washington, D.C. He is a bicyclist, backpacker and peak-bagger, and he is past president of Boise City Club. He lives in Boise, Idaho.

Co-Founder and President, Quadrivium Foundation

Kathryn Murdoch is co-founder and president of the Quadrivium Foundation. She is an advocate for improving science communications and is a trustee of the Environmental Defense Fund, Rockefeller University, and Climate Central and an adviser to the Meta-Research Innovation Center at Stanford.

Dean, Drake University School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Kathleen Richardson is the dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. Prior to earning her law degree and entering academia, Richardson worked at The Des Moines Register for 20 years in a variety of newsroom jobs, including news editor and columnist. She was the executive director of the non-profit Iowa Freedom of Information Council for 15 years. She was also a founding member of the Iowa Public Information Board, a state agency that helps enforce the open-government laws. She serves on several Iowa Newspaper Foundation committees.

Professor of Science Communication, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Dietram A. Scheufele is the John E. Ross Professor in Science Communication and Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is a member of the German National Academy of Science and Engineering and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the International Communication Association, and the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters. His research deals with the public and political interfaces of emerging science. He has been a tenured faculty member at Cornell University, a Shorenstein fellow at Harvard University, and a visiting scholar at the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania.

ENVIRONMENT REPORTER, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate

Mark Schleifstein is the environment and hurricane reporter for The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate and a leader of its Louisiana Coastal Reporting Team. Schleifstein's reporting on Katrina was among the newspaper's stories honored with 2006 Pulitzer Prizes for Public Service and Breaking News Reporting. He's the co-author with John McQuaid of the book Path of Destruction: The Devastation of New Orleans and the Coming Age of Superstorms, about Katrina. He also was co-author of the 1996 series, "Oceans of Trouble: Are the World's Fisheries Doomed?", which won the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service.

Professor in the Department of Communication Studies, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN

Talia Stroud has published extensively on how our beliefs influence the information that we seek and how we interpret that information, including in scientific contexts. She directs the Center for Media Engagement at the University of Texas at Austin, which is focused on understanding how people interact with media and how to improve their media experiences.

Director of Communications, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Pittsburgh

Arvind Suresh is the Director of Communications at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Pittsburgh. A former science writer and media relations manager at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the Pitt Schools of the Health Sciences, he communicates science and helps scientists communicate. He also served as managing editor for SciStarter, a citizen science platform, and as a science media liaison for the Genetic Experts News Service, a D.C.-based non-profit that helped connect reporters with experts on genetics and biotechnology issues.

Prior to jumping into a career in communications Arvind was a laboratory researcher for many years, trying to coax usable data out of ants, cell cultures and mice. He holds a Master's degree in cell biology from the University of Pittsburgh, and conducted graduate research in physiology at Pitt’s School of Medicine.

FORMER ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS

Actor, Writer, and Visiting Professor, Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University

Alan Alda is an actor, writer, and co-founder of The Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University, where he is a visiting professor. The Center has trained nearly 10,000 scientists in improv-based communications skills in the United States and abroad since its inception in 2009.  

Independent Journalist; Senior Fellow, Democracy Fund

Geneva Overholser is a longtime newspaperwoman (New York Times editorial board, Washington Post ombudsman, editor of the Des Moines Register) whose last full-time gig was running the USC Annenberg School of Journalism.  She now serves on boards (CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, Rita Allen Foundation, Northwestern University in Qatar) and advises Democracy Fund, Report for America, Trust Project, and AAAS Public Face of Science.