November 29, 2007
Oceanography student gets science writing fellowship
Washington Sea Grant (WSG) has announced that Ben Larson, a UW graduate student in Oceanography, as the initial recipient of its new Science Writing Fellowship.
Larson recently completed a science writing internship at The Oregonian newspaper in Portland, Ore. As part of a program run by the American Academy for the Advancement of Science, he and 18 other students spent 10 weeks looking at the world of science through the eye of a reporter.
According to Larson, his first exposure to science writing came from research cruise blog entries he wrote while steaming around the North Pacific Ocean. The experience showed him the importance of talking about research in clear and familiar terms. He now looks forward to further developing those skills as a WSG Science Writing Fellow.
“Cruise blogging was fun, because I found I had an affinity for writing and deep sea vents make for interesting topics,” said Larson whose background is in hydrothermal chemistry. “Now, I’d like a chance to become a better science writer and WSG is the perfect place to do that,” Larson said.
UW-based WSG serves communities, industries and the people of Washington state, the Pacific Northwest and the nation through research, education and outreach. It is part of a national network of 30 Sea Grant colleges administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.
In a continuing effort to facilitate the transfer of scientific information to the public, WSG launched its Science Writing Fellowship program in September.
“It’s the beginning of a much bigger program,” said Deborah Illman, who teaches science writing at the UW.
Illman has been working informally with WSG Science Writer David G. Gordon since 1999, when she began teaching a series of classes in science writing. The fellowship is a way to “formalize the natural two-way flow” between the University and WSG, said Illman. Each intern receives a $1,000 award and the opportunity to contribute to publications such as Sea Star, a quarterly newsletter that highlights current research and community activities relating to Washington’s unique aquatic ecosystems.
Two additional fellows will be selected for this academic year. The application deadline for the Winter Quarter 2008 fellowship has already passed, but applications for the Spring Quarter 2008 fellowship are due on or before Jan. 28, 2008.
