Features A Decade of Science Editor Interns: What Are They Doing Now? Barbara Mendoza Travis went on to intern at the National Health magazine. “When I was an intern, Cancer Institute. Afterward, she became it was common to have only one intern- Editor’s note: Science Editor and its forerun- news editor of the Journal of the National ship before entering into the job market,” ner, CBE Views, have hosted interns since the Cancer Institute and then associate editor of Patton says. “With the job market being late 1990s. What are the former interns doing Science News. Now living in England, she so tough now, you need to find something now? How do they look back on their experi- is a freelance science writer and editor and you’re truly happy with and do well at it. I ence? Current Science Editor intern Barbara the contributing editor for northern and recommend that one get as many intern- Mendoza found and interviewed almost all the eastern Europe at ScienceCareers.org. She ships as possible to find what one’s true former interns. Below are highlights of what is married to John Travis, European news passion is.” she learned. editor for Science magazine. Travis says she greatly enjoys her career, Linda Wang (2000–2001) When one thinks of a typical intern’s and she offers the following advice: “Keep As an intern for duties, taking lunch orders or bringing the your eyes open and absorb it all, read Science Editor, Linda rounds of morning coffee may come to everything, and apply to everything you’re Wang wrote stories mind. At Science Editor, however, interns interested in even if you don’t think you’re for Net Results (a mainly write. Previous interns at Science qualified for it—because you truly never column on Web sites Editor not only have contributed to the know, it may be your next job.” useful to science edi- publication but have gone on and used tors) and CSE News. their experiences in their later careers. Erin M Loos (2000) She also wrote fea- Erin M Loos—now ture stories, includ- Katherine Arnold (1998–1999) Erin Loos Patton— ing one presenting Katherine Arnold— was able to incor- highlights of the 2001 Linda Wang now Kate Travis— porate her interest American Association interned for the in art into her work for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Council’s publica- for Science Editor. meeting in San Francisco. tion when it was Thus, for example, Wang went on to work at the Journal of still CBE Views. she wrote the article the National Cancer Institute. She is now an She remembers “Evaluating Scienti- associate editor at Chemical & Engineering attending sessions fic Illustrations: News. Her work includes writing articles on journal editing Basics for Editors”, Erin Loos Patton about education and employment; she at an annual meet- which appeared in the especially enjoys writing human-interest ing of the Council Kate Travis July–August 2000 issue. Patton says it was stories. of Biology Editors rewarding to see her writing in the magazine For those interested in a career in sci- (predecessor to the Council of Science and have her name in a byline even when ence writing or editing, Wang says she Editors). At the time, she says, she did not she was an intern. “urge[s] people to look at all different job appreciate the information as much as she Soon after her Science Editor intern- opportunities with a science-writing back- did when she began working in the field. ship, Patton became a medical editor at ground and always be open minded”, as she “Because I had come up through the ranks Encyclopedia Britannica. She now works in has been in her own career. “It’s so impor- of journalism, issues like peer review and Chicago at the public-relations firm Weber tant to think outside the box so that you conflict of interest were all new to me,” she Shandwick; she started as a writer and has don’t narrow yourself into one area. The says. “All became incredibly useful once I gone on to manage accounts in the health- field of science writing is full of opportuni- entered the real world.” care field. She also does freelance editing ties,” she says. for the Museum of Science and Industry In her spare time, Wang volunteers for Barbara Mendoza, a graduate student in and the Academy of General Dentistry. a soup kitchen and “dabbles in photogra- science and technology journalism at Texas Besides her internship with Science phy”. She was married in September 2009. A&M University, is a Science Editor intern. Editor, Patton interned in the public-rela- Barbara Gastel, the editor of Science tions department of a community hospi- Editor, also contributed to this article. tal and was an editorial intern at Men’s

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Gabe Waggoner (2001) Debra E Blakely (2002) “The article itself was a lot of fun to Gabe Waggoner Debra E Blakely write. More than that, it gave me the immersed himself in was already a lec- opportunity to meet and interact with the role of intern. turer at Texas A&M many established editors at such publica- To familiarize him- University, rather tions as the Dallas Morning News, Nature, self with Science than still a student, Science News, and the children’s magazine Editor when he during her time Muse,” Hobson recalls. “For a graduate stu- started, he reviewed with Science Editor. dent, this was a pretty valuable networking back issues, studied Therefore, she was opportunity, and it made for a lot of good how the publication termed a fellow rath- laughs, too.” was put together, er than an intern. After graduate school in science and proofread, checked Gabe Waggoner Blakely’s writing Debra E Blakely technology journalism, Hobson spent facts, and observed for Science Editor almost 6 years as a project editor at Texas Barbara Gastel’s duties as editor. He then included the feature article “Terrorism and A&M University Press. In this role, she went on to write a variety of articles. Timeliness: Scientific Periodicals Respond supervised the editing, proofreading, and Later, Waggoner was an editorial trainee to September 11 and Its Aftermath”. That production of 25 to 30 books per year. at the American Society for Microbiology article stands out to Blakely as one of her Now, Hobson finds herself fully engaged and became a copyeditor there. “My favorites to write. “I was asked to speak in what she calls her “biggest project internship gave me a head start,” he says. on this topic recently for a Department of ever—cultivating a happy and healthy “It was my first real chance to apply what Homeland Security course on communicat- home for my husband and baby girl.” I learned as a student of editing to practi- ing during crisis,” Blakely notes. Blakely Hobson says she hopes to do freelance cal, real-world, deadline-driven editorial also wrote department pieces, such as Other editing work in the future, and she keeps situations.” Than Editing profiles. her skills sharp by assisting her husband, a Since his internship, Waggoner also has Blakely encourages future interns and pastor, with writing and editing. been a manuscript editor at the Journal of those considering a career in science writ- the National Cancer Institute and a techni- ing or editing to always be thorough. “Be Judith McIntosh White cal editor at StataCorp. From 2007 until prepared to edit or write in the specific style (2002–2003) earlier this year, he did freelance editing dictated by a journal. They vary!” exclaims Judith McIntosh full time. His work included providing Blakely. “Be thorough, and always give your- White was a Science feedback on scientists’ manuscripts, editing self some time and distance between editing Editor fellow while articles for journals and research maga- and turning in a final copy. It’s amazing working in sci- zines, and editing books. how much clarity you have when you take ence communica- “Much of my work has been directly a break from the writing or editing process.” tion at Texas A&M for journal and textbook publishers, but Blakely is now an assistant professor University. She my favorite type of work is serving as an of communication at the University of says she especially author’s editor,” he says. “By making it Houston-Clear Lake. She teaches courses enjoyed writing a clear that you are the author’s ally and on a variety of topics, such as writing for feature story about Judith McIntosh advocate, you can build a nice rapport, as the media, public relations, and digital- telecommuting, in White well as a source of ongoing work.” media issues. which she had experience. Another favor- In March 2010, Waggoner became a ite piece was an Other Than Editing pro- copy and production editor at the National Jennifer Ann Hutt (2002–2003) file of Ivan Amato, whom she termed a Council of Teachers of Mathematics. His Jennifer Ann Hutt— “great example of work–life balance”. work includes copyediting book manu- now Jennifer Ann White completed a PhD in agricul- scripts, coordinating with freelances, Hobson—worked tural leadership, education, and commu- reviewing page proofs, and working with with Science Editor in nications in 2006. Currently, she is an design and production staff. “I work with 2002 and 2003. She assistant professor in the Department of authors from manuscript submission to especially recalls pre- Communication and Journalism at the final product, keeping them up to date paring a feature arti- University of New Mexico. She teaches throughout the process,” he says. cle titled “Science primarily undergraduate public-relations Editors and Their Pet courses. Her main research interests lie in Peeves”. the communication of health and science. Jennifer Ann Hobson

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White urges anyone interested in science Science Editor, her favorite story was a fea- antique books. She also enjoyed writing a editing or writing to take advantage of ture on freelancing, a career that interested feature story on a group of mathematicians any internship possible. She observes that her then and still does today. who jointly wrote items under the single internships can teach one not only about Holaday received her undergraduate name Bourbaki. the field but about oneself. degree in physics and then did graduate Clark returned to the Boston area after work in science journalism. After taking a her internship. She now works for the Diego Pineda (2003) course in science editing, she knew it was publishing house Aptara, which publishes Diego Pineda, a the field for her. She recalls reading about mainly educational material in mathemat- Science Editor intern comma use for the course and recognizing ics for grades kindergarten through 12. in 2003, especially that there were other people just as inter- She also contributes regularly to Math recalls writing Other ested in punctuation as she was. in the Media, a monthly magazine of the Than Editing pro- Soon after her internship with Science American Mathematical Society. Clark files for the publica- Editor, Holaday returned to the magazine says she “loves what [she’s] doing”. tion. “I interviewed as annual-meeting editor. She recently some fascinating stepped down from the role. Also, after Tanya Nading (2005) CSE members with working as an internal-communication Tanya Nading’s very interesting hob- coordinator in industry, she is now begin- internship helped to bies, such as collect- Diego Pineda ning to pursue her freelance career. prepare her for her ing fountain pens or Holaday recommends that anyone inter- first job after gradu- hooking rugs,” he says. ested in a career in science editing or ating from the sci- Pineda says that developing a portfolio writing take advantage of all opportuni- ence and technol- from his internship was very useful in pre- ties. “Take advantage of every opportu- ogy journalism pro- paring for his career. He went on to work as nity you’re given because you never know gram at Texas A&M a science writer for the National Network how you’ll be able to incorporate it in University. “Of all the for Immunization Information, based at the your future career,” she says. “My time as things that I was able University of Texas Medical Branch. In an intern really increased my confidence. to do while an intern, Tanya Nading that role, he was a coauthor of more than After interviewing people for the stories I my favorite project 100 articles and a book on vaccine safety. wrote, I felt like I could be placed in any was conducting interviews and writing a Pineda is now a freelance medical writer. situation and still be confident in myself.” feature article highlighting CSE’s work in He also consults for the World Health managing partnerships to enhance African Organization. Claudia Clark (2004) journals,” Nading says. “That project helped “I advise anyone interested in science After meeting me to enhance my writing skills and to learn writing to work hard on his or her weak- Science Editor Editor strategies for working with outside sources.” nesses. If you are a good writer–editor but Barbara Gastel at After graduation, Nading held posi- have little background in science, learn as an AAAS meeting, tions requiring mainly writing and edit- much as you can about the specific subjects Claudia Clark, a ing, including a job as communication you want to write about,” says Pineda. “An former AAAS mass- specialist in the Department of Health and internship like the one offered by Science media fellow, applied Kinesiology at Texas A&M. Because of her Editor can certainly help you.” for and received an Science Editor experience, she felt comfort- internship at Science able in writing feature and news stories for Jamie De Gregory (2004) Editor. Clark already newsletters and other media. Jamie Holaday— had worked for 20 Claudia Clark In 2008, Nading moved from Texas Jamie De Gregory years in the high- to New England to pursue a master’s at the time of her technology industry, and she had taught degree in writing at the University of New internship—cur- algebra to adult students and edited text- Hampshire. After graduation from the fic- rently has her hands books. “Interning at Science Editor not only tion program there, she hopes to remain full as a new mother. gave me the opportunity to improve my on the East Coast and find a position in However, she main- writing skills but gave me an idea of what it publishing or communication. tains her passion is like to work at a journal,” Clark says. for science writing Clark’s favorite story to work on was a and editing. When profile of editor Bruce Dancik because of she was interning at Jamie Holaday his interests in fly fishing and collecting

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Melissa J Wellington (2005) Although Clack will not be entering the science writers or editors about their expe- Pixie Henry (Melissa field of science editing, she said her intern- rience. “The more you surround yourself J Wellington at the ship prepared her for nursing school. “It with the jargon, the more you will learn time of her intern- polished and refreshed my writing skills,” and understand it. I always find it help- ship) started as an she says. “I feel more confident in writing ful to write a vocabulary list when trying intern at Science papers, conducting interviews, and doing to learn more about a new field,” Smith Editor after finish- research now.” says. “I write down all the words that I ing her master’s don’t understand at a talk and look them degree in English. Amelia A Williamson (2006–2007) up afterwards so that the next time I hear Concurrently, she Amelia Smith them, I understand better.” taught scientific (Amelia Williamson writing at Texas Pixie Henry at the time of her Shauna Kanel (2007) A&M University. internship) has Although her stay “The two positions worked well together, many memories of at Science Editor was [and] the internship certainly helped pre- her time as an intern brief, Shauna Kanel, pare me for the following job I took, at Science Editor. One summer 2007 intern, as managing editor for the South Central of her favorite expe- found her time well Review,” she says. At the South Central riences was writing spent and “no doubt Review, Henry learned more about how a a Views Afield piece educational and publication is created. summarizing an arti- Amelia Smith challenging”. Kanel Henry lives in Austin, Texas, with her cle about a conflict also enjoyed attend- husband and three cats. She now freelances. between Einstein and a journal. The article ing the CSE annual She has published short fiction and short recounted how Einstein angrily withdrew a meeting, which was Shauna Kanel nonfiction, and she is working on her first paper when a journal returned it for revision the first meeting she novel and cowriting a nonfiction book. but how, in the end, the referee’s criticisms covered as a journalist. Kanel’s contribu- Henry encourages writers not to give up proved valid. “It just goes to show that even tions to Science Editor included articles on on what can be a difficult career. “Writing a scientist as renowned as Einstein can science-editing careers and on undergradu- especially can be a pretty tough field. My benefit from the process of peer review,” ate science journals. advice would be: Don’t let rejection get Smith says. After her internship, Kanel took a job you down. Always strive to improve your Smith also recalls other opportunities she writing for the Division of Biomedical work, keep learning, and be positive.” had while interning, especially covering Informatics Research at the Stanford sessions at the AAAS annual meeting. “It University School of Medicine. In October Kathy M Clack (2006) was an amazing experience, getting to go 2009, she accepted a position at the Kathy M Clack to all the news briefings and sessions and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. interned with Science getting to watch all the science writers hard Her work there includes editing, writing, Editor because of her at work filing stories in the newsroom. I also Web design, and creation of social-media interests in writing met a lot of great contacts that have proved outlets. and medicine. Her invaluable in my career,” Smith says. Kanel said that her internship helped articles for the mag- Smith received her master’s degree in prepare her to begin her career. She azine included an science and technology journalism from advised, “Listen to your mentors. Even if Other Than Editing Texas A&M University in 2008. As part you don’t understand why they tell you profile and a story on of her studies, she interned at the Fermi things, they will make sense later.” the debut of Science National Accelerator Laboratory, where Editor’s poetry col- Kathy M Clack she wrote for Symmetry (a particle-phys- Misha Kidambi (2007–2008) umn, Peer-Renewed. ics magazine) and the laboratory’s online During her time at Science Editor, Misha Clack, who had received a BS in jour- newsletter. While finishing her degree, she Kidambi wrote a variety of articles, includ- nalism in 2001, volunteered in medical worked for Texas A&M as a science writer. ing feature stories, a personality profile, settings around the time of her Science Smith is now a freelance science writer in book reviews, and conference reports. Her Editor internship and ultimately entered Chicago. favorite story was a profile of Julie Miller, nursing school; she was nearing graduation Smith recommends surrounding oneself who has been editor of Science News. “It when this article went to press. She hopes with professionals, such as scientists who was the first time I scheduled and carried eventually to become a nurse practitioner. can provide tips, and talking with veteran out a telephone interview,” Kidambi says.

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“I was initially ner- story ideas, searched for cover art, and meeting; it was a fitting assignment for vous about doing a wrote several stories. Appiah, who himself had received one of telephone interview Kuchment fondly remembers her favor- the scholarships in 2007. Appiah jokes and basing an entire ite story, which was on Rachel Carson’s that another of his assignments was to article on that, but career as a science editor. She especially write a book note but that by the time in the end I was liked doing the archival research for the he finished, he had actually written an happy with the way story. “It was almost like I was time travel- entire book review. Luckily, he was able to the article shaped ing”, she says, “to be reviewing the writings shorten it to the appropriate length. up.” of other people over the last 50 years.” Appiah recommends that interns main- Kidambi says that After her Science Editor internship, tain open communication with their super- her internship gave Misha Kidambi Kuchment went on to a 6-month writing visors and, of course, know about the style her the confidence internship at the Howard Hughes Medical manual that the journal or magazine uses. to embark on a graduate assistantship Institute. In September 2009, she entered He also says to take risks. “I accepted the doing science writing at the Texas A&M the year-long science-writing certificate challenge of writing the minutes of an News and Information Services. She also program at the University of California, Editorial Board meeting, when I was not credits her internship with giving her the Santa Cruz. expected to do so,” he says. “I learned a lot help that she needed to develop further In her spare time, Kuchment enjoys in the process.” as a writer. “Absorb all the feedback that reading, hiking, and spending time with Appiah is scheduled to graduate from is given. It has really helped me; I can’t her husband. She has continued to write the Texas A&M master’s program in 2010. emphasize it enough,” Kidambi says. “It is for Science Editor; her article “A Delicious He has been succeeded by current Science also a good opportunity to write about top- Take on Science Editing” appeared in the Editor interns, Barbara Mendoza and ics that interest you, and it’s a good place March–April 2010 issue. Christina Sumners. to learn to ‘pitch’ your stories.” After graduating from the science and Bernard Appiah (2008–2009) technology journalism program at Texas The most recent A&M in 2009, Kidambi did communi- past intern at cation internships at the International Science Editor, Center for Theoretical Physics (in Italy) Bernard Appiah and at the Baylor College of Medicine. says he enjoyed his In November 2009, she began a commu- time as an intern. nication internship in Vienna with the It was a busy time International Atomic Energy Agency. for him: Appiah, a pharmacist and edi- Olga Kuchment (2008) tor from Ghana, not After talking with only was a master’s Bernard Appiah Science Editor’s edi- student in science tor at an AAAS and technology journalism at Texas A&M annual meeting, University but was pursuing, by distance Olga Kuchment learning, a graduate degree in development knew that she want- communication from the University of the ed a Science Editor Philippines Open University. internship. And she As an intern, Appiah wrote a variety of received an intern- feature articles, news stories, and depart- ship for summer ment pieces. One of his main stories pro- 2008. As an intern, Olga Kuchment filed the 2009 recipients of international Kuchment proposed scholarships to attend the CSE annual

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