Career Profiles | Options and Insights

CAREER PROFILES | OPTIONS AND INSIGHTS HEATHER M.H. GOLDSTONE | Science Editor, WGBH and WCAI National Public Radio Stations, [email protected] Degree: When, where, what, and Is this the only job (post-academia) what in? that you’ve had? If not, what else did In 2003, I earned my PhD in biological you do? oceanography from the Massachusetts Technically, yes. Since leaving academia Institute of Technology/Woods Hole in 2007, I have only worked for WCAI Oceanographic Institution Joint Program and our sister station in Boston, WGBH. in Oceanography and Ocean Engineering. That said, I’ve never done the same thing My research focused on how—at a molec- for more than a couple of years. I started ular level—persistent environmental con- with traditional radio reporting, spent a taminants disrupt the development of couple of years blogging, then launched is invaluable. My time in academia was larval fish. a weekly live interview show. I still do not wasted when I switched career tracks. news reporting and analysis for a handful On the contrary, it is my greatest asset. Did you stay in academia at all, and of radio shows, and, in the past year, I’ve if so, for how long? also added regular television appearances. Is the job satisfying? What aspects of Although I was interested in alterna- The common threads that run through all the job do you like best/least? tive careers, I was concerned about leav- of my work are highlighting the science My job is fast-paced, mentally stimulat- ing academia, then regretting it and not inherent in daily life, explaining complex ing, and, yes, satisfying. Of course, there being able to get back in. So, for four science and related issues, and telling the is drudgery; transcribing long interviews years after finishing my PhD, I explored personal stories of scientists. would fall into that category. But I spend options outside academia, while continu- most of my time reading everything I ing with academic postdocs. I also spent What did your oceanographic can and picking the brains of some of the six months interning in a lab at a pharma- education (or academic career) give most intelligent and interesting people in ceutical company. you that is useful in your current job? the country. I believe what I do is impor- The MIT-WHOI Joint Program requires tant, and regularly hear from listeners How did you go about searching for a that students take basic courses in all who say I’ve helped them understand sci- job outside of the university setting? areas of oceanography, and there is a ence they thought was too complex or I was particularly interested in science strong emphasis on drawing connections boring to figure out on their own—very communication, and I grew up with across disciplines and scales, from sub- gratifying. National Public Radio (NPR), so that cellular to planetary. Although this train- was the first option that occurred to ing sometimes makes it difficult for me Do you have any recommendations me. WCAI, the public radio station in to narrow the focus of a story, I think the for new grads looking for jobs? Woods Hole, is just two buildings away ability to see any given story in a broader If you’re interested in a job outside aca- from the lab where I did my graduate context and find the connections between demia, jump in and explore it. Find peo- work. Shortly after I defended my thesis, disparate issues and discoveries is criti- ple who will help you along, who value I walked up the street, introduced myself, cal in helping the public understand and your interests; don’t spend time worry- and inquired whether they’d be interested connect with science. ing about those who don’t. More spe- in having me do some science reporting. More broadly, my years in academia cifically, if you’re interested in either What began was essentially a part-time give me insight into the process of communication or policy, consider the internship that lasted four years. When science—grant writing, peer review, AAAS (American Association for the WCAI got a grant for a twenty-part series experimental design, incremental prog- Advancement of Science) Fellowships. about local scientists—what they do, ress. That experience enables me to tell what drives them, what frustrates them— science stories from a different perspec- I took the plunge and quit my postdoc. tive, perhaps a more human one, and that I’ve never looked back. Oceanography | Vol. 28, No. 1 | March 2015.

Load more