science writer | entomologist
science writing for general audiences
New Models Improve Long-Term Grass Pollen Forecasts. The Scientist, March 26, 2021.
Simple Spit Test Could Diagnose Concussions. The Scientist, March 24, 2021.
Flexible Synapse Strength May Underpin Mammal Brain’s Complexity. The Scientist, March 24, 2021.
Infographic: A New Model of Synapse Strength. The Scientist, March 24, 2021.
José Baselga, Renowned Oncologist, Dies at 61. The Scientist, March 22, 2021.
A Global Registry Aims to See if COVID-19 Causes Diabetes. The Scientist, March 19, 2021.
Early-Life Stress Exerts Long-Lasting Effects Via Epigenome. The Scientist, March 18, 2021.
Lightning Might Have Sparked Early Life on Earth. The Scientist, March 17, 2021.
Ebola Outbreak in Guinea Originated from Past Epidemic. The Scientist, March 15, 2021.
Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine on Hold in Some Countries. The Scientist, March 12, 2021.
Q&A: Unique Circumstances for Minority Scientists During COVID-19. The Scientist, March 10, 2021.
COVID-19 Vaccine Combos Aim to Boost Immunity. The Scientist, March 9, 2021.
Hackers Bring Dutch Research Funding Agency to Standstill. The Scientist, March 8, 2021.
Cuttlefish Delay Gratification, a Sign of Smarts. The Scientist, March 5, 2021.
Q&A: A Molecular Toolkit to Build SARS-CoV-2 Research Capacity. The Scientist, March 3, 2021.
US Authorizes a Third COVID-19 Vaccine. The Scientist, March 1, 2021.
From Nature Lover to Structural Biologist: A Scientist’s Journey. The Scientist, February 26, 2021.
Q&A: Parachute Science in Coral Reef Research. The Scientist, February 24, 2021.
COVID-19 Hospitalizations Tank a Month After Vaccines Roll Out. The Scientist, February 23, 2021
Researchers Exchange Messages with Dreamers. The Scientist, February 18, 2021.
Watch a Trained Pup Detect Prostate Cancer From a Urine Sample. The Scientist, February 18, 2021.
Dogs Are Teaching Machines to Sniff Out Cancer. The Scientist, February 18, 2021.
Another Potentially Immunity-Evading SARS-CoV-2 Variant Detected. The Scientist, February 16, 2021.
Whale Song Echoes Help Scientists Map the Ocean Floor. The Scientist, February 12, 2021.
Are Climate-Driven Shifts in Bat Diversity to Blame for COVID-19? The Scientist, February 12, 2021.
Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine Reduces Viral Load: Study. The Scientist, February 10, 2021.
A Federal Judge Ditches EPA’s Science Transparency Rule. The Scientist, February 8, 2021.
Menstrual Cycles Intermittently Sync with Moon Cycles: Study. The Scientist, February 5, 2021.
Pioneering Cancer Researcher Emil Freireich Dies at 93. The Scientist, February 5, 2021.
New Bacterium Linked to Chimp Deaths. The Scientist, February 3, 2021.
Dick Staples, Plant Pathologist, Dies at 94. The Scientist, February 1, 2021.
One-Shot COVID-19 Vaccine Prevents Severe Disease. The Scientist, January 29, 2021.
Climate Change Could Drive Sharks to Fishing Grounds: Study. The Scientist, January 25, 2021.
Moderna Developing Booster Shot for New Virus Variant B.1.351. The Scientist, January 25, 2021.
Bee Reports over the Past Century Indicate a Loss of Diversity. The Scientist, January 22, 2021.
Honeybees fend off deadly hornets by decorating hives with poop. Science News for Students, January 19, 2021.
Coronavirus Variant Linked to COVID-19 Outbreaks in California. The Scientist, January 19, 2021.
Q&A: Global Insect Declines Due to “Death by a Thousand Cuts.” The Scientist, January 15, 2021.
Record Drop in US Cancer Death Rate. The Scientist, January 13, 2021.
UK Approves Arthritis Drugs for Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients. The Scientist, January 11, 2021.
Plastic waste forms huge, deadly masses in camel guts. Science News, December 15, 2020.
A version of this story also appeared in Science News for Students.
New App Identifies Mosquitoes by Buzzing Sound. Voice of America, November 16, 2020.
This was also a radio story that aired worldwide.
US Among Top Contributors to Ocean Plastic Pollution. Voice of America, November 3, 2020.
How do you track a murder hornet? Slate, October 28, 2020.
This story also appeared in Mother Jones.
Common Cold Could Protect Against COVID-19, Research Shows. Voice of America, October 21, 2020.
Spread of Alien Plant, Animal Species Predicted to Rise Globally by 2050. Voice of America, October 9, 2020.
Rapid COVID-19 Tests Offer New Tools To Slow Pandemic. Voice of America, October 7, 2020.
Winter Weather Could Increase Spread of COVID-19. Voice of America, September 24, 2020.
Progress Made Toward Phasing Out Planet-Warming 'Super' Greenhouse Gases. Voice of America, September 18, 2020
Climate Change May Shift Risks of Mosquito-borne Diseases. Voice of America, September 10, 2020.
Record-Breaking Fires Scorch Arctic. Voice of America, September 4, 2020.
Machine learning can help maggots solve crimes. Massive Science, August 27, 2020
Skilled hermit crabs more likely to win battles over shell homes. Massive Science, August 21, 2020.
Rich bird, poor bird: Urban street trees support native birds across a socioeconomic gradient. Envirobites, July 27, 2020.
Follow your nose: The importance of odor for stress relief in urban green spaces. Envirobites, March 26, 2020.
New legislation targets bed bug infestations in Philadelphia. Penn State Entomology, January 28 2020.
In the blink of a fly: flies’ upside-down landings inspire the design of new robots. Entomology Today, January 27 2020.
Getting a read on bear mange, Pennsylvania Wildlife magazine, Fall 2019.
The Frost Museum’s Metamorphosis: Museum Reopens in Time for 50th Anniversary, Entomology Today, October 18, 2019.
Idiosyncratic Insects, American Entomologist, Fall 2019.
A new use for LEGOs: researchers build starch backbones for lab-grown meat using LEGO pieces, Penn State AgScience magazine, Summer 2019.
Combating mosquito-borne diseases with bacteria, Penn State News, June 10, 2019.
New records show spread of parasitic deer flies across the US, Penn State News, May 30, 2019.
Understanding opioid users' views on fentanyl could help reduce overdoses, Penn State News, April 19, 2019.
Building starch backbones for lab-grown meat using Lego pieces, Penn State News, March 26, 2019.
Firefly-inspired surfaces improve efficiency of LED lightbulbs, Penn State News, February 18, 2019.
If you talk the talk, you’ve got to walk the walk: mimicry of ant locomotion in jumping spiders, Evobites, March 8, 2018.