Award-winning editor with roots in science and tech journalism. Devout generalist.
I’m a journalist with more than 15 years of experience editing science and tech (that means “everything”) for general audiences (that means “everyone”). Most recently, I was the Editor-in-Chief of Popular Science, where I led the brand to a National Magazine Award, restructured the newsroom, and oversaw a successful transition from print to digital.
Who I Am
What I Do
Ya know The Wolf from Pulp Fiction? That’s me. (Well, minus the fatalities.) I’m an editorial problem solver and an expert in shaping authoritative brands. I develop and execute editorial strategies, build teams, oversee major projects, and launch products like newsletters, podcasts, merch shops, and more.
150 Years of PopSci
This month-long editorial package celebrated the past, present, and future of one of the world’s longest-running and most-respected science publications. The retrospective includes:
In Hindsight: Profiling some of the figures whose contributions Popular Science missed
From the Archives: Revisiting the PopSci stories that helped define scientific discovery
Are We There Yet?: Checking in on progress towards our most ambitious promises
…read more in the Editor’s Letter.
Special Project
The Heat Issue
The Summer 2021 issue of Popular Science won the National Magazine Award for the Best Single-Topic Issue, the brand’s second win in that category in four years, and my first as EIC. The issue explores the complicated relationship humankind has with heat, including:
The physiological realities of living in perpetual summer
A quirk of physics that could reduce our reliance on air conditioning
The NASA scientists asking if Venus, our 800-degree neighbor, might hint at Earth’s future
Magazine
PopPhoto.com
In December 2021, I oversaw a small team of editors to revive Popular Photography. The rebooted site focused on widening the 86-year-old brand’s aperture to include younger generations and empower anyone to make great pictures with the camera in their hand—no matter what it might be. Within 8 months, the site saw more than 5x audience growth. Some highlights:
2021 Pop Awards: The year’s absolute best camera and photo gear
Affordable analog: 10 alternatives to high-priced film cameras (Plus: The best used cameras)
iPhone bird photography: A beginner’s guide
Site Relaunch
Editing Work
Feature: Has the fountain of youth been in our blood all along? by Kat McGowan
Feature: Inside the high-flying world of extreme pogo by Andrew Zaleski
Package: Make the grade: Try your hand at history’s toughest intelligence tests (PDF) by Eleanor Cummins
Feature: Separation anxiety: The exploding bolts that bring us to space by Ryan Bradley
Column: Can these government efforts crack the code for DNA storage? by Sarah Scales
Selected
Writing Work
Meet Eliza Youmans, the daring educator in PopSci’s founding family (PopSci)
Cities are failing cyclists. Here’s what needs to change. (PopSci)
Inside the technicolor factory where Jelly Belly makes its beans (PopSci)
The Playboy centerfold who helped create the JPEG (The Atlantic)
Can IMAX’s new camera make big movies worth big money? (Fast Company)
Selected
Audio & Appearances
Skyscraper death ray, history of hot tubs, our sun’s death (The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week)
Boning baseball bats, rolling cheese, playing with wallpaper cleaner (The Weirdest Thing…)
The hungriest boy, eyeglasses for cannibal chickens, champion guppy gulpers (The Weirdest Thing…)
How Santa tech really works (No Parking Podcast)
A 19th-century magazine goes all 21st-century with COVID-19 and more (Patt Morrison Asks)
