Who better to talk about our program than the people who've been through it? Here's what some of our alumni have to say about their time at the Center for Science and Medical Journalism (click on an alumnus' name to see his/her comments, or just scroll down to read them all):
- Barbara Moran, Class of '96
Senior researcher, NOVA science television - Adam Rogers, Class of '94
Senior editor, Wired magazine - Paroma Basu, Class of '02
Freelance journalist and photographer - Kelly Young, Class of '05
Online space reporter, New Scientist magazine - Tina Hesman, Class of '00
Reporter, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Barbara Moran, Class of '96
Senior researcher, NOVA science television
After graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in American Studies, Barbara moved to California to work at a senior citizen’s magazine, writing “features about cool old people on motorcycles and stuff.” She now works as a senior researcher for the television science documentary series NOVA and claims, “I have the coolest job ever.”
Why did you decide to pursue a master’s degree in science and medical journalism?
I started doing some medical writing, and enjoyed it, but realized that I was pretty ignorant. I thought that science and medical writing seemed like a worthy (and interesting) path to pursue, but knew I needed more science training.
BU was (and is, in my opinion) the top science journalism program in the country, and I could use all my electives to take science classes.
Did the program live up to your expectations?
Yes, it was great for me. It was just what I needed at that time in my life.
What did you learn during the program that was especially inspiring, enjoyable or helpful in your subsequent career?
The most helpful thing was learning to handle constructive criticism. Like most people, I used to think of my writing as very precious and personal, and would be almost reduced to tears when teachers and other students hacked it up. But that's something you need to get through in order to become a professional writer -- you have to learn to treat writing as a craft. I can't imagine ever crying about criticism now.
Where did you do your summer internship?
I did my summer internship on a now-defunct Discovery Channel science series called Discover Magazine. I made a lot of photocopies. I also did a lot of networking, and it turned into my first job.
Do you feel like the program prepared you for a career in science journalism? How?
Oh yeah, totally. I learned all the tools: the craft of writing, spotting bad science, doing interviews and research, writing query letters, etc. Some articles I wrote for class turned into my first magazine pieces.
Prospective students are understandably curious about what kinds of careers alumni go on to have. What has your career path been since graduating from the science journalism program?
After graduating in January, 1996, I worked as a researcher on the aforementioned Discover Magazine series. Over the next five years, I freelanced with several producers, learning the documentary trade and working my way up. Like lots of producer-wannabees I got stuck at associate producer (one notch below producer), and finally made my own independent film in order to prove that I could produce. It cost a lot of money and my husband has never forgiven me, but it did turn me into a producer. I freelanced around Boston , making documentaries for the Discovery Channel and the History Channel.
Eventually I decided that it was time to grow up and start doing more substantive journalism. I got a Knight Fellowship at MIT in 2001, and spent the time thinking big thoughts and making a plan. I learned about a producer named Jon Palfreman who did great investigative science journalism for Frontline. I begged him for a job and worked with him on two shows: one about prescription drug policy and the other about diet claims. It was great.
Jon left TV for a career in academia, and I joined NOVA as a "Senior Researcher." What I mostly do is write proposals. The boss says they want a proposal on, say, materials science and I have six months to do it. (That's actually what I did last year.) So I run around and visit people at Corning and DuPont and MIT and go to meetings and then write about it. NOVA has allowed me to work 4 days a week, so I can continue my magazine writing on the side. All in all, it's pretty cool.
Adam Rogers, Class of '94
Senior editor, Wired magazine
From the age of 15, Adam knew that he wanted to be a science writer. He came to the Center immediately after graduating from Pomona College in Claremont, CA with a degree in Science, Technology and Society. He did his internship at the Harvard Health Letter, and after graduating worked as an associate video editor with Gino Del Guercio. Soon after, Newsweek hired him as a science researcher. In 1999, he volunteered to cover the 2000 presidential campaign for Newsweek’s campaign book, and “spent the next 18 months on the road, chasing politicians.” After a year-long stint in Newsweek’s Washington bureau and a Knight Science Journalism Fellowship at MIT, he moved to San Francisco and Wired magazine, where he is now a senior editor.
Did the program live up to your expectations?
Yeah. I needed to know how to be a professional journalist and I needed to
know how to get a job. Two for two.
What was the most beneficial aspect of your experience at BU?
Reporting and writing a lot of stories, and meeting a lot of working
journalists.
Did attending the program give you an advantage over competitors in the science journalism market?
Very pragmatically, there are a lot of people who think it might be fun to
be a science reporter. It's because we're so glamorous. So if you're a
hiring editor, and you've got a bunch of resumes and clip files on your
desk, someone with graduate school experience is going to stand out.
Less cynically, good science writers think about the theory and practice of the job -- like good practitioners in any field. But we've only existed for a while, and the stories we cover have gone from occasional filler material to regularly appearing on front pages and magazine covers. We have to think hard about how to do what we do. Even in its early days, the BU program enforced that rigor. It does so today to an even greater extent.
Paroma Basu, Class of '02
Science writer, Univeristy of Wisconsin
Paroma attended McGill University in Montreal , where she studied biology and minored in religion. After two years of writing, editing and illustrating both at her home in India and in Montreal , she began the science journalism program in 2000. She interned as a research assistant with Ellen Shell, and as a reporter/photographer for technologyreview.com.
Paroma graduated shortly after 9/11, and, after some time writing in India, moved to New York City, where she fought to establish herself as writer. “In that political climate and as a woman of color, I faced a serious uphill road,” she says. “In the ensuing struggles that followed, I learned the hard way that journalism is about the right story at the right time, an editor who believes in you and, of course, gooood luck.” She got her first break freelancing a story she had written in India to the Village Voice. While continuing to freelance writing and photography, she interned at Discover, Nature Medicine and Nature Biotechnology, worked a stint fact checking at Glamour magazine, and took a job editing and designing a public health newsletter for the New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Paroma worked as a science writer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison before moving to New Dehli, India, where she is a freelance writer and photographer.
What sort of work did you do before coming to BU? Why did you decide to leave that career and pursue science journalism?
My first year out of McGill, I went home to India to reflect on what I wanted next. I traveled extensively, and did a lot of photography and drawing. Around this time I also started writing little opinion pieces in the science section of the local newspaper and wrote research summaries for an environment/development non-profit. On a crazy entrepreneurial whim I also ran a small children’s book business!
After a year in India I went back to Montreal and spent another year working as an illustrator at a natural history museum. I also helped a lake biologist edit his text book.
After two years of such diverse experiences, I realized:
- Journalism could allow me to express information in different mediums
- Journalism could allow me to constantly discover and be surprised
- Not enough reporters want to cover science in a fun way
- I am obsessed with magazines.
Why did you choose BU's science journalism program over others?
The BU program seemed more established, recognized and innovative than other science writing programs.
Did you find a particular class especially enjoyable or helpful?
I enjoyed everything I took, though it was tough working so hard for 18 months straight. Evan Schwarz’s feature writing class and Gino Del Guercio’s documentary class were excellent. Phil Hilts’ science news class was difficult for me, but I’ve realized that the lessons he taught were invaluable. Doug and Ellen’s classes were critical for reorienting our minds to think like journalists.
All my elective classes were in photography – I loved every one of them.
Kelly Young, Class of '05
Online space reporter, New Scientist magazine
Kelly graduated from Stanford in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in history. Afterward, she worked for a year as a general assignment reporter at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in Little Rock, writing about cops, city hall and courts. She then spent three years covering the space beat for Florida Today newspaper.
Kelly began the science journalism program in 2004 and interned with the Los Angeles Times’ weekly health section between her second and third semesters. She now works as an online space reporter for New Scientist magazine.
You were already a working journalist when you came to BU. Why did you decide to attend the science journalism program?
I didn't know how to move up to the next level in my career. There didn't seem to be a high demand for space reporters. So I came to BU to learn more about science, broaden my reporting skills, and learn how to cover medicine and the environment…I knew BU had a good reputation.
Did the program live up to your expectations?
I loved it. I got to take scienceclasses I shied away from as an undergraduate. I also got to try out other forms of journalism, like broadcasting.
How do you feel the program prepared you for a career in science journalism?
Just today, I was writing a story and I swear I heard Doug's voice telling me (once again) tobe the reader's friendly guide and to stop writing incomplete thoughts.
At the moment, I'm not doing a lot of narrative journalism, which the BU program really emphasized. But when my editors throw me a non-space story, I feel confident that I can tackle it.
The program is also a great networking opportunity. You meet both budding science writers and experienced writers and editors who come talk to the class.
Tina Hesman, Class of '00
Reporter, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Tina graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1990 with a B.S. in Biology. While at UNL she did undergraduate research on plant development and the ethanol-producing bacteria, Zymomonas mobilis. After graduating from UNL she traveled to Goettingen, Germany for a year as a Fulbright scholar, then returned to the States to study genetics at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. She spent her doctoral career studying gene expression in yeast and received her Ph.D. just two weeks before starting the Master's program at BU. During the program Tina spent her summer internship at the science section of the Dallas Morning News, during which time she wrote more than a dozen stories for the paper's science and news sections. As a result of her efforts the Texas Daily Newspaper Association awarded her the 1999 H.M. Fentress editorial intern award. She has also written for The Boston Globe and National Public Radio. Tina is now a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch specializing in biotechnology. In addition to her writing, her interests include travel, cooking, gardening, movies, art and reading.
Why did you join the Science Journalism program at Boston University?
I joined the program because I wanted to be more than a science writer. I wanted to be a journalist, but I had no journalism experience. The program has given me the confidence and experience I felt I was lacking and really sharpened my journalistic senses. Our classes are very "hands on." These are not canned assignments, they are actual stories that we select with the help of the professors and our classmates in editorial board discussions. The range of things you can cover are limited only by your interest. Once the story idea is secured it's up to you to go out and do interviews and thoroughly research your topics. Then you produce copy on deadline (just like real journalists). It's frightening at first, but it's also exhilarating!"
Which class did you enjoy the most?
The Science Newswriting class was fantastic. It is very valuable to be able to ask a working journalist advice about how to cover a story, or where to look for sources. Broadcast Science News was also an incredible experience. I went from never holding a video camera in my life to producing a 4-minute documentary. I intend to make my career in print, but the experience of creating something visual was incredibly satisfying.
