NASW news

Climate change, one of the leading science and society stories of the past decade, remained a hot ticket for both scientists and journalists at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Chicago. Attendees packed a session titled "Hot and Hotter: Media Coverage of Climate-Change Impacts, Policies, and Politics" on 13 February.

Feb. 16, 2009

Africa's reputation as a scientific backwater has deep roots. Political instability, malnutrition, disease, and poverty have loomed as far more serious issues than tinkering with science. But in recent years, biotechnology research and development has emerged in many African countries. Researchers there now have the potential to tackle the AIDS epidemic, water pollution, and other major problems through local and national initiatives, said speakers on 13 February at the AAAS meeting in Chicago.

Feb. 16, 2009

NASW awarded travel grants to 10 undergradates interested in science writing to attend the AAAS meeting in Chicago Feb. 12-16. The fellows are reporting on some of the scientific sessions that they find most interesting and newsworthy.

Feb. 14, 2009

As had been announced, Diane McGurgan leaves NASW in June, after 30 years of dedicated service. At a luncheon at the ScienceWriters 2008 meeting, a couple hundred attendees gathered to honor her. The sunny patio of the Crowne Plaza hotel, in Palo Alto, was filled with longtime friends and new members, alike in their appreciation of Diane's monumental contributions to our organization. Inside the hotel, friends viewed a slideshow and wrote fond wishes in an overflowing scrapbook.

Feb. 9, 2009

As had been announced, Diane McGurgan leaves NASW in June, after 30 years of dedicated service. At a luncheon at the ScienceWriters 2008 meeting, a couple hundred attendees gathered to honor her. The sunny patio of the Crowne Plaza hotel, in Palo Alto, was filled with longtime friends and new members, alike in their appreciation of Diane's monumental contributions to our organization. Inside the hotel, friends viewed a slideshow and wrote fond wishes in an overflowing scrapbook.

Feb. 9, 2009

Help us represent your interests. Volunteer for the NASW Annual Meeting Committee, which steers the content of our yearly ScienceWriters conference, which, this year, is scheduled to begin October 16 in Austin, Texas.

Jan. 28, 2009

Podcasts. Blogs. Embedded video clips. Facebook. Panelists shared tips for tapping into this expanding universe of new and social media during the session on "Who's Consuming Science, and How Do We Reach Them?" at ScienceWriters 2008 in October in Palo Alto.

Jan. 9, 2009

There's nothing like the introduction of four top editors to quiet a room of science writers. This year, editors from the New York Times, Scientific American, Sierra, and Wired formed the panel of the Pitch Slam, a fan favorite at the annual NASW workshops. Writers, eager to hear insider tips and witness on-the-spot feedback to story pitches, packed the room in October in Palo Alto, the site of ScienceWriters 2008.

Jan. 8, 2009