Broad experience writing for NGOs, government agencies, and funders to translate science for public audiences and K-12. Additional experience writing for print magazines - trade science and children's outlets. In addition to science translation, I can assist you with developing your strategic plan, mission and vision.
6 Ways to Find Purpose in a Time of Social Distancing
Just before COVID 19, I was feeling anxious. Anxious about the loss of self — a commute that’s too long, a work schedule that was too rigid, lack of positive feedback, and what felt like a detour in my life — a loss of the future self I had imagined as a child.
A child that spent every day running through the woods and streams and spending summers exploring National Parks. Yes, I knew I wanted to be a nature nerd from nursery school, and still do. This was and is what I believe to be my heart...
Schools Failed 7 Million Kids But There Were No Protests
Nearly 7 million kids in the U.S. are in the special education system. Let that sink in.
In March, when school closed, that means almost 14 million parents of kids with special needs sat that night crying over a glass of wine. When we heard that many schools will now be distance learning in the Fall, we cried again.
Many of us knew distance learning was going to fail for our kids. And so far, many of us were right. Kids that had full time aides. Kids that need one on one attention to do every...
Better Sleep and Self-Regulation Through Binaural Beats
Okay, I have the reputation of sleeping anywhere.
Sunny car trip. Check. Airplane flying through a lightning storm. Check. Greyhound bus from New York City to Baltimore, drooling on a kind woman’s shoulder. Check. Hey! I was just a kid.
So, when I’ve had problems falling asleep the past month, I needed a solution.
My eyes immediately fell onto the psychedelic colors and the claims of thousands of “binaural beat” videos on YouTube.
What?!? Look at all of the things listening to this music can ...
Let’s Stop Only Protecting The 1% of the Animal World
I walk through the old farm field by my house, large orange lilies blooming at the edge, where the grass meets the outhouses. A large bumble bee bumps into the flower of a black-eyed susan, bending it into an upside down “U” with its weight — sitting just long enough for me to pet the back of this soft, furry monster — a popular activity of my 10 year old self. A hawk moth, easily confused for a hummingbird, buzzes my head, on a beeline for the thistle. Back then I did not think much about ho...
Why Dating Apps Rarely Work
I remember back in high school and college I would make friends with a girl, get to know her, then a small percentage might end up becoming a “girlfriend”. We might do something simple like go to a movie, have a picnic, make out in the back of a car. You know pretty vanilla stuff.
And damn was it easy, because we had already spent a couple of months getting to know each other, to see if we even go along. Yes, that’s right several months and no sex. I might as well be a catholic school girl…we...
The Death of the Cubicle
And the regeneration of your soul.
I recently wrote about the soul sucking nature of cubicles and my experience with them. Before Covid I spent my days sharing a cubicle with a coworker — the first time in a decade. Is this a California thing?
Let’s not forget the fact that even before Covid cubicles were spreading more germs than my kid’s fingers after a trip to Dave and Busters. But they also interrupt the much needed deep thinking introverts like myself need to survive and thrive. In fact,...
It’s Never Too Early to Teach Consent
I remember picking up my youngest during his 1st year of kindergarten. I overheard kids arguing. One kid said if she does that, just hit her. This was kindergarten. I was floored. I thought, first these are babies, and second this is where it starts — the land of legos and pokemon.
This was less than a year after my son left a Montessori school. I remember picking him up at the end of the day, after all the other boys had left. He would play dress up in various princess dresses with the other...
Five Jobs You Will Battle Robots For By 2025
And Ten Jobs To Help You Thrive
The World Economic Forum just released the news — By 2025, the time spent on tasks at work by humans and machines will be equal. And no surprise, it will continue to widen the job skills gap.
I put in my dating profile last year that my biggest fear was the rise of robots, and I thought that was a good joke. Nope.
By 2025 they estimate 85 million jobs will be displaced by machines, but 97 million new jobs will emerge — but only if labor is available. That doesn...
8 Backyard Plants to Boost Your Immune System
Winter is coming and there’s a good chance you will be exposed to cold germs, the flu, or Covid-19. Let’s hope not, but here are some plants that can help you build a wall of immunity around yourself. I love medicinal plants, and there are many in your backyard that can help with a range of ailments, but with Covid-19 back on the rise now seems to be the time to create an immune bubble for ourselves.
And bonus, you can find many of these plants in your own backyard. But don’t wait until winte...
Think “Work From Home” Means Working Less? Think Again
Monday morning. I sit at the desk in my house, sunlight streaming into my work-from-home space, hoping for a moment’s rest before the onslaught of meetings and requests come in.
It’s worse than I thought. In my Outlook calendar, there are actually meetings overlapping each other — you know those side by side meetings.
Well, that’s great. I forgot to clone myself this morning.
So, I usually just use the “eney meeny miny moe” (yes I did in fact have to Google that spelling) or the rock, paper, ...
Beat the Winter Blues with These Plants
We wake up, it’s dark. We finish work, look up from our computer, it’s dark. Oh, right, it’s winter.
I don’t know about you, but this dark, cold season can really get me down.
Fortunately, there are some backyard plants that you can grow and use to give you an extra pep in the dark season.
St. John’s Wort
This may be one of the most common medicinalplants you will find. Most people think it’s just a weed, so it will probably grow well in your backyard medicinal plant garden throughout much of...
Climate Change and Racism in the Media
Over the past 5 years we have had one white person after another in the spotlight on climate change. As a white guy working on climate change, I find it frustrating, embarrassing, and cringe worthy.
Quite frankly, I wonder if mass media is just plain racist? Let’s see.
You have the old guys Hansen, Attenborough, and Biden.
You’ve got your evangelical Katherine Hayhoe.
You have your youth Greta.
They’ve all gotten tons of press, near and far. But they are all white. Yes, thankfully they are no...
There’s No Timeline for Grieving
In the fall of 2007 my mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. My heart broke and my stomach dropped.
I lived thousands of miles away from her in grad school. I decided then that I would push through finishing my doctorate and focus my job search on Maryland, where I am from.
Fortunately, this resulted in a number of in person interviews, with side trips to see my family, including being there for a major surgery for my mom at John’s Hopkins.
Unfortunately, I did not get any of those jobs. ...