Winners Announced for 16th Annual DCSWA Newsbrief Award

For Immediate Release
May 1, 2025

Contact: newsbriefaward@gmail.com

Winners Announced for 16th Annual DCSWA Newsbrief Award

Washington, D.C. — A story investigating the extinction of the woolly mammoth has won the 16th annual D.C. Science Writers Association’s Newsbrief Award.

Longform journalism often gets the field’s accolades, but short pieces are the true workhorses of science communication. In the spirit of recognizing these unsung works of excellence, DCSWA has been offering the Newsbrief Awards since 2009.

For the 2024 Newsbrief Award, a panel of science communicators judged all entries within a single category, which honors short science writing in any medium and at any outlet.

As this year’s winner, the judges named Claire Yuan for her story, “The last woolly mammoths offer new clues to why the species went extinct,” published in Science News.

Said one judge, “This story exemplified how modern science can challenge and update what we thought we knew, and did so in a way that was easy to understand.”

Yuan is a senior at Harvard College studying the History of Science and Chemistry & Physics. Currently a freelance science journalist, Claire has served as a AAAS Mass Media Fellow at Science News and associate managing editor of The Harvard Crimson. An aspiring physician-writer, she is passionate in telling stories about science and medicine.

The judges also awarded an honorable mention to Maria Temming, Aaron Tremper, and Sarah Zielinski of Science News Explores for the TikTok video, “Could a plant ever eat a person?“.

“Amazing use of ‘science fiction meets reality,'” remarked a judge.

Temming is the assistant managing editor of Science News Explores. She has bachelor’s degrees in physics and creative writing from Elon University and a master’s in science writing from MIT. She enjoys covering all fields of science for her day job, and writing about fandom-related research in her spare time.

Tremper is the editorial assistant for Science News Explores. He received an M.A. in Journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism’s Science and Health Reporting program. His stories have also appeared in Science News, Audubon Magazine, WABE, and Spectrum News-NY 1, among others. Outside of the newsroom, Tremper volunteers as a certified Virginia Master Naturalist in Arlington, Fairfax, and Alexandria counties.

Zielinski is the print editor of Science News Explores. She has a B.A. in biological sciences from Cornell University and an M.A. in journalism through New York University’s Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program. She loves to work on stories about animals and ecology. In her spare time, she writes and edits science comics.

The judges include Anneliese Palmer, a research professor of science communication at the George Washington University and author of “Hot, Hungry Planet: The Fight to Stop a Food Crisis in the Face of Climate Change”; Liz Landau, incoming DCSWA president who is also a freelance writer and leads astrophysics multimedia for NASA via ASRC; Bill Kovarik, a journalism professor at Radford University who Environmental Health News named among the leading pioneers of environmental journalism; Karl Eisenhower, managing editor of SciLine, based at the American Association for the Advancement of Science; and Gabe Castro-Root, an American University student whose internships at Bloomberg Law and the San Francisco Chronicle focused on health and environmental reporting.

DCSWA will celebrate the awardees in a ceremony during its DCSWA Professional Development Day on May 3. The winner will receive $300 and a framed certificate. Honorable mention recipients will receive framed certificates.

Entries by DCSWA members published between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2024, were eligible for the award. The D.C. Science Writers Association includes more than 300 science reporters, editors, authors, and public information officers based in the Washington metropolitan area and beyond.

Details on entering the 2025 Newsbrief Award will be available on the DCSWA website by the end of the year.

Photos available upon request.

####

Agenda Set for DCSWA Professional Development Day 2025!

DCSWA PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY 2025 (PDD 2025)
George Washington University, Student Center
Saturday, May 3, 2025 8:30 a.m. – 4:15 p.m. ET
REGISTER AT: https://dcswa.wildapricot.org/event-6148947

AGENDA

Time	Grand Ballroom, 3rd floor	Room 309
8:30 – 9:00 am	Registration check-in: Grab some coffee and breakfast pastries before we get started
9:00 – 9:30 am	Opening remarks and Newsbrief Award presentation
9:30 – 10:30 am	Keynote: Nobody’s Normal: Challenging the Stigma of Mental Illness with Roy Richard Grinker
10:45 – 11:45 am	Making the Most of AI with Ellen Kuwana	Social Media Best Practices
11:45 – 1:00 pm	Lunch, with the option to chat with a GW researcher
1:15 – 2:15 pm	Writer-Editor Meet and Greet	Notes from the Field: Writing in Far-Off Places
2:30 – 3:45 pm	The Poetry of Science, The Science of Poetry (A poetry open mic will follow; if you want to read your science-themed poem, contact president@dcswa.org by 5 p.m. ET, May 2)
3:45 – 4:15 pm	Meet for closing remarks, passing of the DCSWA duck (presidential transition), and book raffle
4:15 – 6:00 pm	Happy hour at Mission DuPont Circle 1606 20th Street NW, Washington, D.C. (202) 525-2010.

KEYNOTE: NOBODY’S NORMAL: CHALLENGING THE STIGMA OF MENTAL ILLNESS

Speaker: Roy Richard Grinker, Professor of Anthropology and International Affairs, George Washington University

Anthropologist Roy Richard Grinker will explore the underlying causes of mental illness stigma. He will address three key topics: the economic foundations of mental health knowledge, the influence of the military on the development of the psychological sciences, and the impact of research on autism in reducing stigma. Grinker also will share tips with journalists and science communicators on how they can better report on mental illness and developmental disorders without contributing to stigma.

MAKING THE MOST OF AI

Speaker: Ellen Kuwana, freelance writer and editor; former president, Northwest Science Writers Association; and co-host, NASW Freelancer Business Chats

Talk of AI is everywhere. But what tools can be used safely? In this interactive presentation, Ellen Kuwana will give an overview of the differences between AI-assisted tools and generative AI (GenAI), and discuss cautions when using GenAI. Learn how to speed up background research (e.g., literature searches). Compare AI-assisted tools to edit your own writing or text from others. Discover how to get suggestions about plain language (to communicate better with the broader public) or make text more concise (great for grant proposals and abstracts). Included will be screenshots and demos of Scite.ai, PerfectIt, EditGPT, and more.

SOCIAL MEDIA BEST PRACTICES

Speakers:

George Zaidan (American Chemical Society – Reactions)
Courtney Lee (NASA Goddard)
Nanci Bompey (Howard Hughes Medical Institute – Janelia Campus)

In a world full of content creators, science communicators face competition in the digital landscape to keep their audiences and stakeholders engaged. To stay ahead of the game, learn from these experts on how to make engaging science content that is adaptable to your platforms, and measure your success for future strategies.

NOTES FROM THE FIELD: WRITING IN FAR-OFF PLACES

Speakers:

Sarah Kaplan, Washington Post
Gabe Castro Root, American University Student/Freelance
Rachel Lense, NASA/ADNET
Liz Landau, NASA/ASRC/Freelance (Moderator)

From Alaska to Antarctica to Death Valley, science writers face unique challenges in finding, reporting, and writing stories in far-flung places. Learn from three experts how they went about their projects and what tips they have for others.

WRITER AND EDITOR MEET & GREET

Participating editors include:

Juliet Beverly, Brain Facts
Manny Morone, C&E News
Liza Lester, Eos (AGU)
Jessica Stahl, Grist
Joyce Frieden, MedPage Today
William Schulz, Photonics Focus (SPIE)
Gene Russo, Front Matter (PNAS)
Gloria Gonzalez, Politico
Karen Kwon, Science News
Nancy Shute, Science News
Anne Bolen, Smithsonian`

THE POETRY OF SCIENCE, THE SCIENCE OF POETRY

Speaker: Claudia Gary, independent writer, poet, and health/science communicator

Metaphor—a mainstay of poetry—is essential to a science writer’s work of explaining advanced concepts to the general public. But poetry and science also have other deep connections! In this workshop, Claudia Gary will take attendees on an exploration of how poetry, like music, is a window into the science of the brain. She’ll discuss poetry’s interactions with neurology and psychology, its connections to music and memory, and how poetry can improve the expressive power of all writing. An open mic concludes the session, where a few attendees will be able to share their science-themed poems. To sign up to read your poem, contact president@dcswa.org before 5 p.m. ET on May 2.

DCSWA Happy Hour with a Trivia Twist Saturday, April 19th!

Get out your old science textbooks, start reading nerdy Wikipedia entries before bed, and summon up the neurons where you store all those geekily fascinating bits of useless knowledge because the DCSWA Happy Hour and Science Trivia Night will be on Saturday, April 19, from 6:00 p.m. – 9 p.m. ET (Trivia contest starting at 7 p.m. ET).

The location is Right Proper Brewing, 624 T St. NW, Washington, DC, 20001 (around the corner from the Green Line’s Shaw-Howard University Metro station).

Jeopardy wannabees will complete in small groups, pitting their memories and accumulated gray matter against other challengers in four rounds of trivia: biological science, physical science, social science and the entropy round (where questions come randomly from any of the previous categories).

At the end of the evening, we’ll crown the 2025 DCSWA Team Trivia Champions. No prizes for the winners except the smug satisfaction and fusion-like lasting glow of having bested the greatest minds in Greater Washington, D.C., science communications.

Join us for a night like no other in DCSWA history. It’s BYOB (Bring Your Own Brains) and free admission (food and drinks on your tab).

We’re asking you and any guests you bring to RSVP (so we can get a head count before the event) by registering at: https://dcswa.wildapricot.org/event-6153067

Registration Now Open for DCSWA Professional Development Day, May 3

Professional Development Day (PDD), a career development and networking event for science writers, has been DCSWA’s signature happening since 2006. Every year, over 100 science reporters, PIOs, editors, radio and video producers, and freelancers gather for a fun and exciting day of networking, collaboration, and skill-building.

Please join us for PDD 2025 on Saturday, May 3, 2025, from 8:30 am ET – 4:00 pm ET at George Washington University’s Student Center on the 3rd floor.

THERE WILL BE NO ON-SITE REGISTRATION. REGISTRATION CLOSES AT 5 PM ET FRIDAY, MAY 2ND.

REGISTER AT: https://dcswa.wildapricot.org/event-6148947

Our full-day event will include a keynote talk, panel discussions and workshops geared toward journalists, institutional communicators (PIOs), and freelancers; lunch with GWU scientists; and an editor meet-and-greet. We also will have live streaming — with dedicated specialist support — for those who want to attend the talk and panel discussions virtually. Coffee, breakfast pastries, and lunch will be provided. PDD 2025 will conclude with an in-person raffle of science books, followed by a happy hour at a local pub.

———————————————————————————————

**** UPDATE 4/17/2025: GWU ANTHROPOLOGIST ROY GRINKER WILL BE KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT DCSWA PDD 2025! ****

Title of Keynote: Nobody’s Normal: Challenging the Stigma of Mental Illness

Description: Anthropologist Roy Richard Grinker will explore the underlying causes of mental illness stigma. He will address three key topics: the economic foundations of mental health knowledge, the influence of the military on the development of the psychological sciences, and the impact of research on autism in reducing stigma. Grinker will also share tips with journalists and science communicators on how they can better report on mental illness and developmental disorders without contributing to stigma.

Bio: Roy Richard Grinker is Professor of Anthropology and International Affairs at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and Editor-in-Chief of The Anthropological Quarterly. He is the author of Nobody’s Normal: How Culture Created the Stigma of Mental Illness (NY: W.W. Norton), and Unstrange Minds: Remapping the World of Autism (NY: Basic Books), among other books.

———————————————————————————————

**** UPDATE 4/212025: REGISTRATION FEES REDUCED FOR DCSWA PDD 2025! ****

Acknowledging the recent financial hardships being faced as a result of federal government funding cuts and reductions in force, financial difficulties at academic institutions and businesses, and other events, the DC Science Writers Association (DCSWA) Board of Directors has authorized a reduction in the registration fees for Professional Development Day 2025 (PDD 2025).

We hope this action will make it possible for more people to attend PDD 2025.

Those who registered and paid before the reduced fees were authorized will be refunded the difference in price.

To register, go to https://dcswa.wildapricot.org/event-6148947

Newsbrief Award Competition Has Closed; Judging Begins

The deadline for submitting entries in the 2024 DCSWA Newsbrief Award competition has closed. Thanks to all of you who entered!

This will be the 16th annual Newsbrief Award to celebrate the best in short-form science writing during the past year. Entries will be judged by a panel of science writers and media professionals solely on the quality of the writing, regardless of format. The winner will receive a prize of $300. Honorable mention certificates will be awarded at the judging panel’s discretion.

We plan to announce the 2024 Newsbrief Award winner and any honorable mentions sometime in March, and then recognize the honorees in person at DCSWA Professional Development Day on May 3rd.

Special thanks to DCSWA Board Member and Secretary Leigh Anne Kelley for coordinating the Newsbrief Award judges committee, and to Newsbrief Award founders Christine Dell’Amore and Chelsea Wald for handling the logistics of this year’s competition, as they have since the first award in 2009.

Newsbrief Award Entries Due by 11:59 PM Monday, February 24th!

Since 2009, we’ve been celebrating achievement in short-form science writing with the DCSWA Newsbrief Award. Members of DCSWA can enter their own work, or others can nominate it, via the entry form. Entries will be judged by a panel of science writers and media professionals on the quality of the writing. The winner will receive a prize of $300. Honorable mention certificates will be awarded at the judging panel’s discretion.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS 11:59 PM ET ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2025.

Submission Form at:

https://forms.gle/nzP5rWyc4pauLn4T8

The award consists of a single category, which honors science writers for their writing in any medium and any outlet. The suggested limit for written works is 500 words and for audio/video, 4 minutes. DCSWA members can be the entrant on up to two entries, and there is no limit on how many times they may be listed as team members on other entries.

Don’t wait until the last minute to enter!

For competition rules and additional information:

https://dcswa.org/newsbrief-award/

Questions? Email president@dcswa.org

The Thermodynamic Costs of Computing and Communications

Tuesday, February 25 @ Noon ET, 10 AM MT

Login to the talk here:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87966171694?pwd=buTDZBGgLoxmM2LoumUcBa8PUWchha.1

Meeting ID: 879 6617 1694
Passcode: 106562

About the Talk

Running a computer program isn’t just about processing information – it also comes with energy costs. The amount of energy needed depends on both the type of computation being done and the physical system doing it.

In a special DC Science Writers Association (DCSWA) lunchtime event, the Santa Fe Institute’s David Wolpert will share new findings on the minimum thermodynamic costs required to perform a communication within a computer, and will show us what it takes to run a simple type of computer model called a deterministic finite automaton (DFA), which follows a set of fixed rules to process information. David also will discuss emerging research questions at the intersection of stochastic thermodynamics (a field of study describing systems that are out of thermodynamic equilibrium) and computer science theory, highlighting how they drive advancements in both fields.

Our Speaker

David Wolpert is a professor at the Santa Fe Institute, with affiliations at the Complexity Science Hub in Vienna, Arizona State University, and the International Center for Theoretical Research in Italy. David has authored three books, over 250 papers, and holds three patents. He is an associate editor for multiple journals and a fellow of the IEEE.

With 45,000 citations, his research spans thermodynamics of computation, physics foundations, social dynamics, machine learning, game theory, and distributed optimization. His machine learning method, stacking, contributed to winning the Netflix competition, and his work on the No Free Lunch theorems has over 10,000 citations.

Wolpert previously held positions at Los Alamos National Laboratory, NASA Ames, and Stanford University, where he founded the Collective Intelligence group. He has also worked at IBM and a data mining startup. He holds physics degrees from Princeton and the University of California.

Moderator and Event Organizer

DCSWA Board Member Abha Eli is director of communications at the Santa Fe Institute. An editor and journalist from Nepal, Abha earned an MFA in Creative Writing (fiction) from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. After graduation, she joined CERN, where she remained for the next decade, exploring possibilities in science communications for particle physics. She also has worked with ICTP’s Physics Without Frontiers and the European Physical Society’s High Energy Particle Physics group to design and create communication strategies. Before joining SFI, she was the science communications manager at the American Physical Society.

DCSWA 2024 Holiday Party

On Saturday, December 14th from 7pm-10pm, join us at Busboys and Poets 14th and V for a fun evening of food and drinks with your fellow science communicators. Mingle and meet friends new and old!

Your ticket gets you two (2) drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic options available), lots of tasty food, and three hours of serious merriment. DCSWA members, guests, and science enthusiasts are welcome.

Where: Busboys and Poets 14th and V (2021 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009)

When: Saturday, December 14th, 2024, 7:00 – 10:00 pm

Cost:

$45 for DCSWA members, ($85 for members plus a guest)

$35 for DCSWA student members, ($65 for student members plus a guest)

$55 for non-members

REGISTER AT https://dcswa.wildapricot.org/event-5962985

Questions: president@dcswa.org

Pizza Social at Sonny’s in DC

Who doesn’t like free pizza? *

On Thursday, October 10, starting at 6:30 pm, come grab a slice – on us – with fellow DCSWAns
and bring along friends who are considering joining!

Sonny’s Pizza is at 3120 Georgia Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20010,
just 4 blocks from the Columbia Heights metro stop.

RSVP at https://dcswa.wildapricot.org/event-5885528 so that we will have enough pizza to meet demand!

* lactose intolerant people — don’t worry we’ll order some sans cheese

Tour of the School of Engineering at the University of Maryland College Park

*** REGISTRATION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24! ***

Engineers at Maryland are designing, building, 3D printing and commercializing new technology solutions that take on society’s grand challenges.

Join Clark School of Engineering researchers and fellow DCSWA members at UMD’s College Park campus for:

· A science cafe-style coffee chat with a bioengineering professor.

· A facility tour of UMD’s nuclear reactor, a small, low-power training reactor that uses an inherently safe fuel called TRIGA.

· A facility tour of UMD’s 367,000-gallon neutral buoyancy tank—one of only two in the U.S. designed to mimic the zero-gravity environment of space, and the only one in the world on a college campus.

Please note:

The tour is limited to the first 22 DCSWA members and guests (limit 1 per member) who register before 11:59 p.m. EDT on October 24 (NEW DEADLINE!).

There is no fee for the tour; however, on-campus parking is $3 per hour ($15 daily maximum). For visitor parking information, go to: https://transportation.umd.edu/parking/visitors

Portions of the tour are not accessible. Stairs are required.

To register, go to https://dcswa.wildapricot.org/event-5875961

In addition, EACH attendee MUST complete the visitor and safety acknowledgement before 11:59 p.m. EDT on October 24: https://go.umd.edu/dcswa

For more information on Maryland Engineering, go to https://eng.umd.edu

Home

The D.C. Science Writers Association is a group of journalists, writers, public information officers (PIOs), and audio and video producers who cover breaking research, science and technology. Our events bring together science writers for socializing, networking, science-based tours and events, and professional development workshops. The D.C. Science Writers Association is dedicated to providing a safe and welcoming experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, national origin, or religion. DCSWA does not tolerate harassment of members in any form.